Piano à Deux - Four Hand Piano Duets Recital

Works by Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Fauré, Poulenc, Liszt, Gershwin

Programme:

Beethoven - Sonata Op. 6
Schubert - Fantaisie in F Minor
Mendelssohn - Allegro Brillant

Interval

Poulenc - Sonata for Piano Four Hands
Fauré - 4 movements from Dolly Suite
Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2  (arr Stoodley & Ang)
Gershwin - An American in Paris (arr Stoodley & Ang)

Piano à Deux was formed in 2010 by Robert Stoodley and Linda Ang Stoodley

Their research has both informed their playing of the standard repertoire and led to their discovery of neglected composers like George Onslow. Their latest CD: ‘France Revisited’ recorded for the Divine Art label, includes his Op 7 Duo Sonata, his six solo pieces, Debussy’s ‘Petite Suite’ and songs by Poulenc (arranged by Linda).

Their first CD was released in 2011 to glowing reviews. Through this, “Piano à Deux” and their audiences, have raised £2,000 for charities like WorldVision. In 2015, they were on BBC Radio 3’s ‘In Tune’ with the award-winning violinist Erzhan Kulibaev.

Their charisma, comedy and virtuosity, set in scintillating original arrangements, has won them a large following on land and sea.

Robert Stoodley studied with Dorothea Law, who was a student of Paul Baumgartner and Alfred Brendel (Vienna). He has performing and teaching diplomas from the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music (London).

Robert, a linguist, studied Hindi instead of Chinese, not knowing that he would one day marry a Mandarin speaker. Combining linguistic and musical studies, he gained the Premier Prix at the Conservatoire de Lyon (France), has broadcast on BBC Radio 4, and given recitals and concerto performances throughout the UK.

Some of Robert’s songs have been published and are sung throughout the world. Some have been recorded, the most recent recording being “St. Michael-le-Belfrey – the Vinyl Years”.

Linda Ang Stoodley was born in Singapore. She read a B.Mus. at Edinburgh, and obtained several diplomas before relocating to London’s Guildhall School of Music. She became a prizewinner with awards like the Royal Overseas League Accompanist’s Prize and was harpsichordist of the Guildhall String Ensemble when they won the Internationales Jeunesses Musicales Competition (Belgrade). Their European tour ended in Spain where Linda performed Bach’s Fifth Brandenburg Concerto with world renowned flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal.

Linda has since focused on the piano, and performed extensively in the UK, Europe, Mauritius and Singapore; on Dutch and Mauritius television, Radio Scotland, Radio Oxford, Radio 3; and live on Classic FM and Premier Radio. She has recorded with several artistes and has released seven CDs of her own.

Linda was featured in the Singapore “Straits Times” and the Singapore Airlines In-flight Magazine and as cover girl for “Woman Alive” magazine.

In 2002, Janet Fairlie and Linda created “Diva, Diva” delighting cruise line passengers on Crystal, Cunard, Holland America & Regent Sevenseas. Then, in 2005, each Diva stepped out, Janet into London’s West End, and Linda to touring with her solo shows which have met with critical acclaim on land as well as on luxury cruise lines like Silversea & Seabourn.

See the Piano à Deux website for further information