In the 53rd of a series of articles, David Bird discusses the work of Redbridge Music Society and introduces Jelena Makarova and Sara Minelli, who will be performing in Wanstead this month
Two aims of Redbridge Music Society are to bring high-quality live chamber recitals to Redbridge and to promote musicians who live or work near or within the borough. This month, at Wanstead Library, pianist Jelena Makarova and local flautist Sara Minelli will perform a diverse programme of music, including works by Chopin, Liszt, Schubert, Donizetti and Lithuanian composer MK Čiurlionis.
London-based Lithuanian pianist Jelena Makarova is a graduate of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and London’s Royal Academy of Music, where she also participated in masterclasses with Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Paul Lewis. She has performed at many famous venues, including Carnegie Hall and London’s Southbank Centre, and has appeared at leading festivals and concert series. She has toured as pianist with the BBC Concert Orchestra and broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.
Jelena is a passionate advocate for contemporary music, regularly premiering works by emerging and established contemporary composers; she is also a fervent champion of historically underrepresented women composers. Her numerous recordings include new piano and chamber works by Sally Beamish and Philip Lancaster, and with her chamber group, Trio Sonorité, she has recorded Rūta Vitkauskaitė’s The Music Shell in collaboration with Lithuanian National Radio and Television. Upcoming engagements include recitals for London’s Great Exhibition Road Festival and a Lithuanian tour.
Locally based Italian flautist Sara Minelli has performed extensively at prestigious music festivals and venues abroad and in the UK. As a highly regarded soloist, Sara has received special recognition with awards, including the International Valentino Bucchi Prize (Rome) and the Artists International Development Fund Award from the Arts Council of England. She has recorded several albums, all with critical acclaim. She has collaborated with the Royal College of Music and recently worked with the internationally renowned RIOT Ensemble music group in concerts at London’s Royal Academy of Music and in Cambridge. Sara is also a member of the GAMO Ensemble for Contemporary Music in Florence.
Sara has given the world premieres of a large number of works and is the dedicatee of works for solo flute by many contemporary composers, including Jonathan Cole, Alessandro Solbiati and Edward Cowie. She is also a recipient of a Ralph Vaughan Williams Trust grant for the commission of a new piece by Richard Causton.
Please do not miss this opportunity to hear these two outstanding musicians perform.
The recital will take place at Wanstead Library on 14 April from 8pm (tickets on the door: £12; members: £9). Call 07380 606 767. Redbridge Music Society is affiliated to Making Music.
