Pianist Antoine Préat recently released a recording of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No 31 in A flat, Op 110, which will feature on his album, Polyphony, currently scheduled for release in the autumn.
Antoine, the recipient of the Winifred Christie Trust Award for the 2019/20 academic year, is currently completing his Master of Arts. He says that it was the award that gave him the time and creative space to work on his album.
‘Thanks to the Winifred Christie Trust Award, I was able to complete a one-year intensive Master of Arts under Christopher Elton. This year really felt like a much-needed bridge between education and real life and has allowed me to build up my professional network.’
Antoine’s album explores the evolution of polyphony, and will also include works originally composed by JS Bach, Chopin and Scriabin.
'Born into a Baroque-fanatic family in Paris, I grew up immersed in the sound of the cello and harpsichord. I have always been intrigued by polyphonic music, with its deep emotion within a perfectly assembled puzzle. I decided to dedicate my debut album to this theme, with Sonata No 31 as a preview.’
Antoine says that lockdown gave him the opportunity to be more involved with the recording process as a whole: ‘I had plenty of time in lockdown to manage communication and oversee digital designs, as well as working hand in hand with my sound engineer on the edit of the recordings.
‘I would like to express my gratitude to the Winifred Christie Trust Award for enabling me to achieve this.’
To listen to Antoine’s music, please click here.