Lecture-Recital: Duncan Honeybourne on Virginal and Clavichord

PROGRAMME to include works by

Bach, Byrd, Tallis, Gordon Jacob (Suite for the Virginal, composed for Margaret Hodsdon whose husband made the instrument, she premiered the work on), Percy Whitlock (also written for Hodsdon), Howells and music from the Dublin virginal book.

More detailed programme to be released closer to the date.

BIO

Duncan Honeybourne enjoys a diverse profile as a pianist and in music education. Following his concerto debuts at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall and Town Hall, and at the National Concert Hall, Dublin, he made recital debuts in London, Paris, and at international festivals in Belgium and Switzerland. His 2012 debut recital disc was described by Gramophone magazine as “not to be missed by all lovers of English music”, whilst BBC Music Magazine reported: “There are gorgeous things here. Hard to imagine better performances.”

Commended for his "gripping performances" (The Times), "glittering performances" (International Piano) and "great technical facility and unfailing imagination" (Musical Opinion), Duncan has toured extensively in the UK, Ireland and Europe as soloist and chamber musician, appearing at major venues and leading festivals and broadcasting frequently on BBC Radio 3 and radio networks worldwide. His many recordings reflect his long association with 20th and 21st century British piano music and he has premiered more than 70 new piano works written for him by composers including John Joubert, John Casken, Sadie Harrison and Cecilia McDowall. He has also revived many forgotten scores by composers of earlier generations and has made premiere recordings of piano music by Baines, Bainton, Gurney, Armstrong Gibbs and Walford Davies, as well as numerous first broadcasts of contemporary and forgotten works. He was invited by the BBC to give the world premiere of two rediscovered piano preludes by English romantic composer Susan Spain-Dunk in a recital broadcast live on Radio 3 from St. David's Hall, Cardiff. Duncan's recordings have been awarded 5 stars in Musical Opinion and International Piano and featured as MusicWeb International Recordings of the Year, CDs of the Week on FMR Radio in South Africa and Recommended CDs on Austrian Radio.

Duncan has written widely on musical topics for journals ranging from Classical Music magazine to The Times. His latest recording, the solo piano music of Austrian composer/pianist Otto Zykan, is released this autumn by Prima Facie Records in association with Austrian Radio. In recent years Duncan has also become active as a harpsichord, virginals and clavichord recitalist, and his debut harpsichord CD was released in 2023. Duncan Honeybourne teaches at the Royal Academy of Music Junior Academy, the University of Southampton and Sherborne School, and is Founder/Artistic Director of the Weymouth Lunchtime Chamber Concerts near his home in Dorset.

For more information see: www.duncanhoneybourne.com.