NEW! CHORUS MASTER STEPHEN DOUGHTY IN CONVERSATION WITH ROBERT BEATTIE
01/06/2019
Stephen Doughty Tells Robert Beattie About the Work of the Belfast Philharmonic Choir
Stephen Doughty conducts the Belfast Philharmonic Choir (c) Linda Salem
The Belfast Philharmonic Choir is Northern Ireland’s only symphonic choir. I went to listen to them perform in St Anne’s Cathedral a few months ago and was impressed with the quality of the singing and the range of their repertoire. The repertoire of the choir is exceptionally varied and includes key works by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms and Bruckner. The Phil also champion new works and in 2015 they performed the world premiere of James Whitbourn’s The Seven Heavens which was written especially to commemorate the choir’s 140th anniversary.
They will be performing Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Ulster Orchestra on 7 June. I spoke to their Chorus Master Stephen Doughty about preparations for the performance and about the work of the choir more generally. Read more
NEW! MULTI-FACETED MUSICIAN JOY LISNEY IN CONVERSATION WITH ROBERT BEATTIE
30/05/2019
Joy Lisney talks to Robert Beattie
Joy Lisney (c) Krisztian Siphos
I first came across Joy Lisney at a concert in London’s Purcell Room where she performed all five Beethoven Cello Sonatas with her father, James (review click here). I was struck by the extraordinarily high level of her technical accomplishment and musicianship, and her willingness to take on such demanding repertoire at a relatively young age. Read more
NEW! Karabits Shares with Ian Lace his Impressions of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius
28/05/2019
Kirill Karabits, Chief Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, delivered a profoundly moving performance of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius on May 15th 2019 to conclude the BSO’s 2018/19 season. Following this (click here), I asked Kirill Karabits about his impressions of Elgar’s masterpiece.
Kirill Karabits
NEW! ‘MUSICAL MAGIC’: AN INTERVIEW WITH VIOLINIST HENNING KRAGGERUD
21/05/2019
Geoffrey Newman in Conversation with Henning Kraggerud
Henning Kraggerud © Robert Romic
There are few artists who convey a greater sense of communication and discovery in the concert hall than Norwegian violinist Henning Kraggerud. There is a life-enhancing glow in his appearances, and one surmises that his bountiful inspiration must come from somewhere – perhaps from a tradition that stresses experimentation and an almost Renaissance diversity in musical reach. Kraggerud is not only a beautifully fine-toned and sensitive violin soloist and chamber musician, but a devoted educator, a play/direct specialist, a (sometimes) violist and a composer. Read more
NEW! CONDUCTOR THOMAS SANDERLING IN CONVERSATION WITH GREGOR TASSIE
04/05/2019
Thomas Sanderling talks to Gregor Tassie
Thomas Sanderling
YOUNG RUSSIAN PIANIST ALEXANDRA DOVGAN TALKS TO GREGOR TASSIE
25/04/2019
Alexandra Dovgan in conversation with Gregor Tassie
Gregor Tassie with Alexandra Dovgan (c) Sergei Dovgan
The eleven-year-old Alexandra Dovgan was honoured by opening the Ninth Rakhlin International Music Festival in Kazan playing Mendelssohn’s First Piano Concerto together with Alexander Sladkovsky’s outstanding Tatarstan National Symphony Orchestra, an event (review click here) which I attended together with journalists from Israel, St Petersburg, and Moscow. Read more
CONDUCTOR PIETARI INKINEN IN CONVERSATION WITH GREGOR TASSIE
13/04/2019
Pietari Inkinen talks to Gregor Tassie
Pietari Inkinen (c) Nguyen Phuong Thao
The Finnish conductor Pietari Inkinen started playing the violin and piano at four years and entered the Sibelius Music Academy graduating in violin studies (2003) and in conducting (2005) after which he studied with Zakhar Bron in Germany. He formed his own Piano Trio – the Inkinen Trio, and also performed in a rock band in Helsinki. He decided to devote his career to conducting and his first position was as chief conductor of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (2008-2015). Inkinen recorded all the Sibelius symphonies for Naxos with the NZSO. In April 2019 the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra under Pietari Inkinen are touring Europe in programmes reflecting both the central repertoire and music from the Far East and from Inkinen’s homeland. Read more
NEW! Adrian Partington Introduces the 2019 Three Choirs Festival in Conversation with John Quinn
23/03/2019
2019 Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester
In remarks accompanying the pathfinder prospectus for the 2019 Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester the Artistic Director, Adrian Partington, commented: ‘Themes and anniversaries aren’t necessarily the best influences on successful programmes.’ I wouldn’t disagree, but even so, it’s surely appropriate that the highly attractive 2019 Festival programme, which has now been launched in full, reflects one or two notable anniversaries. This year the Festival will run from 26 July to 3 August. Read more
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