Happy Birthday Ravel

Happy Birthday Ravel

PERFORMERS:
Jean Samuel Bez, violin
Gina Kruger, piano

PROGRAMME:
We are delighted to welcome acclaimed international violinist Jean Samuel Bez back to our house concert series. Jean Samuel and Gina have performed four wonderful concerts for us in the past. This March they will be playing a series of concerts together across England and we are delighted to offer the opportunity to our members to hear their programme in the intimate surroundings of our house concert.
This year - March 7th to be precise - marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Maurice Ravel and to celebrate this occasion Jean and Gina will be playing a selection of his compositions.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to these other touring commitments this house concert has an earlier start and finish time than usual.
Doors and pre-concert drink 4.30 pm, Concert 5.00 pm.
Ravel came from the Basque region and with a nod to his origins, we will serve a selection of light Basque Tapas (known as Pintxos) after the concert. We will close the event at 8.00 pm.
BIOGRAPHIES:
Jean Samuel Bez, violin:
Born in Pontarlier (France), Jean Samuel attended the Royal Conservatory of Music of Brussels (Belgium) where he passed his diplomas with High Distinction and was granted the Pappaerts Prize in 2016. He then attended the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst (Performing Arts) in Vienna.
Jean Samuel is a laureate of numerous prizes, scholarships and international competitions, ap pearing as soloist including the Ensemble Orchestral of Dijon (France), the University Orchestra of Burgondy (France), the Budweis Philharmony (Czech Republic) and the Sotiropoulos Camerata of Brussels (Belgium).
As a chamber musician, Jean-Samuel plays regularly within various groups throughout the world. During the last few years he had the opportunity to play with Jean-Claude Vanden Eyden, Hagaï Shaham, Gil Sharon, and Istvan Varga. Reflecting his interest in contemporary repertoire, in 2015 Jean Samuel was the laureate of the Young Bozar Project within the Alternative Violin Duet 2Väinö. With this duet he explores new alternative formulas to traditional concerts, mixing arts and means of expression. He also plays regularly within the Icelandic group Arstiđir.
Gina Kruger - Piano
Gina holds degrees in piano from the United States and a post-graduate diploma from the Royal College of Music, London. During her studies at the Royal College of Music, she won the Fossat Award for Chamber Music which resulted in performances for the Queen of Denmark and a residency in France. She continues to appear as a recitalist locally and internationally. Her performance in the National Concert Hall, Dublin, featuring Spanish repertoire was deemed a ‘finely turned performance’ by the Irish Times in 2010. Other international venues have included solo performances in Altdorf Switzerland and in the Vienna Conservatory. She has performed extensively in Croatia, as a soloist, and with guitarist Igor Paro.
Performance engagements in the United States have included two broadcasts of solo piano works (Messiaen, Beethoven, and Schumann) on Nebraska Public Radio, and appearances at such prestigious venues as Merkin Concert Hall and The Juilliard School.
After completing studies in musicology, the result of which was a National Endowment for the Humanties grant (through Columbia University, NY) Gina has continued to develop her interest in church music as an organist, choral director, and soprano (singing regularly with choirs for Evensong and as a soloist in church settings). Having held posts in several boarding schools, chapels, and churches in London and further afield, she is currently organist at St Mary, Tottenham.