“Outstanding”: star soloists to perform for annual Mary Bevan Recital concert

This weekend (Sun, 19:30-21:15), The Mary Bevan Recital returns, featuring a piano recital by two of the University’s top young musicians, Wolfson’s Patrick Pan and Mark Ziying Zang from Emmanuel College.

Patrick Pan, Wolfson’s Brian Moore Accompanist Scholar and Philosophy undergraduate, will play the little-known Op 2 and Op 6 by Robert Schumann: two suites of short pieces depicting scenes at a masquerade ball.

While Mark Ziying Zang, who began studying piano at four and attended Purcell School of Music before coming to Cambridge, performs repertoire including the Sonata-Idyll in G major by Nikolai Medtner and the Liszt Sonata in B minor.

A decade of star soloists at Wolfson

The Mary Bevan Recital began in 2011 when former Honorary Fellow, the late Professor Hugh Bevan, funded an annual concert in memory of his late wife, Mary Bevan. Mary was a great music lover, and also a Senior Member at Wolfson.

Lyn Alcántara, Wolfson’s Director of Music, enthuses about the opportunity to put such musical talent on display in the College for the annual concert:

“The Mary Bevan Recital brings star soloists to Wolfson,” she says. “They are winners of the most prestigious musical prize at Cambridge.

“The generous donation by the late Professor Bevan allows us to offer a professional fee to these outstanding young musicians. But it’s also down to our facilities – we can attract musicians of such distinction partly because of the wonderful Steinway piano we have in the Lee Hall, generously donated by Professor Linda Wicker, a former Fellow, and Professor Roger Briscoe, a former Senior Member, and both previously members of the College Choir”.

Wolfson’s tradition of pianist excellence

Wolfson has a strong record in the CUMS Concerto Competition, too. The College has had two first prize winners – Andrew Goldman in 2012 and Churen Li in 2019, both pianists. While Akihito Okuda was a finalist and prize-winner in 2020 and Patrick Pan was a finalist and prize winner this year – again, both pianists, displaying what a strong tradition of piano excellence there is at Wolfson.

When asked for her highlights, Lyn is clear that it’s impossible to rank such elevated levels of excellence: “They’ve all been outstanding,” she says.