Louis and Fruzsina on a melodic excursion tonight
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Louis and Fruzsina: Taking a bow after a performance at the RNCM Concert Hall
Louis Perera remembers being given a shiny keyboard by Santa Claus when aged three. Its christmassy red glow, impressed onto his young mind, was an early catalyst triggering his vivid passion for music. His first day at school, he fell in love with the strange ‘big box’ in the assembly hall, the school piano, and from then on there was to be no turning back.
Having completed his schooling at St. Nicholas’s International College, in 2014 Louis was offered a Royal Northern College of Music entrance scholarship, imediately after his audition; quite a feat considering the limited number of places- and given the fact that those chosen are normally informed only about a month following auditions.
Being accepted into one of the world’s best conservatoires also gave the young pianist the opportunity to perform in the UK, including playing Mozart’s C minor Piano Concerto and Franck’s Variations Symphoniques with the Burnley Orchestra. In 2016 Louis launched his first Musical Excursions concert in Sri Lanka. With an orchestra of 34 musicians hand-picked by him for the occasion, he presented classical music from the 20th Century very rarely explored in Sri Lanka; Ravel, Prokofiev, Bartok, Beethoven and Mozart.
Following this concert, Louis entered into a professional piano partnership with a fellow student at RNCM Fruzsina Szucs. This year, they won the RNCM’s piano duo prize. Having performed together in the UK, the pair is now back for the second Musical Excursions.
Tonight’s concert is performed on two pianos, and focuses on the French connections in classical music of the 20th century. The centre of attention would be the French composer Claude Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune or the Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. Alongside this magical piece they will play compositions connected to the theme by Schubert, Brahms, Poulenc, Chabrier and Piazzolla.
The concert is dedicated to the memory of Louis’father Austin Perera, who passed away 10 years ago due to cancer. All proceeds from the sale of tickets will be donated to the National Cancer Institute of Sri Lanka.
Fruzsina Szucs who will be performing with Louis is a 19-year old Hungarian pianist. The French pieces they will be performing are some of her favourites, and she feels that as a performer she is most at home with Debussy. She and Louis are both students of Paul Janes at RNCM.
Musical Excursions is on at the Lionel Wendt tonight. The concert starts at 7p.m., and tickets are priced at Rs 2,000 and Rs. 750 (balcony).
-YSY