

Step into a colourful world of flamboyance and festivity
Drop in on Sunday 2 March from 11am
Tickets available from the RCM Box Office or online
The RCM Keyboard Faculty invites you to step into a colourful world of flamboyance and festivity at this year’s Keyboard Festival, an extravaganza of music inspired by rituals and dances. We feature 60 students of a variety of nationalities, who will present works from around the world and through the ages, from the 16th century to the present day. We are thrilled that the whole day will also be livestreamed to our international audience online.
Dances and rituals of various forms have long been a source of rich inspiration for composers writing for keyboard instruments, and we are especially pleased today to be hosting the world premieres of two works by current RCM composers, written especially for the festival and in collaboration with the performers, alongside a wide range of familiar and lesser-known solo works, chamber music and song. The day culminates in an exciting relay-style performance, shared between 14 of our pianists, of Stravinsky’s own piano duet version of his iconic ballet, The Rite of Spring. There is something for all keyboard lovers here, and we look forward to showcasing the RCM’s magnificent Steinway concert grands, our harpsichord, and the Flentrop Orgelbouw organ.
Professor Vanessa Latarche
Chair of International Keyboard Studies and Head of Keyboard Associate Director for Partnerships in Asia
This event will be streamed live at www.rcm.ac.uk/live
The RCM Café will be open from 10.30am–6.30pm serving a range of sandwiches, snacks and beverages.
Rituals and Dances has been designed and curated by Richard Uttley and Dorian Leljak. Special thanks to the following people for their support in the organisation of the festival. Thank you everyone!
Chris Moulton Head of Keyboard Technical Services
Edmund Pickering Historical Performance Keyboard Technician
Alex Beattie Faculties Manager, International Partnerships Manager
Please turn off your mobile phone. Filming, recording and photography are not permitted without prior written permission.
The RCM films many events and by attending you consent to any photography or recording. See www.rcm.ac.uk/recordingpolicy for our Public Recording Policy.
Latecomers will not be allowed into the auditorium until a suitable break. In the interests of safety, sitting or standing on the steps or floors is strictly prohibited. Thank you for your co-operation. Programme details correct at time of going to print.
From 11am
Manuel de Falla (1876–1946)
Samuel Barber (1910–1981)
Ritual Fire Dance Maximilian Maisky
Souvenirs op 28 v Hesitation Tango
Maurice Ravel (1875–1937) La Valse
Florence Price (1887–1953)
Anon, arr Herbert Hughes (1882–1937)
Alexander Scriabin (1872–1915)
William Denis Browne (1888–1915)
Yinghai Li (1927–2007)
Imogen Edwards
Steven Yeung
Dancing in the Canebrakes Sofio Khazaradze
I have a bonnet trimmed with blue
Waltz op 38
Ustinya Malinina mezzo soprano Kaishun Ypsilantis
Adrian Henke
To Gratiana Singing and Dancing Gyaan Bhuyan baritone Yiyao Li
Xiao and Drum at Sunset Lin Deng
From 12.15pm
Nikolai Medtner (1880–1951)
Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849)
Three Hymns in Praise of Toil op 49 no 3
Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brillante op 22
Mischa Carr
Yinglun Wong
Maurice Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin Yifan Ying
Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971)
Tango Mariamna Sherling
Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
