Young violinist Octav Pirlea and harpist Priyanka Shane Gohal conclude the 2022 Romanian Concert Series at St James's Church Piccadilly with a concert featuring landmark works from the repertoire for violin and harp by Enescu, Bach and William Mathias. Students at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music, where the violinist studies with Prof Remus Azoitei, Octav and Priyanka promise an unforgettable recital. Join us!
Programme:
Priyanka Shane Gohal
''William Mathias : Santa Fe Suite, for solo harp, 1. Landscape, 2. Nocturne and 3. Sun Dance''. (12)
Octavian Ioan Pirlea:
George Enescu The Impressions D'enfance “Ménétrier” (4)
Priyanka Shane Gohal:
John Thomas: ''Watching the Wheat'' (5).
Pierick Houdy Sonata, 1. allegro moderato (5).
Octavian Ioan Pirlea:
J.S. Bach 2nd partita in D minor, ''Chaconne'' (16).
Priyanka Shane Gohal and Octavian Ioan Pirlea:
George Enescu ''Ballade'' arranged for harp and violin. (4).
Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Priyanka Gohal began studying harp at the age of seven at The Harp School, Inc. of Burns, Tennessee under the direction of Carol McClure. Holding the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Certificates in Grades 1-8 (ABRSM) with Distinction, she earned both the Associate (ARSM) and Diploma (DipABRSM) in Harp Performance with Distinction in 2018. At 15 years old, she was selected as Principal Harpist and Apprentice Conductor of the New World-Indianapolis Youth Symphony Orchestra, holding the position from 2017-2020 and was awarded the Charlie Moulton Memorial Chair Award, “recognizing exceptional students for their outstanding performance and commitment to excellence as musicians”. As Principal Harpist of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO2), she performed in Carnegie Hall in New York in 2018. Priyanka won the 2019 Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award Scholarship, performing on NPR’s From the Top and Second Place Prize in the American Harp Society National Competition. She was a finalist in the 2018 Wales International Harp Competition and Merit Winner of the 2020 National YoungArts Foundation in Classical Harp. She is currently an undergraduate student at the Royal Academy of Music in London, studying with Prof. Skaila Kanga.
Born in Romania, Octavian Ioan Pirlea first began his studies at the Tudor Ciortea music school in Brasov. At the age of 8 he had his first concert as a soloist with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Brasov. He left his hometown to study at the Dinu Lipatti Art College at the age of 12 with Magdalena Ursu. While studying there, he performed in major halls from Romania such as the National Library of Iasi, Bucharest Athenium, Alba Iulia Catholic Church. At the same time, he was an active member of the Remember Enescu foundation led by Mihaela Tomescu. At the age of 14 he participated at the Summer Music Academy Sinaia with Charles Sewart and Remus Azoitei. Later, he was accepted at the Purcell School of Music with a full scholarship and studied under the tutelage of Charles Sewart. While studying there he performed at the Drapers Hall and St. Martin in the Fields. On his final year, he was invited to perform the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the Arad Philharmonic. Moreover, he won the Purcell chamber music award, which gave him the opportunity to perform at Wigmore Hall in London. He has performed in various masterclasses with James Ehnes, Ning Feng, Chloe Hanslip Gyorgy Pauk, Mihaela Martin, Alina Ibraginova, Alexandru Tomescu and Pierre Amoyal. In the other aspects of chamber music, he has been coached by Levon Chilingirian, Jo Cole and Adrian Brendel. His participation in these seminars gave him a major impact of creating his own artistic identity. He is currently an undergraduate student at the Royal Academy of Music under the guidance of Maestro Remus Azoitei and he is a member of the Talent Unlimited supporting organisation. He plays on Carlo Antonio Testore violin from Milan (1737) generously loaned by the Royal Academy Museum.
When: Monday, 19 December at 13:10
Where: St. James’s Church, Piccadilly
This lunchtime concert is free and no ticket or booking is required.
