Nicholas Ashton, pianist solo, chamber, contemporary piano music
Programme Notes and Biography Hamburg October 2020
Nicholas Ashton Programme Notes and Biography Hamburg October 2020
Programme Notes Katharinenkirche, 13 October, 2020
Haydn: Variations, F minor, Hob.XVII: 6 (1793)
This work, composed in 1793, is possibly Haydn’s most celebrated work for solo keyboard in a non-sonata form, or sonata-form in the specific sense. The structure of the work is almost unique, in that it consists of two contrasting themes; the first a melancholy and rhythmically irregular figure in F minor and contrasted with a smoother and more lyrical second melodic theme in F major, delicately ornamented with arpeggiations. Both themes are in two parts, each a short binary form.
These two themes are each varied three times in the same order, before
returning to the opening first theme, which disappears into a dramatic coda.
The relationship between the gently lilting accompaniment of the opening theme
and the terse dotted rhythm of the melody – insistently present throughout the
work – is one of its most fascinating elements.
There is a balance, amongst the most perfectly realized in all Haydn’s mature works, between a repetitive Classical symmetry and the positioning of silence as an importance constituent; this is most striking in the final return of the first theme and the coda, when the rhythmic motif of the theme, modulating with increasing distance away from F minor, is dovetailed carefully with two controlled pauses. The effect is unsettling – it turns on its head the listener’s expectations of what is to follow, rather in the manner of the sudden evaporation of regular rhythm and pulse – famously, the feature of the second movement of the Symphony No 101 (“The Clock”).
Haydn: Sonata HVXVI:46 Ab major (1770)
I have chosen to perform this sonata in order to commemorate the birth year of Ludwig van Beethoven. Rather than choosing one of his own works, I thought that a work by Haydn would be equally appropriate, especially considering that in 1770, Beethoven would not have been sufficiently mature to compose anything, whereas Haydn was already at the peak of his powers. I hope this may also serve to illustrate the fact that, as a young composer, Beethoven had enormous respect for Haydn, in contrast to the urban myth that the two composers did not get on.
This sonata is a magnificent example of the artistic, expressive approach known as Empfindsamkeit, which was a major development in the mid-period Vienna Classical style of the 1760s and 1770s. The features are lyricism, an exploration of inner tranquillity and reflection, as opposed to the dramatic, passionately drawn elements of Sturm und Drang. In choosing a key as unusual (for the time) of Ab major, Haydn is making an explicit connection with the setting of a mood of a work in terms of its core tonality and the expressive characteristics of the keys related to it. It was a tonality much favoured by Beethoven; two of his finest sonatas, the op 26 of 1801 and op 110 of 1821 are set in this key (as well as the marvellously beautiful slow movements of his sonatas op10 no 1 the Sonata Pathetique, op 13 and of op 27/1)
The first movement in set in standard sonata-form, with an important exception, in that the second subject is related very closely to the first; the argument/tension thus being one of tonal opposition (tonic to dominant key) rather than character. This is very characteristic of Haydn and in strong contrast to the more common procedure of strongly contrasting first and second subject themes that one finds in Mozart and Beethoven.
The second movement – also in in modified sonata-form – is also a passacaglia; the opening bars state a melodically conceived bass-line, over which Haydn superimposes a delicate ornamental melodic shape. This is developed with exquisite poetry and an almost Baroque purity, and stands as one of the most beautiful, reflective slow movements of any of the composer’s major works in any format.
The clever final, third movement is also in sonata rondo-form. Haydn presents a terse and witty opening theme of great rhythmic vitality composed of a falling scale motif, matched by a second subject in which he reverses direction.
Programme Notes Halle 424, Oberhafen, 14 October, 2020
Haydn: Sonata HVXVI:46 Ab major (1770)
I have chosen to perform this sonata in order to commemorate the birth year of Ludwig van Beethoven. Rather than choosing one of his own works, I thought that a work by Haydn would be equally appropriate, especially considering that in 1770, Beethoven would not have been sufficiently mature to compose anything, whereas Haydn was already at the peak of his powers. I hope this may also serve to illustrate the fact that, as a young composer, Beethoven had enormous respect for Haydn, in contrast to the urban myth that the two composers did not get on.
