Samuel Deason Canada at 2016 Piano Concerto Competition    photo: Richard Grebby

An evening in with…Samuel Deason

This Friday evening, 10 July, Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition prizewinner Samuel Deason will join us for a live performance of beautiful music, writes Chris Cormack.

The seventeenth in this series of short online concerts presented by Hastings International Piano is given by 2016 Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition prizewinner Samuel Deason from Canada, who, at the 2016 Competition, according to HOT’s correspondent, David Pullen, “seemed completely at ease tackling Prokofiev 2 with its insane 10-minute cadenza”.

Samuel’s recent engagements include performances in the world premiere of R. Murray Schafer’s Spirits of the House as part of Koerner Hall’s opening ceremony, Khachaturian’s Piano Concerto with the Indiana University’s AdHoc Orchestra, Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No.2 with the “Mihail Jora” Philharmonic Orchestra, and recitals for the Pianoforte Festival in Kelowna, the Oakville Fazioli Concert Series, and the FBC Bloomfield Concert Series. Born in 1988 in Saskatoon, he now resides in Indiana, learning under such teachers as Menahem Pressler.

Programme:

F. Chopin – Polonaise in E flat Minor, Op.26 No.2 – ‘In the veins of this Polonaise beats real Polish blood!’
J. Brahms – Rhapsody in E flat Major, Op.119 No.4 – one of Brahms’s most inspired piano solo compositions from his later period, it leads to the exciting, powerful coda in E flat minor with its infamous leaps in the right hand, then the five-bar phrased main theme reappears suddenly (staccato) “PP ma ben marcato”.
J. Brahms – Scherzo in E flat Minor, Op.4   –  written in 1851, one of Brahms’ earliest pieces, a calling card for the young composer to introduce himself to the likes of the Schumanns – ‘turbulent in spirit while graceful in form’.

In these times when the livelihood of our musicians is at risk,  this series supports the careers of HIPCC prizewinners and, of course, they receive a performance fee.

The concerts are free to view, but viewers will be able to make a voluntary donation to Hastings International Piano Engagement Fund here, or choose to join as a Friend here.

Watch live here (the video will appear just before 7pm on Friday 10 July) or by visiting HIP’s Facebook page.

Photograph by Richard Grebby.

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