Interviews – Page 9 – Seen and Heard International

Adrian Partington Introduces the 2019 Three Choirs Festival in Conversation with John Quinn

02/03/202323/03/2019 by John Quinn

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.

CONDUCTOR MAXIM EMELYANYCHEV IN CONVERSATION WITH GREGOR TASSIE

02/03/202317/03/2019 by Gregor Tassie

Maxim Emelyanychev interviewed by Gregor Tassie

When the 29-year-old Russian musician Maxim Emelyanychev was appointed Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s Principal Conductor designate last spring, many were not so surprized for the young conductor had astounded many concertgoers when he stepped in at the last moment for a SCO concert of Schubert’s ‘Great’ C major symphony. It was his lively and entertaining conducting, in addition to his relationship with his musicians, that ensured his appointment.

CHRISTOPHE ROUSSET IN CONVERSATION WITH COLIN CLARKE

02/03/202320/02/2019 by Colin Clarke

I meet Christophe Rousset in a café that is part of the Strasbourg opera complex; pop music (rap? hip-hop?) issues forth from the speakers; a stark contrast to the subject of our interview, Legrenzi’s opera La Divisione del Mondo. The interview takes place just a couple of hours prior to the last performance at Strasbourg, after which the production moves on to fresh venues.

VENEZUELAN MUSICIAN GABRIELA MONTERO IN CONVERSATION WITH GREGOR TASSIE

02/03/202311/02/2019 by Gregor Tassie

Pianist and composer Gabriela Montero interviewed by Gregor Tassie

Gabriela Montero’s brilliant music-making and her dazzling freeform arrangements of classical piano works have placed her among the most fascinating musicians in the world today. Her compositions reflect upon the stormy events of recent years in her homeland and her defence of human rights across the globe. Gabriela Montero is the first appointed Amnesty International Honorary Consul for Human Rights. Several of her compositions have won wide-spread praise together with her recordings including her Grammy award for her Ex Patria poem for piano and orchestra. In February 2019 she tours the United Kingdom for a series of concerts from Scotland through to London in which she will play the premiere of her new piece Babel with the award-winning Scottish Ensemble.

PIANIST MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN IN CONVERSATION WITH GEOFFREY NEWMAN

02/03/202314/01/2019 by Geoffrey Newman

THE GREAT CANADIAN ARTISTS: AN INTERVIEW WITH MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN

Pianist Marc-André Hamelin has emerged as one of the marvels of the twenty-first century. Few living pianists can match his transparency of articulation, rhythmic and tonal control and cunning virtuoso strength, and these characteristics are resoundingly illustrated in his recordings and concert performances of a vast range of nineteenth- and twentieth-century repertoire. His early – and indeed enduring – contribution lay in bringing technically-challenging works of lesser known and often forgotten composers to public attention, placing them on the world stage in the best light for others to absorb and study. In recent years, he has applied his interpretative and technical acumen to more mainstream literature with great success.

Ik zeg: NU: I say now, now … an interview with Richard Causton

02/03/202311/01/2019 by Claire Seymour

What do you understand by the word ‘history’? This simple question, but one which will inevitably prompt multifarious and complex responses, was the origin of the title of Richard Causton’s new orchestral work, Ik zeg: NU (which translates from Dutch as ‘I say: NOW’), which was commissioned by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and will be premiered by the orchestra and their chief conductor Sakari Oramo at the Barbican Hall later this month.

CONDUCTOR ÁDÁM FISCHER IN CONVERSATION WITH MICHAEL COOKSON

02/03/202321/12/2018 by Michael Cookson

Michael Cookson interviews Ádám Fischer

Ádám Fischer conducting the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker © Susanne Diesner

Sitting in the conductor room at the famous Semperoper, Dresden last May I interviewed conductor Ádám Fischer. In an hour’s time he would be conducting a compelling performance of Beethoven’s Fidelio directed Keith Warner (click here). I couldn’t help but contemplate on the many famous conductors who had been in the room over the years since the Semperoper’s reconstruction in 1985.

BARITONE SIMON MECHLIŃSKI IN CONVERSATION WITH ROBERT BEATTIE

02/03/202305/12/2018 by Robert Beattie

Robert Beattie interviews Simon Mechliński

The Wexford Opera Festival is famous for introducing rare, neglected and new works to the public. It also provides a forum for young performers to make their mark on the world. One such performer at this year’s Festival was 25-year-old Polish baritone, Simon Mechliński, who performed in Mercandante’s Il bravo (click here) and Donizetti’s Don Pasquale (click here).

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