Programme:

Camille Saint-Saens - Clarinet Sonata in Eb major Op. 167
August Winding - Fantasiestucke Op. 19
Sir Arthur Bliss - Pastoral
Malcolm Arnold - Sonatina Op. 29
Leonard Bernstein - Clarinet Sonata
Carlo Della Giacoma - Tosca Fantasia Op. 171

Peter Cigleris, clarinet
Martin Cousin, piano

Peter Cigleris studied at the Birmingham Conservatoire from 1997 where his professors were Michael Harris and Colin Parr.

The Clarinet Concertino ... was delightfully done by Peter Cigleris, a rising name in the clarinet world. Flighty insouciance makes way for a sunset glow after which there’s a Furioso in which soloist and orchestra were in noticeably synchronous orbit.
Rob Barnett
Seen and Heard International

Whilst at the Conservatoire, Peter won the prestigious John Ireland Chamber music award with a performance of that composer’s Fantasy Sonata. He was also awarded a place on the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Training Scheme. At the Conservatoire Peter performed numerous concertos with the college’s ensembles, he also developed an interest in early clarinets, which led to a performance with the Conservatoire’s Baroque Capelle Orchestra with the Chalumeau Concerto by Fasch. Peter also premiered Guy Woolfenden’s arrangement of Malcolm Arnold’s Pre-Goodman Rag for wind ensemble; he later performed the complete Arnold Concerto with the Warwickshire Symphony under Guy Woolfenden as part of the composer’s eightieth birthday celebrations.

Peter went on to graduate from the Royal College of Music in 2002 where his professors were Janet Hilton, Richard Hosford, Robert Hill and Tim Lines. During the summer of that year, Peter was awarded the Prix de Fossat and was invited to France to perform for Her Majesty the Queen of Denmark at a private reception.

As soloist he has performed in many venues across the UK and Europe and premiered several new works for the instrument as well as giving performances of concertos by Mozart, Weber, Finzi and Arnold to name a few.

Peter has been involved with several major projects, most notably with the BBC as a member of the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique in the BBC docu-drama 'Eroica’. Peter was also awarded a place on the prestigious Jerwood Foundation Scholarship for Young Players in association with the Orchestra in the Age of Enlightenment. As an orchestral player he has worked with several well-known English orchestras as a session player. Peter has also held the principal clarinet seat with the Symphony Orchestra of India and while principal worked with conductors Charles Dutoit and Rafael Payare amongst others.

As a chamber musician Peter works with numerous pianists and musicians including Martin Cousins, John Lenehan and Julian Lloyd Weber. This has led Peter to perform in the Windsor and Wooburn Festivals and also various music clubs from Scotland to the South of England. Peter has also performed for the Concert Promoters Network for their 2009/10 season. Solo projects include his debut CD "English Fantasy" released on Cala Records, music of David Braid for Toccata Classics and British Serenade for Heritage Records.

Engagements further afield have included giving a recital and master class at the University of New Hampshire USA as well as working with local high school clarinetists and the Seacoast Wind Ensemble, performances in Russia and Spain for the inaugural Groba Festival and Mexico where Peter performed Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto and gave the Mexican premiere of Malcolm Arnold’s 2nd Clarinet Concerto. Peter has also coached chamber music for the Music for You Summer School.

Peter is a Backun Musical artist and a Silverstein Works Artist.

Website: petercigleris.com

Martin Cousin is now regarded as one of the most exceptional pianists of his generation, having been awarded 1st prize at the 2005 Ettore Pozzoli International Piano Competition (Seregno, Italy) and Gold Medal at the 2003 Royal Over-Seas League Music Competition (London). Martin has appeared regularly in the major British musical venues since graduating from the Royal College of Music, making his London solo debut at the Purcell Room in 1998. Numerous solo recitals followed, most notably at the Wigmore Hall in 2001, 2005, and 2011 and he has appeared as concerto soloist with the London Philharmonic, Halle, Royal Philharmonic, Philharmonia and BBC Concert Orchestras. Performances further afield have included tours of New Zealand, Italy, the US and concerts in Stockholm, Brussels, Toronto, Berne and The Hague.

2006 saw the release of his debut CD, Rachmaninov's Sonata No.1 and Morceaux de Salon with SOMM Recordings, which was selected as Classical CD of the week by the Daily Telegraph.

The US magazine Fanfare added, "This is the performance of the 1st Sonata that I have always heard in my head but never thought I'd actually get to hear with my ears. This guy's the Real Deal!" His second CD for SOMM, featuring Glazunov’s piano sonatas, was released in 2010 to great acclaim, with Gramophone stating that the new release is ‘in every way, an impressive disc.’

His latest disc of Rachmaninov’s Etudes-Tableaux was released in 2014 and was proclaimed ‘a landmark recording’ by the Observer with a 5-star review. Classical Source added, ‘This is one of the best solo piano records I have heard for a very long time – the more so considering it faces some pretty severe competition in the catalogues. Those who do not know these extraordinarily original masterpieces are strongly advised to acquire this disc. There is none better’.

Fanfare Magazine proclaimed, ‘Based on the present disc and on the towering performance of the First Sonata on his debut CD, I am prepared to state that Cousin is among the most distinguished Rachmaninov pianists of our generation.’

Martin is also a member of the Aquinas Piano Trio and chamber music has taken him to places such as Prague, Tokyo, Indonesia, Thailand, Zimbabwe and Barbados.

Martin's hands were featured on the big screen in the Oscar-winning film "Shine", for the scenes involving Rachmaninov's 3rd Concerto.

Website: www.martincousin.com