The concert gathered together three world-class pianists, an opera tenor, a world-famous perfumer, seven Tibetan Buddhist monks, two award-winning light-installation artists, and a host of other talent.
Matthew Bengtson is a versatile pianist, harpsichordist, and fortepianist who commands a diverse repertoire from numerous contemporary composers. He performed as both soloist and chamber musician across North America and Europe. His discography includes the recording of complete Scriabin Sonatas, which The American Record Guide compared to legendary performances by Horowitz and Richter asking, “Has Scriabin ever been played better?” Fanfare magazine calls him “a Scriabinist for the 21st century... upon whom future generations can rely for definitive interpretations.”
The international career of the Trinidadian opera singer Neil Latchman began in 1997 when he was chosen as the tenor to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the life of Maria Callas in London. In London he has performed as soloist at the Barbican Centre, the Royal Festival Hall, the Wigmore Hall, The London Palladium and St. John’s, Smith Square amongst other venues. In 1998 Neil made his debut with The Orchestral Soloists of The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden performing the songs of Tchaikowsky and Rimsky-Korsakov.
Coady Green has been described as “a virtuoso pianist with sensitivity, intelligence and charm”, and “accurate and exhilarating” (Musical Opinion, London), with “a strong and versatile technique capable of the most delicate colouring and tonal brilliance, rising to the challenges of extreme virtuoso demands with relish” (The Advertiser, South Australia). He gained his Bachelor of Music Performance and Masters of Music Performance, both with first-class honours, on scholarship from the University of Melbourne.
Christopher Wayne Smith is an award- wining solo pianist and chamber artist who studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and graduated with honours at the Conservatoire in 2014. He has performed internationally at notable venues such as Steinway Hall, Purcell Room, Theatre Mwldan, and The Academy of Arts in Bulawayo. Christopher is a board director for the Liszt Society, regularly sets scores for the Annual Journal and is also joint Artistic Director and jury member for the annual Liszt Society, International Liszt Piano Competition.
Cham is a dance unique to Buddhists who live in the Himalaya, from Ladakh to Bhutan and across Tibet. Every sect of Vajrayana Buddhism has its own sacred ritual dance. It is a dance embodying the protective deities, transcending the self. Cham is an act of meditation for the monk who is dancing as well as the person who is watching this dance- mandala unfold in time. It is not so much a meditative dance, as danced meditation. During the concert, Buddhist Cham dance will be performed by Monks of Thikse monastery.
French-born Michel Roudnitska has been immersed in the world of perfumery since his early childhood under the influence of his father, the great scent artist Edmond Roudnitska. Like all original compositions, his fragrances bring to life memories, create dreams and kindle yearnings. From the luminous dryness of Frédéric Malle Noir Epices to the elegant sensuality of Parfums Del Rae Amoureuse, creations of Michel Roudnitska are marked by sensitivity to form and originality of expression. Michel has also been a pioneer of olfactory performances over the last 20 years having collaborated on ballet and opera productions around Europe and Russia.
Dagny Rewera is an award-winning, London-based lighting designer with degrees in Architectural Design from University of the Arts London and Product Design from the Royal College of Art. Her work sits at the cross section of nature and technology, with an appreciation of confronting and revealing the hidden dimensions of our everyday surroundings. Prior to joining Jason Bruges Studio in 2013, Dagny worked on commissions for a wide range of clients and has exhibited her work collectively and independently worldwide.
Vincent Rebers is a London and Berlin based multimedia artist with degrees in Media Design and Art in Context from the University of Arts Berlin. His interest in machines—how computers communicate with each other and how people interact and communicate with them—is a constant in the development of his work. Specialising in laser lights, Vincent has worked on small to large scale performances worldwide, most recently a 5-day show shooting the Genome of Charles Townes—the inventor of the laser—into space at the Burning Man Festival in the US.
The concert gathered together three world-class pianists, an opera tenor, a world-famous perfumer, seven Tibetan Buddhist monks, two award-winning light-installation artists, and a host of other talent.
Matthew Bengtson is a versatile pianist, harpsichordist, and fortepianist who commands a diverse repertoire from numerous contemporary composers. He performed as both soloist and chamber musician across North America and Europe. His discography includes the recording of complete Scriabin Sonatas, which The American Record Guide compared to legendary performances by Horowitz and Richter asking, “Has Scriabin ever been played better?” Fanfare magazine calls him “a Scriabinist for the 21st century... upon whom future generations can rely for definitive interpretations.”
The international career of the Trinidadian opera singer Neil Latchman began in 1997 when he was chosen as the tenor to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the life of Maria Callas in London. In London he has performed as soloist at the Barbican Centre, the Royal Festival Hall, the Wigmore Hall, The London Palladium and St. John’s, Smith Square amongst other venues. In 1998 Neil made his debut with The Orchestral Soloists of The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden performing the songs of Tchaikowsky and Rimsky-Korsakov.
Coady Green has been described as “a virtuoso pianist with sensitivity, intelligence and charm”, and “accurate and exhilarating” (Musical Opinion, London), with “a strong and versatile technique capable of the most delicate colouring and tonal brilliance, rising to the challenges of extreme virtuoso demands with relish” (The Advertiser, South Australia). He gained his Bachelor of Music Performance and Masters of Music Performance, both with first-class honours, on scholarship from the University of Melbourne.
Christopher Wayne Smith is an award- wining solo pianist and chamber artist who studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and graduated with honours at the Conservatoire in 2014. He has performed internationally at notable venues such as Steinway Hall, Purcell Room, Theatre Mwldan, and The Academy of Arts in Bulawayo. Christopher is a board director for the Liszt Society, regularly sets scores for the Annual Journal and is also joint Artistic Director and jury member for the annual Liszt Society, International Liszt Piano Competition.
Cham is a dance unique to Buddhists who live in the Himalaya, from Ladakh to Bhutan and across Tibet. Every sect of Vajrayana Buddhism has its own sacred ritual dance. It is a dance embodying the protective deities, transcending the self. Cham is an act of meditation for the monk who is dancing as well as the person who is watching this dance- mandala unfold in time. It is not so much a meditative dance, as danced meditation. During the concert, Buddhist Cham dance will be performed by Monks of Thikse monastery.
French-born Michel Roudnitska has been immersed in the world of perfumery since his early childhood under the influence of his father, the great scent artist Edmond Roudnitska. Like all original compositions, his fragrances bring to life memories, create dreams and kindle yearnings. From the luminous dryness of Frédéric Malle Noir Epices to the elegant sensuality of Parfums Del Rae Amoureuse, creations of Michel Roudnitska are marked by sensitivity to form and originality of expression. Michel has also been a pioneer of olfactory performances over the last 20 years having collaborated on ballet and opera productions around Europe and Russia.
Dagny Rewera is an award-winning, London-based lighting designer with degrees in Architectural Design from University of the Arts London and Product Design from the Royal College of Art. Her work sits at the cross section of nature and technology, with an appreciation of confronting and revealing the hidden dimensions of our everyday surroundings. Prior to joining Jason Bruges Studio in 2013, Dagny worked on commissions for a wide range of clients and has exhibited her work collectively and independently worldwide.
Vincent Rebers is a London and Berlin based multimedia artist with degrees in Media Design and Art in Context from the University of Arts Berlin. His interest in machines—how computers communicate with each other and how people interact and communicate with them—is a constant in the development of his work. Specialising in laser lights, Vincent has worked on small to large scale performances worldwide, most recently a 5-day show shooting the Genome of Charles Townes—the inventor of the laser—into space at the Burning Man Festival in the US.