All about Ravel

‘The idea that I should be leaving at once made me get through five months’ work in five weeks! My Trio is finished.’ That’s what Maurice Ravel said when the war broke out in August 1914 and he could be called up for service. This exquisite Piano Trio is brought to life by three top musicians in a truly special performance. They also perform Ravel’s Sonata for violin and cello, which he dedicated to Debussy shortly after his death. The works of Ravel are part of an all-French programme that includes a delightful surprise: Guillaume Connesson’s Chants de l’Agartha for cello and piano. 

Ivan Karizna has a deep connection to France, where he studied cello and lived for over a decade. In 2011, at the age of 19, he won the bronze medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition. At the Cello Biennale in 2024, Karizna delivered a stunning performance of Shostakovich’s First cello concerto. With violinist Liza Ferschtman, his musical soulmate, he has often shared the stage. Tonight, their friend Aleksandar Madžar, an accomplished Serbian pianist and laureate of many international competitions, will be at the piano.

Note
This concert is also part of the Kick-off day of the Cello Biennale. Further details of that day will follow later in the season.