Join us for the opening concert of the 2024 Recital Spotlight Series, featuring performances by trumpeter Aaron Azunda Akugbo and pianist Zeynep Özsuca.
  • Date 10 November 2024 - 7.30 p.m. - 10 November 2024 - 8.30 p.m.
  • Location St John's College Auditorium

St John's welcomes trumpeter Aaron Azunda Akugbo and pianist Zeynep Özsuca for the first performance of the 2024 Recital Spotlight Series. They will perform pieces by Vivaldi, Mahler, and Price, amongst others. The full programme can be found below.

Register for free tickets online via Eventbrite.

Spotlight Aaron

Programme

Antonio Vivaldi: “Agitata da due venti”
Lily Boulanger, 'Nocturne'
Jean Hubeau, 'Trumpet Sonata'
Florence Price, 'Song to the Dark Virgin' & 'Sunset'
Mark-Anthony Turnage, 'True Life Stories: Elegy For Andy'
Gustav Mahler, 'Ich atmet' einen linden Duft!'
Guy Ropartz, 'Andante and Allegro'

About Aaron:

Born in Edinburgh, Nigerian–Scottish trumpeter Aaron Azunda Akugbo is developing a following as a leading exponent of his instrument. He brings a musical breadth to his artistry and while classically trained in both trumpet and singing, cites Louis Armstrong as his biggest musical inspiration. He is a charismatic performer with an abundance of natural humour, which translates into an effortless engagement with colleagues and audiences. 

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Akugbo made his London concerto debut at the Royal Festival Hall in 2020 and his BBC Proms concerto debut in 2023, performing the Haydn Trumpet Concerto both times with Chineke!, Europe’s first black and minority ethnic orchestra. His concerto performances often feature standard works alongside lesser-known pieces, for example by Eric Erwazen and Florence Price. 

Recent highlights include recitals at St George’s, Bristol, and Royal Conservatoire, Glasgow, as well as visits to Bath International, Lichfield, Petworth, Ryedale, Chipping Campden, Bedford Park, St Magnus and Lammermuir festivals and he led the Emerging Talent programme at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival

About Zeynep:

The Turkish pianist Zeynep Özsuca has performed worldwide as a soloist, chamber musician and accompanist. Born in Ankara, she began piano lessons at the age of four and continued her studies at Ankara Conservatory of Hacettepe University. After winning Istanbul Symphony’s Young Soloists Competition in 2001, Zeynep moved to the United States to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance at the Oberlin Conservatory under Prof. Peter Takács. She then majored in accompaniment and vocal coaching at Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler”, Berlin with Prof. Alexander Vitlin and graduated with an MA in 2013. Zeynep currently lives in London and pursues her career as concert pianist, repetiteur and educator.

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Zeynep has worked with conductors such as Gustavo Dudamel, Francois-Xavier Roth, Sir Simon Rattle and Sir Antonio Pappano, and acted as rehearsal pianist and recital partner for singers Sir Willard White, Magdalena Kozená, Rolando Villazón, Gerald Finley, Annette Dasch, Michael Schade to name a few. She has been working as a repetiteur and orchestra member with renowned opera companies and orchestras like London Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Concert Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Staatsoper Berlin, Aix-en-Provence Music Festival, Royal Opera House Covent Garden and Glyndebourne Festival Opera.

As a chamber musician, she has performed on prestigious stages including the Berlin Philharmonie, Wigmore Hall, Wiener Konzerthaus, Elbphilharmonie, The Concertgebouw as well as live radio broadcasts on Deutschlandfunk, Deutschlandradio, RBB Kulturradio (Germany), RNE (Spain), BBC 3 and 4(UK), alongside co-hosting the BBC Young Musician Podcast. She also regularly appears in concert with her duo partners saxophonist Jess Gillam, clarinetist Sacha Rattle and trumpeter Aaron Akugbo as well as her wind and piano sextet Berlin Counterpoint.

​Zeynep has a close working relationship with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where she has acted as accompanist, music director of opera scenes and currently as lecturer of the Opera Skills course.