Music on Thursdays
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Thursday 9 April 2026
12.30 lunchtime
Venue: Leatherhead Methodist Church KT22 8AY
Parking: Swan Centre multi storey KT22 7RH
Diana Brekalo
piano
Rebellious Female Composers
Programme
Fanny Cäcilie Hensel (born Mendelssohn, aka Fanny Mendelssohn Bartholdy, 1805-1847)
from Das Jahr The Year HU 385 (1841)
1 Januar
2 Februar
Clara Josephine Schumann (born Wieck, 1819-1896)
from 3 Romanzen Op 21 (1853)
No 1 Romance in A minor
Anna Caroline Oury (née de Belleville, 1806-1880)
Rigoletto Fantasy, published as
Grande Fantaisie sur les motifs de Rigoletto de Verdi pour le Piano par Madame Oury (1854)
Allegro - Allegro moderato
Andante - Allegretto
Grand Galop - Allegro con brio
Mélanie Hélène "Mel" Bonis (1858-1937)
Barcarolle Op 71 (1905)
Marie Juliette "Lili" Boulanger (1893-1918, sister of Nadia)
Trois Morceaux pour Piano (Rome, 1914)
1 D'un vieux jardin - Pas vite - expressif From an old garden
2 D'un jardin clair - Assez vite - léger From a bright garden
3 Cortège - Pas vite - léger Funeral Procession
Countess Maria Theodora Paulina "Dora" Pejačević (1885-1923)
Piano Sonata (in one movement) in Ab major Op 57 (1921)
Concert duration approx: 45+ minutes
Please donate to help fund these concerts at: cafdonate.cafonline.org/14455
Programme
Fanny Cäcilie Hensel (born Mendelssohn, aka Fanny Mendelssohn Bartholdy, 1805-1847)
from Das Jahr The Year HU 385 (1841)
1 Januar
2 Februar
Clara Josephine Schumann (born Wieck, 1819-1896)
from 3 Romanzen Op 21 (1853)
No 1 Romance in A minor
Anna Caroline Oury (née de Belleville, 1806-1880)
Rigoletto Fantasy, published as
Grande Fantaisie sur les motifs de Rigoletto de Verdi pour le Piano par Madame Oury (1854)
Allegro - Allegro moderato
Andante - Allegretto
Grand Galop - Allegro con brio
Mélanie Hélène "Mel" Bonis (1858-1937)
Barcarolle Op 71 (1905)
Marie Juliette "Lili" Boulanger (1893-1918, sister of Nadia)
Trois Morceaux pour Piano (Rome, 1914)
1 D'un vieux jardin - Pas vite - expressif From an old garden
2 D'un jardin clair - Assez vite - léger From a bright garden
3 Cortège - Pas vite - léger Funeral Procession
Countess Maria Theodora Paulina "Dora" Pejačević (1885-1923)
Piano Sonata (in one movement) in Ab major Op 57 (1921)
Concert duration approx: 45+ minutes
Please donate to help fund these concerts at: cafdonate.cafonline.org/14455
Diana Brekalo
piano
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Croatian pianist Diana Brekalo was born and brought up in Stuttgart, Germany, and is of Croatian descent. Formative studies in Germany with Ana Hartauer, Monika Giurgiuman and Prof S Rudiakov revealed her talents not only as in imaginative and thoughtful solo pianist, but also as notable accompanist and fine chamber musician. By the age of twelve, Brekalo had already won four first prizes as soloist and two first prizes as a chamber musician in the German "Jugend musiziert" , and her precocious musical development was continued through generous grants from the "Oskar und Vera Ritter" foundation, the Baden-Württemberg Associations Patronage Prize, and the ZEIT grant in the "Deutsche Sitftung Musikleben". |
From 2001-2004 she was a Junior Student at the Musikhochschule Stuttgart, where, in 2004 she began studies in the class of Prof S Rudiakov. In 2006 she came to London to undertake further studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama under the guidance of Joan Havill, having gained a distinction in the Bachelor of Music (Hons) as well as in her Master of Music (performance). She was grateful for the financial support of the Leverhulme Trust and the Worshipful Companies of Innholders and Insurers as well as the Simon Phillis Award and the Sergei Rachmaninoff award.
