Alina Vorobyeva (clarinet) and Anastasia Matkovskaia (piano) stunned us with the quality of their music at a recital in Great St Mary's, The University Church today (Friday 2 July 2021). The fluidity of the piano playing and the sparkle of the clarinet wowed the audience, who were hugely appreciative of their talent. We hope very much that they will be able to return to Cambridge under the auspices of Stephen Foster and the Cambridge Chamber Ensemble
ALINA VOROBYEVA was born in Moscow in 1998. At the age of 13 she won a place at the internationally renowned Gnessin Music School for Gifted Children in Moscow. In 2017 she was offered a full scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she now studies with Mark van de Wiel. Alina has won several international competitions and she has taken part in masterclasses with numerous distinguished clarinetists as well as appearing as a soloist with orchestras in both Russia and Europe.
Together with Stephen Foster, Anastasia opened the recital with a marvellous performance of Mozart’s Violin Sonata. Communication between both musicians, and Anastasia’s astonishing technical skills and delicate understanding of Mozart’s style, were at the highest professional level. This was followed by a passionate Fauré ‘Elégie’ and Mendelssohn’s ‘Song without Words’. The recital led us on to Weber’s Concertino – one of the most famous pieces written for clarinet. Alina performed with excellent technique, graceful musicianship and with a magnificent warm sound, so beautifully resonating in the spacious auditorium of Great St Mary’s, the University Church, Cambridge.
The finale of this very enjoyable recital was a trio written by M.Bruch. Three contrasting pieces showcasing the individual talents of each musician, and their balanced and attentive collaboration as a whole group, left the audience totally inspired and desperately hoping for a return visit in the not too distant future.
Lorna Atwell
Concert Co-ordinator