Friday 7 October 2022 Sheldonian Theatre

Two Pianos, Eight Hands

Graham Fitkin and Friends

Graham Fitkin and Friends are four unique musicians who revel in the unremitting delight of ensemble piano playing. Unapologetically direct, joyous and highly energetic, Fitkin’s eight-handed works for two pianos are complemented by equally lucid and more intimate solos and duos from Unsuk Chin, Anna Meredith and Steve Reich. A new Britten Pears Arts commission, Bla Bla Bla, for pianos, samplers and spoken voice delivers a gripping and provocative finale.

‘A delight that defies all fashionable labels and conjured its own whirlygig of ideas’ The Guardian (on Graham Fitkin)

About the artists

Graham Fitkin composes for live performance, recordings, dance, media and installations. He works with acoustic instruments, electronic instruments and audio recordings and has won three BASCA Composer Awards, International Grand Prix Dance Music Award 2000 and the Royal Philharmonic Society Composer Award in 2015. He was previously Composer-in-Residence with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and the London Chamber Orchestra. He has been commissioned by the Halle, BBC Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, RSNO, Athens Camerata, BBC Symphony Orchestra nd the BBC Concert Orchestra and worked with dance companies such as Wayne McGregor’s Random Dance and chamber groups such as a collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma and the Sacconi Quartet.

Graham will be joined by Clare Hammond, Kathryn Stott, and Ruth Wall for this concert. Click on a link to read more about each artist.