Clare Hammond

Clare Hammond plays the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall at Campus West, University of York, on Wednesday 10 March 2027. It's a solo piano recital, and the programme is a long one, pairing the big names you'll recognise with a few you might not.

On the familiar side, there's Chopin's Barcarolle in F-sharp, op. 60 and three Études from op. 25 (nos. 5, 7 and 6). Ravel's Sonatine, M. 40 is in there too, alongside Shostakovich's Prelude and Fugue in F minor and D-flat, op. 87, nos. 18 and 15. The evening closes with Rachmaninov's Sonata no. 2 in B-flat minor, op. 36, in the 1931 version.

Between those, Hammond brings in two female composers who don't get nearly as much airtime. Mel Bonis provides Desdémona, Phoebé and Mélisande from Femmes de légende, a set that pays homage to female heroines. Then there's Germaine Tailleferre, the only woman among the French group Les Six, whose Partita is known for its clarity and precision. Putting them alongside Chopin and Rachmaninov gives the whole thing a bit more to chew on than a standard classics recital.

As for Hammond herself, she's an internationally acclaimed pianist. Gramophone called her a 'pianist of extraordinary gifts', The Times described her as one of 'immense power', and The Telegraph said she's 'enthralled to the last bar'. She picked up the Royal Philharmonic Society's Young Artist Award in 2016 and the Edison Klassiek Award in 2024. The concert starts at 7.30pm, with tickets from £7 to £20 and booking required.