Cristian De Sa – violin
John Lenehan – Steinway grand piano, New York, c. 1864

Beethoven – Violin Sonata No. 1, Op. 12 (i. Allegro con brio ii. Tema con variazioni: Andante con moto iii. Rondo: Allegro)
E Bloch – ‘Nigun’ from Baal Schem
Debussy – La Plus Que Lente (arr. Roques)
Faure – Berceuse, Op. 16
Ravel – Piece en forme d’Habanera (arr. Heifetz)
Wieniawski – Polonaise No. 2 in A Major, Op. 18

Classic FM’s‘Young Classical Star’ Cristian de Sa and world renowned pianist John Lenehan present Beethoven’s
Violin Sonata no. 1, Ravel’s Pièce en Form d’Habanera, Debussy’s La Plus Que Lente, Faure’s Berceuse, Op. 16. and Ernest Bloch’s Nigun.

Cristian Grajner de Sa is establishing a reputation as a young artist true to the great tradition of violin playing, with his performances praised for their deep musical sensitivity and artistic expression. At the age of 24, he performed his European debut recital at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and was subsequently engaged to perform his European concerto debut with the Gulbenkian Orchestra in Lisbon under the baton of Lina González-Granados. A ‘Young Classical Star’ on Classic FM, Cristian has performed in some of the great venues of Europe; notably the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Atheneum in Bucharest, Sheldonian Theatre, Wigmore Hall and Salle Paderewski in Lausanne to name only a few, with features by BBC Television and Radio, The Strad Magazine, RTP Portugal and The Violin Channel. Recent and upcoming season’s highlights include performances at The Stoller Hall in Manchester, Champs Hill Concerts, broadcasts for BBC Radio 3’s InTune programme, Absolute Classics in Dumfries/Galloway, North York Moors Festival, Vinehall International Concert Series, Amigos da Musica in the Algarve and reengagements with the British conductor, Hilary Davan Wetton, with the Worthing & Jersey Symphony Orchestra. He has collaborated with some of the foremost violinists of our time, notably chamber music performances with Maxim Vengerov in London and in France with Renaud Capuçon at his personal invitation. Cristian previously received the First Prize at the inaugural ‘Groba’ International Violin Competition in Spain, a Gold medal with High Distinction at the Vienna International Music Competition and earlier in his musical life, he was a string finalist at BBC Young Musician. Cristian is a longtime student of the French violinist, Maurice Hasson, with whom he studied at the Royal Academy of Music as a Leverhulme Scholar and graduated with the ‘J & A Beare Prize’ for the most outstanding violinist. He has also had the privilege to study with Tasmin Little, who remains his mentor, Maxim Vengerov and with Pierre Amoyal at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg. He plays a Joseph Guadagnini, 1800.

With more than 70 albums to his credit, reflecting an enormous variety of genres and styles, John Lenehan ranks as one of the most versatile pianists on the classical scene today. Praised by the New York Times for his “great flair and virtuosity” and the (London) Times – “a masterly recital”, John Lenehan has appeared in concerts throughout the World from Abu Dhabi to Zurich and from Aberdeen to Zimbabwe. As a soloist he has appeared with orchestras such as the London Symphony at the Barbican and the Royal Philharmonic in the Royal Albert Hall. John Lenehan has also collaborated with some of the leading instrumentalists of our time and is recognised as an outstanding and versatile chamber musician. His many recordings include piano recitals and concertos as well as duo sonatas, chamber music and jazz. His four-disc survey of John Ireland’s piano music received great critical acclaim including a Gramophone award. His other solo recordings include three discs for Sony Classical of minimalist piano works and a disc of Erik Satie (for Classic FM). Most recently he has recorded albums with Huw Wiggin, Tasmin Little and the Rossetti Ensemble as well as concertos by Mozart (K.467) and Beethoven (Emperor) with the National Symphony Orchestra. John Lenehan also composes, with works published by Faber, Novello and Schotts. His Fantasy on Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker has recently been recorded by the Budapest Symphony Orchestra. He has written and arranged for a long list of soloists and orchestras including Nigel Kennedy, Tasmin Little, Nicola Benedetti, Leonidas Kavakos and Yuja Wang, the BBC Concert Orchestra, RPO and Hong Kong Philharmonic. His interest in the combination of music and film has been long-standing. As director of “Sounds for Silents” he has written and arranged more than 20 film scores, which were performed throughout the UK in Festivals such as Aldeburgh, Cheltenham, Brighton and Harrogate as well as in Italy, Germany, Norway and Australia. He continues to present film and music programmes, reviving the art of the improvising pianist – the most recent including the silent films of Laurel and Hardy.