Keystones Piano Festival Presents Robert Mitchell, Laura Cole & Whale Detective
This May we’re delighted to be hosting a week of music in the round with our Keystones Piano Festival in the historic Samuel Worth Chapel. Featuring a varied lineup of contemporary and classical compositions, this celebration of piano offers an intimate and atmospheric experience in our unique heritage setting.
In collaboration with Jazz at The Lescar, we’re proud to present a concert in three parts, with solo sets from two wonderful pianists, Robert Mitchell and Laura Cole, and Sheffield-based ambient improvising duo Whale Detective, featuring Hannah Brady on clarinets and Jez Matthews on piano.
Robert has recorded 14 albums, published 3 poetry collections and participated in over 100 projects as a sideman, as well as performing in more than 40 countries. A brilliant pianist, composer and innovator, he is also festival creator and curator and a highly respected educator.
A leader of several acclaimed bands including TRUE THINK, Little Black Book, Epiphany3 and the Flame, he is also a piano Professor at Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Mentor/Task Force Member at Black Lives In Music, YMM teacher, Steinway Artist and recently taught/returned to the Paris Conservatoire and Pole Sup.
Leeds-based pianist, composer and writer Laura Cole is a thoughtful, creative presence on the UK music scene. A pianist, composer and writer, she has visited The Lescar previously with her wonderful dynamic octet Metamorphic, with whom she recorded three albums, as well as in bands led by Corey Mwamba, Martin Archer, and Johnny Hunter. Other collaborations include with Martin Archer/Julie Tippetts, Faye MacCalman, Lara Jones, Keith Jafrate’s group Orfeo 5, Seth Bennett.
Laura’s beautiful and very personal solo piano album ‘Enough’ was released on Sheffield label Discus in 2018, and a string quartet commission featuring her arrangements of saxophonist Ron Caines pieces – in conjunction with her solo piano arrangements of Caines’ music is due for release on the Discus label in 2025.
For this performance she’ll be presenting her original compositions mixing piano and poetry; fluid and resonant, intense and multi-layered.
whale detective is the culmination of a 20+ year long collaboration between Jez Matthews (piano/electronics) and clarinet/sax player Hannah Brady. Together they’ve developed a shared understanding and language, enabling musical conversations to develop easily, layering improvisation with elegiac melodies, natural sounds like bird song, and electronic textures that veer from the delicate and beautiful to the intense.
Please note, all tickets are sold by Jazz at The Lescar. To secure your place, please email: [email protected].
Event Details
- Doors: 6.30pm
- Performance: 7.00pm
- Location: The Samuel Worth Chapel, Sheffield, S11 8NT
- We are a fully accessible venue and have a bar (with card machine) selling local beers, wine and spirits.
- Bags will be checked on entry.
This is a volunteer-led event for Sheffield General Cemetery Trust and proceeds go to fund the charitable aims of the Trust. Thank you for your support.