SARAH WILLIAMSON clarinet
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Wednesday 26 February 2025Doors: 6.30pm
Concert: 7.30pm (approx. 110 min, incl. interval) Meet the artists in the bar after the performance Tickets: £30 |
7 Star Arts proudly presents a recital by Sarah Williamson (clarinet) and Sam Haywood (piano).
ProgrammeGerald Finzi
Five Bagatelles Francis Poulenc Clarinet Sonata Carl Maria von Weber Grand Duo Concertante, Op.48 - interval - Robert Schumann Fantasiestücke, Op.73 Johannes Brahms Clarinet Sonata in F minor George Gershwin I Got Rhythm from Girl Crazy |
Proudly presented by 7 Star Arts supporting the ENO Benevolent Fund
7 Star Arts presents a diverse range of unique and original productions from the intimate life stories of the great composers to dazzling cutting edge musicians of the younger generation.
7 Star Arts’ popular mixed-genre concerts combine music, words and art to create intriguing and engaging aural and visual experiences. |
"When I was diagnosed with leukaemia life suddenly became fragile and scary, not just for me but for my family. When we needed it most the ENO Benevolent Fund stepped in, giving us help and support so I could concentrate on recovery. I'm now back at work and I've just celebrated 25 years at ENO. Thank you." |
When the music stops...Everyone who attends English National Opera (ENO) will experience the thrill of being transported by a live performance that lingers long in the memory. At ENO a hugely gifted ensemble on stage, in the pit and behind the scenes, contributes a wide range of skills to the audience's total enjoyment. But what happens when life suddenly changes through illness or accident and a performer or technician loses the ability to earn a living? At a stroke this person faces an uncomfortable reminder of how precarious a profession opera can be.
This is where the ENO Benevolent Fund, a registered charity first established almost 60 years ago, can make a significant difference. The Fund aims to alleviate hardship wherever it can in the form of a grant or loan. This may involve tiding a person (and sometimes his or her dependants) over a difficult patch, or providing longer-term support. Beneficiaries may include singers with throat and chest problems, musicians afflicted by loss of sight or hearing, wig and wardrobe technicians whose eyes or fingers are no longer up to the job, or any of the dedicated team which unites to make the Company what it is. Sometimes a one-off grant is given for a piece of equipment to help overcome a disability, or a loan to secure immediate medical advice or treatment. The Trustees who administer the Fund consider each case with great care. |
Sarah Williamson |
Sarah Williamson is renowned as a virtuoso clarinettist whose talent has been recognised by concert-goers and critics alike. BBC Music Magazine wrote: 'A tenacious player like Williamson doesn’t need gimmicks – her sonorous timbre and natural musicality speak for themselves'. The Independent hailed her as a 'superb player'; and The Telegraph praised Sarah’s 'blend of languor and exuberance'.
As a soloist, Sarah has performed at many of the world’s major concert halls, including Carnegie Hall, the Royal Albert Hall, The Wigmore Hall, The South Bank Centre, The Berlin Concerthaus, The Tonhalle Zurich, The Theatre des Champs-Elysèes Paris, The Suntory Hall and NHK Hall, Japan.
Sarah has performed and toured extensively with The Academy of St Martin in the Fields, The City of London Sinfonia, the BBC Concert orchestra, the LSO, BBC Concert Orchestra (broadcast live), The European Union Chamber Orchestra, The Brighton Philharmonic, The Royal Philharmonic (Classic FM live broadcast) and the Orchestra of the Swan.
Sarah achieved international fame following her success in the BBC Young Musician Competition 2002, first as Woodwind Division winner, then as Concerto Finalist when Sarah gave a highly individual performance of the piece with which she is most frequently associated, the Copland Clarinet Concerto, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. Sarah went on to win second prize in the Eurovision Competition for Young Musicians in Berlin, again playing the Copland Concerto, this time with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Marek Janowsky.
Sarah continued her studies at Le Conservatoire Superieur de Musique et de Dance de Paris, graduating with the Premier Prix and where she was awarded a ‘Laureate’, the Conservatoire’s highest honour in recognition of her reflecting her ability and musicality.
Sarah’s budding talent was previously recognised by the award of the Shell LSO Gerald McDonald Award and the Arthur Frederick Bulgin Medal by The Worshipful Company of Musicians. As a performer, Sarah was the winner of the Tillett Trust and Kirkman Concert Society Awards.
Sarah is recognised as a leading interpreter of the Copland Concerto, a recording of which on the Somm label was recently played on ‘Building a Library’ on BBC Radio 3. Sarah is also active in the field of contemporary music: she has championed the music of Edward Longstaff who has written a 'Prelude' and ‘Nocturne’ specially for Sarah, both of which were premiered on BBC Radio 3, in addition to a clarinet concerto. She has also worked with Philip Grange and recorded his clarinet concerto. Sarah commissioned a new piece by Joseph Phibbs, ‘Arc de Soleil', which was premiered at the Wigmore Hall, and is currently championing the works of Graham Fitkin and the Beniamin Baczewski Clarinet Concerto.
As a soloist, Sarah has performed at many of the world’s major concert halls, including Carnegie Hall, the Royal Albert Hall, The Wigmore Hall, The South Bank Centre, The Berlin Concerthaus, The Tonhalle Zurich, The Theatre des Champs-Elysèes Paris, The Suntory Hall and NHK Hall, Japan.
