Wednesday 19 November 2003, 8.00 p.m. City Hall Concert Hall

The Winners Series:   ANTII SIIRALA

The Chopin Society of Hong Kong is particularly proud to present Antii Siirala for the second time in Hong Kong, having presented him in December 2000 as the first prize winner of the 2000 London International Piano Competition

Since that engagement, Antii went on to win the first prize of the Dublin International Piano Competition in 2003 and the 2003 Leeds International Pianoforte Competition. Born in 1979 in Helsinki into a musical family, Antii now continuas his studies at the Sibelius Academy having also studied under Murray Perahia and Mitsuko Uchida

His international professional career was truly launched with his winning the first prize at the 1997 Vienna Beethoven International Piano Competition. Since then he has played in Vienna, London, Paris, Berlin, Brussels, and Milan.

In addition to his solo recitals he has appeared with various orchestras such as the English Chamber Orchestra, Wiener Kammerorchester, the Warsaw and Krakow Philharmonic Orchestras and the Finnish Radio Orchestra, among others.

Future engagements include concerts under the baton of distinguished conductors such as Neeme Jarvi and Esa-Pekka Salonen among others.

The Leeds International Pianoforte Competition

One of the leading competitions in the world, was founded in 1963 and since then has attracted some of the best young pianists. Past first prize winners include Murray Perahia and Radu Lupu, while other winners' prizes were awarded to pianists such as Andras Schiffff, Mitsuko Uchida and Peter Donohoe as well as Vladimir Kraniev, a regular participant in The Chopin Society of Hong Kong's Masters Series

The Leeds Competition has agreed to offer as part of its official prizes a recital engagement presented by The Chopin Society on Hong Kong.

Programme

L.V. Beethoven        Fantasy in G minor, Op 77

L.V. Beethoven        Sonata N?15 in D major, Op 28

                                    Allegro

                                    Andante

                                    Scherzo and trio : Allegro vivace

                                    Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo

J. Sibelius                From ten pieces, Op 58

                                    Reverie

                               From ten pieces, Op 24

                                    Romance

Intermission

J. Brahms                Sonata N?3 in F minor,Op 5

                                    Allegro maestroso

                                    Andante

                                    Scherzo

                                    Intermezzo

                                    Finale