MASTERCLASS given by Geithrudur Guðmundsdóttir (cello) & Antoine Préat (piano)

Saturday, 3rd February 2024, from 10am till 13.00 at Truro School Chapel, Trennick Lane, Truro, TR1 1TH

Two of the leading young generation soloists on the international concert stage. Icelandic-American cellist Geithrudur Guðmundsdóttir and Franco-Belgian pianist Antoine Préat. Are visiting Cornwall in February 2024 to give a series of Concerts Truro (2nd), Mylor 3rd and 4th February Penzance.

Musicians (cellists and pianists) are invited to an Open Class to share with Antoine and Geithrudur the music they are working on for coaching and advice. Cellists can bring their accompanists or Antoine or another may accompany (with notice of work). We suggest the standard of players should be Grade V and above. It is also an opportunity to play before an audience in a relaxed environment.

For those who wish to take part as players in the Masterclass (Piano or cello or both or chamber group). Please register burrelltheatre.com/whatson Fee for young students £5 or contact events@truroschool.com

All playing participants will be offered free tickets available to the concert on Friday 2nd February or 4th February in Penzance. Auditors are welcome to the Masterclass (£5 which will be discounted from concert ticket on 2nd and 4th February).

We thank Truro School for offering the use of their facilities and Cornwall Music Services Trust for supporting the Masterclass.

Truro Concert - Truro School Chapel, Trennick Lane, Truro, TR1 1TH Friday 2nd February at 1900

Beethoven - Seven Variations on a theme from The Magic Flute

Janacek Pohadaka

Adès Lieux Retrouvés I. Les eaux, IV. La ville, Cancan macabre

Brahms Intermezzo and Scherzo from FAE sonata

Shostakovich Cello Sonata

Truro Tickets:

Box Office www.burrelltheatre.com/whatson tel. 01872 246050

Mylor Concert – Tremayne Hall, Mylor Bridge, TR11 5NA

Saturday 3 rd February at 7.30.p.m.

Tickets carrickconcerts1.wixsite.com tel. 01326 374237

Penzance Concert – The Methodist Chapel, Chapel Street, Penzance TR18 4AW

Sunday 4 th February at 1500

Tickets 01726 63513. www.crbo.co.uk/metronome.

Mylor and Penzance Concert programmes

Beethoven - Seven Variations on a theme from The Magic Flute

Debussy Cello Sonata in D minor

Adès Lieux Retrouvés I. Les eaux, IV. La ville, Cancan macabre

Brahms Intermezzo and Scherzo from FAE sonata

Prokofiev Cello Sonata

Please do book tickets in advance to assist in concert/ seating planning!

Geirþrúður Anna Guðmundsdóttir.

Praised for her “agile and passionate” and “exceedingly lively” playing (Fréttablaðið, Reykjavik), Icelandic-American cellist Geirþrúður Anna Guðmundsdóttir has performed internationally at venues like Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and the Southbank Centre and appeared as a soloist with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra (ISO), the Iceland Youth Orchestra, and the Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra. Her recent concert tour of Iceland featuring the six Bach Cello Suites was hailed as “an awe-inspiring experience” (Jónas Sen, Fréttablaðið).

Born into a musical family in Reykjavík in 1994, she made her debut in 2013 with the ISO and graduated with a soloist diploma from the Reykjavík College of Music the same year. She went on to study with Hans Jensen at Northwestern University and completed her bachelor’s degree in 2017. She served as a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago during their 2017-18 season and recently graduated with a master's degree from The Juilliard School, where she studied Natasha Brofsky. She is currently an Advanced Diploma candidate at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Geirþrúður has been a prize winner at numerous competitions, including the Anton Rubinstein International Cello Competition, the Hellam Young Artist Competition, the New York International Artists Association Competition, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra Young Soloist Competition, the Philharmonic Society of Arlington Young Artist Competition, and the Thaviu String Competition. Additionally, she has received fellowships from the Jean-Pierre Jaquillat Memorial Foundation, the Valitor Foundation in Reykjavík, the Rotary Foundation in Iceland, the American-Scandinavian Foundation, the American-Scandinavian Society, and the Leifur Eiríksson Foundation. She has performed solo and chamber music recitals across the United States, and Canada, as well as in Iceland, Denmark, Holland, France, and the UK.

A passionate chamber musician, Geirþrúður was the Gold Medal and Grand Prize Winner of the 2022 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition with the Terra String Quartet. Her festival appearances include Ecole d'Art Américains de Fontainebleau, where she was awarded the top prize for chamber music, the Valley of the Moon Music Festival, the Holland International Music Sessions, Banff Masterclasses, and the National Arts Centre Young Artist Program. She has also appeared as artist-in-residence at the Harpa International Music Academy, the Young Icelandic Chamber Musicians Festival, and the Mineral Point Chamber Music Festival. Geirþrúður plays on a Pierre Silvestre cello from 1857.

In addition to music, Geirþrúður enjoys photography, reading, running, and playing chess.

Antoine Preat

Antoine has been invited to perform in prestigious venues including the Wigmore Hall, St John’s Smith Square, Salle Gaveau, Salle Cortot, Paris Beaux Arts Museum, Frederyk Chopin Insitute, as well as festivals such as the Nohant Chopin Festival, Lisztomanias, Chopin à Bagatelle, Les Nuits du Piano in Paris, IMS Open Chamber Music at Prussia Cove and Encuentro de Santander. He has appeared on BBC Radio 3, France Musique, Scala Radio and RTBF Musiq3.

Antoine has performed alongside leading artists and orchestras, including Maté Szücs, Miclen LaiPang, Margarita Balanas, Manuel Blanco, Sinfonietta Lausanne, Lesley Hatfield, Robin Ireland, the Centre de Musique de Chambre de Paris, Sainsbury Soloists, Academy Festival Orchestra, University Orchestra of Alicante and London Student Orchestra.

Throughout his career, Antoine has also been fortunate to receive guidance from Philippe Cassard, Cedric Pescia, Thomas Adès, Boris Berman, Robert Levin, Jerome Lowenthal, Richard Goode, Imogen Cooper and Stephen Hough. 

After graduating with honours from the Ecole Normale de Paris where he studied with Liudmila Berlinskaia and Guigla Katsarava, Antoine furthered his studies at the Royal Academy of Music and at the Guildhall School of Music under the tutelage of Tatiana Sarkissova and Ronan O’Hora, while studying harpsichord and fortepiano under the guidance of Carole Cerasi.

Antoine was awarded the first prize of the Concours international d’Ile de France and the Los Angeles Colburn Piano Festival Competition, the honour prize at the New York Début Piano   Competition and most recently, was a semifinalist at the Clara Haskil Competition 2021.

Antoine is generously supported by Talent Unlimited, the Munster Derek Butler Award, Hattori Foundation and the Winifred Christie Trust Award.