From a Woman’s Pen: Souvenirs Past to Present | Sofia Yatsyuk & Ziteng Fan

Tonight's programme presents a deep dive into the lives of seven women, charting a journey through periods of history and highlighting works both historical and contemporary.

The programme centres around Ethel Smyth’s monumental A minor Violin Sonata. Written in 1887, the Sonata is dedicated to Elisabeth Wach, daughter of composer Felix Mendelssohn. Following its premiere in Leipzig, critics described the work as "music devoid of feminine charm and therefore unworthy of a woman." Smyth’s legacy is significant for her substantial and critically acclaimed body of work, in addition to her trailblazing activism in the women's suffrage movement. She is a foundational and instrumental figure in the celebration and study of women composers, and this turbulently dreamy work showcases her brilliance through the experimental period of British music at the turn of the twentieth century.

In contrast to the first half, the second showcases a kaleidoscope of miniature gems by historical figures and contemporary talents: the African-American Florence Price and her Elfentanz, the Ukrainian Bohdana Frolyak and her Nocturne, the American Amy Beach and her Three Compositions, Bloom by the British composer Cheryl Frances-Hoad, another Nocturne by the French Lili Boulanger, and Emotiva by the Brazilian-American composer Clarice Assad. These radiantly contrasting miniatures portray light-hearted wit, delightful playfulness, emotional depth, solitude, and nostalgia, while providing inspiring insight into the rich and diverse stories of the composers. Much of this music remains an exquisite collection of untapped material that is fundamental to understanding the history of classical music, showcasing its monumental breadth and its diversity. An inspiring celebration of women in classical music not to be missed!

Pre-Concert Dining

Available in the National Liberal Club's main Dining Room. A two-course express menu, priced at £29, will be available from 5.00 pm to 6.30 pm before the concert. Highly recommended! Bookings must be made directly with the Dining Room in advance of the concert day. Please email [email protected] or telephone 020 7968 0924 and quote "Kettner Concert". Guests are asked to adhere to the Club’s dress code should they wish to dine.

Dr Sofia Yatsyuk is a Ukrainian-British concert violinist—a highly sought-after performer, recording artist, scholar, writer, and educator. Her doctoral research, undertaken at McGill University, Montreal was on Women composers and their critics in the era of first-wave feminism: gender and the classical music canon in Britain, 1850-1950. Sofia was invited to present her research at Dublin City University’s 2024 Ethel Smyth Symposium, and has recently written an article for The Strad magazine, titled What Dame Ethel Smyth and Rebecca Clarke can teach us this International Women’s Day. Her recently released debut solo album Silent Voices, Intertwined Paths features Ethel Smyth’s and Rebecca Clarke’s Sonatas for violin and piano. In their day, these women were influential pioneers in their field; now they are ghostly presences in our music histories, on the margins of the classical canon. Sofia continues to expose audiences to the works of these important composers, creating space for marginalised voices to be heard.

As an award-winning violinist, she made her orchestral debut with the Ternopil Symphony Orchestra in 2014, and has enjoyed a varied performance career as a soloist and chamber musician since. Sofia has performed extensively throughout Europe and North America, including performances at the Parliament building and Wigmore Hall in London, and Carnegie Hall in New York. As an orchestral violinist, Sofia frequently plays with The Hallé, as well as recently co-leading the Chineke! Orchestra. Other orchestras have included the Lviv National Philharmonic, United Strings of Europe, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Chromatica, Orchestre Nouvelle Génération, Oktoécho, and Orchestre Métropolitain in Montreal. Equally at home in the recording studio, Sofia frequently works for film, TV and record producers, recording for a multitude of commercial artists including Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli. Live performances include The Graham Norton Show and Strictly Come Dancing with Dame Shirley Bassey.

A graduate of the Purcell School for Young Musicians, Sofia joined the Royal Academy of Music under Professor Mateja Marinkovic and completed her masters and doctorate degrees with Professor Axel Strauss at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music. Additional inspiration has come from masterclasses with Michael Frischenschlager, Tasmin Little, Zakhar Bron, James Ehnes, Leonidas Kavakos, Maxim Vengerov, Violaine Melancon, Levon Chilingirian, Victor Danchenko, Ani Kavafian, Felix Andrievsky, and Ani Schnarch. A passionate educator, Sofia recently founded The Young Violinist Algarve International Summer Academy, which is a unique opportunity for young violinists to develop and elevate their playing in the magical setting of Praia da Luz, Portugal.

Sofia volunteers in Ukraine and raises money for a variety of Ukrainian charities. Since 2021, she has been organising benefit concerts in Montreal, London, and New York to raise funding for Ukrainian orphanages, where she continues to regularly volunteer. Sofia is based in London, England.

Chinese-born Finnish pianist Ziteng Fan is a versatile musician whose career spans solo performance, chamber music, and collaborative piano. Active on the international stage, she performs regularly in recital and chamber music concerts across Europe and China, with festival appearances including the Buxton International Festival (UK), Musica Nova Helsinki (Finland), the Bartók Salon Concerts (Amsterdam), and the Romsey Chamber Music Festival (UK). As a concerto soloist, she has performed with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Helsinki Camerata. She currently serves as Artist in Residence at the Piano Art Development & Promotion Association in Changchun, China.

An accomplished prize winner, Ziteng has received awards at competitions such as the Helmi Vesa Piano Competition in Helsinki and the Sterndale Bennett Piano Competition at the Royal Academy of Music in London. She is a recipient of the Royal Academy of Music Else Cross Prize and has been generously supported by Help Musicians, the Finnish Wihuri Foundation, and the Martin Wegelius Foundation. She has also been named “Young Artist of the Year” by both Zonta International and the Finnish Rotary Club.

Ziteng is a founding member of the Mila Piano Trio, with which she performs widely across the UK. Recent successes include debut appearances at St Martin-in-the-Fields and St John’s Smith Square, and First Prize at VERÃO CLÁSSICO in Portugal. The trio has also received awards at the Isaacs and Pirani Piano Trio Competition and the Historical Women Composers Competition at the Royal Academy of Music.

Ziteng graduated with Distinction from both the Royal Academy of Music and the Sibelius Academy. Her teachers included Hamish Milne, Hui-Ying Liu-Tawaststjerna and Juhani Lagerspetz. She is currently pursuing an Advanced Diploma in Ensemble Piano at the Royal Academy of Music, studying with James Baillieu and James Cheung.

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