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Martynas Levickis at the Royal Festival Hall, London – UKby Roland Williams |
A classical accordion recital at London’s Royal Festival Hall is a rare event. On Sunday February 24th Martinas Levickis gave an hour-long pre-concert recital in the South Bank’s main hall before a large audience. The recital was made possible by an award from the Martin Music Scholarship Fund for promising young artists. Martynas Levickis comes from Lithuania and in his own country is already well known as the winner of the 2010 television contest, ‘Lithuania’s Got Talent’. Video above from a more recent TV performance in Lithuania. Martynas is a graduate of London’s Royal Academy of Music, tutor Owen Murray, who has won many awards including the 2010 Coupe Mondiale Piano Accordion category. His program in the Royal Festival Hall was classical beginning with César Franck’s ‘Pastoral in E major (Op.19)’, Efrem Podgaits’ ‘Sonata No.1’ and then J S Bach’s ‘Fantasia and Fugue in A minor (BWV 561)’ – three large and lengthy works. Martynas concluded his recital with a friend, Abraham McWilliams (violin), with arrangements for violin and accordion of the popular ‘Hungarian Dance No 5’, by Brahms, and ‘Jewish Folk Tunes on the Theme of Hava Nagila’. Such was the audience enthusiasm that Martynas received a standing ovation. His encore was a movement from Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’, the ‘Winter Concerto’. This recital was indeed a wonderful example of refined virtuoso accordion playing. During 2013, date yet to be announced, Decca Classics (London) will release a CD by Martynas Levickis. |