Step into the stunning candlelit setting of St Mary le Strand — “the Jewel of the Strand” — for the return of The Strand International Piano Series, now it's in fourth year after a critically acclaimed launch season in 2022–23. This intimate and architecturally impressive Baroque church has quickly become one of London’s most captivating concert venues, offering sublime acoustics along with the power and clarity of a brand-new Steinway concert grand piano.
This year’s series celebrates one of the most evocative and emotionally charged achievements in the piano repertoire: Sergei Rachmaninoff’s 24 Preludes. Spanning every major and minor key, these works offer a sweeping portrait of the composer’s inner world—from thunderous drama and virtuosic brilliance to haunting lyricism and introspective beauty. Written across different periods of his life, the preludes reflect the full range of Rachmaninoff’s genius, and each concert in the series reveals a new facet of his profound musical voice.
Whether you’re a seasoned concert-goer or discovering classical piano music for the first time, this is an evening not to be missed—set in one of London’s most atmospheric musical spaces, just steps away from some of the city’s finest restaurants and bars.
Featuring
Madalina Rusu (piano)
Programme
Beethoven Sonata op. 90 on E minor
Liszt - Petrarca Sonet 104
Schumann - 2 Fantasy pieces from Fantasiestucke op. 12 (Des Abends/At Evening & Aufschwung/Soaring)
Schumann/Liszt - Widmung
Brahms Intermezzo op. 118 no. 2 in A major
Rachmaninoff - Preludes (Op. 23 no. 4 in D & 5 in G min)
Rachmaninoff - 2 Musical moments op. 16 (no. 1 in B flat minor and no. 4 in E minor)