This sonata is a magnificent example of the artistic, expressive approach known as Empfindsamkeit, which was a major development in the mid-period Vienna Classical style of the 1760s and 1770s. The features are lyricism, an exploration of inner tranquillity and reflection, as opposed to the dramatic, passionately drawn elements of Sturm und Drang. In choosing a key as unusual (for the time) of Ab major, Haydn is making an explicit connection with the setting of a mood of a work in terms of its core tonality and the expressive characteristics of the keys related to it. It was a tonality much favoured by Beethoven; two of his finest sonatas, the op 26 of 1801 and op 110 of 1821 are set in this key (as well as the marvellously beautiful slow movements of his sonatas op10 no 1 the Sonata Pathetique, op 13 and of op27/1)
The first movement in set in standard sonata-form, with an important exception, in that the second subject is related very closely to the first; the argument/tension thus being one of tonal opposition (tonic to dominant key) rather than character. This is very characteristic of Haydn and in strong contrast to the more common procedure of strongly contrasting first and second subject themes that one finds in Mozart and Beethoven.
The second movement – also in in modified sonata-form – is also a passacaglia; the opening bars state a melodically conceived bass-line, over which Haydn superimposes a delicate ornamental melodic shape. This is developed with exquisite poetry and an almost Baroque purity, and stands as one of the most beautiful, reflective slow movements of any of the composer’s major works in any format.
The clever final, third movement is also in sonata rondo-form. Haydn presents a terse and witty opening theme of great rhythmic vitality composed of a falling scale motif, matched by a second subject in which he reverses direction.
Schumann: Novelette, op 21 no 8, F sharp minor/D major (1838)
Schumann invented the term Novelette. The obvious reference is to the concept of a condensed literary form, that of the novella (or short novel), although the inspiration for the title may have come about as a result of the composer attending a song recital by an English singer, Clara Novello, in Leipzig in 1837.
In any case, Schumann’s preoccupation with literary form and narrative at this time is well documented, although his position on this has always been equivocal; clearly, in composing a work such as this, with its episodic structure and expressive range, there is an allusion to a programmatic intent. However, the composer was also vigorously opposed to the reception of his music in overtly programmatic terms, and he was highly critical of colleagues such as Berlioz and Liszt, who fully embraced the concept of a musical work specifically depicting a narrative.
There are eight works by Schumann with this title; they were all composed together in 1838, and Schumann referred to various thematic and structural interrelationships he perceived between them. It is therefore conceivable to perform them as a cycle, although this is a practice that is not commonly adopted. Professional pianists choose either to make a selection from the opus, or to perform one of the works as single, independent entity, as I do here.
This, the final 8th work in the series, is the longest and structurally and harmonically the most ambitious. Although it seems on first hearing to be quite episodic in nature, the material is, in fact, closely and densely connected, and this incorporates a tonal tension, moving from the initial key of F sharp minor to the sub-mediant D major, but taking with it a subtle transformation of the character of the passionate initial theme through to the central slow section in B minor. The three tonalities thus represent a structural and harmonic unfolding of a B minor triad (F sharp (minor); B (minor) and D major), with sections in chromatically associated tonalities, (Db major, A major, and F major and D minor). The overall structure, although episodic in its small sections, can be more broadly defined as a three-part work, with the initial, passionate nature of the opening section giving way, through the intense poetry of the central slow section, to a dignified and noble third section, comprising a series of short waltzes, evoking both the elegance of Chopin as well as Schumann’s own earlier work, Papillons, op 2.
Six Etudes by Chopin and Liszt
I have chosen to present these six extraordinary short works – three by each composer – in order to highlight both the genius of each, but also to demonstrate their differences in approach.
Chopin: Etude op 10 no 4, C sharp minor
This dramatic and passionate work involves the alternation of fast semiquavers between the hands in a highly chromatic setting, accompanied by chords. Chopin extends the broken diminished 7th chords to intervals of a 10th, thus creating a rich and dramatic texture.
Chopin: Etude op 10 no 3, E major
This etude, possibly the most well-known of both sets of Etudes, op 10 and op 25, features one of Chopin’s most beautiful lyrical melodies, richly accompanied in a polyphonic four-part setting and with a most passionate dramatic middle section involving a highly chromatic passage in double diminished 6ths.
