The OLYMPIANIST to Cycle 1200 Miles Across Britain Towing a Piano - Premiere of Stephen Goss's PIANO CYCLE

To raise money for music and children's charities, concert pianist Anthony Hewitt - the Olympianist - will cycle with piano 'in tow' from Land's End to John O'Groats to complete 1,200 miles in 21 days. With a piano trailing in the BeethoVAN, the avid cyclist will cover up to 100 miles a day, giving 27 concerts en route. The Herculean journey across Britain's hilly countryside will see Anthony ascend more than 20,000 metres – the equivalent of more than twice the elevation of Mt. Everest. He will perform in established venues and remote locations with his piano on a pop-up stage on the back of the BeethoVAN.

His piano odyssey encompasses concert venues, market squares, cliff-tops, quarries and fields. Highlights of the tour include a concert with the Manchester Camerata, a recital in the Market Square at Newbury Spring Festival, a cliff-top performance in Portland and a concert on the shores of Lake Windermere.

The repertoire for the tour has been chosen to convey a sense of journey, energy, movement, dynamism and excitement reflecting Anthony's challenge. The concerts will include masterworks of the piano repertoire by Beethoven, Janá?ek, Schubert, Chopin, Rachmaninov and Brahms. A new commission by Stephen Goss, aptly named Piano Cycle, will be premiered at the Swaledale Festival on May 19th.

For the first time in piano history, the Olympianist's followers will be able to watch part of each recital from the performer's viewpoint. Each day he will perform one of the 21 movements from Schumann's Carnaval Op. 9 in chronological order and film himself with a Go Pro Hero 2 Sports Camera attached to his head.

Each movement will be uploaded to his website for viewing. This will be the first time that a professional musician will film himself in concert. The Olympianist's progress on tour is also traceable on Twitter, via a Fleetsmart tracker and on his website.

Anthony Hewitt's communicative and virtuosic pianism has won him many plaudits worldwide as a recitalist, chamber musician, and soloist with orchestras. He was a prize-winner of the William Kapell International Piano Competition and has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, USA and the Royal Philharmonic in London. He is also the founding Artistic Director of the Ulverston International Music Festival.

His epic journey will raise money for charities including Mayor of London's Fund For Musicians, Musequality, CLIC Sargent, Get Kids Going! and Classic FM Foundation.

Anthony is currently in training for his Olympian journey, both musically and physically. He cycles with Twickenham cycling club every week and will perform at various venues across London in the coming months. He will be performing at the Wigmore Hall on 2nd May with his piano trio, Dimension Trio. On 26th April he will perform Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 with Orpheus Sinfonia at St George's, Hanover Square.

Repertoire Highlights will be Beethoven's 'Moonlight' and 'Pathetique' Sonatas; Schubert Impromptus from Op. 90 Chopin Fantasy-Impromptu, Nocturnes, Barcarolle Rachmaninov Prelude in G minor Op. 23 No. 5 Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 Brahms Piano Quintet (with Manchester Camerata) Janá?ek Sonata I:X:1905 'From the Street'.

"I am very excited about this herculean task. It embodies the spirit of the ancient games, which incorporated musical competitions into sporting events for normal citizens" said Anthony Hewitt.

Twitter: @olympianist

www.theolympianist.com

Recital Venues

May 9th

Lands End

Start

9th

Truro

Penair School: An afternoon for children.

Formal concert in evening indoors

10th

Calstock

The Old Chapel

11th

Exeter

BeethoVAN concert: CathedrAl West Front

11th

Poltimore

BeethoVAN concert: Poltimore House estate grounds

11th

Exeter

Chapter House, Exeter Cathedral

12th

Portland

BeethoVAN concert: Tout Quarry

12th

Portland

Cliff top concert overlooking Chesil Bay

12th

Portland

Portland Sculpture and Quarry Trust - Drill Hall,

13th

Newbury

BeethoVAN concert: Market Square for Newbury Spring Festival

14th

Lechlade

St. Lawrence Church (lunchtime)
14th

Gloucester

St. Mary de Lode Church
15th

Stafford

Staffordshire Performing Arts

16th

Manchester

Manchester Camerata concert: Anthony Burgess Foundation

17th

Manchester

Chetham's School of Music

18th

Clitheroe

The Grand, Clitheroe

19th

Swaledale

BeethoVAN concert: The Green, Reeth, Swaledale Festival

20th

Bowness

BeethoVAN concert: The Glebe, Bowness-on-Windermere

20th

Keswick

Crosthwaite Church, Keswick
21st

Dumfries

St John's Church, Lovers Walk, Dumfries
22nd

Kelso

Kelso Old Parish Church

23rd

Edinburgh

BeethoVAN concert - Holyrood Park/ Dynamic Earth

Evening Concert - Queen's Hall

24th

Dundee

Marryat Hall, City Square

25th

Pitlochry

Foyer, Pitlochry Festival Theatre

26th

Boat of Garten

Boat of Garten Community Hall.

27th

Nairn

Nairn Community Centre

28th

Dornoch

Dornoch Cathedral

29th

John O'Groats

Lyth Arts Centre

RECYLING TOUR (Anthony is not cycling back!)

30th

Torridon

Torridon Community Hall

31st

Stirling

Sistema Scotland with School children

1st

Acton Burnell

Concord College, Acton Burnell, Shropshire

2nd

Much Wenlock

Much Wenlock Festival - on BeethoVAN

3rd

Lampeter Velfrey, Narbeth, Wales

Lampeter House – on BeethoVAN

4th

Guildford

Diamond Jubilee Party

Classic FM will be launching the fundraising campaign through their website in February to raise funds for Anthony's nominated charities which include:

Classic FM Foundation raises money to fund music education and therapy projects which work with some of the most disadvantaged children and adults across the UK.

Mayor of London's Fund for Young Musicians a registered charity established to support and benefit young musicians across the capital, especially those from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, through access to sustained, progressive instrumental tuition and the experience of working with professional musicians.

Musequality aims to support communal ?music-making for disadvantaged children in ?developing countries, giving skills, confidence ?and the necessary experience to turn their lives around.
CLIC Sargent, a charity committed to helping children and young people with cancer and their families. Services offered to families include Homes from Home, where families can stay next to a hospital, outreach nurses, social workers holiday homes and care grants.
Get Kids Going!, a National charity which gives disabled children and young people - up to the age of 26 yrs - the wonderful opportunity of participating in sport. Get Kids Going! inspires youngsters to compete in sporting events, from start to paralympic level, by giving them 'sports grants' to help with their; training, physiotherapy, travel, competition fees, design and development of sports' wheelchairs etc.

National Autistic Society , a leading UK charity for people with autism (including Asperger syndrome) and their families. They provide information, support, pioneering services and campaign for a better world for people with autism.

Anthony is eager to raise funds beyond his goal of £20k. If you would like to support Anthony with a donation, please visit the website:

http://www.classicfm.co.uk/charity/olympianist/

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