Music

Olivia Belli

Southbank Centre

Belvedere Road, South Bank, London · and other venues

Thu 10 Sept · 19:30 · £26

About this event

The pianist and composer known for her poetic, often optimistic music, makes her Southbank Centre debut. The contemporary classical pianist and composer Belli is based in Italy’s Marche region and is one of the most streamed Italian women artists of all time. In this concert, Belli plays a mixture of her previous compositions and tracks from her new Sony Classical-released album Daimon. The concert features two world premieres: ‘Terpsichore’, a new work for guitar and string quintet composed specifically for guitarist Rosie Bennet (Sony Classical artist and Classic FM Rising Star), performed alongside the Piatti Quartet; and a new quintet version of Belli’s piano concerto, ‘Daimon’. The evening also includes the first live performance of a track from Belli’s forthcoming Philip Glass 90th birthday tribute album on Sony Classical. Her music, inspired by nature, art and spirituality, has reached audiences worldwide with over a billion streams and regular features on BBC Radio 3 and 6 Music, Classic FM, KEXP, Pitchfork and Radio France. Belli has performed at legendary venues and events including the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Royal Albert Hall’s Elgar Room, BST Hyde Park with Andrea Bocelli, Montréal International Jazz Festival and Schloss Elmau. Belli regularly composes for and collaborates with the likes of Jess Gillam, Anna Lapwood and Mari Samuelsen. Rosie Bennet began her musical journey at the age of 11, when she was awarded a scholarship, funded by The Rolling Stones, to attend the Yehudi Menuhin School. Since then, she has performed around the world, captivating audiences with her distinctive artistry and wide-ranging musical tastes. Bennet’s records with Sony Classical showcase her arrangements of piano works by Debussy and Mel Bonis, reworks of Laura Marling and Laufey songs and her distinctive take on South American classics. Prize winners of the 2015 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition, Piatti Quartet have brought their passionate performances and contemporary commissions to major venues and festivals around the world.