News

Alexandra Dariescu
Concert pianist
’’Outstanding communicator, hugely popular with audiences...’’

First class honours at RNCM

Alexandra’s parents and sister, Georgiana, at the awards ceremony, where Alexandra graduated with first class honours, in front of the Royal Northern College of Music.

BBC Radio 3 In Tune live broadcast with Sean Rafferty

Alexandra was thrilled to be Sean Rafferty’s guest on BBC Radio 3, on In Tune live programme on June 24th. Alexandra played Bach and Schumann and chatted to Sean about the upcoming concerts and festivals during the summer.

Gold Medal at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester

Alexandra was awarded the Royal Northern College of Music Gold Medal in 2007, in her third year of undergraduate studies. The Gold Medal is the highest distinction that College offers. The Duchess of Kent offered the Gold Medal to Alexandra in the awards ceremony held in the Haden Freeman Concert Hall in Manchester.

CHANNEL ISLANDS tour announced

Alexandra will be touring the Channel Islands from August 30th to September 3rd. The four island tour will take Alexandra to Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney and Sark. Hugely exciting!

BBC Music Magazine RISING STAR June edition 2011

Alexandra has been selected as BBC Music Magazine RISING STAR in the June edition on page 20. For more info please click here.

RPS/ YCAT Philip Langridge Mentoring Scheme under Imogen Cooper

Alex is thrilled to be the first pianist to benefit from the YCAT/ Royal Philharmonic Society Philip Langridge Mentoring Scheme under the mentorship of one of the leading stars of the classical world- pianist Imogen Cooper. The first collaboration in the form will be a public master class at the Wigmore Hall on November 9th at 1pm on Schumann’s Abegg Variations op 1.

ARGENTINA tour announced for 2 weeks in June

Alexandra will be touring Argentina in solo recitals and concertos from May 31t to June 14th. She will be performing evening solo recitals in Posadas and Tandil, as well as Beethoven Concerto no 3 with Orchestra Sinfonica de Neuquen with conductor Andres Tolcachir and a solo recital at the Mozarteum Buenos Aires.

BELCEA QUARTET and Alexandra in Schumann Quintet

Alexandra will be joining the Belcea Quartet for a performance of the Schumann Piano Quintet at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama on June 14th in the Music Hall as part of the Faculty Artist Showcase. This will be the first collaboration between Alexandra and the Belceas which promises to be a special evening.

Romanian Ambassador’s Prize

Alexandra was awarded the Romanian Ambassador’s Award for outstanding contribution to promoting Romania’s image in the UK. The award ceremony took place at the Romanian Cultural Institute in Belgrave Square in London on October 23rd, broadcast on the Romanian National Television. More details please click here.

The Romanian Ambassador at the Barbican Hall

The Ambassador of Romania, Dr Ion Jinga, attended the event and congratulated the young Romanian pianist for her talent and passion in the interpretation of Ravel, Dutilleux and Debussy, and for her perseverance in building an artistic career. “Alexandra Dariescu is an example to follow. Once again, she is living proof of the great capacity the young Romanian generation has to adapt and achieve top performance in areas of excellence, where worldwide competition is increasingly strong and international talents are constantly challenging these top positions”.
The Ambassador of Romania had a discussion with Ronan O'Hora, Alexandra Dariescu’s professor and Head of Keyboard la Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, who finds the young Romanian pianist “one of the most talented students in his teaching career”.
Born in 1985, Alexandru Dariescu made her debut in the UK in 2006. Being awarded at numerous international contests, Alexandra Dariescu is appreciated especially for her interpretation of Chopin and Ravel. In 2008, Alexandra Dariescu won ‘Prix Maurice Ravel 2008’ at the Academie Internationale de Musique Maurise Ravel in in France.
Alexandra’s recitals were broadcasted on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM, as well as on various radio and television stations across Romania and the Nevada Radio in California.
Alexandra Dariescu is currently studying at the internationally renowned Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London.

Please click here to view the whole article

Alexandra wins Guildhall Wigmore Recital Prize

Alexandra is thrilled to have won the prestigious Guildhall Wigmore Prize. The final took place in the Music Hall at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama on Friday, October 8th 2010. Five finalists were heard by an eminent jury consisting of John Gilhooly (Director Wigmore), Adam Gatehouse (BBC Radio 3), Nicholas Mathias (IMG Artists Europe) and Jonathan Vaughan (Director of Music GSMD). The prize is a solo evening recital at the Wigmore on March 18th 2011. More details about the programme to follow soon.

Solo Barbican debut, as the pre LSO concert, on the opening night of the season

Alexandra has been invited to perform an evening recital by Ravel, Dutilleux and Debussy at the Barbican Centre on September, 20th at 6pm. The concert precedes the LSO with Gergiev on the opening night of the 2009-2010 season. Alexandra will present Ravel Gaspard de la nuit, Dutilleux Prelude no 3 and Debussy L’Isle Joyeuse. For more information please contact www.lso.co.uk

Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto at St John Smith Square with the International Orchestra for Freedom

The IOF are pleased and proud to announce that young superstar pianist Alexandra Dariescu has been announced as the soloist for their inaugural concert on 25th June 2010. Alexandra will be playing Tchaikovsky’s beloved first piano concerto with the orchestra and conductor William E. Kunhardt in front of a packed house of celebrities, politicians, international business leaders and members of the public from across the world at St John's Smith Square. For more information please visit http://www.playliberate.com/

GSMD fellowship 2010/2011

Alexandra is delighted to receive the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Fellowship for 2010/2011. This title is given every year to very few musicians at the GSMD that have shown exceptional musicianship and commitment towards college. Alexandra is supported by the City of London Corporation and Music Students’ Hostel Trust. Alex will continue to have lessons with distinguished professor Ronan O’Hora, Head of Keyboard Studies.

Alexandra at the Southbank Centre

Alex is delighted to be joining conductor Ben Palmer and the Orchestra of St Paul’s in Shostakovich Concerto no 1 for piano and orchestra at the Southbank Centre on October 3rd 2011. For more details please go to http://www.orchestraofstpauls.org/

Alexandra’s first CD live from the Wigmore Hall

The CD consists of works by Bach, Dutilleux, Chopin, Debussy and Silvestri and was recorded on 2 February 2010 at the world leading venue, the beloved Wigmore Hall. The CD was recorded by Orientis label and can be ordered here.

Alexandra is awarded prestigious CUBS Prize at the Verbier Festival and Academy in Switzerland

The Verbier Festival Academy is a world leader in identifying, encouraging and nurturing tomorrow’s truly exceptional solo performers. The Academy invites an elite group of extraordinary young artists to Verbier for three weeks each summer. They participate in a unique and international performing arts community, they have masterclasses with great teachers and artists, they play chamber music together and they exchange creative ideas.

Alexandra is delighted to be one of the eight pianists chosen for 2010 and she will be playing for the distinguished professors Dimitri Bashkirov and Menahem Pressler, chamber music for Gábor Takács-Nagy and improvisation with David Dolan. For more information please visit http://www.verbierfestival.com/academy/2010-edition/

At the end of the three weeks spent in Verbier, Alexandra was thrilled to be awarded the prestigious CUBS prize and an invitation as guest performer in Lausanne November 19th 2010.

RYEDALE FESTIVAL MAGAZINE features Alexandra on the front page:
“Fast rising star returns to Yorkshire” 2011

The Ryedale Festival Magazine is out quarterly and it offers news on the Festival, profiles of past and present artists. This year’s 30th anniversary saw wonderful performers such as Sir Thomas Allen, clarinetist Jullian Bliss, the Elias Quartet, Ensemble 360, Emma Kirkby, Howard Shelley, Northern Sinfonia amongst others. Alexandra was delighted to be featured on the cover of the spring edition, as a “fast rising star returning to Yorkshire”. Alexandra studied at Pocklington School for Lower Sixth Form with a full scholarship from the Constanstin Silvestri International Foundation (2002- 2003) and was extremely happy to be back to Yorkshire. The concert on July 27th was completely sold out to a very enthusiastic audience at the Galtres Centre, Easingwold. Till next time!

Alexandra & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra three times this season

Alexandra is delighted to be joining the RPO in Grieg Piano Concerto in Cambridge (October 27th) at the Corn Exchange with conductor Gavin Sutherland, in Beethoven’s Emperor at the Barbican Hall (December 29th) with conductor Christopher Warren- Green and in Rachmaninov no 2 in Dartford (April 25th) with conductor Simon Wright. For more info please go to www.rpo.co.uk

World Premiere of Mesmerism by renowned composer Emily Howard

The world première of Emily Howard’s piano concerto Mesmerism will be given by Alexandra Dariescu, the Liverpool Mozart Orchestra and Mark Heron on 8th October at Pacific Road Venue, Birkenhead. Mesmerism has been commissioned by the Liverpool Mozart Orchestra on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary with funds from the PRS for Music Foundation.

