Alasdair Beatson serves up lunchtime treat in Perth Concert Hall

Jan 29 2010 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

PERTH pianist Alasdair Beatson whetted appetites in Perth Concert Hall on Monday as he served up the first offering in the 2010 Lunchtime Concert Series with his opening performance as artist in residence. (see review on p38).

Joining Alasdair in a selection of trios by Haydn, Schubert and Schumann were Jonathan Morton (violin) and Alison Lawrance (cello) from the Scottish Ensemble.

The next Lunchtime Concert is on Monday, February 8, and features soloists from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra playing works by Stravinsky, Bartok and Milhaud.

And, on Monday, February 15, Alasdair Beatson will play a lunchtime concert with violinist Pekka Kuusisto.

During his residency in Perth Concert Hall, Alasdair, a former Perth Academy pupil, will play solo and with a variety of his favourite chamber music partners, exploring works from the Romantic repertoire with some delightful surprises along the way.

Highly regarded as a distinctive and accomplished musician, Alasdair continues to make an impact on the classical music scene. He has received awards from the Kirckman Concert Society, the Philip and Dorothy Green (Making Music) Award for Young Artists and in 2003 won the second prize in the China Shanghai International Piano Competition.

He said: “It’s a great privilege to come back and play a series of concerts on home turf - the enthusiasm and warmth of Perth audiences have always made them lovely to play for, and the exceptional piano and acoustics of Perth Concert Hall make performing there a true joy.

“Needless to say, I’m hugely looking forward to my time here. Having rather self-indulgently chosen much of my favourite repertoire and chamber musicians to appear alongside, how could I not?”

Welcoming Alasdair back to the Fair City, James Waters, creative director for classical music at Horsecross Arts, said: “2010 is shaping up to be a memorable year in terms of classical music in Perth Concert Hall. We are delighted to welcome Alasdair as our artist in residence. He is hugely popular with our audiences and we expect a great reaction to his exciting programme. We are also looking forward to Llyr Williams’ epic journey through Beethoven’s piano sonatas, visits from all of Scotland’s national orchestras and a host of other treats.”

For details on Alasdair Beatson’s residency in Perth, a full list of Lunchtime Concerts plus other classical highlights including Llyr Williams’ Beethoven challenge which starts on Tuesday, visit www.horsecross.co.uk. Tickets are available both from the website and by calling the Horsecross box office on 01738 621031.