Chopin: Etude op 25 no 7, C sharp minor
This etude, the longest of both sets, and the work most unlike a formal technical study, features an extraordinarily lyrical left hand cantilena, almost perfectly designed for a cellist and thus a precursor of Chopin’s single major work not for solo piano, the Cello Sonata op 65 of 1846, one of his very last works and a masterpiece.
Liszt: Paganini Etude no 4, “Arpeggio”, E major
Liszt, as many of his contemporaries, was fascinated by the Italian violin virtuoso, Nicolo Paganini. He was also his great rival in the concert halls of the 1820s and 1830s. The six studies that make up this series are all derived from Paganini’s solo violin Caprices, which revolutionised violinists’ technique. This etude most closely resembles the violin original, even to the extent of writing out the work on a single stave.
Liszt: Paganini Etude no 5, “La Chasse”, E major
This delightful etude overtly mimics the horn calls of a country hunt, beginning with a two part reveille marked quasi flauti (like flutes) and with answering call in a lower register, marked quasi corni (like horns). A witty and playful middle section depicts the imagined hunt in full flow.
Liszt: Paganini Etude no 3, “La Campanella”; G sharp minor
This delicate and graceful work is designed to evoke an impression of the gentle sound of striking church bells – a small church, not a cathedral, and perhaps a call to Matins or Evening Prayer. Because Liszt has set this in such a way as to involve physical leaps beyond the range of any pianist’s natural hand-span, it has become famous as being a work of extreme technical challenge, thus entirely missing the point amongst pianists who are intent on playing fast, loud and with intimidating digital precision. The tempo is marked allegretto and the dynamic markings only reach a fortisimmo in the final bars; the emphasis is in delicacy and an evocation of the tintintabulation of bells within a pianistic setting.
Biography
Nicholas Ashton was educated at Chetham’s School, Manchester, the Royal Northern College of Music, the Conservatoire Supèrieur de Musique, Geneva, the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Frankfurt-am-Main, and the University of Edinburgh.
Following a formal debut at the 1980 Manchester International Festival, Nicholas performed widely throughout Europe for ten years as a concerto soloist and recitalist. Nicholas was greatly encouraged by Murray Perahia, with whom he worked at the Benjamin Britten Centre for Advanced Studies, Snape; and Menahem Pressler at the Centre for Music and Arts, Banff, Canada.
Nicholas’s first public recital in Scotland was highly praised and resulted in regular offers to play. A live recording of a subsequent recital at the Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh was brought out on CD in 1997. Since then he has given seven solo recitals at the venue and has performed to critical acclaim in concerts throughout the UK and in Germany. He has also contributed regularly as a performer and in interview for the BBC, NDR 2 and 4, Bayern 4, Radio Suisse Romande, Radio New Zealand and in the USA.
Nicholas performed over eighty separate solo and chamber programmes at the Stock Exchange Hamburg for the Hamburg Chamber Music Society (of which he was Guest Artistic Director in 2002). He has performed regularly throughout the UK as both soloist and chamber musician. In 2005 he was invited to give recitals and masterclasses at Central Washington University as part of the International Student and Staff Exchange programme, in 2009 to Pirkenmaa University for the Applied Arts, Tampere, Finland; in 2009, to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville; in 2010 again to Tampere, Finland and in 2013 to Udine, Italy for the Amice della Musica concert series.
A CD recording of the complete works for piano and the piano quintet by the distinguished Scottish composer Robert Crawford, released on the widely respected Delphian Records label in February 2008, attracted very high praise in the media, including International Record Review, The Scotsman, The Herald, Musical Opinion and The Gramophone.
From 1991-2020, Nicholas fulfilled a full-time academic career as Senior Lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University. In 2020, Nicholas accepted a role as Professor of Piano at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. His carefully nurtured students have been regularly successful in competition and as postgraduates at all the UK conservatoires. He is also in demand as an adjudicator, including at St Mary’s Music School, Edinburgh and Eton College, and was a member of the Board of Directors for the Scottish International Piano Competition 2014.
Nicholas works regularly with three distinguished pianists in piano-duet and two-piano repertoire; Franck-Thomas Link (with whom he is planning a recording of the complete works in the medium by Mozart); with the Lithuanian pianist Lauryna Sableviciute (specialising in contemporary works), and the British pianist, Andrew Wilde. In July 2021, Nicholas will be Co-Artistic Director of a well-loved chamber music festival, Cantilena, on the beautiful Scottish island of Islay.
