Susan Tomes explores the landscape of Schubert’s late A major Sonata, D959.

Schubert’s iconic sonata in A major stands as one of the great pillars of the piano repertoire. Together with its equally moving companion works the sonata forms the central part of a trilogy which obsessed the composer during his final year of feverish creativity, 1828. For this special lecture/recital, Susan Tomes will share her rich experience of Schubert’s music through insightful words and a complete performance of the sonata enabling her listeners to enjoy a closer understanding of and engagement with this deeply personal music.

Susan Tomes has won numerous international awards as a pianist, both on the concert platform and in the recording studio, including the 2013 Cobbett Medal for distinguished service to chamber music. She grew up in Edinburgh and was the first woman to take a degree in music at King’s College, Cambridge. Her career encompasses solo, duo and chamber playing; she has made over fifty CDs, and has been at the heart of the internationally admired ensembles Domus, the Gaudier Ensemble and the Florestan Trio. As the author of five acclaimed books, she has carved out a special niche as an interpreter both of music and of the classical performer’s life. Her latest book Speaking the Piano (2018) was one of the ‘Books of the Year’ in both the Financial Times and the Sunday Times. She is the artistic director and pianist of Winterplay, a mini-festival of chamber music held annually in the Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh.