Farley Music Festival 2018 – Isabelle Oehmichen (piano)

Date/Time
Friday 22 June 2018 at 19:00

The distinguished French pianist, Isabelle Oehmichen, returns to Farley with music by Mozart, Chopin Liszt and Debussy. Isabelle was a pupil of the legendary Georges Cziffra, so her Liszt will no doubt be illuminating as will her presentation of Debussy’s sparkling L’Isle joyeuse.

Isabelle Oehmichen draws upon her French heritage and unusual musical training in her delicately nuanced and technically exquisite performances as a soloist, or in orchestral or chamber music throughout France, Great Britain, USA, Canada, Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany and Hungary.

As a young musician, Isabelle won First Place in the Milosz Magin International Piano Competition in 1989 and the George Cziffra Competition in 1993. She studied with Milosz Magin, the Polish-French composer-pianist (1929 to 1999) for 8 years and he wrote the Third Sonata for Isabelle who has recorded Magin works.

She also studied with George Cziffra, a Hungarian virtuoso pianist (1921 to 1994) who was renowned for his dazzling performances of Liszt. Under Cziffra the tradition of European pianistic virtuosity was handed down to Isabelle; from Franz Liszt to István Thomán (who also taught Béla Bartók and Ernö Dohnányi) to George Cziffra to Isabelle Oehmichen.

Isabelle has recorded 13 CDs and has performed in radio and television recitals including a filmed recital in Zelazova-Wola, Chopin’s birthplace; Liszt’s Concerto of Wissmer with the Symphony Orchestra of Leon Barzin conducted by J. J. Werner; and Saint-Saëns’ 2 nd Concerto at the Academy of Franz Liszt in Budapest for Bartók Radio.

Her performance repertoire includes works by Liszt, Chopin, Magin, Sauguet, Collet, Mozart, Dohnányi, and other chamber and solo pieces.

Apart from her concert activity, Isabelle Oehmichen is also a teacher and gives Master Classes. She is Artistic director of the Franco-Hungarian Music Association (AMFH) in Paris, the Budapest Summer Academy of Chamber Music, since 2002, and in 2006 she founded the “Trio Primavera” with two Hungarian musicians, the violinist Andrea Schuster and the cellist Ladislav Szathmary.

Since 2017 Isabelle Oehmichen has been artistic director of the Cziffra Foundation and the Georges Cziffra competition.

Tickets £15.00 (£10.00 for Friends of Farley Music) from Salisbury Playhouse (01722 320333) or on the door,to include an interval drink

Location
All Saints' Church