Thursday 25th August 1pm Free Lunchtime Concert

Room: Pianodrome Amphitheatre

Alexander Kwon is a 16-year-old pianist studying at St Mary's Music School with Richard Beauchamp. In 2022, Alexander became one of 23 pianists across the UK to progress to the

second round of BBC's Young Musician of the Year competition. He enjoys playing solo repertoire, is a prize-winning chamber musician and is currently Joint-Principal Orchestral Keyboard of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. Alexander has performed across the UK at venues such as the Royal Festival Hall, Bridgewater Hall and, as part of the BBC Proms, the Royal Albert Hall. In his spare time, he loves reading, debating and playing tennis.

Michelle began playing piano in 2015, studying with Stuart Hope. Volunteering to play for the Senior Choir at the local church whilst they took their tea break ignited a love of performing. In 2018, Michelle auditioned for St Mary’s Music and, under the guidance of her teacher, Ms Helena Buckmayer, she took part in the Edinburgh Competition Festival, the James Waters Piano Competition at Loretto and performed at many lunchtime concerts. The arrival of the new Steinway ‘B’ at St Mary’s Music School led to her first mini recording/film project and, at the end of P6, Michelle was invited to play in the final of the annual Junior Recital Prize, a competition she subsequently won, one of many highlights of that year. Since then, Michelle has taken up violin and saxophone to compliment her piano studies and has performed as part of the 2016 Piano Day and in 2019, ‘The Portfolio Pianist’. She has been involved in an online webinar, for which she recorded the 3 rd movement of Ravel’s Sonatine and was filmed in the Pianodrome as part of the Grieg Holberg Project in 2021. In June ’22, Michelle participated in a piano masterclass with Danny Driver playing Mendelssohn’s Rondo Capriccioso and performed during the interval of the Directors’ Recital Prize final, held at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral.

Chaminade: 

Primavera, Danse Hindoue and Rigaudon from Six Pieces Romantiques Op 55 for Piano Four Hands

Rachmaninov: 

Preludes Op 32 Nos 12, 5 and 10

Mendelssohn: 

Andante and Rondo Capriccioso Op 14

Messiaen:  

Prelude - 'La colombe'

Debussy:  

Prelude - 'Ce qu'a vu le vent d'Ouest'