Nicholas Ashton Programme Notes and Biography Hamburg October 2020
Programme Notes Katharinenkirche, 13 October, 2020
Haydn: Variations, F minor, Hob.XVII: 6 (1793)
This work, composed in 1793, is possibly Haydn’s most celebrated work for solo keyboard in a non-sonata form, or sonata-form in the specific sense. The structure of the work is almost unique, in that it consists of two contrasting themes; the first a melancholy and rhythmically irregular figure in F minor and contrasted with a smoother and more lyrical second melodic theme in F major, delicately ornamented with arpeggiations. Both themes are in two parts, each a short binary form.
These two themes are each varied three times in the same order, before
returning to the opening first theme, which disappears into a dramatic coda.
The relationship between the gently lilting accompaniment of the opening theme
and the terse dotted rhythm of the melody – insistently present throughout the
work – is one of its most fascinating elements.
There is a balance, amongst the most perfectly realized in all Haydn’s mature works, between a repetitive Classical symmetry and the positioning of silence as an importance constituent; this is most striking in the final return of the first theme and the coda, when the rhythmic motif of the theme, modulating with increasing distance away from F minor, is dovetailed carefully with two controlled pauses. The effect is unsettling – it turns on its head the listener’s expectations of what is to follow, rather in the manner of the sudden evaporation of regular rhythm and pulse – famously, the feature of the second movement of the Symphony No 101 (“The Clock”).
Haydn: Sonata HVXVI:46 Ab major (1770)
I have chosen to perform this sonata in order to commemorate the birth year of Ludwig van Beethoven. Rather than choosing one of his own works, I thought that a work by Haydn would be equally appropriate, especially considering that in 1770, Beethoven would not have been sufficiently mature to compose anything, whereas Haydn was already at the peak of his powers. I hope this may also serve to illustrate the fact that, as a young composer, Beethoven had enormous respect for Haydn, in contrast to the urban myth that the two composers did not get on.
This sonata is a magnificent example of the artistic, expressive approach known as Empfindsamkeit, which was a major development in the mid-period Vienna Classical style of the 1760s and 1770s. The features are lyricism, an exploration of inner tranquillity and reflection, as opposed to the dramatic, passionately drawn elements of Sturm und Drang. In choosing a key as unusual (for the time) of Ab major, Haydn is making an explicit connection with the setting of a mood of a work in terms of its core tonality and the expressive characteristics of the keys related to it. It was a tonality much favoured by Beethoven; two of his finest sonatas, the op 26 of 1801 and op 110 of 1821 are set in this key (as well as the marvellously beautiful slow movements of his sonatas op10 no 1 the Sonata Pathetique, op 13 and of op 27/1)
The first movement in set in standard sonata-form, with an important exception, in that the second subject is related very closely to the first; the argument/tension thus being one of tonal opposition (tonic to dominant key) rather than character. This is very characteristic of Haydn and in strong contrast to the more common procedure of strongly contrasting first and second subject themes that one finds in Mozart and Beethoven.
The second movement – also in in modified sonata-form – is also a passacaglia; the opening bars state a melodically conceived bass-line, over which Haydn superimposes a delicate ornamental melodic shape. This is developed with exquisite poetry and an almost Baroque purity, and stands as one of the most beautiful, reflective slow movements of any of the composer’s major works in any format.
The clever final, third movement is also in sonata rondo-form. Haydn presents a terse and witty opening theme of great rhythmic vitality composed of a falling scale motif, matched by a second subject in which he reverses direction.
Programme Notes Halle 424, Oberhafen, 14 October, 2020
Haydn: Sonata HVXVI:46 Ab major (1770)
I have chosen to perform this sonata in order to commemorate the birth year of Ludwig van Beethoven. Rather than choosing one of his own works, I thought that a work by Haydn would be equally appropriate, especially considering that in 1770, Beethoven would not have been sufficiently mature to compose anything, whereas Haydn was already at the peak of his powers. I hope this may also serve to illustrate the fact that, as a young composer, Beethoven had enormous respect for Haydn, in contrast to the urban myth that the two composers did not get on.
