THERE is a good mix of old and new for Darlington Piano Society's new season, which starts next month.

The society's 2023-24 season, starting in October, features its signature mix of established works and composers and those new to our programming, even after 120 recitals.

The season starts at 3pm, Sunday, October 15, in Central Hall at the Dolphin Centre with a return visit by the young, Hungarian born, Daniel Lebhardt, who played for the society in 2015. Now a well-established performer, resident in the UK, he starts the season with a fascinating and challenging programme of works by Brahms, Ligeti, Scriabin and Bartok.

The subsequent recital on November 5 is given by Steven Osborne, one of the UK’s premier international pianists, a regular performer overseas, as well as at festivals such as the Proms and the Edinburgh Festival. This is his third recital for the society, following his earlier return here in 2022, after a lengthy absence, with a programme of works by Schubert, Schumann and Beethoven.

The recital on December 10 brings both a new performer – Japanese pianist Hiroaki Takenouchi – and includes works by little known English composers, Percy Sherwood and Dorothy Howell. This decade is seeing a renaissance of neglected composers and their works and Hiroaki has discovered these works whilst teaching at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Duo performances are always popular and in the new year, on January 21, Alasdair Beatson and Viv McLean, who have both given solo recitals in Darlington previously, combine their expertise to perform works by Schubert, Ravel, and finally Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, in the composer’s breathtaking arrangement of his orchestral ballet score by the composer for four hands at one piano.

The penultimate recital of the season on February 18 is given by London-based, Romanian/Nigerian pianist Rebeca Omordia. Her programme not only includes two pieces by the Englishman John Ireland but also three works by African composers.

The final recital on March 17 is given by Lauren Zhang, winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2018. Plans for her to visit Darlington earlier were scuppered by the Covid pandemic and by a move to her native USA to study at Harvard, and expectations are high for her programme of Rossini, Schumann and Lowell Liebermann.

For details, see www.dpiano.co.uk. All events take place at 3pm. Tickets for the full season (£60, under-21s free) and for individual recitals (£15, under-21s free) can be purchased online via the website, via the booking form in the brochure or on the door.