Mesmerism is one of a series of works inspired by Ada Lovelace, pioneering mathematician and daughter of Byron (the others are a dramatic vocal work, Ada sketches, and Calculus of the Nervous System for symphony orchestra). Ada dabbled with mesmerism, a forerunner of hypnosis developed by physician Franz Mesmer.
 Pianist Alexandra Dariescu comments on the collaborative process between soloist and composer in creating the new work.

When Emily Howard first approached me I was delighted to learn that she intended to write Mesmerism with me in mind as the first artist to perform it. It is a real privilege to have a work written for you. The process of having a concerto written for you is very exciting and it involves a great deal of trust between composer and performer. Emily and I have met several times, talked about what we would like to portray in the piece and how best to express it in music. She has also come to lots of my concerts to get to know my playing. The next important step for a performer is establishing the very intimate connection with an audience which makes a piece unique every time you play it. From that will come new perspectives that again influence the way you perform and I look forward also to the second performance of Mesmerism on the 20th October at the Cornerstone Festival in Liverpool.

Financial Times featured Emily in Calculated Compositions article, which can be found here.

For more info please go to www.emilyhoward.com

Emperor Concerto with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Barbican Hall

Alexandra was thrilled to join the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra again, this time at the Barbican Hall
in front of a packed audience. Paul Guest has reviewed the concert here . For more pictures, please go to Photos.

Grieg Piano Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Jiri Belohlavek

Alexandra was thrilled to be asked to step in at very short notice to play Grieg Piano Concerto with the BBC SO and Jiri Belohlavek at the Maida Vale Studios in London in November 2011. It was an incredible experience and she enjoyed it tremendously.

Alexandra is featured as one of 6 pianists “on the way to superstardom” in Muso Magazine

Claire Jackson introduces six young pianists making names for themselves in a furiously competitive world: Alexandra Dariescu, Khatia Buniatishvili, Benjamin Grosvenor, Alice Sara Ott, Christian Ihle Hadland and HJ Lim.

The feature talks about Alexandra’s success at the Wigmore Hall, where she has appeared on several occasions and feels like home: “Wigmore Hall is simply the most beautiful hall to perform in, a hall where inspiration is found in every corner of the building. The piano, the acoustics, the atmosphere, the ray of sunshine that glows through the window just at the right time... it's mesmerizing!”

Photos and impressions after the Ravel Festival in
France, August 7th 2009

It was such a special occasion to go back to France, where Maurice Ravel was born, in the beautiful town of Ciboure. I enjoyed visiting the house where the composer was born and it was a great privilege to perform the concert in the church where he was baptized. The programme was entirely appropriate, performing Ravel’s monumental Gaspard de la nuit, Chopin’s Polonaise Fantasie and Debussy’s L’Isle joyeuse. I welcomed the audience and spoke a little bit in French about the pieces I was going to perform and the sold out audience was very enthusiastic. It was a marvelous experience, and it seemed that Gaspard sounded even better in the beautiful church! Please click here to see pictures from the Ravel Festival.

Universal Edition features Alexandra on the front page

UE supports young performer Alexandra Dariescu and features her on the front page of their piano publications. Please click here to view the article.

Invitation to perform and conduct the European Union Chamber Orchestra in Germany

Alexandra will fly out to Germany straight after her Barbican debut and rehearse the Mozart Concerto in A major K 414 with the European Union Chamber Orchestra on the morning of September 21st. It will be a very exciting opportunity for Alex to direct the orchestra from the piano. The concert will take place on the same evening in Dusseldorf. For more information please contact www.euco.com

Alexandra is awarded the prestigious Hattori
Award 2009

The aim of the Hattori Foundation in the field of music is to encourage and assist exceptionally talented young instrumental soloists and whose talent and achievements give promise of an international career. Alexandra was one of the very few instrumentalists selected to audition this year and after a successful audition, she was awarded the 2009 Hattori Award of £3000. Alexandra is extremely grateful for this exciting news and the money will be used for maintenance in London. For more information please contact
www.hattorifoundation.com

Alexandra and the Sacconi Quartet at the Wigmore Hall

Alexandra is delighted to join the Sacconi Quartet at the Wigmore Hall for a performance of the wonderful Schumann Piano Quintet in E flat major on Tuesday, 7 April at 1 pm. For more information please contact www.wigmore-hall.com or YCAT office on 020 73798477. Please click here for photos from the Wigmore Hall.