Imogen Holst (1907–1984)
Selection from Davidsbündlertanze op 6
Prelude and Dance
From 2.15pm
Ryan Collis (b 2004)
Prose (world premiere by RCM composer)
Vardapet Komitas Six Dances for Piano no 1
Philip Glass (b 1937)
Nahre Sol (b 1991)
Sun Yi-Qiang (b 1945)
Etude no 6
Coucou Waltz and First Tango
Spring Dance
Héloïse Werner (b 1991) an inviting object
Billy Mayerl (1902–1959)
Zhao Zhang (b 1964)
Cheryl Frances Hoad (b 1980)
Manuel de Falla
Phil the Fluter’s Ball
Numa Ame
Lullaby (after Schubert)
Seite canciones populars espanolas iii Asturiana
Yiwei Deng
Huan Zhang
Xiangye Yuan
Phoebe Liu
Thomas Luke
Siyu Chen
Zhengyang Yao
Milton
Xuanxin Chen
Mingzhe Chen
Yihan Wang soprano Mingxian Li
Kenneth V Jones (1924–2020)
Igor Stravinsky
From 3.30pm
Joseph-NicolasPancrace Royer (1703–1755)
William Byrd (1543–1623)
JS Bach (1685–1750)
Piano Sonata iii Rondo Burlesca
Three Movements from Petrushka i Danse russe
Johann Jakob Froberger (1616–1667)
La marche des Scythes
The Second Pavian and Galliarde from My Ladye Nevell’s Book
French Suite no 5 BWV816 Allemande Courante
Suite in D minor i Almand ii Corant iii Saraband iv Gigue
William Byrd Pavan and Galliard
Yannis Constantinidis (1903–1984)
Andrew Cowie (b 2000)
Jean Henri d’Anglebert (1629–1691)
Margot Pommellet (b 2001)
Eight Greek Island Dances Dances 1, 4, 5, 8
Prélude improvisé
Tombeau de Monsieur de Chambonnières
Irena Radić
Cycles of seven ‘Famadihana’ (world premiere by RCM composer)
Matthew McLachlan
Paul Mnatsakanov harpsichord
Mian Jin harpsichord
Veronica Man harpsichord
Markus Sadler harpsichord
Sofia Berdnik harpsichord
Evelina Antemisari
Andrew Cowie harpsichord
Zheou Wang
Giovanni Picchi (1571–1643)
Karen Tanaka (b 1961)
From 4.30pm
Johann Pachelbel (1653–1706)
Franz Liszt (1811–1886)
Karol Szymanowski (1882–1937)
Karen Tanaka
François Couperin (1668–1733)
César Franck (1822–1890)
Prach Boondiskulchok (b 1985)
From the Balli d’Arpicordo (volume 2)
Pass’e mezzo
Saltarello del Pass’e mezzo
Techno Etudes: ii
Guy Bovet (b 1942)
Ciacona in F minor
Hungarian Rhapsody no 15 (The Rakoczy March)
Mazurkas op 50 nos 1 and 2
Techno Etudes: iii
Plein jeu; Récit de cornet; Récit de tierce en taille (Messe pour les couvents)
Choral no 2 in B minor Passacaglia & Chorale
Piano Trio no 1: Night Suite i Prelude ii Blues iii Lullaby
Hamburger Totentanz
Ceci Keiffer harpsichord
Vivianna Shmanova Pearson
Ruihan Bao-Smith organ
Marcell Vajda
Paul Mnatsakanov
Moyang Tian
Alexander Wilton organ
James Todd organ
Josh Shuyang Jia violin
Kesara Bunayamongkol cello
Isanan Chotirosniramit piano
Robert Carver-Escritt organ
Igor Stravinsky Rite of Spring (four hands)
Part 1: Adoration of the Earth
I Introduction Knox Oakey and Markus Sadler
II Augurs of Spring
III Ritual of Abduction
IV Spring Rounds
V Ritual of the Rival Tribes – Procession of the Sage
VI The Sage – Dance of the Earth
Part 2: The Sacrifice
I Introduction
II Mystic Circles of the Young Girls
III Glorification of the Chosen One
IV Evocation of the Ancestors –Ritual Action of the Ancestors
V Sacrificial Dance
Ho Ming So and Ruiqi Fang
Jack Wong and Steven Yeung
Sofia Berdnik and Alicja Kojder
Teodora Stanković and Claire Dowdell
Josh Milton and Nico Varela
Alexander Doronin and Jiaxin Min
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While you’re here, don’t miss the chance to visit the Royal College of Music’s spectacular Museum collections, home to the earliest stringed keyboard instrument and an array of other unique and inspiring musical artefacts.
RCM Museum is open 11am–6pm
www.rcm.ac.uk/events