Music by Chaminade, Debussy, Boulanger, Lewis and Porter
Anna Xaubet Piferrer, Laura McLaughlin, Maryia Vasiljeva and Aaron Russ

This programme takes us on a voyage through the City of Light, beginning with beautiful character pieces for piano duet by Cécile Chaminade and two movements from Claude Debussy’s Suite Bergamasque including one of his most popular and enduring works, ‘Clair de lune’. Lili Boulanger was only twenty when she wrote this set of variations on an original theme, though tragically she died only four years later from tuberculosis having suffered from ill health throughout her life. She was the first female composer to win the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1913, coincidentally the same year that Chaminade became the first female composer to be awarded the Légion d’Honneur. The programme concludes with two American impressions of Paris, by the jazz pianist John Lewis and the celebrated songwriter Cole Porter, who spent several years living in the French capital and whose first hit Broadway show was entitled ‘Paris’.

Cécile Chaminade:

• Six Pièces Romantiques op.55 for piano duet (1890)
• Primavera ii. La chaise à porteurs iii. Idylle arabe
• Sérénade d’automne v. Danse hindoue vi. Rigaudon

Anna Xaubet Piferrer and Laura McLaughlin

Claude Debussy:

• Suite Bergamasque (1890-1905)
• Prelude iii. Clair de lune

Maryia Vasiljeva

Lili Boulanger:

• Thème et Variations (1914)

Anna Xaubet Piferrer

John Lewis (arr. Aaron Russ):

• Afternoon in Paris (1949)

Cole Porter (arr. Aaron Russ):

• I Love Paris (1953)

Aaron Russ

Anna Xaubet Piferrer was born in Barcelona and graduated in music education specialising in performance at Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC) with Jean-François Dichamp. Currently she is doing her second year of the Master’s degree in classical piano performance at MTU Cork School of Music with Dr. Gabriela Mayer. She has taken masterclasses with Edith Fischer and Barry Douglas.

Laura McLaughlin, originally from Tipperary, has played piano since she was eight years old. She graduated with First Class Honours Bachelor of Music degree from MTU Cork School of Music in 2022. Laura is currently in her first year of the Performance Masters in MTU Cork School of Music with Michael Joyce and Michael McHale as her teachers. Her degree is specialising in piano accompaniment and has accompanied many groups and students. She plays the violin and recently performed in the IAYO Festival Orchestra and the Esker Festival Orchestra. Laura has received a masterclass from Barry Douglas and accompanied a masterclass with Brendan Collins. She also teaches and is interested in music pedagogies. Laura won ‘Best Dissertation 2022’ for researching into music aptitude in childhood. This year Laura studied four hand piano works and she had the opportunity to perform Declan Townshend’s four hand piece ‘Etretat’ for an awards ceremony held in 2023.

Maryia Vasiljeva, born into a musical family, follows in her mother’s footsteps, a respected piano teacher. She is from Belarus and began her musical journey at the age of seven at the School of Arts affiliated with the College of Arts in Gomel. Under the guidance of her mentor, Tatiana Stanpakova, she honed her musical skills during her school years. Maryia’s dedication led her to enrol in the college in 2007, where she continued to flourish under the mentorship of Tatiana Stanpakova. In 2011, she graduated with a degree in piano performance and teaching. Since then, Maryia has been imparting her musical knowledge as a piano teacher, showcasing a passion for both music and education. Her journey took a new turn in 2020 when she became a resident of Ireland. In 2023, Maria pursued higher education by entering the MTU Cork School of Music, where she is currently studying under the tutelage of Nicholas O’Halloran. She had the opportunity to participate in a masterclass conducted by Barry Douglas.

Aaron Russ began my studies in Piano with his mother Sinead (Condon) Russ when he was nine years old, until the age of fourteen when he desired to teach himself independently as he became more interested in popular music and developing his ear throughout his teenage years. Throughout this time, for a number of years he studied saxophone under the guidance of Ken Marshall and guitar under the guidance of Dan Buckley. Aaron enrolled in the Academy of Popular Music from the age of fifteen to seventeen and afterwards continued to develop his ability to improvise, understand harmony and to develop his ear and musicianship further. It was also at this time that he studied with the Irish Youth Training Choir in the University of Limerick. However, my interest in classical music was rekindled at the age of seventeen where he began to study and develop his ability in this area. After finishing school, Aaron went to study the BAPM in the Cork School of Music and took classical piano lessons with Michael Joyce. He developed his ability further in the field, participated in a masterclass with Barry Douglas and was placed third in the Advanced Recital Competition in the MTU Cork School of Music, his first competition in classical piano. He also performed a range of French repertoire for the visit of the French Ambassador to Ireland, Vincent Guerend, in the MTU Tourism and Hospitality building. Aaron is currently studying the Master’s in Performance under the guidance of Michael Joyce in the MTU Cork School of Music, while also studying jazz piano with Scott Flanigan. In conjunction with this, he performs regularly at the Metropole Hotel in a variety of different musical styles.