Sunday 13th August 2023, at 14:00hrs

Venue: St Michael's Parish Church

Accordion and violin

Tickets: Donations requested at the door

Concert for accordion and violin by Emma Baird and Ryan Corbett

Programme:

Vivaldi: Winter

Piazzolla: Histoire du Tango

Ravel: Tzigane

Tchaikovsky: Souvenir d’un lieu cher

This Event is sponsored by

Born in Ayrshire, Emma started to play the violin at the age of four, and subsequently attended the RCS Junior Conservatoire and St Mary’s music school. During this time, she appeared as concerto soloist with the RCS Juniors Symphony Orchestra and string ensemble, became a three-time winner of the Nan Christie Prize for Strings, won the ECF (Edinburgh Competition Festival) Concerto Competition, performed as a finalist in the Director’s Recital Prize at St Mary’s Music School, and was awarded the Ailie Cullen Memorial Prize at the Glasgow Music Festival. She is currently pursuing a postgraduate course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland under the tutelage of Professor Andrea Gajic. She previously completed her undergraduate studies in London as a scholar of the Royal Academy of Music, studying with So-Ock Kim and Ying Xue (Doric String Quartet), and Baroque violin with Nicolette Moonen. Emma currently plays on an 1830 Postacchini violin. Her studies are kindly supported by Help Musicians UK.

Born in Glasgow, Ryan Corbett is a classical accordionist who has been described as “one of Scotland’s most exciting young musicians” (The Scotsman). This year he graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where he will commence his postgraduate studies after summer. Previously, he studied at the Music School of Douglas Academy and St Mary’s Music School. Ryan began playing accordion aged eleven and was self-taught until he started learning with Djordje Gajic at the age of fourteen. His repertoire ranges from Baroque keyboard works, to original contemporary compositions for accordion.

Ryan was awarded the Keyboard Prize, first prize and Gold Medal at the Royal Over-Seas League Annual Music Competition, first prize at the Bromsgrove International Musicians’ competition and prizes at international accordion competitions in Italy, Germany, and China. Ryan is a Tillet Debut scheme artist, Munster Trust Recital Scheme artist and the first accordionist to be part of the prestigious BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist scheme since its launch in 1999.

Ryan has given solo concerts across Europe at venues including the Berlin Philharmonie and he looks forward to upcoming concerts at Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, Bath Festival, St Magnus Festival, Buxton Festival, Cambridge Summer Music Festival, Ryedale Festival, Lake District Summer Music Festival, Edinburgh Festival and Lammermuir Festival.

Ryan plays a Bayan Spectrum classical piano accordion made by Bugari Armando in Castelfidardo, Italy. This was made possible by the generous support of private sponsors, the John Mather Trust, and Dewar Arts Awards. Ryan is grateful to the Cross Trust, Drake Calleja Trust, Countess of Munster Musical Trust, RCS Scholarship Fund and Help Musicians UK for supporting his studies.