 Sarah Beth Briggs |
| |
| A truly virtuosic pianist, who has already built an enviable
reputation not only through her brilliant pianism, but also due
to her well-planned programmes of purely musical content, and
her very special way of presenting them. Pianist Sarah Beth Briggs,
"an artist of extraordinary magnetism" (Daily Telegraph), demonstrated
her musical gifts from a very early age. At eleven she made history
by becoming the youngest ever finalist in the BBC Young Musician
of the Year competition and within a year had made her Fairfield
Hall concerto debut. She rose to international attention at fifteen
as the joint winner of the International Mozart Competition in
Salzburg.
Major engagements followed at home and abroad and in 1991 she
made her US concerto debut at the San Francisco Midsummer Mozart
Festival (a festival to which she has regularly returned). Subsequently
her solo career has taken her to Germany, Switzerland, Austria,
France, Italy and the USA, as well as to many leading venues and
to music clubs and festivals throughout the UK. She also gave
the world premiere performance of newly discovered pieces by Benjamin
Britten (for more details, see Sarah's Recital Programmes page)
at the Chester Festival and has made numerous international radio
and television recordings. As part of trio Melzi, she appeared
on BBC2 and in BBC Radio 3's In Tune programme during the 2001
BBC Music Live festival. Sarah has regularly featured as a concerto
soloist at London's South Bank auditoria and Barbican Centre,
the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, and many other prestigious
provincial venues. |
| |
| The orchestras she has played with include
the Hallé, London Mozart Players, London Philharmonic, English
Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra,
Manchester Camerata, Northern Chamber Orchestra, Royal Liverpool
Philharmonic, BBC Concert Orchestra and Northern Sinfonia.
A Hindemith Scholarship in 1987 gave Sarah an opportunity to
develop her chamber music skills at a series of master classes
in Switzerland under the tutelage of the celebrated violist, Bruno
Giuranna. She has vigorously maintained this aspect of her musical
enthusiasm alongside her solo career, working with renowned soloists
such as the clarinettist Janet Hilton, the soprano Kathryn Harries
and the tenor Neil Jenkins. A critically acclaimed chamber music
series (sponsored by the Argyll Group) at the Royal Northern College
of Music in 1993 led to further chamber music partnerships, including
regular collaborations with the principals of Manchester Camerata
in string and wind ensembles of various sizes. In late 1999, she
formed trio Melzi with Camerata's leader Richard Howarth and principal
cellist Jonathan Price. |
| |
| Sarah's international engagements for 2001-2002 included a successful
debut performance with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra. Being selected
by the National Federation of Music Societies for inclusion in
their Concert Promoters' Network for that season led to a large
number of highly acclaimed recitals throughout the UK and since
then her recitals have continued to be hugely popular with audiences
and critics alike. Reviewing her recent recital at the Fairfield
Hall, Croydon, the critic began: "Excuse me if I lapse into repeated
superlatives…" and continued, "Her technique is excellent, but
her musicianship throws such thoughts into the background. She
clearly cares deeply about the music she selects." Sarah was a
long-standing pupil of the late Denis Matthews and has also worked
with Edith Fischer, John Lill, Peter Donohoe and Radu Lupu.
For further details, please see www.sarahbethbriggs.co.uk or
call Sarah on 01904 787011. |
| |
The Norfolk
Symphony Orchestra is a registered Charity No. 263422