This sonata is a magnificent example of the artistic, expressive approach known as Empfindsamkeit, which was a major development in the mid-period Vienna Classical style of the 1760s and 1770s. The features are lyricism, an exploration of inner tranquillity and reflection, as opposed to the dramatic, passionately drawn elements of Sturm und Drang. In choosing a key as unusual (for the time) of Ab major, Haydn is making an explicit connection with the setting of a mood of a work in terms of its core tonality and the expressive characteristics of the keys related to it. It was a tonality much favoured by Beethoven; two of his finest sonatas, the op 26 of 1801 and op 110 of 1821 are set in this key (as well as the marvellously beautiful slow movements of his sonatas op10 no 1 the Sonata Pathetique, op 13 and of op27/1)
The first movement in set in standard sonata-form, with an important exception, in that the second subject is related very closely to the first; the argument/tension thus being one of tonal opposition (tonic to dominant key) rather than character. This is very characteristic of Haydn and in strong contrast to the more common procedure of strongly contrasting first and second subject themes that one finds in Mozart and Beethoven.
The second movement – also in in modified sonata-form – is also a passacaglia; the opening bars state a melodically conceived bass-line, over which Haydn superimposes a delicate ornamental melodic shape. This is developed with exquisite poetry and an almost Baroque purity, and stands as one of the most beautiful, reflective slow movements of any of the composer’s major works in any format.
The clever final, third movement is also in sonata rondo-form. Haydn presents a terse and witty opening theme of great rhythmic vitality composed of a falling scale motif, matched by a second subject in which he reverses direction.
Schumann: Novelette, op 21 no 8, F sharp minor/D major (1838)
Schumann invented the term Novelette. The obvious reference is to the concept of a condensed literary form, that of the novella (or short novel), although the inspiration for the title may have come about as a result of the composer attending a song recital by an English singer, Clara Novello, in Leipzig in 1837.
In any case, Schumann’s preoccupation with literary form and narrative at this time is well documented, although his position on this has always been equivocal; clearly, in composing a work such as this, with its episodic structure and expressive range, there is an allusion to a programmatic intent. However, the composer was also vigorously opposed to the reception of his music in overtly programmatic terms, and he was highly critical of colleagues such as Berlioz and Liszt, who fully embraced the concept of a musical work specifically depicting a narrative.
There are eight works by Schumann with this title; they were all composed together in 1838, and Schumann referred to various thematic and structural interrelationships he perceived between them. It is therefore conceivable to perform them as a cycle, although this is a practice that is not commonly adopted. Professional pianists choose either to make a selection from the opus, or to perform one of the works as single, independent entity, as I do here.
This, the final 8th work in the series, is the longest and structurally and harmonically the most ambitious. Although it seems on first hearing to be quite episodic in nature, the material is, in fact, closely and densely connected, and this incorporates a tonal tension, moving from the initial key of F sharp minor to the sub-mediant D major, but taking with it a subtle transformation of the character of the passionate initial theme through to the central slow section in B minor. The three tonalities thus represent a structural and harmonic unfolding of a B minor triad (F sharp (minor); B (minor) and D major), with sections in chromatically associated tonalities, (Db major, A major, and F major and D minor). The overall structure, although episodic in its small sections, can be more broadly defined as a three-part work, with the initial, passionate nature of the opening section giving way, through the intense poetry of the central slow section, to a dignified and noble third section, comprising a series of short waltzes, evoking both the elegance of Chopin as well as Schumann’s own earlier work, Papillons, op 2.
Six Etudes by Chopin and Liszt
I have chosen to present these six extraordinary short works – three by each composer – in order to highlight both the genius of each, but also to demonstrate their differences in approach.
Chopin: Etude op 10 no 4, C sharp minor
This dramatic and passionate work involves the alternation of fast semiquavers between the hands in a highly chromatic setting, accompanied by chords. Chopin extends the broken diminished 7th chords to intervals of a 10th, thus creating a rich and dramatic texture.
Chopin: Etude op 10 no 3, E major
This etude, possibly the most well-known of both sets of Etudes, op 10 and op 25, features one of Chopin’s most beautiful lyrical melodies, richly accompanied in a polyphonic four-part setting and with a most passionate dramatic middle section involving a highly chromatic passage in double diminished 6ths.
