A renowned concert pianist has hailed the acoustics of St Asaph Cathedral as among the best in the world.
Peter Donohoe has played the best concert venues on the planet and believes the home of the North Wales International Music Festival is a special place to perform.
The Manchester born virtuoso will be one of the star attractions at this year’s event from September 20-28.
Peter will be performing at the fesitval – which is supported by the Welsh Arts Council – on Tuesday, September 24, and will be conducting a master class the following day.
The view about the excellence of the acoustics at the Cathedral is supported by the festival’s Artistic Director, Ann Atkinson, who says they’re better than the iconic Sydney Opera House.
Ann, a renowned mezzo soprano, who has performed at both venues, said: “The cathedral has a very special acoustic – the combination of the stone and the wood creates something really magical somehow.
“I have also performed in the concert hall at Sydney Opera House and, while it has a brilliant acoustic, I must say that St Asaph Cathedral is actually a much better venue acoustically.”
Among the other big draws this year will be a special choral work to celebrate the Prince of Wales’s 65th birthday that’s being written by royal composer Paul Mealor.
It has been commissioned jointly by the festival – which is supported by the Welsh Arts Council – and London-based Holywell Music, one of Europe’s leading harp suppliers.
The Prince’s first official harpist, international star Catrin Finch, and the current royal harpist, Hannah Stone, will both accompany the performance.
The premiere will be one of many highlights to be provided by a stellar line-up that also includes virtuoso pianist Peter Donohoe, historical performance ensemble, La Serenissima and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
Whether he’s performing in front of an audience of thousands at the Hollywood Bowl or just a handful of invited guests at a charity concert, it’s the music that matters most to Peter.
Having performed at the highest level for more than 40 years since graduating from Chetham’s School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music, Donohue, is in great demand playing concerts right around the globe.
Peter said: “I was attracted to the piano from a very early age as my mother played at home and I was then blessed with a good teacher, right from nursery school age.
“I was obsessed with the piano and had a compulsion for practice, morning, noon and night. But that alone isn’t sufficient to become a concert pianist.
“Fortunately, I have been blessed with the personality which enables me to perform. There are some wonderful pianists out there who can play beautifully when alone but who simply can’t perform in front of an audience. It’s just something some can do while some cannot.”
He added: “I do get nervous before every concert but that’s a good thing otherwise concerts would become routine which means they would lose the emotional content that is so vital.
“And of course there are different levels of nervousness, I don’t get so nervous I forget the music or my hands shake, that would be disastrous for obvious reasons.”
Peter, who almost severed a finger after a Cincinnati hotel window fell onto his hand in 1992, something he says he is fully recovered from and that he refuses to dwell on, says he always plays from memory.
He said: “I play music I have played since I was a child, it’s music I know intimately and having sheet music in front of me would actually, be a hindrance.
“Of course, as a pianist, you have to have someone there to turn the page and that would always create a problem. And, if you know the music intimately, why should you need sheet music anyway?
“Actors performing Shakespeare don’t walk around the stage with a script in their hands do they? It would look odd if they did.”
In demand, Donohue has performed at most of the world’s major music venues from the Hollywood Bowl to the Royal Albert Hall but says he always looks forward to the North Wales International Music Festival.
He said: “The acoustics at St Asaph are excellent and the audience very knowledgeable.
“It’s an exciting programme too. In the first half I’ll be playing the Opus 1 music of Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and Bartók, three Russian composers and the second half will be the music of Schumann, Berg and Brahms, three German composers.
“It’s a concert I really enjoy performing as the Slavic composers are more emotional, more romantic if you like, while the German composers are more architectural aware of the building blocks of the music. It makes for a wonderful concert.
“I have to say the work and music of each composer deserves to be heard. It’s relevant and thought-provoking and just a joy to play.”
And Donohue continues to perform right around the world showing no signs of slowing up.
He said: “Travel is part of the job I am afraid, this year I have concerts in Russia, Australia, America and South America as well as back here in the UK.
“I always like to be home and love playing to UK audiences but I also have an affinity and something of a cherished special relationship with both Russian orchestras and audiences.
“And strangely Hong Kong. I think people believe Hong Kong is just a centre for commerce and business. In fact audiences there are wonderful and very supportive of the arts.
Fortunately for fans of classical music Peter has once again managed to include the North Wales International Music Festival in his concert diary this year.
And he will once again thrill and delight his audience playing just a small part of his extraordinary broad repertoire, albeit with just a hint of nervous energy.
Peter Donohue CBE appears at the North Wales International Music Festival on Tuesday, September 24. For more information about this year’s festival and how to buy tickets go to: www.nwimf.com
