Lunchtime Recital - Theo Bentley Curtin (cello), Mark Zhang (piano)

Programme:

Nadia Boulanger: 3 Pieces for Cello and Piano

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Cello Sonata In G minor Op. 19

Biography:

Theo Bently Curtin is a versatile cellist emerging as an in-demand freelancer across the UK. He has played regularly with The Hallé, the BBC Symphony and Philharmonia Orchestras and Glyndebourne Sinfonia, and has participated in international festivals in the UK and Europe. A recent highlight was taking part in the London Symphony Orchestra’s “Boulez 100” celebrations in the Barbican, performing “Messagesquisses” as part of a 7-piece cello ensemble with LSO Principal Cello David Cohen. His solo playing has been featured on BBC Radio 3 as part of the Royal Academy of Music 200PIECES series in 2022. Theo was awarded first prize for various awards including the St James’s Chamber Music Prize at Guildhall and the May Mukle & Douglas Cameron Award at the Academy where he performed the technically demanding Poulenc Cello Sonata.

Born in London and raised in South Devon, Theo was awarded a specialist place at Wells Cathedral School on a full government scholarship, continuing his studies at the Academy with Christoph Richter and Josephine Knight, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where is currently completing his Masters with Rebecca Gilliver and Jonathan Aasgaard supported on a scholarship by the Worshipful Company of Tobacco Pipe Makers. He plays a fine instrument of 1764 by Joseph Hill thanks to the generous support of the Tompkins Tate Musical Trust. In his (ever more limited) spare time, Theo is training as a singer, enjoys recreational swimming and is a keen enthusiast of swing dance.

Mark began his musical journey studying the piano from roughly four years of age. He won a scholarship to the Purcell School of Music, where he studied for eight years, performing at venues such as Milton Court and Wigmore Hall. After Purcell, he became an organ scholar at Emmanuel College, where he studied Music as an undergraduate, followed by a Master’s degree in Composition; some highlights from this include a setting of tongue twisters, spam emails, and other nonsense texts, and a neo-Romantic piano concerto whose thematic material was based on internet memes.During his studies at Cambridge, Mark performed prolifically as both soloist and accompanist, appearing in several recitals per term; he directed Emmanuel College Choir’s summer tour in 2022, and was the winner of the University’s concerto competition, performing Britten’s Piano Concerto in 2023. Then, after working for two years—one as an organist, and one at a school—Mark returned to studies, beginning a Master’s in Piano Accompaniment at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama last September. There, he won the St James Chamber Prize with Theo; he was highly commended as accompanist in the English Song Prize; and he will perform in the final of the Ivan Sutton Chamber Prize. He recently conducted Guildhall's production of the Broadway musical Little Women, to much success. Although Mark’s non-musical interests are rather slim, he enjoys a variety of niche hobbies, ranging from chess and cryptic crosswords, to finding data entry ‘weirdly therapeutic’ and eating cereal at odd times of day. Outside of the piano, Mark continues to explore other areas of music-making: he is currently the holder of the Mary and Bryn Walters Organ Scholarship at St Martin-in-the-Fields, and will be Organ Scholar at Royal Hospital Chelsea next academic year. He is a trained choral singer, having been a member of the Genesis Sixteen development programme; he has sung on BBC Radio 3 on several occasions, and is currently an Emerging Artist with St Martin's Voices, with whom he performs regularly.

No ticket required, free entry, retiring collection - suggested donation £5