For his debut album, Irish violinist Patrick Rafter and pianist Fiachra Garvey have chosen repertoire by Belgian and French composers, including two great violin sonatas – Ravel’s famous G major work, and the fabulous but neglected G major sonata by Guillaume Lekeu, whose tragically early death at the age of 24 surely robbed us of a great composer. The great Belgian violinist and composer Ysaye’s seldom heard Poeme Elegiaque and Lili Boulanger’s (who died at only 22 years) Nocturne complete this attractive recital. Patrick has performed alongside Maxim Vengerov and Schlomo Mintz, Barry Douglas and John O’Conor, Semyon Bychkov, Sir Mark Elder, Marin Alsop and Gianandrea Noseda