Pianist Frasier to perform at recital in Belfast church

Pianist Frasier to perform at recital in Belfast church

8 October 2025

A LOCAL pianist, who is taking the classical music world by storm, is returning home to perform a recital in Belfast next month. 

Frasier Hickland (27) is a past pupil of of St Patrick’s Grammar School, Downpatrick and St Patrick’s Primary School, Ballynahinch. 

On Saturday, November 8, he will be taking to the stage in the historic Parish Church of St George alongside American soprano Rachael Heater for a celebration of English song.

The recital, entitled ’A Song in the Wood’, will feature works by composers such as Roger Quilter, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Michael Head and others, with each song being a setting of English poetry.

Frasier’s musical career has gone from strength to strength in recent years, having made his concert debut at the Royal Albert Hall in London in January with Donegal flautist Amy Gillen, which he described as “surreal” and “a dream come true”.

Since then, he has received the Danone Young Outstanding Artist Award at Wexford Festival Opera, and during the summer worked on the Italian premiere of Benjamin Britten’s opera Owen Wingrave at the Festival della Valle d’Itria and conducted an offstage ensemble with members of the Orchestra dell’Accademia Teatro alla Scala. 

He also worked with Northern Ireland Opera on their acclaimed production of Sondheim’s Follies, which featured distinguished soprano Lesley Garrett.

Tickets for the recital, which begins at 2.30pm, cost from £11.55 and are available on Eventbrite at www.eventbrite.com, search for ‘A Song In The Wood’.