Join the Kettner Society for an extraordinary evening showcasing the remarkable talents of Manchester-based musicians Katherine “Katmuss” Browning (bass clarinet) and Tyler Hay, “The People’s Pianist,” in a unique double-header programme—combining famous classical masterpieces with lesser-known discoveries.

Journey back to 19th-century France, the central theme of tonight’s programme…

In a period when women were largely excluded from the highest levels of musical composition and performance, Louise Farrenc carved out a formidable career through sheer talent, intellect, and perseverance. A virtuoso pianist and accomplished composer, she became the first and only woman to hold a permanent position as Professor of Piano at the Paris Conservatoire during the 19th century—a post she held for over 30 years. Her insistence on equal pay with her male colleagues marked a quiet but powerful act of advocacy for gender equality in music.

Despite her success during her lifetime, Farrenc’s music was largely forgotten after her death—a fate common to many women composers. However, a growing interest in overlooked voices in classical music has brought her work back into the spotlight. Today, she is rightly celebrated not only for the quality and depth of her music, but also for her role in challenging the conventions of her time.

Katmuss and Tyler perform her Cello Sonata, a striking example of her late chamber style, to show why she stands as one of the most distinguished and influential composers of the French Romantic era—with a twist! The cello part will be performed by Katmuss on Bass Clarinet—a fiendishly difficult feat you certainly don’t hear every day.

Paris was Europe’s hotbed for virtuoso pianists and piano composers during the 19th century—and Tyler will demonstrate this with a selection of his favourite Études (or Studies) by Farrenc’s contemporaries (some more famous than others!), including works by Kalkbrenner, Henselt, Chopin, and Alkan.

Plus: a wonderful Schubert Impromptu sharing some characteristics with the Étude form, the world premiere of a new bass clarinet étude by British composer Andrew Fisher, and pieces by Debussy to highlight French music’s evolution into the Impressionist era.

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About the musicians

Award-winning Welsh bass clarinettist, Katmuss, performed in prestigious venues from local pubs to the Royal Albert Hall and The Kennedy Centre in the US, all by the age of 15. They then went on to study at Leeds Conservatoire, Bangor University and the Royal Northern College of Music under Sarah Watts. They won both the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Enterprise Award and Help Musicians UK’s Transmission Fund in 2020 and 2021, respectively. In February 2020, Katmuss performed as the soloist in Jonathan Russell’s Concerto for Bass Clarinet & Orchestra with Leicestershire Sinfonia. Active in the Manchester music scene, Katmuss moves effortlessly between musical theatre, orchestras, big bands, wind bands and folk ensembles. Katmuss is also the resident bass clarinettist for folk clarinet quartet The Tradinettes, and can often be spotted in folk sessions in pubs and even farmer’s fields during folk festivals! Kettner Concerts and Katmuss are proud to be demonstrating ‘autism in practice’.

Tyler Hay displayed prodigious talent for the piano from an early age, winning the Dennis Loveland award in Kent for his performance of Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz No. 1 at just 11 years old. He then gained a place at the Purcell School for Young Musicians, studying under Tessa Nicholson, before enrolling at the Royal Northern College of Music under the guidance of Graham Scott and Frank Wibaut. Tyler won the RNCM’s Gold Medal in 2016, and returned to Manchester in ’23/24 for the College’s International Artist Diploma course. Tyler is a virtuoso pianist who enjoys tackling some of the most demanding works in the repertoire: performing everywhere from the UK’s most prestigious venues including London’s Cadogan, Queen Elizabeth, and Wigmore Halls, and Birmingham’s Symphony Hall, to luxury cruise ships as far away as Antarctica. Tyler has appeared as concerto soloist with orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. His numerous accolades include first prizes in the Liszt Society International Competition and the 2022 Dudley International Piano Competition. CDs of Liszt, John Ogdon, Kalkbrenner and Field are available on Brilliant Classics and an album of virtuoso piano music by contemporary British composer Simon Proctor is also available on Navona Records. His superb (and often humorous) presentations of the music he’s performing make his concerts accessible to an increasingly wide audience.

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Programme

Andrew Fisher (b. 1976): Etude No. 4 for Solo Bass Clarinet – World Premiere

Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918): Preludes, Book I
• No. 2 Voiles
• No. 8 La fille aux cheveux de lin (The Girl with the Flaxen Hair)

Louise Farrenc (1804 – 1875): Cello Sonata, Op. 46, adapted for Bass Clarinet & Piano by Dr. Timothy Bonenfant
• 1. Allegro moderato
• 2. Andante sostenuto
• 3. Finale. Allegro

Interval

Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828): 4 Impromptus, D. 899
• No. 2 in E-flat Major

Friedrich Kalkbrenner (1785 – 1849): 25 Grandes Études, Op. 143
• No. 6 in F-sharp Major
• No. 13 in F-sharp minor

Adolf von Henselt (1814 – 1889): 12 Etudes caractéristiques, Op. 2
• No. 8 in E-flat minor

Frédéric Chopin (1810 – 1849): Etudes, Op. 10
• No. 1 in C Major
• No. 3 in E Major “Tristesse”
• No. 12 in C minor “Revolutionary”

Charles-Valentin Alkan (1813 – 1888): Douze Études dans tous les tons mineurs, Op. 39
• No. 7 in E-flat minor (Symphony for Solo Piano – Mvt. IV – Finale)

Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918): Petite Pièce for Clarinet and Piano, adapted for Bass Clarinet & Piano by Katmuss

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This collaboration celebrates the versatility of these exceptional musicians, highlighting their technical brilliance and artistic depth. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience two virtuosos at the height of their careers in the beautiful acoustic setting of the International Anthony Burgess Foundation.

Doors 6pm  |  Concert 6.30pm  | Visit the ticket page for directions and accessibility information