Toad Lane Concerts: Maria King piano

Maria King

Concert pianist extraordinaire Maria King graduated from the RNCM, where her post graduate year included studying contemporary music in Paris. Added to her concert schedule as soloist and duo partner, Maria worked extensively as an accompanist at the RNCM for eight years.

She has also wide experience of working with Lord Yehudi Menuhin's Live Music Now, Music in Hospitals & Care, and The Lost Chord Trust.

Maria has a gift for presenting and comedy - she has performed on first class cruise liners all over the world with her own show for several years.

Her programme at St Mary's on 28 September reflected all of this. Her memory skills alone were enough to put her in the front rank of players. C# minor and Bb major preludes by Rachmaninov showed her power and phenomenal technique before settling into the charming simplicity of Prelude E in minor by Chopin. This launched her into two of his more substantial etudes.

The audience were completely on her side by now after a few amusing anecdotes and a dazzling jazzy performance of ‘Kitten on the Keys’ by Zez Confrey. The impressionistic Pagodes from ‘Estampes’ by Debussy was evocative and colourful and then came another jazzy arrangement of My Favourite Things by Jacob Koller and Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag.

The seminal work was "La Semaine Grasse" from ‘Petrouchka,’ Stravinsky’s own fantastic reduction for solo piano of the orchestral score of his ballet.

Maria’s spontaneous encore with Smile by Chaplin proved highly appropriate because everyone left beaming - at the brilliance and beauty of her playing and the charm and fun of her engagement with the audience.

The Queen’s Award-winning Toad Lane Concerts are every Wednesday at 12.30pm at the Grade 1 listed church of St Mary in the Baum, Toad Lane, Rochdale, OL16 1DZ. Entrance fee is £6. No refreshments available now, but the venue is Covid-19 compliant. Contact 01706 648872 for further information.

To see details of forthcoming Toad Lane Concerts, click here.

Dr Joe Dawson