Lunchtime Piano Concert ft. Maria Pyatakova Güray

This recital is conceived for 1 April, bringing together music that reflects wit, imagination, and playful character.

Alongside the elegance of the classical repertoire, the programme also highlights diverse musical voices, including the Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina and the Cuban composer and pianist Ernesto Lecuona. The programme opens with the sparkling Sonata in C major, Hob. XVI:50 by Joseph Haydn, whose music is renowned for its charm, elegance, and subtle humour. This brilliant classical sonata sets a lively and engaging tone for the recital. A contrasting atmosphere follows with several miniatures from Musical Toys by Sofia Gubaidulina, whose imaginative pieces evoke toy instruments and mechanical sounds with a whimsical and slightly surreal character. The virtuosic Étude No. 11 – Pour les arpèges composés by Claude Debussy then introduces a shimmering world of color and motion, transforming technical study into a poetic display of sound. The lively Mazurka Glissando by Ernesto Lecuona adds a playful burst of virtuosity and Latin American character before the recital concludes with the dramatic Piano Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Op. 14 by Sergei Prokofiev, whose sharp contrasts, irony, and theatrical energy provide a powerful and exciting finale.

Programme:

Joseph Haydn – Sonata in C major, Hob. XVI:50

Sofia Gubaidulina – Selections from Musical Toys

Claude Debussy – Étude No. 11, Pour les arpèges composés

Ernesto Lecuona – Mazurka Glissando

Sergei Prokofiev – Piano Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Op. 14

Maria Pyatakova Güray is a Russian-Belgian classical pianist performing as a soloist and chamber musician across Europe. She has appeared in concerts in Russia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Turkey, presenting a wide repertoire from Baroque to contemporary music.

Maria studied at the Mussorgsky Music College in Saint Petersburg and later graduated with distinction from the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, where she studied with Prof. Mikhail Faerman. She is a prizewinner of several international piano competitions in Russia, Italy, Sweden, Bulgaria, and Slovenia.

Her repertoire includes major works by composers such as Bach, Beethoven, Liszt, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, and Debussy, and she regularly performs both solo recital programs and chamber music projects.

www.mariapyatakovagüray.com

https://youtube.com/@mariapyatakovaguray8234

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