Marta Zabaleta

Friday  |  13 July  |  7.30pm

Repertoire:

CHOPIN IN MALLORCA

Chopin: from 24 Preludes, Op. 28
No. 1 in C Major
No. 2 in A Minor
No. 3 in G Major
No. 4 in E Minor
No. 5 in D major

Granados: Selections from Goyescas
El fandango de candil Quejas, o la maja y el ruiseñor Los Requiebros

Chopin: from 24 Preludes, Op. 28
No. 11 in B Major
No. 12 in G Sharp Minor
No. 13 in F Sharp Major

Albéniz: Asturias from Suite Español

Albéniz: Rondeña from Iberia, Book 2; Mallorca, Op. 202; Eritaña from Iberia, Book 4

Chopin: Nocturne in G Minor, Op. 37 No. 1

Manuel de Falla: Suite del amor brujo
I. Pantomima
II. Canción del fuego fatuo
III. Danza del terror
IV. El círculo mágico
V. Danza ritual del fuego

At the age of 16, Marta completed her musical studies in San Sebastian where she was awarded First Prize in piano. She then went on to continue her studies at some of the most prestigious European academies: the National Superior Conservatory of Music in Paris under Dominique Merlet, the Reina Sofía College of Music in Madrid with Dmitri Bashkirov, and the Marshall Academy in Barcelona with Alicia de Larrocha. She received many prizes at international competitions such as the Santander ‘Paloma O’Shea’, Darmstadt, Premio Jaén and the Pilar Bayona International Piano Competition in Zaragoza.

In her long career as a concert pianist, Marta has performed as a soloist with orchestras such as the English Chamber Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, the Deutsches Symphony Orchestra (Berlin), the Basque National Orchestra, and the Spanish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra (RTVE), as well as the symphony orchestras of Bilbao, Extremadura, Castile and León, Murcia, Community of Madrid, Galicia, Málaga, Granada, Valencia and Reina Sofía, amongst others. She has performed under the baton of outstanding conductors including Sir Colin Davis, Daniele Gatti, Harry Christophers, S. Comissiona, C. Mandeal, M. Venzago, G. Varga, G. Neuhold, J.C Spinossi, G. Pehlivanian, J. Mena, D. Wilson, L. Pfaff, J.M. Encinar, J. Amigo, M. Bragado, G. I. Ramos, and C. Wilkins. Marta has been invited to significant international festivals and concert halls, debuting in the Carnegie Hall with cellist Asier Polo.

Marta has made a number of recordings, which include the works of Joaquín Rodrigo, recorded by EMI; F. Escudero, with the label CLAVES; chamber works with Asier Polo under the label BBK; and M. Pompey’s Concerto for Two Pianos with the Spanish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra (RTVE). She has also recorded an album “Pecados de juventud” (“Sins of youth”) of compositions by Alicia de Larrocha, and has recently released two new albums: “Goyescas and El Pelele” by Granados, edited by La má de Guido, and works for cello and piano by Rachmaninov and Franck with IBS Classical.

In addition to her performing career, Marta has a great deal of experience and recognition in piano pedagogy. She has given masterclasses at Trinity Laban College of London and at universities in Bogota and Medellin, among many others. Marta is currently professor of piano at Musikene (the Higher Academy of Music of the Basque Country), and, at the wish of her predecessor Alicia de Larrocha, she is the current director of the Marshall Academy in Barcelona.

Marta recently won the Albéniz Medal granted by the Fundación Pública Isaac Albéniz.

www.martazabaletapiano.com/en

Lixin Zhang

Sunday  |  15 July  |  5:00pm

Repertoire:

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 26 in E Flat Major, Op. 81a, ‘Les Adieux’
I. Das Lebewohl: Adagio – Allegro
II. Abwesenheit: Andante espressivo
III. Das Wiedersehen: Vivacissimamente

Liszt: from Six Consolations, S. 172
No. 1 in E Major
No. 2 in E Major
No. 3 in D Flat Major

Schumann: from Novelettes, Op. 21
No. 1 in D Minor
No. 2 in D Major

Debussy: from Préludes
Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l’air du soir
Les collines d’Anacapri
Des pas sur la neige
Feux d’artifice

Chopin: Ballade No. 2 in F Major, Op. 38

Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2    

Lixin Zhang is 17 years old and is in his fifth year at Burnside High School, Christchurch where he is in the Specialist Music Programme playing both piano and violin. He began piano lessons at the age of four with Neville Baird and later also studied with Michael Endres and Richard Mapp. Lixin was awarded the Irene Lassen Exhibition award from the Royal Schools of Music for his first diploma exam and passed his LRSM diploma with a high distinction. In addition, he has attained his fellowship diploma certificate from the Trinity College of London. In 2017, Lixin was invited to perform two solo concerts at festivals held in Mallorca, Spain. During the same year, he attended a summer school programme held in Switzerland and was invited to return the following year to perform as a guest artist at a festival concert. Lixin has won the 2017 Wallace National Piano Competition, the 2016 Wallace National Junior Piano Competition, various IRMT piano competitions, and the Ruby Hay Pianoforte Scholarship. Earlier this year, Lixin recorded a CD with Rattle Records. Away from the piano, he enjoys playing table tennis, chess, and tennis.