Festivals

Amitié: friendship and camaraderie the keynotes of Romsey’s joyous Chamber Music Festival

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Various, Romsey Chamber Music Festival 2023: Laura Rickard, Luke Hsu, Emma Roijackers (violin), Coby Mendez, Sofia Silva Sousa, Sào Soulez Larivière (viola), Rainer Crosett, Lydia Hillerudh (cello), Sergio Bucheli (lute), Ziteng Fan (piano), Ensemble Renard (Ellie Blamires [flute], Francesca Cox [oboe], Holly Isherwood [clarinet], Patrick Bolton [bassoon], George Strivens [horn]). Romsey Abbey, Romsey United Reformed Church, Romsey Town Hall 30.5 – 4.6.2023. (CK)

Romsey Chamber Music Festival 2023 © Terrence Jamieson

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Laurence Equilbey’s Insula Orchestra gives a brilliant historically informed concert at Dresden’s Frauenkirche

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GermanyGermany Dresden Music Festival [5]– Mozart: Pierre Génisson (clarinet), Insula Orchestra / Laurence Equilbey (conductor), Frauenkirche, Dresden, 24.5.2023. (GT)

Conductor Laurence Equilbey and clarinettist Pierre Génisson © Oliver Killig

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The strong cast brings the more consistent personality and character to Garsington’s pared down Mitridate

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Garsington Opera 2023 [2] – Mozart, Mitridate, re di Ponto: Soloists, The English Concert / Clemens Schuldt (conductor). Garsington Opera at Wormsley, 3.6.2023. (CR)

Iestyn Davies (Farnace) and Soraya Mafi (Ismene) © Julian Guidera

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In Dresden: Nils Landgren’s R&B, funk and jazz and David Garrett’s miniatures, lollipops and encores

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GermanyGermany Dresden Music Festival 2023 [3] – 29.5.2023, Semperoper, Dresden: ‘Nils Landgren & Friends’: Nils Landgren (trombone, vocals), Viktoria Tolstoy (vocals), Ida Sand (vocals, keyboard), Joel Lyssarides (piano), Simon Oslender (Hammond organ), Wolfgang Haffner (drummer), Thomas Stieger (bass). (MC)

(l-r) Ida Sand, Nils Landgren, Wolfgang Haffner, Viktoria Tolstoy and Thomas Stieger © Oliver Killig

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Excellent singers, conductor and orchestra makes Götterdämmerung Longborough’s best Wagner yet

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Longborough Festival Opera – Götterdämmerung: Soloists, Longborough Community Chorus, Festival Chorus and Opera Orchestra / Anthony Negus (conductor). Longborough Festival Opera, Moreton-in-Marsh, 31.5.2023. (JPr)

Final scene: Lee Bisset (Brünnhilde) © Matthew Williams-Ellis

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Despite an ailing Rigoletto there is much to relish at Opera Holland Park

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Opera Holland Park 2023 [1] – Verdi, Rigoletto: Soloists, Opera Holland Park Chorus, City of London Sinfonia / Lee Reynolds (conductor). Opera Holland Park, London, 1.6.2023. (CC)

Hannah Pedley (Maddalena) and Alessandro Scotto di Luzio (Duke of Mantua) © Craig Fuller

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