Chopin: Etude op 25 no 7, C sharp minor
This etude, the longest of both sets, and the work most unlike a formal technical study, features an extraordinarily lyrical left hand cantilena, almost perfectly designed for a cellist and thus a precursor of Chopin’s single major work not for solo piano, the Cello Sonata op 65 of 1846, one of his very last works and a masterpiece.
Liszt: Paganini Etude no 4, “Arpeggio”, E major
Liszt, as many of his contemporaries, was fascinated by the Italian violin virtuoso, Nicolo Paganini. He was also his great rival in the concert halls of the 1820s and 1830s. The six studies that make up this series are all derived from Paganini’s solo violin Caprices, which revolutionised violinists’ technique. This etude most closely resembles the violin original, even to the extent of writing out the work on a single stave.
Liszt: Paganini Etude no 5, “La Chasse”, E major
This delightful etude overtly mimics the horn calls of a country hunt, beginning with a two part reveille marked quasi flauti (like flutes) and with answering call in a lower register, marked quasi corni (like horns). A witty and playful middle section depicts the imagined hunt in full flow.
Liszt: Paganini Etude no 3, “La Campanella”; G sharp minor
This delicate and graceful work is designed to evoke an impression of the gentle sound of striking church bells – a small church, not a cathedral, and perhaps a call to Matins or Evening Prayer. Because Liszt has set this in such a way as to involve physical leaps beyond the range of any pianist’s natural hand-span, it has become famous as being a work of extreme technical challenge, thus entirely missing the point amongst pianists who are intent on playing fast, loud and with intimidating digital precision. The tempo is marked allegretto and the dynamic markings only reach a fortisimmo in the final bars; the emphasis is in delicacy and an evocation of the tintintabulation of bells within a pianistic setting.
Biography
Nicholas Ashton was educated at Chetham’s School, Manchester, the Royal Northern College of Music, the Conservatoire Supèrieur de Musique, Geneva, the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Frankfurt-am-Main, and the University of Edinburgh.
Following a formal debut at the 1980 Manchester International Festival, Nicholas performed widely throughout Europe for ten years as a concerto soloist and recitalist. Nicholas was greatly encouraged by Murray Perahia, with whom he worked at the Benjamin Britten Centre for Advanced Studies, Snape; and Menahem Pressler at the Centre for Music and Arts, Banff, Canada.
Nicholas’s first public recital in Scotland was highly praised and resulted in regular offers to play. A live recording of a subsequent recital at the Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh was brought out on CD in 1997. Since then he has given seven solo recitals at the venue and has performed to critical acclaim in concerts throughout the UK and in Germany. He has also contributed regularly as a performer and in interview for the BBC, NDR 2 and 4, Bayern 4, Radio Suisse Romande, Radio New Zealand and in the USA.
Nicholas performed over eighty separate solo and chamber programmes at the Stock Exchange Hamburg for the Hamburg Chamber Music Society (of which he was Guest Artistic Director in 2002). He has performed regularly throughout the UK as both soloist and chamber musician. In 2005 he was invited to give recitals and masterclasses at Central Washington University as part of the International Student and Staff Exchange programme, in 2009 to Pirkenmaa University for the Applied Arts, Tampere, Finland; in 2009, to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville; in 2010 again to Tampere, Finland and in 2013 to Udine, Italy for the Amice della Musica concert series.
A CD recording of the complete works for piano and the piano quintet by the distinguished Scottish composer Robert Crawford, released on the widely respected Delphian Records label in February 2008, attracted very high praise in the media, including International Record Review, The Scotsman, The Herald, Musical Opinion and The Gramophone.
From 1991-2020, Nicholas fulfilled a full-time academic career as Senior Lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University. In 2020, Nicholas accepted a role as Professor of Piano at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. His carefully nurtured students have been regularly successful in competition and as postgraduates at all the UK conservatoires. He is also in demand as an adjudicator, including at St Mary’s Music School, Edinburgh and Eton College, and was a member of the Board of Directors for the Scottish International Piano Competition 2014.
Nicholas works regularly with three distinguished pianists in piano-duet and two-piano repertoire; Franck-Thomas Link (with whom he is planning a recording of the complete works in the medium by Mozart); with the Lithuanian pianist Lauryna Sableviciute (specialising in contemporary works), and the British pianist, Andrew Wilde. In July 2021, Nicholas will be Co-Artistic Director of a well-loved chamber music festival, Cantilena, on the beautiful Scottish island of Islay.