Extraordinary pianist Diana Brekalo presented her second CD in this year, “Sonata for Pianoforte” by Christopher Gunning, in London, on 12 December 2015. Christopher Gunning, world famous composer, outhor of music for the films Grace Kelly, La Vie en Rose, Firelight and for the TV series Poirot, four time BAFTA Aword winner (Britisch Academy of Film and Television Arts), in the CD booklet has written that he was impressed by Diana’s performances of contemporary music, which inspired him to write for her a piano piece “wich would explore her extraordinary technique and musicianship”.

Five movements Sonata for Fortepiano is conceptually challenging piano piece with rational structure, but overcome by composer’ ingenious musicality, which whole piece has elevated to a high artistic level, developing each initial idea to its fullness.

Diana’s performance is excellent with impeccable technique and dynamic. She performes technically demanding sections with lightness and brings each theme clearly with dynamic and nuances,
following development of the piece with great musicality.

Erste CD With 24 Nocturnes

The Diana’s album, titled “24 Nocturnes Opus N” , presented in Stuttgart in October 2015. has been well received with remarkable resonance. “The music pieces titeled Nocturnes represent night, and “they are reminiscent of a difficult times” said composer Hubertus Schwinge on the presentation of that CD. After hearing Diana’s performances of his nocturnes, Hubertus Schwinge, excited by her poetic nterpretation, immediately wanted Diana Brekalo to record a album with all his 24 nocturnes.

Promotion of Croatian Composers

With release of these two albums Diana Brekalo finished this successful year. In 2015 Diana performed also two world premieres, “Sonata for Pianoforte” by Christopher Gunning in the church in Notting Hill Gate in March, and “Sonata oubliée” or “Forgotten Sonata” by Milko Kelemen, Croatian and world leading avant garde composer. Performance of Kelemen’s Sonata took place on 19 May, in the center of London, in the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, under the high patronage of the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Diana Brekalo shone in full light and won the audience. After the concert the people in long queues waited for her autograph.

The Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was the patron of the second Brekalo’s great concert in London, held on 22 January at Rosslyn Hill Chapel in Hampstead. Diana Brekalo performed piano pieces by Croatian composers Ivo Josipovic and Mladen Tarbuk. It was a benefit concert, held for charitable purpose, directed to rebuild the library at Primary School in Gunja, badly damaged by last year’s flooding.
At the same concert Diana Brekalo performed together with her international Trio Solarek and the mezzo-soprano Mae Heidron.

Clara Schumann

This year was also for Brekalo characterized by great composer and pianist Clara Schumann. Diana Brekalo performed Clara’s piano concerto, Op 7, in A Minor, with the Symphonic Orchestra of the Stuttgart Orchesterverein in front of two thousand spectators at Beethoven Hall, in famous Liederhalle Concert Complex in Stuttgart.

The second concert connected with Clara Schumann, Diana Brekalo performed on 4. December 2015 at the National Museum in Stuttgart together with her sister Dolores Brekalo, master of history and science of music. Diana played works by Clara and Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms, and Dolores Brekalo masterfully guided through their works. Diana performed on a Double Piano, called Pleyel, from the 19th century, set as an exhibit in the museum. The construction of the double piano Pleyel requires a special piano playing technique and Diana Brekalo had master it , offering an unique experience for the audience because they could exiperience how the piano music had sounded at the time of the great romantics. For the sensitive and virtuoso performance Diana Brekalo received a big applause and standing ovations.