BRADFORD International Chamber Concerts have moved to their new home in the handsomely refurbished St George's Hall. The new season opened in fine style last Friday with a recital given by Stephen Kovacevich. The illustrious American pianist is now in his 80th year and recalls playing concertos with Sir John Barbirolli and the Halle in this historic hall back in the 1960s.

Kovacevich has long been renowned as a chamber music performer. He has collaborated with many of the greatest artists of the past fifty years including Jacqueline du Pre, Martha Argerich, Steven Isserlis and Nigel Kennedy. As a conductor and pianist he is particularly associated with the music of Beethoven, Schubert and Brahms. All three featured in this St George's Hall recital, bookended by JS Bach and opening with a stylistically crisp account of the Prelude and Fugue in C sharp minor. Kovacevich then changed the order of the published programme bringing forward Beethoven's late Piano Sonata in E major Op 109. This is an unconventional work, mainly due to the theme and variations finale, the heart and soul of the piece.

The pianist's relaxed introductions to a trio of Brahms pieces set the scene for the Ballad No 4 in D minor, Intermezzo No 1 in B minor and the Capricio in D minor. Kovacevich captured the introspective quality of the intermezzo with its very soft dynamic marking scrupulously observed.

Schubert's Sonata in B flat D960 occupied the second half. Kovacevich brings wisdom, insight and a haunting song-like quality to this great farewell written in the last months of the composer's brief life. The audience would not let the maestro go without an encore: he duly obliged with the Sarabande from JS Bach's Partita No 4.

The clear acoustic and the intimacy of St George's undoubtedly provides an attractive natural environment for the chamber music concerts.

Geoffrey Mogridge