Farley Music Programme for 2026
Tickets now on sale
Tuesday 9th June 2026, 7:00pm
The Azurite Duo – Lily Petrova (piano) | Takanori Okamoto (violin)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) – Sonata in F major, Op. 24
César Franck (1822-1890) – Sonata in A major
interval
Mily Alekseyevich Balakirev (1837-1910) – Impromptu (1874)
Maurice Ravel (1875–1937) – Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2 in G major, M.77 (1923–1927)
Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908) – Introduction and tarantella (1900)(1923–1927)
Sponsored by:
Jane Wallace
Formed in 2023 at the Royal Academy of Music, The Azurite Duo brings together violinist Takanori Okamoto and pianist Lily Petrova. United by a shared curiosity and versatility, the duo explores a wide range of repertoire – from classical masterworks to contemporary sound worlds.
Since their formation, The Azurites have been coached by Levon Chilingirian, Joanna MacGregor, and Adrian Brendel, among others, and were awarded First Prize at the Royal Academy of Music Duo Competition. In the summer of 2025, they completed a residency at Santiago de Compostela, deepening their artistic partnership through intensive performance and collaboration.
The duo continue their commitment to presenting both beloved and rarely heard works with imagination and vitality.
Wednesday 10th June 2026, 7:00pm
Chris White
programme entitled “pianist as story teller” to include:
Liszt-2 Legendes
Beethoven-sonata in E flat major, Op81a
Chopin – 4 Ballades
Sponsored by:
Chris White studied at the Royal Academy of Music, graduating in 2007. He studied piano with Hamish Milne and Nicholas Walker, and piano accompaniment with Michael Dussek.[1][2]
Chris played piano concertos by Beethoven, Brahms, and Rachmaninow with the Orchestra of the City in London.[3] He played the Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor by Camille Saint-Saëns at the Philharmonie Berlin in 2016.[4]
Chris premiered new music. On 17 July 2003, he played the first performance of Blue Medusa by John Casken, a piece for bassoon and piano commissioned by Rosemary Burton’s parents for her birthday.[5] With the same bassoonist, he played in 2009 Phoenix Arising, written by Graham Waterhouse in memory of his father, the bassoonist William Waterhouse.[6]
In opera, White worked as repetiteur and conductor, including at the Frankfurt Opera and the English National Opera.[3] He was a Piano Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Centre in Massachusetts, assisting James Levine for Kurt Weill’s Mahagonny, also appearing onstage as the pianist.[7] He was solo repetiteur at the Deutsche Oper Berlin in 2014[3] and has since been promoted to Stellvertretender Studienleiter (Deputy Director of Musical Studies).[8]
He arranged movements two to five of Gustav Mahler’s unfinished Tenth Symphony for piano, based on Deryck Cooke’s performing version.[9] In 2008, he made a recording, using the arrangement of the first movement by Ronald Stevenson which is also based on Cooke.[9] The recording was taken at Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, Hampstead,[10] and released in 2010.[9] Christopher Abbot summarized in The Fanfare in a detailed review: “His transcription is not merely evidence of a familiarity with the Mahlerian idiom; it is infused with a profound understanding of the importance of this work in the larger context of Mahler’s symphonic journey.”[9] White played the transcription for the Gustav Mahler Society UK in London on 17 January 2010.[7]
Thursday 11th June 2026, 7:00pm
Sadra Mahshidfar | Nicholas Walker
George Friedrich Handel (1685-1759) – Chaconne in G major, HWV 435
Claude Debussy (1862-1918) – Suite bergamasque
George Friedrich Handel (1685-1759) – Suite No. 1 in B flat major, HWV 434
interval
Franz Liszt:
The warm and romantic 3 Liebesträume
The thrilling Mephisto Waltz No. 1
The magical Consolation No. 3 in D flat major
Sponsored by:
Hailed by the London Evening Standard as a ‘prodigy, of awesome technical fluency backed by exceptional artistry’, Nicholas Walker possesses a rare combination of talents combining sensitivity with ‘the flair of a full scale virtuoso and a sparkling intelligence’ (BBC Music Magazine).
