Beethoven - The Last Master

Wednesday 9th June 2010 - 19:45
Tickets: £15 (£12)

 

JOHN SUCHET		SIMON MULLIGAN

John Suchet and Simon Mulligan appear at this year's Pinner Music Festival by kind permission of All Electric Productions.

John Suchet will bring to life the greatest composer of them all - Beethoven.  He will take you on a fascinating tour of the life, times and music of Beethoven. Live music enhances John Suchet's inspiring performance. This is played by the internationally acclaimed concert pianist, Simon Mulligan.

JOHN SUCHET is one of the country’s best known newscasters. But away from the news, John’s great passion is the life and work of Beethoven. He began writing a fictional biography of the great composer in 1990. Three volumes were published between 1996 and 1998. John Suchet will take you on a fascinating tour of the life, times and music of one of the greatest geniuses who ever lived. The talk will be illustrated by Simon giving live performances of several pieces and some abridged versions of Beethoven’s compositions.

SIMON MULLIGAN was a Music Scholar of St Paul’s School, London and studied under Alexander Kelly at the Royal Academy of Music and Jacques Rouvier in Paris; he also studied Beethoven at the personal invitation of Alfred Brendel. He made his début aged 19 at London’s Barbican Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a month later recorded his first CD under the direction of Yehudi Menuhin. This led to a seven year collaboration culminating in what was to be Lord Menuhin’s final concert in Dusseldorf in March 1999. Simon was also the recipient of a scholarship to the International Piano Academy on Italy’s Lake Como. In 2007 he was awarded the prestigious Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Music for his musical achievements. Simon has an extensive solo repertoire and over fifty concertos and is a devotee of contemporary music. He is also a passionate composer and arranger, writing for film, television and his own jazz quartet. Simon has performed with many of the world’s top orchestras and recorded for many labels, including Naxos most recently.