Laura Rickard, violin & Kanako Mizuno, piano

The rest of this year's 2020 Howdenshire Music Project lunchtime concerts will be filmed in Howden Minster behind closed doors and brought to you online via our Facebook and YouTube pages. If and when restrictions are lifted and it is deemed safe, we will also welcome audiences back in person. In the meantime, do tune in online to see and hear our outstanding musicians performing in the wonderful acoustic of the Minster!

This concert will be broadcast online on Thursday 17 September at 1pm at on the 'Howdenshire Music Project' channels on YouTube and Facebook:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXoS78Q7uo119NylM0h3rqA

https://www.facebook.com/howdenshiremusicproject

The concert will remain available to watch on these channels afterwards.

This concert will feature a FEURICH Model 218 grand piano which has been generously loaned to the Howdenshire Music Project for the rest of this year's concert series by the FEURICH piano company in Vienna. Our previous piano (100+ years old and on loan) is in very poor condition and so we are raising funds to acquire a new permanent instrument to serve our local community and audiences for many years to come. Our aim is to purchase outright the wonderful FEURICH piano used in this and the rest of this year's concerts. To this end, we have launched the Howdenshire Grand Piano Appeal.

Any donations towards the Howdenshire Grand Piano Appeal would be very gratefully received. You can donate online at:

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/howdenshire-piano-appeal

Or if you would prefer to donate via cheque, please send a cheque payable to 'Howdenshire Music Project' to 15 Kensington Gardens, Howden, East Yorkshire, DN14 7JN.

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Programme:

Mozart: Violin Sonata No. 21 in E minor, K.304

Johan Svendsen: Romance

Schumann: Arabeske in C major, Op.18 (piano solo)

Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op.108

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British violinist Laura Rickard studied at St John’s College, Cambridge and the Royal Academy of Music and now enjoys an active performing career as a soloist and chamber musician. She has recently performed concertos by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Elgar, and Sibelius and she gave her international debut with the Michoacan State Symphony Orchestra. Recent highlights include performing as a soloist at Royal Festival Hall, the Purcell Room and giving the world premiere of Robert Peate’s Concerto for Violin and Double Orchestra in 2018. As a founding member of the Mila Piano Trio, Laura has performed at major venues around the UK and further afield. Recent successes include winning first prize at Verao Classico, reaching the finals of the St. Martin-in-the-Fields competition and performing at St. John’s Smith Square. In demand as a chamber musician and orchestral principal, Laura is regularly invited to play at festivals including Winchester, Montesinho, San Miguel de Allende, Atlantic (USA) and Presteigne.

Laura has a keen interest in historical performance. She studied baroque violin with Nicolette Moonen and she regularly performed with the Academy Baroque Soloists, including on a tour with the Juilliard School and Rachel Podger. More recently Laura has toured Europe and Asia with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

Laura is the Artistic Director of the Romsey Chamber Music Festival, an annual festival which brings international artists to her home town, provides a busy education programme which has reached over 2000 children in Hampshire, and commissions young emerging composers. Laura is especially grateful to Arts Council England which has enabled RCMF to continue working throughout the pandemic.

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Japanese-born pianist Kanako Mizuno has achieved some remarkable feats in her young career. Successful as both soloist and accompanist, London-based Mizuno has been awarded numerous prizes and scholarships in recognition of her skilful piano playing. Winning placements include the Kamakura City Student Music Competition, Japan Player’s Competition, the Young Artist Piano Competition, Le Brilant French Music Competition, Tokyo Piano Competition and Japan Classical Music Competition.

Other notable achievements include participating in the Euro Music Festival & Academy, a masterclass with Dina Yofe in Mozarteum Summer International Music Academy, and Dartington International Summer School and Festival, for which she received a full scholarship. Mizuno premiered Laura Bowler’s composition in Salford Cathedral with musicians from the BBC philharmonic orchestra in May 2018. She was selected as a winner of the Gold Medal at the RNCM in 2019.

Mizuno has performed in prominent and renowned venues, including Hamarikyu Hall as a prize winner, Kioi Hall as a selected graduation concert pianist and St Magdalene Church for the Intercollegiate Beethoven Competition as a representative of RNCM.

Mizuno has received lessons from Yukiko Hibiya, Frank Wibaut, Pascal Devoyon, Olivier Gardon, Mikhail Voskresensky, Philippe Cassard, and Imogen Cooper. She also learned 2 pianos with Etsuko Tazaki and Shinichiro Kato. As an accompanist, Mizuno particularly enjoys working with oboists, strings and singers.

Kanako obtained her BMus from the Toho Gakuen School of Music, before moving to the UK where, as a scholarship student, she studied at the Royal Northern College of Music. She is currently studying at the Royal Academy of Music with Colin Stone and Amandine Savary.

Kanako is also interested in Cross-Artform collaboration and is currently working in collaboration with visual artists and other musicians. She was awarded Jacob Barnes Award by presenting “Hoʻoponopono” meditative concert project and performing César Franck’s sonata which will be supported by Royal Academy of Music.