In the 46th of a series of articles, David Bird discusses the work of Redbridge Music Society and introduces pianist John Paul Ekins, who will perform at Wanstead Library this month
One of Redbridge Music Society’s key aims is to promote and celebrate the work of outstanding younger musicians. This month, award-winning pianist John Paul Ekins makes a welcome return to Wanstead with a recital of music by Mozart (the well-known piano sonata in C major K 545), Brahms and Schubert (four impromptus).
John Paul Ekins is in much demand as a piano recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician. After graduating from the Royal College of Music, he went on to obtain a Master of Performance degree from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He has performed at many prestigious venues in the UK and abroad, including the Wigmore Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Prague’s Martinu Hall, Bergen’s Troldhaugen and the Zurich Tonhalle.
To date, he has won 19 prizes at international competitions and has received generous support from organisations such as Making Music and the Keyboard Charitable Trust. Highlights of his career so far include performances of both Rhapsody in Blue and the Warsaw Concerto at the Royal Albert Hall and being presented to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at a reception for young performers at Buckingham Palace.
Besides teaching piano at St Paul’s School, John Paul also undertakes extensive educational and outreach work via workshops and master classes. During the Covid-19 lockdown, he raised money for the NHS and Help Musicians UK via a series of highly successful online recitals.
Due to his experience as a performer, listener, thinker and teacher, John Paul has become increasingly fascinated by the depth and variety of the human condition and has allied this fascination to his pianism to establish a highly personalised approach to communicating the power of music to audiences. His approach, which reaches beyond the scope of most performers, focuses on the possible stories suggested by each piece of music he plays, thereby allowing both performer and listener to explore the deeper psychological and symbolic threads that are woven into the fabric of the great musical compositions. By sharing these stories with his audiences, John Paul brings classical music to life in new and exciting ways and provides audiences with the opportunity to deepen their musical experience by imagining and feeling in ways that include both the uniquely individual and the universal.
This recital rounds off Redbridge Music Society’s 2024/2025 season and promises to be an interesting and educative not-to-be-missed musical event.
The recital will take place at Wanstead Library on 13 May from 8pm (tickets on the door; visitors: £12; members: £9). Call 07380 606 767. Redbridge Music Society is affiliated to Making Music.
