International Piano Series - Rachmaninoff Preludes

Step into the stunning candlelit setting of St Mary le Strand - "the Jewel of the Strand" - for the return of The Strand International Piano Series, now it's in fourth year after a critically acclaimed launch season in 2022-23. This intimate and architecturally impressive Baroque church has quickly become one of London's most captivating concert venues, offering sublime acoustics along with the power and clarity of a brand-new Steinway concert grand piano.

This year's series celebrates one of the most evocative and emotionally charged achievements in the piano repertoire: Sergei Rachmaninoff's 24 Preludes. Spanning every major and minor key, these works offer a sweeping portrait of the composer's inner world-from thunderous drama and virtuosic brilliance to haunting lyricism and introspective beauty. Written across different periods of his life, the preludes reflect the full range of Rachmaninoff's genius, and each concert in the series reveals a new facet of his profound musical voice.

Whether you're a seasoned concert-goer or discovering classical piano music for the first time, this is an evening not to be missed-set in one of London's most atmospheric musical spaces, just steps away from some of the city's finest restaurants and bars.

Featuring
Edward Leung (piano)

Programme
Beethoven: Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57, "Appassionata"
Rachmaninov: Prelude in D major, Op. 23, No. 4 
Rachmaninov: Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op. 3, No. 2
Liszt: Overture to "Tannhäuser", S. 442

About Edward Leung
Hailed for his "taut succinctness with emotional expansiveness and a striking capacity for invention" (BBC Music Magazine), American pianist Edward Leung is a sought-after soloist and chamber musician. Edward is a 2025-2027 Making Music Recommended Artist and a Bösendorfer-Amadeus Young Artist, and was recently named a Rising Star of the 2025 Edinburgh International Festival.  
Edward won the Grand Prize in the 2025 Pianissima International Piano Competition, chaired by Cyprien Katsaris. In 2024, Edward won the Grand Prize and Public Prize in the inaugural Piano&Souls International Piano Competition. His debut album with violinist Usha Kapoor, Beach * John Corigliano: Violin Sonatas [Resonus Classics], was longlisted for Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, critically acclaimed by BBC Music Magazine, Gramophone, Foto Forum, and Classical Explorer, and was featured on ABC Classic's Festival of Female Composers and SWR2 Treffpunkt Klassik. This current season features solo and chamber music recitals at Wigmore Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Milton Court, and venues in The Hague, Edinburgh, and Antwerp.