Join us on Saturday, February 6 at 2:00 pm for a performance by British pianist Tom Hicks. The program, titled Fantasies and Dreams, features works by Mozart, Chopin, Robert Schumann, and a world premiere by Edward Hart.
“Leave always wandering the fantasy,
the pleasure is always elsewhere:
and is dissolved, only to touch, sweet,
as bubbles when rain hits.
Let her then wander, her, the winged,
for thinking that front yet, in it extends.
Opens you the door to the cage of the mind,
and, you will see, it will launch flying into the sky.”
— John Keats
Program
| Composer | Work | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Fantasia in C minor, K. 475 | 1785 |
| Frédéric Chopin | Two Nocturnes, Op. 62 | 1846 |
| Edward Hart | A Lunar Cycle | 2026 |
| Frédéric Chopin | Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Op. 60 | 1846 |
| Intermission | ||
| Robert Schumann | Fantasie in C major, Op. 17 | 1836 |
About the Artist
Tom Hicks
Hailed as an artist of “magnificent pianism” with an “engaging personality,” Guernsey-born pianist Tom Hicks has been praised for his “brilliantly evocative” (International Piano) and “gorgeously creative playing” (Fanfare). A Yamaha Artist with an expansive repertoire, he has performed at major venues including London’s Wigmore Hall and Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, and has appeared as concerto soloist over 60 times, including complete cycles of the Rachmaninoff and Brahms Piano Concertos.
Hicks’ discography has garnered wide acclaim. His 2019 debut CD, featuring works by John Ireland and Tchaikovsky, was supported by the John Ireland Charitable Trust and praised by major publications. In 2022, he released two more albums: Liszt and Ireland Piano Sonatas (Divine Art), which was named Critics’ Choice 2022 by American Record Guide, and Blue Sounds (Métier), featuring music by Camden Reeves. Critics have noted his “playing of consistent excellence” and “fluidity, authority, and musicality.” He also appears on Augusta Read Thomas’ Grammy-nominated album for Nimbus Records.
In August 2025, Divine Art released Chopin: The Complete Nocturnes, lauded as “fresh, individual, and truly authentic.” It has earned a Supersonic Award from Pizzicato alongside reviews describing “the most impressive interpretations possible.” James Harrington (Fanfare) says that “this recording now occupies the top position of my list for the complete Nocturnes.”
A passionate chamber musician, Hicks has performed masterworks of the repertoire such as the Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, and Dvořák piano quintets and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring on two pianos, alongside championing underrepresented works like Rebecca Clarke’s Piano Trio and Amy Beach’s Violin Sonata. He has worked with esteemed musicians, including Boris Berman, Ralph Kirshbaum, Ilya Kaler, Michael Klotz, and Yuriy Bekker.
Hicks studied with Murray McLachlan, Boris Berman, and James Giles, earning a Doctorate of Musical Arts from Northwestern University. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including the Gold Medal Award and Peter Frankl Piano Prize (RNCM), as well as major awards from Yale, Northwestern, and Manchester University.
In 2019, Hicks launched the Fanny Davies International Piano Series in Guernsey, presenting recitals and masterclasses by renowned pianists. He has taught at Yale, Northwestern, and Whitman College, and is currently Assistant Professor of Piano, Director of the Piano Area, and Artistic Director of the International Piano Series at the College of Charleston.
About the Concert
The performance begins at 2:00 pm. If you like, come an hour earlier for our pre-concert discussion (afternoon concerts only). After the performance, you’ll have an opportunity to meet the artist(s) and learn about their backgrounds and career plans.
The address of the venue is 103 North Road, Wakefield, Rhode Island 02879. Driving time from Providence, Newport, Westerly, and southeastern Connecticut is under an hour, and Amtrak’s Kingston Station is only five miles away.
The suggested contribution for this concert is $40 per person, collected at the door. We accept cash, personal checks, and cards. Checks should be payable to “Core Memory Music”. All contributions go directly to our performing artists. To make your contribution in advance, click here.
Children under 18 are welcome to join us free of charge.
If you’d like to attend this concert, send us an email with the full name of each person in your party and we’ll confirm your reservation. If you can’t attend the concert, we invite you to listen to the audio livestream (no reservation required).