June 2024

50 years after his victory at the Leeds Piano Competition, Alexeev returns to Wells with a new programme fizzing with Russian fire and virtuosity.

The world of Russian pianism is like a set of Russian dolls. Dimitri Alexeev studied with Dimitry Bashkirov who was himself one of the outstanding students of the legendary Heinrich Neuhaus. And Neuhaus also taught Sviatoslav Richter. For this historic recital, Cedars Hall is hosting a sovereign pianist at the peak of his depth and maturity and one of the last remaining representatives of Russia’s greatest piano school. Through his masterclasses, Wells' best young pianists will be privileged also to join that tradition of passing on skills Alexeev serves on the jury of some of the most prestigious competitions today – the Chopin (Warsaw), the Van Cliburn, and the Tchaikovsky (Moscow). Now nearly 50 years after his own victory at the Leeds International Piano Competition he makes this return visit to Wells with music from the core of 19th century piano virtuosity . Handel: Suite D minor HWV 437 Brahms: Piano pieces op.76 Medtner: Four pieces from the cycle “Vergessene Weisen” Wagner-Liszt: Recitative and Romance from Tannhauser and Pilgrim’s Chorus from Tannhauser Chopin-Liszt: Five Polish Songs