Festival 2024

Nadine Benjamin and Jan Karl Rautio make perfect musical partners at the Thaxted Festival

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Thaxted Festival 2024 [1] – Liszt, Hall, Verdi, Puccini: Nadine Benjamin (soprano), Jan Karl Rautio (piano). Thaxted Parish Church, Essex, 22.6.2024. (CC)

Nadine Benjamin and Jan Karl Rautio after their recital at Thaxted © Bertille Cascio

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Francesca Tiburzi a striking and memorable Tosca at The Grange Festival 2024

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom The Grange Festival 2024 – Puccini, Tosca: Soloists, The Grange Festival Chorus (chorus master: William Vann), The Grange Festival Children’s Chorus (chorus master: David Hall), Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra / Francesco Cilluffo (conductor). The Grange, Hampshire 21.6.2024. (CK)

The Grange Festival 2024 Tosca – Andrés Presno (Cavaradossi) © Craig Fuller

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Garsington Opera’s new A Midsummer Night’s Dream, though atmospheric, lacks an overall concept

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Garsington Opera 2024 [3] – Britten, A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Soloists, Garsington Opera Youth Company, Philharmonia Orchestra / Douglas Boyd (conductor). Garsington Opera at Wormsley, 21.6.2024. (CR)

Lucy-Crowe (Tytania) and Richard Burkhard (Bottom) © Craig Fuller

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Outstanding music-making in the opening concert of Chicago’s 2024 Grant Park Music Festival 

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United StatesUnited States Grant Park Music Festival [1] – Elgar, Holst: Christian Tetzlaff (violin), Lauren Decker (contralto), Grant Park Music Festival Chorus and Orchestra / Carlos Kalmar (conductor). Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park, Chicago, 15.6.2024. (JLZ)

Carlos Kalmar conducts contralto Lauren Decker in Holst’s The Cloud Messenger © Charles Osgood

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Haydn’s The Seasons in Dresden had an essentially sunlit disposition

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GermanyGermany Dresden Music Festival 2024 [11] – Haydn, The Seasons (Die Jahreszeiten): Lina Johnson (soprano, Hanne), Tilman Lichdi (tenor, Lukas), Matthias Winckhler (bass-baritone, Simon), La Capella Nacional de Catalunya, Le Concert des Nations / Jordi Savall (conductor). Kulturpalast Dresden, 30.5.2024. (MC)

[front l-r] Lina Johnson (soprano), Jordi Savall (conductor), Tilman Lichdi (tenor), and Matthias Winckhler (baritone) © Oliver Killig

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At Dresden’s Frauenkirche soprano Jeanine De Bique soared to great heights

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Dresden Music Festival 2024 [10] – ‘Mirrors’ (music by Handel, Graun, Vinci, Telemann, Broschi): Jeanine De Bique (soprano), Concerto Köln / Evgeny Sviridov (concertmaster). Frauenkirche, Dresden, 29.5.2024. (MC)

Jeanine De Bique (soprano) and Concerto Köln © Stephan Floss

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Hooray for Hollywood and highly satisfying Tchaikovsky from Hope, Vogler and the DSO Berlin in Dresden

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GermanyGermany Dresden Music Festival 2024 [9] – Price, Rózsa, Williams, Rózsa and Tchaikovsky: Daniel Hope (violin), Jan Vogler (cello), Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin / Anna Rakitina (conductor). Frauenkirche, Dresden, 28.5.2024. (MC)

Daniel Hope (violin), Jan Vogler (cello), Anna Rakitina (conductor) and DSO Berlin © Oliver Killig

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