Vincentian pianist to feature Chopin at recital at Peace Memorial Hall

At 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 14 at Peace Memorial Hall, Vincentians will be treated to a recital of classical piano music.

Sean Sutherland, a Vincentian pianist based in Canada, will present a program called “InFusion” in which he will feature music of Chopin.

Sean is embarking on a tour that involves six concerts in the Cayman Islands, Barbados, Montreal, Texas, and St Vincent. These concerts are a “warm up” of sorts for Sean’s participation in the Chopin Amateur Competition in Warsaw, Poland.

This event occurs every three years and features “amateur” pianists from around the world. This year, Sean will be among the 40 pianists invited to Poland to compete. While the word “amateur” is a misnomer in that it gives the impression of substandard playing, it is simply a term used to describe pianists who do not make their primary source of living through playing music. However, these individuals are usually highly accomplished professionals who share a passion for classical piano music and who still practice seriously and perform occasionally.

This is not Sean’s first time entering such international competitions. In June 2016, Sean entered the Van Cliburn Amateur Piano Competition and made it to the semi-finals (top 12) from among 62 pianists invited to compete in Fort Worth, Texas. The following year, Sean was a finalist at the Boston Amateur Piano Competition. While the Van Cliburn is considered the most prestigious piano competition in the world, the Chopin (Warsaw) is a close second, and so Sean has been taking his preparation for this competition quite seriously.

The competition has three rounds in which participants are required to prepare 20 minutes’, 20 minutes’, and 25 minutes’ worth of music for the first, second and third rounds, respectively. Chopin is one of the most beloved of classical piano composers and Poland, his homeland, honors his legacy by requiring that participants play Chopin’s Polish dance repertoire in each round; however, beyond that, participants have free rein their selections to complete the rounds.

Sean has crafted InFusion around the music he will present in the competition. The program will include as pillars Chopin’s 28 Preludes, Ballade no. 4, and Scherzo no 3, and a set of variations by Paderewski, another Polish composer whose work is required in the first round. Also, Vincentian vocalist Pennola Ross will perform with Sean as a guest artiste and will present several popular pieces to further “infuse” the program. Violinist Samuel Toka will entertain patrons as they arrive and during intermission.

Not only will InFusion be a musical treat, but the Girl Guides will also supply refreshments and snacks, in an effort to raise funds for members to attend this year’s Jamboree in Malta.