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19 October @ 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm
£21.00
Artists: Emily Sun (violin) and Dina Duisen (piano)
Programme
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Sonata for Violin and Piano in E-flat major, K.302
- César Franck – Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major
- Interval
- Franz Schubert – Impromptu in B-flat major, Op. 142 for Piano
- Johannes Brahms – Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108
About the Concert
nadsa welcomes two exceptional artists for an afternoon spanning the greatest works in the violin and piano repertoire. Violinist Emily Sun, described by The Guardian as possessing “a searing and poetic tone,” joins Kazakh-British pianist Dina Duisen for a programme that journeys from Mozart’s Classical elegance through Romantic passion to Brahms’s autumnal masterpiece.
A Journey Through Three Musical Eras
The afternoon opens with Mozart’s charming Sonata in E-flat major, K.302, written during his transformative Mannheim period. Its two movements sparkle with wit and conversational intimacy, setting the stage for Franck’s sublime Sonata in A major—one of the cornerstones of the repertoire. Written as a wedding gift for violinist Eugène Ysaÿe in 1886, this cyclic masterwork binds its four movements together through recurring themes, creating a profound emotional journey from tender opening dialogue to radiant finale.
After the interval, Dina Duisen presents Schubert’s lyrical Impromptu in B-flat major before the duo reunites for Brahms’s final violin sonata. Completed in 1888 on the shores of Lake Thun, the D minor Sonata represents the composer at the height of his powers—passionate, structurally masterful, and deeply expressive. Its four movements encompass everything from stormy drama to folk-inspired dance, concluding with a finale of thrilling energy.
About the Artists
Emily Sun has captivated audiences worldwide since her Wigmore Hall debut in 2016. Winner of the 2018 ABC Young Performers Award and the 2016 Royal Overseas League Music Competition, she has performed at venues including the Sydney Opera House and Royal Albert Hall, and even for King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. Her recent recording of the Korngold and Kats-Chernin concertos received critical acclaim, with BBC Music Magazine praising her “luxurious tone.” Emily is currently Violin Professor at the Royal College of Music and performs on a 1753 G.B. Guadagnini violin.
Dina Duisen brings remarkable versatility to the piano, having performed everywhere from the Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall to the Presidential Centre of Culture in Kazakhstan. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music where she studied under Christopher Elton, Hamish Milne and Kathryn Stott, Dina has worked with distinguished musicians including Nicola Benedetti and made her debut at the George Enescu Festival in Bucharest. Her solo debut album ‘Mazurkas from Chopin to Adès’ was recorded with Grammy-award winning producer Andrew Keener, and she gave the Asian premiere of Thomas Adès’s Mazurkas in 2014.
Why You Shouldn’t Miss This
This ambitious programme showcases the violin and piano duo at its finest, spanning nearly 150 years of musical expression. Emily Sun’s compelling interpretations and expressive tone combined with Dina Duisen’s sophisticated pianism promise an afternoon of exceptional music-making. From Mozart’s Classical poise to Brahms’s Romantic intensity, this is chamber music of the highest order in nadsa’s intimate setting.