Mark Bebbington & Rebeca Omordia
Biography Mark Bebbington & Rebeca Omordia
Mark Bebbington
The critical plaudits which have greeted Mark Bebbington’s performances and recordings have singled him out as a British pianist of the rarest refinement and maturity. Now internationally recognised as a champion of British music, Mark has given concert and CD premieres of major British composers, including Vaughan Williams, Arnold Bax, John Ireland, Elgar and William Alywyn.
Mark has recorded extensively for Somm label; over thirty CDs to date and his most recent – three British Piano Concertos with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and a solo recording of William Alwyn’s piano works – were released in autumn 2015 and have met with rapturous acclaim.
In addition, Mark has completed his John Ireland and Frank Bridge solo piano series: seven CDs earning him consecutive sets of 5***** in BBC Music Magazine, a Gramophone Magazine ‘Editor’s Choice’, and an International Record Review ‘Outstanding’ accolade, prompting International Piano Magazine to write:
“Bebbington’s revivals of British piano music are second to none; he could well be dubbed the concert pianists’ Richard Hickox. Bebbington has almost single-handedly demonstrated that 20th-century British piano scores have an exciting role to play in the concert hall and recording studio”.
Over recent seasons Mark has toured extensively throughout Central and Northern Europe (both as recitalist and as soloist with many of the world’s leading orchestras), as well as the Far East and North Africa. Within the UK, he has appeared in concertos with the London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic and Philharmonia Orchestras, the London Mozart Players, Orchestra of the Swan and BBC Concert Orchestra. He has featured both as soloist and recitalist on BBC Television and Radio and regularly on major European Television and Radio networks.
Mark studied at the Royal College of Music where he was a recipient of numerous awards and prizes, including a Leverhulme Scholarship, a Winston Churchill Fellowship and the Ivan Sutton Recording Prize – the latter awarded to the one outstanding graduate of the combined London Music Conservatoires. He later studied in Italy and Paris with the legendary Aldo Ciccolini.
Mark’s programming demonstrates a commitment to the music of our time and he regularly includes contemporary composers as diverse as Takemitsu, Julian Anderson, John McCabe, David Matthews, Pierre Boulez and Elliot Carter in his recital series.
Projects for 2016/17 include continuing releases for the Somm label of both twentieth- century British piano music and further concerto recordings with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; appearances in major concert series and festivals both in the UK and throughout Europe; London concerto performances with the London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic and Flanders Symphony Orchestras; a two-week European tour with the Czech National Orchestra, a two-week tour of Israel with the Israel Camerata, concerto debuts with the Buffalo and San Antonio Symphony Orchestras.
In October last year, Mark made a highly successful Carnegie Hall debut with Leon Botstein and the American Symphony Orchestra.
Rebeca Omordia
Born in Romania to a Romanian mother and a Nigerian (Igbo) father, Rebeca Omordia graduated from the National Music University in Bucharest in 2006. She was awarded full scholarships to study at Birmingham Conservatoire and later at Trinity College of Music in London.
Delius Prize won in 2009 opened the collaboration with the world renowned cellist Julian Lloyd Webber. They formed a 2-year partnership touring the UK together, performing in renowned venues including at the Wigmore Hall and Kings Place in London, at Highgrove for the Prince’s Trust and several live broadcasts for BBC Radio 3.
Described by Birmingham Post as 'a pianist willing to take risks', Rebeca Omordia has performed intensively as a soloist and with orchestras in prestigious venues in Europe and in the United States including Birmingham Town Hall, White Hall in Helsinki, Romanian Athaeneum and Radio Hall in Bucharest. Live performances include BBC Radio 3, Romanian National Radio and Romanian National Cultural Channel. In 2015 the John Ireland Trust sponsored her 'John Ireland' Tour of UK and Romania which included highly acclaimed performances of the composer's Piano Sonata, Legend for Piano and Orchestra, several outstanding miniatures and the Cello Sonata.
Rebeca is a great advocate of Nigerian classical music. In 2013 she formed a partnership with his Excellency Nigeria High Commissioner in London to promote Nigerian classical music to the UK audience. She performed piano works by Nigerian composers at the 2015 Bradfield Festival in the UK, at the 2013 African and African - American Music Festival in St Louis, USA and for the African Union’s 50th Anniversary Concert in London.
Rebeca has made a name for herself as a vibrant and exciting virtuoso who is demand throughout the UK and abroad. She has worked and performed with world renowned artists including Amy Dickson, Raphael Wallfisch, Răzvan Suma, Jiaxin Lloyd Webber and Mark Bebbington.
On 24th June 2016, Rebeca received Honorary Membership Award (HonBC) from Birmingham Conservatoire, Birmingham City University.
"I’ve been working with the brilliant young pianist, Rebeca Omordia. She is half Romanian, half Nigerian – and it’s a powerful combination! ... Rebeca’s technique knows no bounds but, more importantly, she plays with a depth of insight and understanding which is all too rare today." (Julian Lloyd Webber)
