LUNCHTIME RECITAL: SABINA RAKCHEYEVA & GUNEL MIRZAYEVA

MON 23 MAY 1.10pm | The Hearn Recital Room

Sabina Rakcheyeva violin
Gunel Mirzayeva piano

A fundraising recital to raise money for the crisis in the Ukraine.

The programme will feature the works of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Rachmaninov, Karayev and Silvestrov among others. There will be a retiring donation at the end of the recital to support the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

With a life long passion for J.S. Bach’s music, British/Azeri pianist Gunel Mirzayeva deeply personal approach weaves together Western and Eastern musical styles. Gunel recently completed a Doctorate at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, exploring the cross-cultural influences on contemporary performance practices in Azerbaijani piano music. During her practice-based research, Gunel was invited to the prestigious artistic residencies at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Canada and the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris.

As an artist, Gunel has performed extensively throughout the UK and Europe. Notable performances include concerts at the Wigmore Hall, Barbican Hall, St. Martins-in-the-Fields, UK House of Commons in London, and Hen Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. She has appeared as a soloist with the Netherlands Symphony and the Azerbaijani State Symphony orchestras.

Gunel has won 1st prize at the 2005 All Republic Competition in Azerbaijan, 1st prize and the Audience prize at the 2008 International Piano Competition for Young Musicians in Enschede, Netherlands and 2nd prize at the 2009 Sheepdrove Piano Competition in Berkshire, UK. Gunel has been the recipient of numerous music awards including the Else and Leonard Cross Award, James Gibb Award, Alec Beecheno Bursary and the Kathleen Higginson Piano Prize. Gunel has also participated in piano masterclasses with Paul Lewis, Imogen Cooper, Richard Goode, and in research masterclasses with Prof. John Rink.

Winner of “The Best Violinist of the Year” competition in Baku, first recipient of “Artist in Residence” Award from the Fund of Mutual Understanding in New York, Dr Sabina Rakcheyeva is first ever Azerbaijani to be accepted to the prestigious Juilliard School in New York. She has performed in over 40 countries, for the Presidents of the European Commission, Azerbaijan, Russia, Romania, United Nations Secretary-General and Prince of Liechtenstein, as well as the members of the British Royal family.

Born in Baku, Azerbaijan on the crossroads of East and West, and based in London, Sabina is passionate about fusion of Eastern and Western music and cultures. In 2011, the Sabina Rakcheyeva Ensemble released their first album UnVeiled, featuring a rare fusion of instruments and styles, which attracted great critical acclaim. She has been a founding member of DECO Ensemble, which released an album Encuentro, focusing on the genre of the Nuevo Tango.

An advocate orchestra player, Rakcheyeva was a concertmaster of the International Youth Chamber Orchestra in Germany, and a founding member of Verbier Orchestra.
Sabina’s interests expand beyond performance only; she is a member of the European Cultural Parliament and has completed her PhD in Cultural diplomacy at SOAS (University of London). She has served as the Cultural Advisor at The European Azerbaijan Society and the Arts Global Foundation. As a cultural consultant, Sabina has facilitated numerous projects and organised several concerts across Europe and the United States. She has recently written music and was featured in a film “Leila’s Violin” which received a top award at the Monaco Film Festival.

TICKETS: £10
With a retiring donation to raise money for the crisis in the Ukraine.
Running Time: approx. 60 mins no interval