26/09/26 Gerard Flotats & Julian Chan

Programme

The programme will include sonatas by Fauré and Mendelssohn, and Ligeti’s Solo Cello Sonata.

Gerard Flotats – cello

Prize-winning Catalan cellist Gerard Flotats is a versatile young musician performing a wide
spectrum of music, from Baroque on historical instruments to contemporary works with
electronics. Winner of the Royal Over-Seas League Strings Competition, he has also been
selected for the Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artist, Tillett Debut, and Munster Trust Recital
schemes, giving him ample performance experience from a young age. His recent engagements
include concerts at venues such as Wigmore Hall, Manchester Bridgewater Hall, King’s Place, and
the Pierre Boulez Saal.

Gerard recently graduated with an Artist Diploma from the Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin,
where he studied with Professor Frans Helmerson, with whom he continues to work at the
Accademia Stauffer in Cremona, Italy. He previously graduated with honours in both his bachelor’s
and master’s degrees, studying with Hannah Roberts at the Royal Academy of Music. There, he
won various prizes in both solo and chamber settings, including the Regency Award, Homi Kanga
for the best strings final recital, Duo, and Craxton Prizes. At the Academy, he also studied
Baroque cello with Andrew Skidmore and chamber music with John Myerscough. He is indebted
to many esteemed cellists for their guidance, especially his previous mentors Richard May, Peter
Thiemann, and Xavier Roig. Gerard has participated in masterclasses with cellists such as Steven
Isserlis, Mischa Maisky, Ralph Kirshbaum, Miklós Perényi, Jens Peter Maintz, Steven Doane, Gary
Hoffman, Natasha Brofsky, Colin Carr, and Sung-Won Yang.
Flotats has been invited to perform at international music festivals, including Yellow Barn, IMS
Prussia Cove, Mendelssohn on Mull, SHMF, and the Santander Encuentro. An avid chamber
musician, Gerard has collaborated with renowned artists such as Daniel Hope, Anthony Marwood,
Alasdair Beatson, Krzysztof Chorzelski, Gilbert Kalish, Jens Peter Maintz, Linus Roth, and the Doric
Quartet. As a soloist, Gerard has performed many of the core cello concertos, including those by
Dvořák, Haydn, and Saint-Saëns, with the Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra, AIMS
Festival Orchestra, OCCI, and the Cornwall Symphony Orchestra.
Through innovative performances, Gerard aims to make classical music more relevant and
resonant for today’s audiences. He is passionate about showcasing lesser-known pieces and
collaborates with composers to introduce contemporary music to new listeners. Gerard plays on
an Amati cello from the 1680s.

Julian Chan – piano

Rapidly developing a reputation as one of the most innovative pianists of his generation, Julian Chan has given performances at numerous prestigious venues across Europe and Asia, including Wigmore Hall, Southbank Centre, Nanjing Poly Theatre, and Palau de la Música Catalana. Performing music by a particularly diverse range of composers, he has given alluring recitals featuring works by figures from Sweelinck to Messiaen, from Alkan to Rzewski, unifying these various styles in a captivating manner.

Julian has performed with numerous artists of international renown, including Anthony Marwood, John Myerscough, Dénes Várjon, Richard Lester, Dale Barltrop, and Charlie Lovell-Jones; distinguished conductors with whom he has performed include Jessica Cottis, Dominic Grier, Ryan Wigglesworth, Ben Glassberg, Jonathan Berman, and John Gibbons. Recently, Julian has been awarded First Prize and Sonata Prize at the Nanyang International Music Competition, Singapore, Second Prize at the Jazeps Vitols International Piano Competition, Latvia, the Royal Over-Seas League Collaborative Piano Award, First Prize at the Norah Sande Award, and First Prize at the Coulsdon and Purley Festival with his performance of Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto.
A passionate composer and performer of new music, Julian has collaborated with eminent composers such as Hans Abrahamsen, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Jörg Widmann, Deborah Pritchard, Elena Langer, and Peter Seabourne. Julian had his first book of compositions published at age 6, earning him the title of Malaysia’s Youngest Composer. In 2024–25, Julian was recipient of the Aud Jebsen Fellowship at the Royal Academy of Music, where he previously studied with Ian Fountain and Michael Dussek. He is graciously supported by the Royal Over-Seas League and the Keyboard Charitable Trust.