It was an absolute pleasure to perform, once again, in the Tung Auditorium in February 2024. The recital, titled 'The Romantic Piano', was a part of an outreach event which welcomed 60 secondary school students from across Merseyside to the venue, to hear music they study as a part of their A-levels live.
The programme included pieces that feature on the current AQA A-level syllabus, from two of Brahms's op. 118 to Chopin's Ballade no. 2 in F major. The teachers who accompanied their students from the school commented afterwards that they had taught the works for years, but this was the first time they'd experienced the pieces in a live concert. The recital was followed by afternoon workshops hosted by the University of Liverpool Music Department: harmony in pop music; performance preparation; and lastly a lecture recital on the Chopin's second Ballade. It was great fun to organise the entire event and coordinate the afternoon, as well as delving into the Chopin for the lecture recital after performing it earlier in the day. Outreach and widening participation are so important for music at the moment, and it is the University’s intention to do more in a similar vein.
A highlight of audience reviews from the 21 February 2024 recital are:
'It was a fantastic event, the music was beautifully played and it was lovely to see the reaction from the audience.'
'It was an absolute privilege to attend this concert to hear this talented, engaging musician. We have seen Dr Ruth Minton before but this concert was outstanding. We sat and engaged with one of her post graduate students who had nothing but appreciation and praise for her as a tutor and a person. So glad we can use this wonderful facility and see such amazing talent. Thank you.'
'Dr Ruth Minton always gives an accomplished and inspiring performance. Her introductions to each piece were helpful. A wonderful concert.'
'Loved everything about it. Pianist was excellent, would love to see Ruth perform more piano pieces in the future.'
'Ruth's performance was absolutely sublime. The whole of the audience was entranced by her exquisite interpretation of each piece of music that she performed.'
There's more performance plans on the horizon, and lots of exciting projects in the pipeline too. It's such a privilege to share music with others, and I can't wait for the next time.