Sad news: pianist and teacher (Guildhall School, Royal College of Music) Andrew Ball has died at the age of 72. On a Naxos recording he partners viola-player Roger Chase in William Alwyn’s Ballade.
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Had some nice dealings with Andrew at the RCM when he was Head of Keyboard there (1999-2005). Also, I seem to recall, we had contact during my South East Arts tenure in the 1980s. A quiet, informed gentleman, old school values (took a First at Oxford), new generation adventurism, always open to ideas and bold moves.
I had a good interview with Andrew, very nice chap, for What’s On in London when he was fifty and he had commissioned that number of short new pieces, which he played at a Purcell Room recital. Twenty-two years ago!
Correction! It was not fifty new pieces but fifty pieces to mark PLG at 50, as here:
https://www.classicalsource.com/concert/the-grand-tour-park-lane-group-50th-anniversary-season-50-piano-pieces-played-by-andrew-ball/
Apologies, Colin
A very nice man indeed, and a fine pianist. If my memory is correct (and I’m sure there is someone out there who can correct me otherwise) he did an amazing performance of Winterreise with, I think, Martyn Hill. It was a semi-staged type of performance with dim lighting, strobing, and all manner of stuff designed to make playing the piano impossible – all brilliantly done. John and I wrote to congratulate him afterwards. Being the singer was possibly not so difficult. We were particularly impressed, remembering how John had once tried to give a recital in a ‘multi-purpose’ – ie no-purpose – hall with coloured lighting, where the ivory keys were red, blue, yellow, green, purple etc…..
Andrew’s passing is sad news, indeed. I made several recordings with him and he was a delight to work with – so much so that I gave him my copy of Busoni’s edition of Bach’s 48. A truly lovely man and an admirable musician in every sense.