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One of the most exciting young musicians to emerge from the Middle East will give a concert on the opening night of this year’s Musicfest at Aberystwyth Arts Centre.
Pianist Riyad Nicolas was born in Aleppo, Syria, in 1989, and has already established himself as a leading figure of his generation on the international performing circuit.
Riyad has given solo recitals in many prestigious venues at the UK, including The Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall and at The Bridgwater Hall and Staller Hall in Manchester. Concert performances have also taken him to USA, Switzerland, France, Spain, Germany, Holland, Malta, the Gulf and Lebanon. He has won numerous international prizes and awards and is an artist on the Countess of Munster Trust Concert Scheme.
His proposed programme includes piano music by Liszt and Schumann. He will also play the haunting Songs of Aleppo, composed only recently by Syrian composer Kareem Roustom.
Iwan Teifion Davies, Artistic Director of Musicfest, said:
“We are thrilled to be opening Musicfest, with its theme of One World/Un Byd, with such an outstanding young talent. Riyad made his first appearance as a soloist with an orchestra at the age of ten in Aleppo. Since then, he has performed with many orchestras including the London Chamber Orchestra at the Cadogan Hall, the Emirate Symphony Orchestra in Dubai and the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra at the opening of the new Damascus Opera House.
“Through music Riyad has been promoting peace and raising awareness for the plights of the Syrian people and performing for many organizations such as THE United Nations, the International Rescue Committee and the Arab British Centre.”
Tickets for the concert, which takes place at the Great Hall, Aberystwyth Arts Centre on Saturday 20 July at 8pm are priced £20 and £18 for concessions.
Further Musicfest concerts taking place during the week will include Catrin Finch and Aoife Ni Brian, Braimah Kanneh-Mason, Welsh folk group Pedair and the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera under the baton of their music director Thomas Hanus.