FEBRUARY 22nd THURSDAY
PIANO, CELLO AND VIOLIN RECITAL
Glen Inanga, Dequan Smith and John McLaughlin Williams
Grammy Award-winning Conductor and Violinist John McLaughlin Williams has been an integral part of Cayman Arts Festival since its inception, gracing events in 2004. CAF is delighted to welcome him back for a special performance, this time alongside one of the most promising talents to emerge from our after-school program, cellist Dequan Smith, who is now pursuing his studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
This event beautifully encapsulates the past, present, and future of Cayman Arts Festival, where the rich history of the festival harmoniously blends with the boundless potential of our young musicians. Accompanied on the piano by our co-founder and Artistic Director, Glen Inanga, this promises to be an extraordinary evening of music and inspiration.
John McLaughlin Williams detailed bio can be found here.
https://www.momentumartists.com/artist-roster/john-mclaughlin-williams/
Twenty-one year-old Dequan Smith started his cello playing career in 2016 at a Cayman Arts Festival Summer Camp when he was 13 years old and was immediately hooked on the cello. His musicianship developed quickly and in 2019, Dequan won the Cayman ‘Young Musician of the Year’ competition. That same year, he won a British Ministry of Education Music scholarship to Wells Cathedral School, one of five specialist music schools in the UK. At Wells, Dequan led the cello section of the school’s symphony orchestra and was awarded a distinction for his cello diploma. In March 2022, he represented the Cayman islands as a finalist in the ‘Young Musician of the Caribbean’ competition in the Dominican Republic.
Dequan has performed several times in Cayman. His concerts include a performance in 2022 at the Cayman Islands Baptist Church in Savannah, where he performed Brahms and Bruch with Korean pianist Sejin Yoon, as well as a concert in September 2023. when he performed with pianist Adam Heron at the John Gray Performance Centre playing works by Bach, Beethoven and Brahms.
The young Caymanian is currently a student at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland where he is in his second year of a Cello Performance degree. At the Royal Conservatoire, he has performed in several orchestral and chamber concerts.
Venue: Harquail Theatre
Time: 7:00pm
Tickets: US$ 40 (adults), US$ 15 (students)
For more information please contact us at 922-5550 or [email protected].