It is a great pleasure to welcome back Philip Achille to The Dysart Petersham. Last time he performed for us no one knew quite what to expect, including us.
Our audience and we were spellbound and deeply moved; a pin could have been heard drop.
Mastery, authority, insight, great presence, sensitivity, gentleness, innate musicality and humanity, all come to mind. It takes all these to shine with orchestra or grand piano with a classical harmonica, however subtly accompanied and to communicate directly with and move an audience.
Philip will be joined by concert pianist, Nathan Tinker.
Programme, transcribed for harmonica and piano:
Violin Concerto in A Minor – J. S. Bach
Salut d’Amour – Edward Elgar
Violin Concerto in G Minor – J. S. Bach
Clair de lune – Debussy
and
Jazz Sonata, bringing together modern classical and jazz – Ramon Ricker
Philip Achille was classically trained from a young age by one of the great masters of harmonica, James Hughes. He studied chromatic harmonica at the Royal College of Music.
At 16 he became the World Youth Harmonica Champion (Solo Chromatic) and the Open Harmonica Champion at the World Harmonica Festival in Germany.
At 17, he was a featured soloist during the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall and in the same year performed at the Royal Variety Performance in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen, leading the finale with a harmonica solo.
A year later, he was a finalist in the ‘Eurovision Young Musicians 2008’, performing with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra in front of an audience 50,000. He was also a guest artist at Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Birthday In The Park’ concert in Hyde Park.
Philip has taken part in festivals, competitions and concerts with symphony orchestras around the world.
He has performed with the Philharmonia Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra with The Film Music of Dimitri Tiompkin , with the Classical Orchestra of Espinho – “Villa Lobos harmonica concerto” – Auditório de Espinho, Portugal, the London Chamber Orchestra – Tribute to John Barry at The Classic Brit Awards in the Royal Albert Hall June 2011, the Jersey Chamber Orchestra – “Genevieve Suite” and “Spivakovsky harmonica concerto 3rd Movement” in the Jersey Opera House and with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.
He supports Parkinson’s UK, giving a charity concert for Parkinson’s UK at the Royal Albert Hall in 2014.
He has performed on film soundtracks, made a number of TV appearances and performed on BBC Radios 3, 2 and 6, on Jazz FM and in 2006 for Channel 4 on ‘How Music Works’, presented by Howard Goodall, performing Bach’s Air on a G String.
He is also a talented jazz musician. He has even been found busking at Waterloo Station for the simple pleasure of giving pleasure and uplifting spirits.
This year sees him in Estonia, Cartagena, San Sebastian, the Roundhouse, Edinburgh for the Festival, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Maastricht, Paris.
Nathan Tinker studied at the Royal College of Music. He is a concert pianist, teacher of classical and jazz piano and ballet accompanist. Since 2012 Nathan has been working with English National Ballet’s Dance for Parkinson’s programme which was featured on ITV in the New Year. Outside the UK he has performed in Corsica, Italy, Spain, his native Japan and most recently had his debut in Romania. Since September 2015, Nathan attends the Guildhall School of Music and Drama as a postgraduate student pursuing a Masters of Accompanying degree, with the support of Help Musicians UK Richardson’s Award.
Nathan is also one half of the Passepartout Piano Duo.
Since 2014, the Passepartout Piano Duo is associated with Live Music Now, an UK-wide initiative, created by Yehudi Menuhin and Ian Stoutzker in 1977. Every year, their musicians deliver thousands of interactive music programmes in care homes, hospitals and other community and healthcare settings. They also work in special schools, where music can make a huge difference to the lives of children and their families. Specialist support and training provides young musicians with skills and employment at the start of their professional careers, across all genres of music.