Acclaimed Clare supports Oban Music Society’s new piano fund
Classical pianist Clare Hammond stopped off in Oban to put on a performance in aid of the town’s music society’s piano fund.
The highly acclaimed concert pianist is part way through a mini tour of chamber venues in Scotland.
At St John’s Cathedral on April 25, she performed works by Chopin, alongside pieces by Haydn, Schubert, Szymanowski and Scottish composer Malcolm Hayes.
Last July Oban Music Society, which has just celebrated its 25th anniversary, took delivery of a new £55,000 Steinway Model B piano to replace its 80-year-old smaller one but more funds are still needed to keep up the maintenance and it could run to as much as £1,000 a year. Ms Hammond had agreed to come and support the new piano.
In 2016, she won the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Young Artist Award in recognition of outstanding achievements.
The pianist is also a bit of a film star. In 2015, she appeared as the young Mary Shepherd in Nicholas Hytner’s film of Alan Bennet’s The Lady in the Van alongside Dame Maggie Smith and Alex Jennings.
Last week’s performance was one year in the planning, said Oban Music Society chairman Jeremy Church.
‘Our piano is such a unique instrument in Argyll that we want to keep up the maintenance of it in the best way we can, so it’s a rolling appeal,’ added Mr Church.
‘Clare Hammond agreed to come and support the new piano one year ago. She was very anxious to support it financially, that’s why we set the concert up all that time ago at the first possible date she had free,’ he said.
Speaking at rehearsal before the performance, Ms Hammond said: ‘It’s a lovely piano. This is my first time in Oban, I’ve only ever been here on the way to Mull before. I’m delighted to come and play in the cathedral.’