He studied at the Royal Academy of Music, where he won all the major awards for both piano and composition, and subsequently at the Moscow Conservatoire.
While still a student in Moscow, he won the First Newport International Piano Competition and has since played with many British Orchestras, including the City of Birmingham and National Symphony Orchestras, the Royal Philharmonic, London Mozart Players, the London Festival and New Queen’s Hall Orchestras, the Philharmonia and the BBC National Symphony Orchestra of Wales. As well as performing in all the major London concert halls, he has played in North and South America, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Scandinavia, Australia and Russia. He has recorded for BBC Radio 3, Cirrus, ASV, BMG Arte Nova, Chandos, Toccata Classics and Naxos Grand Piano. Equally at home in chamber music, he is sought after as an imaginative and sensitive accompanist, and his CD with Lydia Mordkovitch of Russian violin music was Daily Telegraph CD of the week.
Although Walker’s performances of Beethoven have brought him special notice, and his performances of the lyrical and late romantic piano music have also been singled out for the highest praise, it is for his championing of the cause of the neglected leader of ‘The Mighty Handful’, Mili Alexei Balakirev, that he is best known. Described by the Financial Times as ‘the nearest thing to a natural Balakirev performer’, Walker’s two discs of Balakirev piano music for ASV (CD DCA 940 & 1048) received great critical acclaim, and he has also received high praise for his performances of other Russian composers, including his live recording of the Liapunov Sonata on Danacord (DACOCD 539), described by Jeremy Nicholas as ‘thrilling… a tour de force’
His now complete series for Naxos Grand Piano is however unique, in that it introduces music that has never before been performed or published, including a substantial sonata and works that Nicholas has finished off himself. All the CDs garnered enthusiastic reviews, and CD3 was CD of the week on Musiq3. James Harrington of the American Record Guide has called them the “reference set”; Damian Thompson, writing in the Spectator, said that the series “has to be heard to be believed”, while Jeremy Nicholas in the Gramophone described the playing as “bravura with integrity”.
Nicholas’s next recording project is a double CD of all the Liszt etudes and the Sonata in B minor. The Wigmore Hall has programmed a Balakirev Day on 27th April, 2024 and invited Nicholas to give a lunchtime recital and an evening concert that day.
Sadra Mahshidfar is a pianist recognised for his “expressive artistry and versatility across a wide range of repertoire” by Artmag Magazine Iran. He has performed as a soloist and a chamber musician across the UK and Iran
An enthusiastic performer of contemporary music, Sadra has collaborated with composers such as Philip Cashian and Brett Dean, performing his Hommage Études, and premiered new works with the Manson Ensemble conducted by Tim Weiss. He is passionate about creating programmes that bridge classical and modern works.
He has won prizes at several competitions, including the Yamaha Scholarship Award and prize-winner in Chung Nung Lee Piano Prize. Besides performing, he studies composition and improvisation. He has studied with Neil Brand, performed live to silent films, and won the Best Original Cadenza Award for Mozart concerto at the Royal Academy of Music.
Currently in his 4th year, Sadra studies with Joanna MacGregor at the Royal Academy of Music, where he is supported by the Leverhulme Arts Scholarship and the Jennifer Sharp Award. He is also a Drake Calleja Trust Scholar for 2025-26. Originally from Iran, he previously studied at the Tehran University of Art.
Friday 12th June 2026 , 7:00pm
Alexandra Balog
Kodály – Seven pieces, Op. 11, Nos. 6 and 2
Mozart – Fantasy in C minor, K.457
Chopin- Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48, no.1
Schubert – Sonata in B flat major, D.960
Sponsored by:
Mr and Mrs S Payne
Pianist Alexandra Balog is celebrated by the press as a pianist with “elemental force, virtuosity, and energy” (Radio Bartók’s New Music News), and “a Hungarian pianist who is a real wonder creature” (Forbes) who has played to sold out halls with standing ovations.
