“Far from the home I love”
An opportunity for your City of Sanctuary group to have a fundraising recital given by acclaimed pianist, Margaret Fingerhut.
Margaret Fingerhut is one of the UK’s best-loved and most distinguished pianists. Next year she will be embarking on a very special project in support of City of Sanctuary, doing a series of solo concerts around the UK to raise money to support the work of local groups. The history of classical music is full of composers who left their
homelands because of war, political upheaval or fear ofpersecution. Other composers who had to move country for their work were arguably no less homesick. This concert tells the stories of some of these composers through their piano music. 
They resonate with the current climate of troubling attitudes towards refugees and those in exile. Margaret has chosen all the pieces for their association with the theme of exile and homesickness, and she will personally introduce the music from the keyboard in an illuminating and entertaining way. It is a wide-ranging programme, with pieces by well-loved composers such as Handel, Haydn, Chopin, Grieg, Prokofiev and Rachmaninov.
Margaret has especially commissioned a piece from Moutaz Arian, the Kurdish Syrian composer who wrote the stirring Refugee National Anthem for the Refugee Team at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Margaret Fingerhut’s career has taken her to many different countries, and she has recorded over 30 CDs for the Chandos label, winning numerous accolades and worldwide critical acclaim. She is often heard on Classic FM and BBC Radio 3, and many radio stations worldwide. Margaret’s grandparents came to the UK from the Ukraine, Poland and Ireland, and so this programme is a deeply personal project for her. She will be performing without a fee, and she is also able to provide the necessary art work and templates for your publicity and programmes.
If your City of Sanctuary organisation would like the opportunity to raise funds as part of this tour, you would need to find a venue with decent capacity (over 100 or ideally 150) and a grand piano. If you cannot find a venue for free, the costs would have to be paid for through the sale of tickets. Margaret herself has extensive networks and may be able to help with finding a venue. This could also be an opportunity to work with the venue to become an Arts Venue of Sanctuary through the Sanctuary Award scheme. Margaret’s time is free and she’s happy to be hosted by people from the local group and would only need her train fare.
Please contact either Margaret [email protected] or Ben Margolis [email protected]