Without
doubt, PEARL FAWCETT-ADRIANO has achieved international recognition
as an outstanding accordion virtuoso, and she has done much to
raise the standing of the accordion as a 'musical' instrument,
both in Britain and abroad.
Her
name as a child was PEARL FAWCETT, and she was born in South Yorkshire,
England. Beginning accordion lessons at the age of eight, she
had many successes in her early life, winning every major national
competition run by the British Association of Accordionists (B.A.A.),
including British Open section and British Commonwealth Challenge
Cup (four successive times) and gaining the B.A.A. Diploma (with
Distinction) at the age of 15.
Her
first broadcast on BBC Radio was at the age of twelve, and her
first television appearance at the age of thirteen, after which
she appeared many times.
She
became Junior World Champion (C.M.A. Trophée Mondiale)
in Ancona, Italy; and the following year she became World Champion,
in Hamburg, Germany.
She
studied piano, 'cello, singing and all branches of music at the
Royal Manchester College of Music, and after graduating with Honours,
she became a Professor at the same College for a time. She then
decided to concentrate on performing and turned fully professional.
Pearl
was a 'first' in a number of situations; she was the first to
teach accordion at a Conservatoire of Music in Great Britain,
and she was the first to give accordion recitals of classical
music at a British Conservatoire of Music, and also on TV. She
was the first British accordionist and the first Western female
accordionist to do a solo concert tour of the former USSR.
Known
previously as PEARL FAWCETT, she has had great success in her
professional career. On the classical side, she has performed
concerts and recitals on radio, and in such prestigious concert
halls as London's Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall and Purcell
Room (Royal Festival Hall); Moscow's Tschaikovsky Hall and Leningrad's
Philharmonic Hall; with concert tours in the former USSR and Europe,
and appearances with such orchestras as the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
and BBC Northern Symphony.
On
the lighter side, there have been many appearances on BBC Radio
(including "All kinds of Music", "Melodies for
You", "Charlie Chester Show") and Television (including
"Stars on Sunday" and "The Good Old Days").
She has made a number of outstanding recordings, and is also an
excellent pianist. To suit the International scene, she now uses
her full name - PEARL FAWCETT-ADRIANO.
Pearl
Fawcett-Adriano's vast repertoire ranges from the classics to
light music, French Musette and continental, and no matter what
kind of music she plays, her marvellous technique and control
of the instrument ensures that the music is interpreted to the
full. Specialising on the acoustic/electronic accordion, she brings
a completely new dimension to the instrument, and she has such
a command of this instrument that she utilises it to the full
orchestral and musical extent. Her subtle use of the expression
pedal, split-second changes of registers and perfect control of
the bellows produce a musical tapestry of multicoloured sounds
and effects which have greatly impressed many people around the
world.
She
was coached and guided by her late husband - Maestro ADRIAN DANTE. |
