WILLARD CARTER (Cello)
GORKA PLADA (Piano)
‘Journey to Britten.’
Talented young cellist Willard and pianist partner Gorka explore
shaping moments in the life of Benjamin Britten: his influences and
musical friendships.
J C Bach: Gamba Sonata no.3 in G minor
Shostakovich: Cello Conata
R.V Williams: 6 studies on English folksong
Britten: Cello Sonata
As many of you I am sure will agree, the cello is a much loved instrument and it sounds particularly beautiful in the wonderful acoustic of St Briavels Church. The recital for cello and piano will be given by two prodigiously talented young musicians rapidly making a name for themselves at home and abroad. Willard Carter (cello) & Gorka Plada (piano) present a programme of works for this lovely combination of instruments featuring pieces that influenced Benjamin Britten in writing his Cello Sonata Op 65. This was commissioned by the great Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich and first performed at the Aldeburgh Festival in July 1961. As well as Britten, the programme also includes works by Johann Christian Bach, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Dimitri Shostakovich.
Willard Carter was born in Great Britain in 2002. He began taking cello lessons at the age of four. At the age of eight, he entered the Wells Cathedral School as a chorister, then moved to the Purcell School, the oldest music school in the UK. He joined the junior department of the Royal College of Music and moved in 2018 to the ‘Queen Sofia School of Music in Madrid. Since then his studies have taken him to Berlin, Switzerland, Italy and France. Along the way he has gathered prizes in competitions and performed at festivals in Britain, Europe and America. Willard's artistry has been recognised in distinguished venues like The Wigmore Hall, The Goldsmiths Hall, Buckingham Palace, and Windsor Castle. His performance at Buckingham Palace in May 2019, later broadcast on Classic FM, earned him the honour of being recognized as a “Rising Star” for Classic FM.
Born in 2002 in El Puerto de Santa María, Spain, Gorka Plada also showed his interest in music at a very early age. He began teaching himself the piano from the age of five, before joining the local music school three years later. In 2016, Gorka joined the Yehudi Menuhin School for musically gifted children from around the world where he was awarded a scholarship by the UK’s Music and Dance Scheme. Gorka has performed throughout Spain, UK, Germany and Holland, regularly participating in festivals. He has had considerable success in numerous international piano competitions, concerts and festivals as both soloist and chamber musician.
This talented duo will be playing some of the most exciting pieces in the cello/piano repertoire. It promises to be a very special recital
