Two special musicians reunite to play a concert in aid of young Venezuelan musicians who are in desperate need to renew the accessories for their instruments.
The programme will combine piano solo and violin and piano much-loved pieces, including Grieg's Violin and Piano Sonata No 2 and Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata with a reading offered by Susan Porrett of the 'Letter to the immortal beloved' by Beethoven. Pieces such as the Schindler's List theme and the Nana by Manuel De Falla plus vibrant Venezuelan music will also be performed by Stephen and Clara.
New and second-hand strings for violins, violas, cellos, double-basses or reeds for wind instruments will be hugely welcomed. Do please bring them on the evening, otherwise, you can send your kind donations to Clara Rodriguez by writing to claris97@hotmail.com
A crowdfunding account will also be set up after this concert for those that might like to contribute with this worthwhile and on-going cause. In conjunction with Luis Miguel González and the Fundación para el Impulso de las Artes en Venezuela.
Stephen Bryant has been the Concertmaster of the BBC Symphony Orchestra since 1992 up to present day. In addition to his BBC role, he is in demand as a guest leader and has led all the major British orchestras and a number of orchestras in America, Europe and Asia. As a concertmaster, he has collaborated with some of the worlds finest conductors including Pierre Boulez, Bernard Haitink, Mariss Jansons, Witold Lutoslawski, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Sir Georg Solti, Sir Michael Tippett. As a soloist, Stephen has appeared regularly with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and other orchestras. Among the works he has performed and broadcast on BBC Radio 3 are violin concertos by Korngold, Delius, Goldmark, Khachaturian, Mendelssohn, and Lutoslawski.In March 2017 Stephen was made an Honorary Fellow of The Guild of Musicians and Singers in recognition of his outstanding contribution to orchestral music, solo performance, and orchestral coaching.
"The virtuoso pianist Clara Rodriguez"- The Daily Telegraph- has built up an enviable international reputation for her innovative programme planning, juxtaposing standard European and North American repertoire with works by South American composers.
Her playing has been described as being highly expressive,sensitive with considerable digital clarity and stylistic acumen. At sixteen she won the 'Teresa Carreño' Scholarship that enabled her to travel to London to study at the Royal College of Music under Phyllis Sellick.
In Caracas, she made her debut playing with the Simón Bolívar Orchestra under the baton of José Antonio Abreu; from then on Clara Rodriguez's career as a soloist has taken her to the Americas, Europe, Asia and the north of Africa. In London, she is a hugely popular performer who plays to great acclaim at the Southbank Centre, Wigmore Hall, Barbican Centre, Saint Martin-in-the-Fields and St Johns Smith Square. She has recorded six solo CDs for the Nimbus Records label.
Recently she has played a series of celebratory concertos with the Simón Bolívar Orchestra for their 40thAnniversary. Clara Rodríguez also played in the celebrations of the 35th Orquesta Municipal de Caracas Anniversary Series and at the Fitzrovia Festival (Fitzfest) alongside the Orchestra of the Age of The Enlightenment and clarinetist Michael Collins who also has also conducted her Mozart Concertos.Clara Rodriguez has played a series of recitals at the home of former British Prime Minister, Sir Edward Heath in Salisbury.
In 2015 she was awarded the Latin UK Award LUKAS as 'Classical Music Personality of the Year'.
Clara teaches privately and at the Junior Department of the Royal College of Music.