Recital: Neil Crossland – piano

The Programme

Neil Crossland – piano

Piano Sonata in D major, No 50 Hob: XVI/37
i. Allegro con brio
ii. Largo e sostenuto
iii. Finale. Presto ma non troppo

Piano Sonata in C sharp minor, Op 27 No 2 ‘Moonlight’
i. Adagio sostenuto
ii. Allegretto
iii. Presto agitato

from Années de pèlerinage
6. Vallee d’Obermann

The Artist

Neil Crossland began playing the piano at the age of six and studied at the Royal College of Music, where he won major prizes in both piano and composition. Since then he has performed extensively at home and abroad, and has written compositions in all genres. Neil has played at many major London venues including the Barbican, Queen Elizabeth Hall, St John’s Smith Square and St Martin-in-the-Fields as well as frequent appearances at the Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room. He has performed all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas in a concert series at St James’s Piccadilly. He has also performed throughout the UK, and in France, Greece, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Tunisia and recently in Singapore giving concerts of the unfinished Schubert Sonatas, plus workshops and masterclasses.

As a composer, Neil is known for his original but accessible style. He has written a Requiem, Op. 43 for soloists, chorus and orchestra. Other noteworthy works include the Yorkshire Suite for Piano Op. 41, the Variations for piano duet on Paganini’s 24th Caprice and the Beethoven Ode to Joy and the Piano trio No. 2 ‘Damage’. His latest compositions are songs set to poems by the three Bronte sisters for Piano and Soprano, Op. 52 performed at St James’s Piccadilly. He is also recognised for his ability to write successful transcriptions and convincing works in older styles. In particular Neil has completed and recorded all the seven unfinished Schubert piano sonatas.
neilcrossland.com

‘If Beethoven hadn’t written his piano sonatas with himself in mind, he might quite happily have written them for Crossland’ – The Guardian.

‘Music rages in him and his breed is rare – Evening Standard.

‘A world-class pianist. Pristine technique, faultless performances, actorly intuition’ – Richmond & Twickenham Times.