Diana Brekalo has performed in cities and major concert halls throughout Europe, USA, Japan, China (Oriental Arts Centre Concert Hall, Shanghai, Forbidden City Concert Hall, Beijing), and Croatia - including live broadcasts on TV and radio.
She has performed in many UK cities including the Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, St James Piccadilly, St John´s Smith Square, St Martin-in the-Fields, Bridgewater Hall, Fairfield Halls, and with numerous professional orchestras including the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, Dubrovnik Symphonie Orchestra and others.
Diana had her début with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Cadogan Hall in April 2011. She performed two piano cocertos in one concert: A world premiere of English composer Peter Fribbins and Shostakovich Piano Concerto No 1 to great acclaim.
Prizes and awards include:
1997: 2nd prize at the Matthaes Piano competition
1998: National first prize winner in the German "Jugend musiziert"
1999: First Prize in the international Pinerolo Piano competition
2000: First Prize in the XIV International Piano Competition in Ibiza, and Second prize in the German-French Lions Club International Piano Competition
2007: Managing Director´s prize at Jaques Samuel Piano Competition
2007: Second prize at the International Hastings Concerto Competition
2008: Third Prize at the Oxford Music Festival Competition
2009: First Prize at the International Croydon Concerto Competition
2010: Winner of the Croatian Oscar media award with the title "most succesful female Croatian artist" by the main Croatian newspaper "Vecernji list"
2012: Winner of the Cambridge Soloist competition
Winner of the Manchester Midday Concerts Society competition
Diana is a member of "Live music now" in London and Stuttgart.
Further studies included master classes with Prof M Uhde, R Gleissner, R Piernay, R Bowman, C Prégardien, J Rink, G Lohmeyer, D Borsan, G.Amiras, R O'Hora, M Roscoe, B Morrison, F Gamba, O Gardon and K Hellwig.
She was Artist in residence at Middlesex University in London 2010/2011. Since 2011 she has been working at the Musikhochschule in Würzburg. In May 2012 her live CD from the début with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Cadogan Hall (April 2011) was released.
Since 2014 she has been giving international master classes in China, England and Germany as well as adjudicating in piano competitions in England and Germany.
In 2025 she received a grant for her research about women composers which enabled her to record it at Fazioli Hall in Italy 2025. The CD will be released in 2026.
Diana Brekalo has performed in cities and major concert halls throughout Europe, USA, Japan, China (Oriental Arts Centre Concert Hall, Shanghai, Forbidden City Concert Hall, Beijing), and Croatia - including live broadcasts on TV and radio.
She has performed in many UK cities including the Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, St James Piccadilly, St John´s Smith Square, St Martin-in the-Fields, Bridgewater Hall, Fairfield Halls, and with numerous professional orchestras including the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, Dubrovnik Symphonie Orchestra and others.
Diana had her début with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Cadogan Hall in April 2011. She performed two piano cocertos in one concert: A world premiere of English composer Peter Fribbins and Shostakovich Piano Concerto No 1 to great acclaim.
Prizes and awards include:
1997: 2nd prize at the Matthaes Piano competition
1998: National first prize winner in the German "Jugend musiziert"
1999: First Prize in the international Pinerolo Piano competition
2000: First Prize in the XIV International Piano Competition in Ibiza, and Second prize in the German-French Lions Club International Piano Competition
2007: Managing Director´s prize at Jaques Samuel Piano Competition
2007: Second prize at the International Hastings Concerto Competition
2008: Third Prize at the Oxford Music Festival Competition
2009: First Prize at the International Croydon Concerto Competition
2010: Winner of the Croatian Oscar media award with the title "most succesful female Croatian artist" by the main Croatian newspaper "Vecernji list"
2012: Winner of the Cambridge Soloist competition
Winner of the Manchester Midday Concerts Society competition
Diana is a member of "Live music now" in London and Stuttgart.