Sarah has performed and toured extensively with The Academy of St Martin in the Fields, The City of London Sinfonia, the BBC Concert orchestra, the LSO, BBC Concert Orchestra (broadcast live), The European Union Chamber Orchestra, The Brighton Philharmonic, The Royal Philharmonic (Classic FM live broadcast) and the Orchestra of the Swan.
Sarah achieved international fame following her success in the BBC Young Musician Competition 2002, first as Woodwind Division winner, then as Concerto Finalist when Sarah gave a highly individual performance of the piece with which she is most frequently associated, the Copland Clarinet Concerto, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. Sarah went on to win second prize in the Eurovision Competition for Young Musicians in Berlin, again playing the Copland Concerto, this time with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Marek Janowsky.
Sarah continued her studies at Le Conservatoire Superieur de Musique et de Dance de Paris, graduating with the Premier Prix and where she was awarded a ‘Laureate’, the Conservatoire’s highest honour in recognition of her reflecting her ability and musicality.
Sarah’s budding talent was previously recognised by the award of the Shell LSO Gerald McDonald Award and the Arthur Frederick Bulgin Medal by The Worshipful Company of Musicians. As a performer, Sarah was the winner of the Tillett Trust and Kirkman Concert Society Awards.
Sarah is recognised as a leading interpreter of the Copland Concerto, a recording of which on the Somm label was recently played on ‘Building a Library’ on BBC Radio 3. Sarah is also active in the field of contemporary music: she has championed the music of Edward Longstaff who has written a 'Prelude' and ‘Nocturne’ specially for Sarah, both of which were premiered on BBC Radio 3, in addition to a clarinet concerto. She has also worked with Philip Grange and recorded his clarinet concerto. Sarah commissioned a new piece by Joseph Phibbs, ‘Arc de Soleil', which was premiered at the Wigmore Hall, and is currently championing the works of Graham Fitkin and the Beniamin Baczewski Clarinet Concerto.
Sam Haywood |

Sam Haywood has performed to critical acclaim in many of the world’s major concert halls. The Washington Post hailed his ‘dazzling, evocative playing’ and ‘lyrical sensitivity’ and the New York Times his ‘passionate flair and sparkling clarity’. He embraces a wide spectrum of the piano repertoire and is equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician or with accompanying Lieder. He has had a regular duo partnership with Joshua Bell since 2010 and often performs with cellist Steven Isserlis.
He has recorded two solo albums for Hyperion, one featuring the piano music of Julius Isserlis (grandfather of Steven Isserlis) and the other Charles Villiers Stanford’s preludes. His passion for period instruments led to a recording on Chopin’s own Pleyel piano, part of the Cobbe Collection.
In 2013 Haywood co-founded Solent Music Festival in UK. The annual Lymington-based festival features highly varied programmes and projects in the local community. Guest artists have included the King’s Singers, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Steven Isserlis, Anthony Marwood, Michael Portillo, Mark Padmore and the Elias Quartet.
He was mentored by David Hartigan, Paul Badura-Skoda and Maria Curcio. Following his early success in the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition, the Royal Philharmonic Society awarded him the Julius Isserlis Scholarship. He studied both at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna and at the Royal Academy of Music in London, of which he is an Associate (ARAM).
As a composer Haywood has written several miniatures for piano. ‘The Other Side’ was recently premiered in the Konzerthaus in Vienna and the ‘Song of the Penguins’, dedicated to Roger Birnstingl, is published by Emerson Editions. His invention ‘memorystars®’ can significantly reduce the time needed to memorise a music score.
His other passions include literature, physics, natural history, technology, magic, fountain pens and table tennis. Originally from the English Lake District, he now lives in Kent with his wife Sophia, their baby son James and cockapoo puppy Poppy.
He has recorded two solo albums for Hyperion, one featuring the piano music of Julius Isserlis (grandfather of Steven Isserlis) and the other Charles Villiers Stanford’s preludes. His passion for period instruments led to a recording on Chopin’s own Pleyel piano, part of the Cobbe Collection.
In 2013 Haywood co-founded Solent Music Festival in UK. The annual Lymington-based festival features highly varied programmes and projects in the local community. Guest artists have included the King’s Singers, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Steven Isserlis, Anthony Marwood, Michael Portillo, Mark Padmore and the Elias Quartet.
He was mentored by David Hartigan, Paul Badura-Skoda and Maria Curcio. Following his early success in the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition, the Royal Philharmonic Society awarded him the Julius Isserlis Scholarship. He studied both at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna and at the Royal Academy of Music in London, of which he is an Associate (ARAM).
As a composer Haywood has written several miniatures for piano. ‘The Other Side’ was recently premiered in the Konzerthaus in Vienna and the ‘Song of the Penguins’, dedicated to Roger Birnstingl, is published by Emerson Editions. His invention ‘memorystars®’ can significantly reduce the time needed to memorise a music score.
His other passions include literature, physics, natural history, technology, magic, fountain pens and table tennis. Originally from the English Lake District, he now lives in Kent with his wife Sophia, their baby son James and cockapoo puppy Poppy.
Wednesday
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Doors: 6.30pm
Concert: 7.30pm (approx. 110 min, incl. interval) Meet the artists in the bar after the performance Tickets: £30 |