This was our programme of Concerts
2010-2011
Sebastian Stanley
piano
Saturday, 25th September 2010
7.45pm
PROGRAMME
Haydn Fantasie in C major
Schubert Sonata in B flat major D. 960
Mompou Variations on a Theme of Chopin
Wagner/Liszt Isoldes Liebestod
Liszt Tarantella
This young pianist has not long graduated with distinction from the Royal College of Music, Advanced PGDip and has been working recently with the guidance of Christopher Elton, Head of Keyboard Studies at The Royal Academy of Music. He is currently pursuing both a performing and teaching career and we had the pleasure of welcoming him with Jonathan Parkin on the clarinet in 2009. Sebastian has performed as a soloist in the USA, Germany and in over 80 venues all over the UK and is the winner of several prizes including the Chappell Medal at the Royal College of Music (2006), the London Emanuel Trophy (2007).
Sebastian has been accepted as one of the 24 finalists in the world renowned International Scottish Piano Competition in Glasgow to be held in September 2010. He has already released two commercial CD's with another to follow later this year.
Timothy Orpen and John Reid
clarinet & piano
Saturday, 23rd October 2010
7.45pm
PROGRAMME
Mozart ......................Violin Sonata No.26 in Bb major K.378 (arr. for Clarinet & Piano)
Widmann ...................Fantasie for Clarinet Solo
Schumann .................Fantasiestucke for Clarinet and Piano, op.73
Reinecke ...................Sonata 'Undine' Op.167 for Clarinet and Piano
Milhaud .....................Scaramouche Op.165b
Since winning the Gold Medal and overall First Prize in the Royal Overseas League Music Competition in 2005, Timothy has established himself as one of the leading clarinettists of his generation. Described by The Times as a 'blazing talent', he has performed as a soloist across Europe and at the Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall and with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. As a chamber musician he has collaborated with numerous quartets including the Allegri and Barbirolli, other musicians and singers. Timothy is also a teacher of clarinet at the Wells Cathedral School. Last year he was appointed co-principal clarinet of the London Chamber Orchestra by Christopher Warren-Green and has perfomed with many of the UK's leading orchestras, including the The Philharmonia, BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta and the London Symphony Orchestra. Timothy is the principal clarinet and founder member of the Aurora Orchestra, now in their 5th season, with whom he has performed the John Adams' Clarinet Concerto Gnarly Buttons.
John Ried studied at Clare College, Cambridge and at the Royal Academy of Music with Michael Dussek. A regular visitor to festivals and music clubs, in recent seasons he has given recitals at the Wigmore Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Purcell Room; and abroad at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam. He has worked with contemporary music groups Radius and Ossian Ensemble, and is a principal of the Aurora Orchestra. Winner of many awards including the Kathleen Ferrier and Maggie Teyte Accompaniment Prizes.
Jack Gibbons
piano
Saturday, 27th November 2010
7.45pm
PROGRAMME
Programme to include Gibbons' unique reconstructions (from 78's and piano rolls) of Gershwin's breathtaking show-tune improvisations including the concert-hall masterpiece Rhapsody in Blue. The concert will also feature extra items including Gibbons' own music recently premiered at New York's Carnegie Hall.
Jack Gibbons has established a remarkable reputation as one of the finest pianists of his generation, and one of the world's greatest interpreters of the piano music of George Gershwin. His concerts are regularly received with standing ovations at New York's Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Centre and at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, where he has appeared annually for the last 16 years.
At the age of 20, Jack won First Prize in the Newport International Pianoforte Competition, his performance of Beethoven's Fourth piano Concerto being described by the jury as 'masterly' Twenty years ago he gave the first all-Gershwin concert in London and was then invited to meet the Gershwin family in New York. He has been feted on both sides of the Atlantic for his 'remarkable recreation of Gershwin's unique keyboard style' as noted by Gershwin's biographer, Edward Jablonski. He has recently returned to composing mainly songs and choral works. His recordings have also received numerous awards and commendations.
Micaela Schmitz & Cathryn Dew
harpsichord and recorder
Saturday, 29th January 2011
7.45pm
Adams' Grammar School Library
PROGRAMME
Coffee Cabaret
The programme includes four sonatas for recorder and continuo by Teleman as well as other works by Teleman and Bach family
Micaela Schmitz (originally from the US) specialises in early keyboard instruments, including harpsichord, fortepiano and clavichord. She earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York and spent two years at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. As a soloist she has received acclaim for her performance of Bach's Goldberg variations. She edits 'Harpsichord and Fortepiano', conducts children's choirs, gives workshops and works at 'Making Music West Midlands.
Cathryn Dew read music at the University of York, where she continued her studies into the performance of 17th Century instrumental music, completing a DPhil in 1999. Cathryn runs the education programme at the National Centre for Early Music, conducts youth choirs and sometimes performs with the Yorkshire Baroque Soloists.
Atrium Quartet
string quartet
Alexey Naumenko - violin
Anton Ilyunin - violin
Dimitry Pitulko - viola
Anna Gorelova - cello
Saturday, 5th March 2011
7.45pm
PROGRAMME
Beethoven Quartet in A minor Op.132
Tschaikovsky Quartet in D Op.11
Arensky Quartet No.2 in A minor Op.35
The Atrium String Quartet rose to international prominence in April 2003 when they won First Prize in the London International String Quartet Competition. Founded in 2000 at the St. Petersburg Conservatoire, their first success came in 2001 in Moscow at the 6th International Competition of String Quartets by Shostakovich when they won second prize. At the 3rd International Chamber Music Competition in Weimar they won Second Prize. They have recorded for EMI Classics and have since toured Europe, United States and last year Japan, where they were immediately booked for a return visit in 2010-11
Atrium Quartet Official Website
Victoria Simonsen & Marisa Gupta
cello and piano
Saturday, 26th March 2011
7.45pm
PROGRAMME
Debussy Sonata for Cello and Piano in D minor
Boulanger Trois Morceaux Pour Piano
Faure Sonata No.2 in G minor Op.117
Messiaen 'Louange a l'Eternite de Jesus' from 'Quatuor pour la fin du temps'
(Quartet for the End of Time)
Poulenc Sonata
Victoria Simonsen was born in Auckland, New Zealand, but moved to the UK to undertake postgraduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music. She has won many awards including New Zealand Young Musician of the Year, the Barbirolli Cello Prize and the Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians. She was a Section Principal Cellist of the Orchestra of Opera North as well as a member of the Barbirolli Quartet for six years
Marisa Gupta was born in America of Thai and Indian parentage. A versatile musician who in November 2009 premiered the works for solo piano of the Catalan composer Frederico Mompou. She has performed as a solo and chamber musician at many UK and European venues. At present she is pursuing doctoral studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and has recently been appointed at Pianist in Residence at the University of Huddersfield.