Lunchtime Recital - Christina Schuetz (violin) & Irina Lyakhovskaya, piano

Programme:

Henryk Wieniawski Polonaise de concert in D major, Op 4 (1852)

Witold Lutosławski, Subito for Violin and Piano (1992)

Sergei Prokofiev, Violin Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 80 (1938-1946)

I. Andante assai

II. Allegro brusco

III. Andante

IV. Allegrissimo

Biographies:

Christina Schuetz is a German-American violinist, currently pursuing an Artist Diploma under the tutelage of Matthew Denton and Roman Mints. In summer 2025, Trinity Laban awarded her a Professional Diploma in violin performance with distinction. Christina has recently participated in the Lunigiana International Music Festival, the New Lights Contemporary Music Festival and various competitions at Trinity Laban, where she was a finalist in the Vivian Joseph Classical Concerto Competition and a Semifinalist in the conservatory-wide Soloists Competition. Before commencing her music studies, Christina worked as a solicitor in the field of international arbitration at a major international law firm.

Irina Lyakhovskaya was born in St Petersburg, Russia, and graduated from the St Petersburg Conservatoire. In 2000, she was invited to continue her studies in England as a postgraduate scholar at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (then known as Trinity College of Music) with John Bingham. She has given many performances at leading international venues including the Philharmonic Hall in St Petersburg, Smetana Hall in Prague and the Coliseum in Porto. In the UK, she has appeared at the Southbank Centre, Symphony Hall, St John’s Smith Square and Cadogan Hall performing solo recitals and as the concerto soloist in Mozart, Haydn, Schumann, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov concertos. Her work has also been broadcast on BBC television and radio.

An active chamber musician, Irina performs internationally with violinist Eleanor Percy, with whom she has given numerous recitals at the Wigmore Hall in London. They have recorded sonatas by Brahms and Prokofiev for the ImLab label, and the complete Mozart sonatas for Melodiya. Currently, Irina is artist in residence at Eastbourne Arts Centre where she is performing the complete Beethoven piano sonatas in eight concerts. Irina has worked at Trinity Laban as a professional accompanist since 2002.

Presented in association with Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Drama.