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The return visit of Susan Clark on Sunday afternoon 14th January after an absence of thirteen years instead of Tom Carey as advertised, confirmed our previous impression of her as a fine pianist and musician. Substituting, at short notice, for Tom who was hospitalised with a spinal operation, she produced an interesting and attractive programme of classical, with more modern French and Spanish music from the piano repertoire.

The Mozart Sonata in F K.332 was a change from our usual fare and received a confident and pleasing performance especially in the sonorous Andante and very spirited Allegro assai. The two Brahms` Intermezzi in Bb minor and A from Ops.117 and118 which followed, were a joy to hear, and the well known and loved Chopin Bb minor Scherzo was played with panache and tight rhythmic control to the delight of a Polish gentleman next to whom I was sitting in the audience.

After the interval the mood changed to Ravel and Debussy with highly evocative pieces from these composers. "Oiseaux tristes" and "Une barque sur L`ocean" from "Miroirs" admirably conjured up Ravel`s impressionism, and similarly "Pour le Piano" by Debussy was beautifully played with all the subtle nuances, fluency and tonal graduation which this three movement work demands. Sandwiched between these two French masterpieces Susan played Granados`s "Valses Poeticos"; ten miniature waltzes depicting different moods including exuberance, humour, sentimentality, and vivacity. All were played with great sensitivity,fine cantabile touch and sparkling lightness where required.

To round off this fine recital from this very `audience friendly` artist we heard the` Valse Triste` by Chopin which again showed her mastery of fine weighted cantabile tone control.

P.B.

Susan Clark started playing the piano at the age of four and attended the Trinity College of Music Junior Department for ten years, studying piano, flute, violin and musicianship. She continued her studies at Cambridge University and while there performed extensively both as a soloist and accompanist. After graduating from Cambridge, Susan successfully completed a Postgraduate Diploma in performance at the Royal College of Music. Her teachers have included Rose Eley, Nigel Clayton, John Blakely and Vanessa Latarche.

She has appeared as a soloist or accompanist at most of the major London concert venues, including the South Bank, St. John’s, Smith Square, Southwark Cathedral, St. Martin in the Fields, Blackheath Halls and the picture gallery at Royal Holloway. She has also played at the Edinburgh and the Aldeburgh Fringe Festivals and various music clubs in the south east and has performed at the Martinu Hall in Prague. In 2003 she performed a Mozart piano concerto with Trinity Orchestra, Harrow and in 2009 appeared with the Lincolnshire Symphony Orchestra playing Chopin's first piano concerto.

Susan has played for masterclasses throughout the country and has accompanied courses at Canford Summer School, Ripon Operatic Summer School and Stratford Flute Festival. She has had three articles about teaching techniques published in the Music Teacher magazine.

She has taught at Harrow School, Eagle House School and Latymer Saturday Music Centre. Susan currently holds posts as a visiting teacher of piano at Merchant Taylor’s School and Wellington College. She examines for the Associated Board in the UK and has completed three examining tours in Malaysia and two in Singapore.