Aimee Banks and Kalle Peura voice and piano

programme will include Puccini and a selection of songs by Irish, English and American composers.

Artists

Kalle Peura - piano

After being introduced to the piano by his father, Kalle Peura started taking piano lessons at the age of 13. Initial interest in Blues and Jazz was quickly replaced with a passion for classical music, after being introduced to the music of Chopin. His first teacher, a former concert pianist from Georgia, started preparing him for formal studies, which he began at the Helsinki Conservatory of Music. From there the journey continued via the Academy of Music and Opera at MDH in Västerås, Liceu Conservatory in Barcelona, finally ending in post-grad studies at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, where Peura has been an active member of the student faculty since September of 2021.

 In his recitals, Peura combines the most known cornerstones of Classical repertoire with lesser known composers, whose music often strongly relates to dance, Jazz and the Blues. In the same recital you might hear the likes of Bach, Beethoven and Chopin paired with Afro-Cuban dances by Lecuona, folk-dance inspired sonatas of Schulhoff and Blues pieces by Martinu.

He is also an active chamber music performer and during his pianistic career he has taken part in over 30 different ensembles, ranging from piano sextets to Lied-duos. In August 2022 he will launch his new trio in Finland, Trio PAUHA, with a tour of eight concerts.

Peura has competition success under his belt as well. He has been a finalist at the Helsinki Lied competition in 2015 and the Maura Dowdall competition in Dublin in 2022. At the international chamber music competition of the Ceren Necipoglu Festival in Istanbul in 2020, he and his trio were awarded the first prize of the competition, in addition to being lauded as the best pianist taking part in it.

Peura has had the opportunity to study with highly accomplished pianists in four different countries. His Master’s studies were performed in the piano class of the esteemed professor Stanislav Pochekin, and his post grad studies are taking place in Dublin with the guidance of the international concert pianist Lance Coburn. In addition Peura has taken part in many master classes, getting personal tutoring from the likes of Barry Douglas, Simon Crawford-Phillips, Nino Gvetadze, Alexei Ljubimov, Liisa Pohjola, Erik T. Tawaststjerna, Juhani Lagerspetz and Ivo Kahánek.

Aimee Banks - soprano

Aimee Banks is a 21 year old soprano from Galway, Ireland.

She is currently pursuing her Bachelors of Music Performance under the tutelage of Kathleen Tynan, Head of Opera and Vocal Studies and répétiteur Grainne Dunne at The Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin. She has attended Masterclasses with Ricardo Tamura, Stefania Dohvan, Mark Sampson, Bruno Caproni and Julian Evans, Imelda Drumm and Della Jones.

An award-winning vocalist Aimee currently holds a number of vocal titles and has been awarded First Prize in the Junior Class of The Charles Wood International Song Competition, The Irene Sandford Award and Bursary 2022, The Birr Lions Club Bursary at Birr Festival of Music 2022, The Vladimir Piontkovsky Memorial Scholarship At Saluzzo Opera Academy 2022, the Eimear Noonan Music Bursary Award 2020 and The most Promising Performer and Bursary at The Irene Sandford Award 2020.

She was a multi-award winner at Newpark Festival of Music 2023 & Dublin Feis Ceoil 2022, including the Nancy Calthorpe Memorial Cup for French Song. Aimee was also a finalist in the Gervase Elwes Competition. Aimee received a Silver Award in the 1st Vienna International Music Competition 2019, she is also the most recent Overall Junior Vocalist at Sligo Feis Ceoil.

Aimee is no stranger to solo performances and concerts and has performed in such venues as Carnegie Hall New York USA, The Norman Rockwell Museum USA, The National Concert Hall, Christchurch Cathedral and The National Gallery of Ireland.

Aimee also performs regular concerts in her hometown of Galway. She has had the honour of performing at the Irish Government’s launch of the 1916 Commemorations in Dublin’s Convention Centre, National Famine Commemoration in 2020 and has also performed at Áras an Uachtaráin for the President of Ireland Micheal D.Higgins.

Aimee debuted as the young Giordano Bruno in Roger Doyle’s Opera, 'Heresy', where she received commendation from Opera World, The Irish Times and Opera Today.

She played the roles of Amore and Damigella in Monteverdi’s L'incoronazione di Poppea at Saluzzo Opera Academy 2022, and performed the role of Damigella in RIAM Opera’s production of La liberazione di Ruggiero dall'isola d'Alcina written by Francesca Caccini.