April sees two enthralling concerts in Inverness Town House from the sister acts of Inverness Chamber Music and At One With Music.

The annual concert by the prize winner of the Moray Piano Competition will be at 8.00pm on Tuesday April 16th. The final of that Competition was held in Elgin Town Hall on November 11th last year when the adjudicators, both professors from London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama, had absolutely no trouble in deciding that George Todica deserved the top prize.

Twenty year old George is from Romania and after initial graduation from the State Conservatoire in Bucharest, he is studying for his Masters degree at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow. George’s programme for Inverness Chamber Music will feature some of the works from his triumph in Elgin, such as Franz Liszt’s Un sospiro, and will include a Chopin Polonaise, Ravel’s Sonatine and a suite by Enescu, with the whole of the second half being a performance of Schumann’s epic set of twenty variations Carnaval.

Regular members of the Town House audience will remember that the Moray Piano Competition winner in 2011 was another young pianist from Romania, Peter Ciobanu who has since given two thrilling recitals in the Town House. After his performance last April, Peter modestly promised, “There is another pianist from Romania coming to Scotland who is so much better than me. Just wait until you hear him.” That pianist is George Todica.

Tickets for the George Todica recital on Tuesday April 16th can be reserved online at www.invernesschambermusic.com or bought from Eden Court Box Office or at the door on the night up to 30 minutes before the recital starts.

Two days later, at 1.00pm on Thursday April 18th, At One With Music will be welcoming the return of local musical couple, soprano Moira Harris and her husband pianist Steve Jones with one of their popular themed programmes of songs – this time about “Spring”, no matter what the weather throws at us. Admission to this 55 minute concert will cost £5 for adults and £1 for children, payable only at the door from 12.30pm.

Source: James Munro