Winner of the 2017 Béla Bartók International Piano Competition in Graz, Alexandra Balog has since established herself as one of the most compelling pianists of her generation. She is a Fulbright Scholar, received Hungary’s most prestigious recognition for young artists, the Junior Príma Prize (2023), and was named to Forbes Hungary’s “30 under 30” list (2024). Other important honours include the Frederick Jackson Award (London, 2019) and first prize at the Franz Liszt Centre International Piano Competition in La Nucia, Spain (2024).
As a soloist, she has performed with the Savaria Symphony Orchestra, the Szent István Philharmonic, the Danube Symphony Orchestra, the Resonate Chamber Orchestra, and the Royal Academy of Music Orchestra. She has appeared in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall (New York), the Tchaikovsky Conservatory (Moscow), the Centro Nacional de las Artes
(Mexico City), and La Chapelle Musicale (Brussels), with performances across Europe, the United States, Mexico, and Ecuador, as well as major cultural centres in Asia, including China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines. In the 2025/26 season, she will appear at Salle Cortot (Paris), the Palacio de Bellas Artes (Mexico City), and in Budapest, London, Tokyo, Singapore, Beijing, and Shanghai.
Alexandra Balog is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Altalena Artists Collective, an international community of outstanding young musicians dedicated not only to artistic excellence but also to the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of performers. The Collective presents a series of festivals, academies, and masterclasses, most prominently the Altalena Music Festival in Hungary and Tuscany, along with the Altalena Summer Academy.
Alexandra graduated with distinction from the Royal Academy of Music in London under Ian Fountain (2019), was a scholar of the Hungarian Academy of Arts’ three-year program and earned her Artist Diploma at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz with Markus Schirmer (2023). Currently, as a Fulbright Scholar, she is pursuing the Advanced Performance Studies program at Bard College Conservatory of Music, studying with Rieko Aizawa.
Saturday 13th June 2026, 7:00pm
Opera gala night
Julia Klimek, Carmen Lázaro, Rachel Ridout, Jack Sandison, Robert Forrest
Sponsored by:
Polish pianist Julia Klimek was described by The Guardian as “flamboyant” after her debut at the world-renown Wigmore Hall performing Clara Schumann’s Song Cycle. She marked the Weinberg Centenary at the University of Manchester and has performed alongside cellists Adrian Brendel and Mats Lindstrom. She has been invited to give recitals in Warsaw, Lvov and in Calgary in Canada. Julia recently graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with Distinction, in addition to winning two institutional prizes – DipRAM for outstanding performance in a final recital and the Regency Award in recognition of a consistently exceptional level of achievement with Prof James Baillieu. While at the Academy, she initiated the Student Union Choir which she conducted in both classical and jazz repertoire, championing works by Ola Gjeilo, Bob Chilcott and John Rutter.
Carmen Lázaro is a Spanish mezzo-soprano. In 2024, she completed a Master’s in Operatic Performance at the Conservatorio Superior de Música “Joaquín Rodrigo” de Valencia. She previously graduated with First Class Honours in singing and also holds an undergraduate degree in viola from the same institution. She is currently completing her postgraduate studies at the Universität Mozarteum in Salzburg.
Operatic roles include Nicklausse Les contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach), L’enfant L’enfant et les sortilèges (Ravel), Contessa Melibea Il viaggio a Reims (Rossini), Enrico Elisabetta, regina d’Inghilterra (Rossini, Den Norske Opera & Ballet), Rosina Il barbiere di Siviglia (Teatro de la Maestranza), and Armelinde Cendrillon (Viardot, El Palau de Les Arts).
In 2023, Carmen was selected by Teatro Real (Madrid) to join its “Crescendo” programme, performing at the venue’s main stage for the presentation of the 2023/24 season.
British soprano Rachel Ridout holds a First-Class Honours Degree from the Royal Academy of Music in London where she was awarded the Van Smit Prize for Excellence. She studied under the tutelage of Mary Nelson and James Ballieau. In 2024 Rachel completed her Master’s degree in Opera Singing at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Leipzig. Rachel studied with Professor Carola Guber. During her studies Rachel was the recipient of the Countess of Munster Trust scholarship and the Deutschlandstipendium. In the 2024/25 season, Rachel will make her house and role debut as Sophie Scholl in Die Weiße Rose by U. Zimmermann at Theater Erfurt and as Taumännchen in Hänsel und Gretel by E. Humperdinck at Opera Halle. After making her debut at Opera Leipzig last season, Rachel returns to embody two new roles: Fee 1 in Amadis, der Ritter by J.C. Bach and Delia in Die Reise nach Reims by G. Rossini. Other performed roles include Olympia in Les contes d’Hoffmann by J. Offenbach, Belinda in Dido and Aeneas by H. Purcell, Papagena, 1/2 Knabe in Die Zauberflöte by W.A Mozart and Adlige Waise in Der Rosenkavalier by R. Strauss. In 2021/22, Rachel Ridout was chosen to participate in Silvana Bazzoni Bartoli’s Bel Canto Academy at the Gstaad Menuhin Festival and was a Young Artist at the International Lied Festival Zeist. She made her debut at the Oxford Lieder Festival and was awarded the Hester Dickson Duo Prize at Oxenfoord International. Rachel has also performed at the Victoria International Arts Festival Malta Gozo and has sung in masterclasses with Elly Ameling, Nicky Spence, Robert Holl, Wolfgang Holzmair, Helmut Deutsch, Graham Johnson, Hans Eijsackers, Joseph Middleton and Malcom Martineau. Rachel is looking forward to the release of her debut recording on a CD of all of Hugo Wolf’s Goethe Lieder, commissioned by the Bicentenary at the Royal Academy of Music. During her time at RAM, Rachel performed regularly as part of the Academy Voices and Bach the European Concert Series, working with conductors such as Masaaki Suzuki, Trevor Pinnock, Eamonn Dougan and Iain Leddingham. She also sang the world premiere of Emma Ruth-Richard’s song Red Anemones, written as one of the 200-piece projects commissioned by the Royal Academy of Music for their bicentenary celebrations.
British Bass-Baritone Jack Sandison graduated from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2017 and has since sung a number of roles and covers with companies including Glyndebourne, Wexford, Birmingham Opera company and Garsington. A Jerwood Artist at Glyndebourne and multiple award-winner, this year Jack joined the roster at the National Opera Studio as a 2025/2026 Young Artist.
Robert Forrest is a versatile British tenor and alumnus of the National Opera Studio Global Talent Program. He studied at Girton College, Cambridge, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the Royal College of Music, and the Royal Academy of Music.
Robert made his opera debut in 2015 with the Netherlands Reisopera as King Kaspar (Amahl and the Night Visitors) and has since sung roles including Rodolfo (La Bohème, Hurn Court Opera), Vaudemont (Iolanta, IF Opera/Royal Academy Opera), Don Basilio (Le Nozze di Figaro, Glyndebourne), Malcolm (Macbeth, Dorset Opera), Jupiter (Semele, Royal Academy Opera), and Gherardo (Gianni Schicchi, European Opera Centre).
His Wigmore Hall debut came in 2020 with the Royal Academy Song Circle. He has also worked as a cover for Glyndebourne and the Badisches Staatstheater, including Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde and Ethel Smyth’s The Wreckers. Highlights of 2025 included Nanki-Poo (The Mikado, Opera Della Luna), Scottish Opera’s spring ‘Highlights Tour’ across 24 venues, and his Glyndebourne soloist debut at the BBC Proms as Don Basilio. He also enjoys great cheese and wine, supporting Liverpool football club and playing squash.
Sunday 14th June 2026 , 6:00pm
June Evensong
Choir from Godolphin School, Salisbury
Mrs Alice Page an ordinand in training for the priesthood