Welcome to GSMF 2012

Friday 23rd March 8.00pm

Simon Phillips and Stephen Ridge

Dances on Two Pianos!

This evening sees a welcome return to the Festival by Simon Phillips and Stephen Ridge with another of their entertaining two-piano recitals. Having first played together at university they perform regularly in the Guildford area, as well as further afield, and this will be their fourth appearance at the Guildford Spring Music Festival.

The vast majority of two-piano music was written after 1900 and much of it was influenced by dance. This evening’s recital will concentrate on this aspect of the two-piano repertoire and will feature works by Poulenc and the Argentinian composer Piazzolla as well as a number of pieces by the Irish composer Joan Trimble. She formed a well-known two-piano duo with her sister in the 1940s and wrote a variety of works most of which were very much influenced by traditional Irish dance.

The first half of the programme will include a sonata for two keyboards by Bach and the first of Rachmaninoff’s suites for two pianos.

Simon Phillips was a music scholar at Winchester, where he studied piano with Robert Bottone, before he went to Queens’ College Cambridge to read modern languages and law. Since then he has appeared frequently as soloist, accompanist and in chamber music, including in the Guildford Schubert Festival, playing the last piano sonata and accompanying two of the song-cycles. Simon also enjoys his singing with the Guildford Chamber Choir which he joined while at the College of Law in Guildford, shortly after the choir was formed.

Stephen Ridge originates from Wigan. After winning two exhibitions from Trinity College of Music in London, Stephen obtained his performer’s diploma in 1977 shortly before going to Cambridge University to read languages. While at university Stephen continued to be involved in pianistic activities, both as soloist and accompanist, in addition to developing his singing and orchestral conducting. After university, Stephen concentrated on singing for a period and spent 10 years in the London Symphony Chorus, but over the past few years he has returned to focus on the keyboard, although still enjoying his singing with a number of local choirs.

Supported by


			Friday 23rd March 8.00pm Simon Phillips and Stephen Ridge Dances on Two Pianos! This evening sees a welcome return to the Festival by Simon Phillips and Stephen Ridge with another of their entertaining two-piano recitals. Having first played together at university they perform regularly in the Guildford area, as well as further afield, and this will be their fourth appearance at the Guildford Spring Music Festival. The vast majority of two-piano music was written after 1900 and much of it was influenced by dance. This evening’s recital will concentrate on this aspect of the two-piano repertoire and will feature works by Poulenc and the Argentinian composer Piazzolla as well as a number of pieces by the Irish composer Joan Trimble. She formed a well-known two-piano duo with her sister in the 1940s and wrote a variety of works most of which were very much influenced by traditional Irish dance. The first half of the programme will include a sonata for two keyboards by Bach and the first of Rachmaninoff’s suites for two pianos. Simon Phillips was a music scholar at Winchester, where he studied piano with Robert Bottone, before he went to Queens’ College Cambridge to read modern languages and law. Since then he has appeared frequently as soloist, accompanist and in chamber music, including in the Guildford Schubert Festival, playing the last piano sonata and accompanying two of the song-cycles. Simon also enjoys his singing with the Guildford Chamber Choir which he joined while at the College of Law in Guildford, shortly after the choir was formed. Stephen Ridge originates from Wigan. After winning two exhibitions from Trinity College of Music in London, Stephen obtained his performer’s diploma in 1977 shortly before going to Cambridge University to read languages. While at university Stephen continued to be involved in pianistic activities, both as soloist and accompanist, in addition to developing his singing and orchestral conducting. After university, Stephen concentrated on singing for a period and spent 10 years in the London Symphony Chorus, but over the past few years he has returned to focus on the keyboard, although still enjoying his singing with a number of local choirs. Supported by