Concert October 31 and Novembre 1, 2026, 5:00 PM. Cello and piano

The long 2026 concert season at the William Walton Foundation will conclude at La Mortella Gardens this coming weekend, October 31 – November 1, with a violin and piano recital by the duo Scholtes-Novi.

This year has been particularly significant for us, as we commemorated the centenary of Lady Walton’s birth through numerous events and initiatives dedicated to her memory and cultural legacy. Every young musician who participated in La Mortella’s 2026 concert season dedicated a piece to her; the duo closing the season will likewise pay tribute to Lady Walton by performing William Walton’s “Two Pieces” for violin and piano, alongside a work by the Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla - a nod to Lady Walton’s country of origin, Argentina.

Violinist Clara Scholtes began her musical training in Munich and Barcelona, continuing her studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington under the guidance of E. Nagora, M. Wolf, R. Castro Pego, and M. Fuks. She is currently refining her craft with Lorenza Borrani at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole. She has toured Europe with the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, has been a permanent member of the Bayerisches Staatsorchester in Munich since 2020, serves as an associate member of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, and is a regular guest with Spira Mirabilis. She has performed at prestigious festivals - including the Zermatt Music Festival (Switzerland), Orford Musique (Canada), and the Isaac Albéniz Festival (Spain) - has won numerous competitions, and has recorded for the NAXOS label. From 2014 to 2018, she was a scholarship recipient of the German foundation Cusanuswerk.

Pianist Irene Novi began her studies at the Cherubini Conservatory in Florence under S. Bigongiari, later honing her craft with P. De Maria at the Fiesole School of Music and with C. Martinez-Mehner at the Hochschule für Musik in Basel. She has performed extensively as both a soloist and a chamber musician, developing a specialization in the piano and violin repertoire - a focus further enriched by her work as a collaborative pianist at the Fiesole School of Music. Irene is the pianist for Trio Vox, an ensemble with which she has performed at major festivals across Italy, Switzerland, Spain, and in London. She has been a prizewinner in numerous competitions (including the Luigi Nono, Felix Mendelssohn, and Rospigliosi competitions) and has been awarded various scholarships. She also collaborates regularly with the Orchestra della Toscana and the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.

As a tribute to Lady Walton, the program includes William Walton’s “Two Pieces for Violin and Piano” – “Canzonetta” and “Scherzetto” - composed in London between 1948 and 1950. Both works are dedicated to "Vivien and Larry" - the renowned actors Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier, who were very dear friends of the Waltons. The “Canzonetta” is a remarkable, concise composition featuring a melody that evokes a 13th-century troubadour lyric, while the “Scherzetto” is a brilliant, ironic, and playful miniature.

Fondazione William Walton e La Mortella
Via Francesco Calise 45, 80075, Forio (NA)
tel.: 081-986220, 081-986237