Celebrating the twentieth anniversary of being awarded first prize in the Clara Haskil International piano competition in Switzerland, Finghin Collins will perform piano sonatas by Mozart and Schubert and extracts from the Ros Tapestry Suite as part of a major tour of Ireland, including a performance at Roscommon Arts Centre on Friday, October 11.
One of Ireland's most successful musicians, Finghin Collins was born in Dublin and following initial lessons with his sister Mary, studied piano at the Royal Irish Academy of Music with John O'Conor and at the Geneva Conservatoire with Dominique Merlet. Winner of the RTÉ Musician of the Future Competition in 1994 and the Classical Category at the National Entertainment Awards in Ireland in 1998, he went on to take first prize at the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition in Switzerland in 1999.
Since then he has continued to enjoy a flourishing international career that takes him all over Europe and the United States, as well as to the Far East and Australia. In October 2017, the National University of Ireland conferred on him an honorary Degree of Doctor of Music and in the same year, he celebrated his 40th birthday with a solo recital at the National Concert Hall in Dublin. Other highlights included his debuts at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Zermatt Festival and performances at the Wigmore Hall in London.
He has participated in the Jury of the Dublin International piano competition and remains Artistic Director of Music for Galway. He is also the founding Artistic Director of the New Ross Piano Festival.
Finghin always enjoys a warm reception in Roscommon, where he has a dedicated and loyal following. This is a great opportunity to see one of Ireland’s finest pianist perform, tickets are priced at just €15 and are now on sale at box office on 0906 625824.