Further studies included master classes with Prof M Uhde, R Gleissner, R Piernay, R Bowman, C Prégardien, J Rink, G Lohmeyer, D Borsan, G.Amiras, R O'Hora, M Roscoe, B Morrison, F Gamba, O Gardon and K Hellwig.
She was Artist in residence at Middlesex University in London 2010/2011. Since 2011 she has been working at the Musikhochschule in Würzburg. In May 2012 her live CD from the début with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Cadogan Hall (April 2011) was released.
Since 2014 she has been giving international master classes in China, England and Germany as well as adjudicating in piano competitions in England and Germany.
In 2025 she received a grant for her research about women composers which enabled her to record it at Fazioli Hall in Italy 2025. The CD will be released in 2026.
Recordings of the works in today's concert
Fanny Cäcilie Hensel (born Mendelssohn, aka Fanny Mendelssohn Bartholdy, 1805-1847)
from Das Jahr The Year HU 385 (1841) [6:10]
1 Januar
2 Februar
This 2019 recording is by Katie Gu and, sadly, it gives no other information. A little research shows her picking up prizes and in 2024 getting the chance to play with Lang Lang.
from Das Jahr The Year HU 385 (1841) [6:10]
1 Januar
2 Februar
This 2019 recording is by Katie Gu and, sadly, it gives no other information. A little research shows her picking up prizes and in 2024 getting the chance to play with Lang Lang.
Clara Josephine Schumann (born Wieck, 1819-1896)
from 3 Romanzen Op 21 (1853)
No 1 Romance in A minor [5:10]
We don't often see a Bösendorfer piano in these recordings. But that is the instrument Simon Calllaghan plays for this performance in the Conway Hall, Red Lion Square WC2:
Anna Caroline Oury (née de Belleville, 1806-1880)
Rigoletto Fantasy, published as
Grande Fantaisie sur les motifs de Rigoletto de Verdi pour le Piano par Madame Oury (1854)
Allegro - Allegro moderato
Andante - Allegretto
Grand Galop - Allegro con brio
Unfortunately, we were unable to find a recording of this work. However, when this happens we look instead for a piece of music typical of the composer. This Devonshire Polka certainly has a familiar ring to it. The pianist is Dmitry Marborda:
Mélanie Hélène "Mel" Bonis (1858-1937)
Barcarolle Op 71 (1905) [4:40]
There are several Barcarolles by Mel Bonis, and as we are not sure which one we shall be hearing at the concert, we have a good excuse to put The first is a Barcarolle in Eb major Opus 71. This seems to be the most popular of the barcarolle's on YouTube, and there is even a recording with Diana Brekalo, but ours is with the pianist Diana Sahakyan:
This work is actually titled Barcarolle-Étude, but as it is rather lovely let's include it as a possible candidate for our concert! The pianist is Cansu Sanlidag:
And this is the barcarolle Opus 41. Another delightful piece, played here by Rok Palčič
Marie Juliette "Lili" Boulanger (1893-1918, sister of Nadia)
Trois Morceaux pour Piano (Rome, 1914) [5:50]
1 D'un vieux jardin - Pas vite - expressif From an old garden
2 D'un jardin clair - Assez vite - léger From a bright garden
3 Cortège - Pas vite - léger Funeral Procession
Our recording is of the composer and pianist Christophe Sirodeau who is playing a Bechstein piano.
Countess Maria Theodora Paulina "Dora" Pejačević (1885-1923)
Piano Sonata (in one movement) in Ab major Op 57 (1921) [10:30]
What will you think of this rather lovely, almost experimental work - for its time? Some say the style reminds them of Fauré. The pianist is Yoko Nishii:
Next concert
16 April 2026 - Angeliki Giannopoulou, piano (from RAM) - click here
Previous concert
2 April 2026 - Tier 3 Trio violin • cello • piano play the Archduke Trio - click here
