Alumna Alexandra Dariescu will première her new work, The Nutcracker and I, at Barbican’s Milton Court Concert Hall on 19 December.
Directed by Nick Hillel, the 50-minute live performance tells the inspiring story of Alexandra, as Clara, charting her transformation from small girl to concert pianist.
On stage will feature a grand piano, played by Dariescu, with ballerina Désirée Ballantyne dancing behind a translucent gauze screen. Projected onto the screen itself will be a variety of hand- drawn animations, connecting pianist with ballerina and bringing the narrative to life.
The music for the production will feature virtuosic arrangements of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker score from composers such as Mikhail Pletnev, Stepan Esipoff, Percy Grainger and three brand new adaptations by Gavin Sutherland. Audiences can expect to recognise favourites such as ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’, ‘Arabian Dance’, ‘Chinese Dance’, ‘Pax de Deux’ and ‘Waltz of the Flowers’.
Graduating in 2008, Alexandra was recently named as ‘one of 30 pianists under 30 destined for a spectacular career’ (International Piano Magazine). Last year she became one of five new RNCM Honorary Associate Artists.
To learn more about Alexandra Dariescu and The Nutcracker and I click here.
