Rounding off the Finchcocks Festival weekend, we are thrilled to welcome back superb concert pianist (and Finchcocks tutor) Florian Mitrea to our outdoor stage with an afternoon of Music for a Coronation.

The programme

Beethoven allegedly said that the English had the best national anthem in the world, and he dedicated a set of variations on this tune to show the English ‘what a blessing they have’. This composition, as well as his smaller variations on ‘Rule Britannia’ saw the light of print in 1803 during the reign of George III, very much around the time of the ‘Moonlight’ and only a couple of years after the publication of the ‘Pathetique’, two revolutionary piano sonatas perfectly exemplifying how his music stirs ‘unending longing’ (E.T.A. Hoffmann) in the heart of his listeners. Together with three poetic Chopin etudes, mirroring two sweeping love poems by Liszt, one inspired by a myth from the ancient world and one as an embodiment of the pure Romantic soul, forever restless and wandering, this programme is a homage to the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III.

The programme will include:

Beethoven: Sonata Op.13 in C minor ‘Pathetique’
Beethoven: Variations on ‘God save the King’
Beethoven: Variations on ‘Rule Britannia’
Chopin: Three Etudes – Revolutionary, Harps, and Ocean
INTERVAL
Beethoven: Sonata Op.27 No.2 ‘Moonlight’
Liszt: Second Ballade
Liszt: Spanish Rhapsody

• Doors will open at strictly 1pm, (no earlier!).
• Music will begin at 3pm and finish at 5pm.
• Please feel free to bring picnic rugs and picnics.
• A glass of champagne is included with your ticket.
• Charity cash donations bar will be available.
• Well behaved dogs and humans welcome.
• Parking available in the front field.
• Accessibilty: Gravel paths, no steps. Please inform us if you require closer parking. Facilities are at groundfloor level.
• In the event of bad weather, we’ll endeavour to run the events inside, subject to capacity, with refunds being given for anyone we can’t accommodate.

Audience numbers are limited to 200. Tickets are on sale for £20 per adult and under 16s £10 each. All profits will go to charity.

Let’s hope the weather behaves as well as the last couple of years! We look forward to seeing you there.

Florian Mitrea

Described by Martha Argerich as ‘an outstanding young pianist’, British-Romanian pianist Florian Mitrea was a double-laureate at the 2017 Scottish, 2015 Hamamatsu, and 2014 ARD Munich International Piano Competitions. He won the 2018 Royal Overseas League Piano Competition, and was a major prize winner at the 2018 Harbin – China, 2017 St Priest, and 2016 James Mottram-Manchester International Piano Competitions. He was the top prize winner at the 2018 New York International Piano Festival, and consequently gave his debut performance at Carnegie Hall. He was a Making Music 2017-19 Young Artist, a Kirckman Concert Society artist, and was selected to perform in the historic Manchester Mid-Day Concerts series.

Florian‘s latest Beethoven CD Unending has just been released on Romanian national radio. He can regularly be heard in the UK too, performing live on BBC Radio 3, as well as in concert across the country and internationally. Reviewers have praised Florian’s playing as having ‘stupendous virtuosity’ (Süddeutsche Zeitung, 2017), ‘phenomenal precision throughout’ (The Herald, 2017), and presenting ‘a mixture of phenomenal technique and ravishing musical intelligence’ (The Cambridge Independent, 2018). His solo debut CD received a 5-star review by the Piano News Magazine in Düsseldorf, was highly recommended by the Cross-Eyed Pianist blogger, was featured on BBC Radio 3 multiple times, and won the Most Popular CD of 2018 prize, awarded by the national classical music radio station in Romania.

His playing is dazzling and not to be missed!