Ilker Arcayürek tenor
Simon Lepper piano

The French composers in this programme matched eloquent native poetry to exquisite melodies. Fauré, for instance, was able to enhance the verse of Prudhomme and Leconte de Lisle, while Reynaldo Hahn applied his considerable song-writing gifts to Verlaine’s ‘D’une prison’.

Austrian tenor Ilker Arcayürek, is one of BBC Radio 3’s New Generation Artists for 2015–17. In 2016 he won, together with pianist Fiona Pollak, the Hugo Wolf Competition. They were the first duo ever to do so. He also explores Lieder by Brahms and Schumann in this special concert.