Sunday 17 November 2019
3:00 pm • £15
Oliver Nelson
violin
Vasilis Rakitzis
piano
Schubert, Beethoven & Franck
Programme:
Schubert
Sonata in D, D.137
Beethoven
Sonata in C minor, Op.30, no.2
Franck
Sonata in A
Admission:
£15 in advance, or cash at the door.
Children 16 and under admitted free with accompanying adult. Students £3 (with ID card).
Amounts indicated are a suggested donation for cash at the door. If you are a tax payer a Gift Aid declaration would be appreciated.
All our concerts are held in the church at 83 Portsmouth Road.
The main entrance to the free parking is in Millmead Terrace which is accessed from Bury Fields at the end of Lawn Road.
Biography:
Oliver Nelson - violin
Oliver Nelson was born in Glasgow and began learning the violin at the age of six. He gained scholarships to both Canford School and the Royal Academy of Music. During his time at the Academy, Oliver studied the violin with Xue-Wei and conducting with Denise Ham and Colin Metters, graduating with distinction in the Fellowship diploma and a further distinction in his MMus degree. His achievements include winning the Academy Concerto Competition, appearing as leader and soloist with the Academy String Orchestra and the building of his concerto repertoire with numerous British orchestras. Oliver has since been in high demand as a recitalist with some of Britain's finest pianists, including Andrew Ball, Julian Jacobson, Bela Hartman, Nigel Hutchison, Roy Stratford and Vasileios Rakitzis with recent performances ranging from St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London to Chichester Cathedral. He has appeared as soloist with orchestras throughout this country and abroad, including performances of the Brahms Double Concerto with 'cellist Rebecca Gilliver in Dorset, Bruch's Violin Concerto No.1 at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, the Tchaikovsky Concerto in Adelaide, Australia, and Mozart Concertos 3 and 5 with the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra in Muscat, Oman. Following the last of these, Oliver was invited as soloist for a private performance for the Sultan of Oman in his palace.
Oliver's violin playing features in Francois Girard's film The Song of Names in which he collaborated with Oscar-winning composer Howard Shore, and appeared as body-double and violin coach for Clive Owen and Jonah-Hauer-King. Oliver also teaches at The Royal School and Hindhead Music Centre in Surrey, and is regularly involved in adjudicating, string coaching, and lecturing for the London based Masterclass series.
Vasilis Rakitzis - piano
Vasilis Rakitzis is a Doctor of Musical Arts from City University London and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music and the Conservatories of Athens and Amsterdam. A pupil of Popi and Maria Efstratiadis, Martin Roscoe, Naum Grubert, and Caroline Palmer, he also participated in masterclasses with Paul Badura-Skoda, Boris Berman, Martino Tirimo, and Leonidas Kavakos.
Vasilis regularly appears in piano recitals and chamber music concerts in Greece and England, and he has also performed in the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy. As a concerto soloist he has performed with the State Orchestras of Athens and Thessaloniki, the National Radio Symphony Orchestra of Greece, and the Symphony Orchestra of the City of Athens. Vasilis was a prizewinner in national and international competitions, and he was awarded the prestigious ‘Eleni Tim. Mykoniou’ prize by the Academy of Athens. He currently resides in London and also teaches piano at Christ's Hospital School, The Royal School in Haslemere, and the Hindhead Music Centre.