The Power of Dreaming

Listen Here…

Artist Information

Dominic Piers Smith was the winner of the Yamaha and Pianist Magazine’s second ‘Pianists competition for Outstanding Amateurs’ at the end of 2007. As part of his award he performed at the Royal Festival Hall in February 2009 with the LPO, playing Rachmaninov’s 2nd Piano Concerto. He received a standing ovation and excellent critical comment for his performance.

Dominic started piano at age 6. When he was 8 he won a scholarship to study at the Trinity College of Music in London where he continued until A- levels. During this time he performed regularly as a soloist and accompanist and won many awards for performance, including the Billy Mayerl Jazz Bursary. The culmination of his musical studies during his school career was his performance of the Tchaikovsky Second Piano Concerto at the Royal Academy of Music. Since then he has performed at Southwark Cathedral, Wigmore Hall, the Edinburgh Festival, St John’s Smith Square and Cadogan Hall.

Dominic Smith is a remarkable young man, who when he isn’t playing the piano can be found leading an aerodynamic design group for the Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One team. Music took a back seat while he studied Aeronautics at Imperial College, later collaborating with the Ferrari Formula One team and then progressing to aerodynamicist for the American Indy Racing League cars. His first design won the prestigious Indianapolis 500 at the hands of Juan Pablo Montoya and Dominic then spent 7 years with Honda before helping Brawn GP design the car that won Jenson Button the world Formula One Championship last year.

The Mercedes GP Petronas team have high expectations for their 2010 car – the season restarts in March, together with their new driver, seven times world champion, Michael Schumacher. Whatever happens this year in the GP world, Dominic and Mercedes are sure to be at the forefront.

Production Information

This debut CD was recorded late in 2008 with support from both Yamaha and Honda GP. Comprising two discs – one of Chopin and one of Liszt, the repertoire features both familiar and lesser known pieces of varying degrees of complexity, which ably demonstrate Dominic’s musicality and tremendous talent.

The CD booklet contains detailed notes on the featured composers and works written by Robert Matthew-Walker, editor of Musical Opinion Magazine.

Repertoire Information

CD1 Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)

1. Fantaisie-Impromptu in C sharp minor Opus 66 (1834)

2. Etude in C sharp minor Opus 25 No 7 (1836)

3. Etude in C minor Opus 10 No 12 ‘Revolutionary’ (c.1831)

4. Nocturne in F sharp major Opus 15 No 2 (c.1831)

5. Waltz in A minor Opus 34 No 2 (1831)

6. Ballade No 4 in F minor Opus 52 (1842)

7. Mazurka in A minor Opus 17 No 4 (c.1833)

8. Andante Spianato et Grande Polonaise Brillante Opus 22 (final version, 1834)

CD2 Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

1. Hungarian Rhapsody No 1 in C sharp minor S 244 (1846)

2. Widmung (Dedication): Liederbearbeitung von Robert Schumann (Song transcription after Robert Schumann) S 566 (1848)

3. La Campanella S 140 No 3 (1838-9)

4. Six Consolations S 172 (1844-48)

5. Etudes d’exécution transcendente (Twelve Transcendental Studies) S 139 (1851) – No 12, Chasse-neige

6. Etudes d’exécution transcendente – No 4, Mazeppa

The disc is released commercially for the first time via MMC Recordings and distributed in the UK by RSK Entertainment.