Ryan Corbett (accordion)

Ryan Corbett is an accordionist hailed by the composer, Sir James MacMillan, as ‘one of the most astonishing and surprising newcomers in Scottish music’. Still only in his mid-20s, he is already making such a name for himself that he played for HM King Charles III at his Scottish coronation service in St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh in 2023.

His passion for the accordion began when he was 11 and was given a small accordion by his grandmother.  He taught himself to play Scottish traditional music on this before being introduced to the classical accordion by his teacher and long-term mentor, Djordje Gajic, when he was 14.  

He is now one of the classical instrument’s most exciting rising stars, winning the gold medal at the Royal Over-Seas League Annual Music Competition in 2021, a place on the BBC’s prestigious New Generation Artists scheme in 2023 and nomination by Classic FM as one of its Rising Stars for 2024.

His programme for us includes his own arrangements of music by Liszt, Grieg, Bach and Tchaikovsky as well as pieces written specifically for the accordion by Angelis and Zolotaryov.

Ryan told the Scotsman newspaper that, ‘people still come up to me and say they’ve never heard music like this on an accordion’. Come and see what the classical accordion can do!

Programme

Liszt  Prelude and Fugue on the Theme B-A-C-H, S 260/2

Grieg  Holberg Suite

Angelis  Romance

Zolotaryov  Rondo Capriccioso

J S Bach  The Well-Tempered Clavier – 2 preludes and fugues

Tchaikovsky  Children’s Album, op. 39

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This concert is sponsored by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust.