Programme

Bach - Partita in G major, BWV 829
Schubert - Impromptu in G-flat major, op. 90 no. 3
Chopin - Variations on "La ci darem la mano", op.2

Interval

Rachmaninoff - Sonata #1 in D minor, op. 28

Acclaimed by the press for his “charismatic”, “very individual” and “always gripping” playing, Toronto-born, Berlin-based pianist Ben Cruchley is the laureate of the International Telekom Beethoven Competition in Bonn, Germany, as well as the International Grieg Competition in Norway.

He has appeared in prestigious halls such as the Musikverein in Vienna, the Konzerthaus in Berlin, Roy Thompson Hall and the Richard Bradshaw Ampitheatre in Toronto, and the Troldsalen in Norway.

Recent orchestral appearances include the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, the Narva Symphony Orchestra in Estonia, and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. He studied intensively with Dang Thai Son in Montreal and subsequently with Benedetto Lupo at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome.

Ben is distinguished for the breadth of his musical experience. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with members of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, the orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and the Canadian Opera Company. He has considerable experience as an interpreter of contemporary music, including a long-standing engagement with the Ensemble Novecento in Rome. In addition to engagements as an improviser and orchestral arranger, he worked on many occasions as assistant conductor and repetiteur for Toronto-based Opera Atelier.