PROGRAMME
Catch their performances at: http://vickersbovey.co.uk/media/
Biography
Vickers Bovey Duo’s performances have been described as ‘beautifully effortless’ (Mark Eden) and ‘with truly uncanny unanimity’ (The Daily Telegraph). Julian and Dan first met studying at Birmingham Conservatoire and are currently studying towards a joint Masters at the Royal Academy of Music, London.
Winners of multiple awards, including IGF’s young artist scheme in 2014, the duo have performed extensively around the UK, including at Kings Place (London Guitar Festival), The Sage (North-East Guitar Festival), Bath Guitar Festival, Shrewsbury Guitar Festival, Symphony Hall (Birmingham), Frome Festival and The Forge (Camden). Upcoming concerts include recitals at Wigmore Hall, Colston Hall (Bristol) and a return to Birmingham Conservatoire.
United by a love of new and contemporary music, the duo have commissioned and premiered numerous works, including a first performance of Joe Cutler’s Everyday Music at London Guitar Festival in 2014. The duo also have a long term collaboration with Ryan Probert, whose transfixing large scale works Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji and Eight Views of the Four Seasons have been performed over thirty times, in concert halls, libraries, factories and schools. The complete set of Ryan’s Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fujiwill form the duo’s debut CD release, to be released in January 2016.
Julian and Dan’s studies are made possible with substantial grants from Help Musicians UK, Blythe Watson Charitable Trust and the Countess of Munster Postgraduate Awards, with Julian receiving further assistance from the Prince Philip Trust Fund and RBWM Arts Fund.
The concert audience enjoyed the innovation they showed in their transcriptions of works by Albéniz and Granados…most sensitively played. (Vickers Bovey) provided a second half full of intrigue and innuendo, (before) an enchanting encore. They will be very welcome back in Leamington. Rating 9/10.
Clive Peacock, The Leamington Courier, December 2014. Full review here.
‘…Julian Vickers and Dan Bovey (also former NYGE alumni) on the Young Artist Platform. Wonderful musicianship and exciting playing and a great taster for the main event that evening. I particularly enjoyed the Vickers Bovey performance of Pierre Petit’s Toccata and Joe Cutler’s Every Day Music, which was given its World Premiere’.
Gerald Garcia, October 2014. See the full review on Gerald’s blog here.
‘Ryan Probert’s 36 Views of Mt Fuji (of which we heard 10 or so) were more charmingly Satie-like in their oddity, and played with truly uncanny unanimity by guitarists Julian Vickers and Daniel Bovey’.
Ivan Hewett, The Daily Telegraph, July 2014. See the full review here.
‘Ryan Probert’s 36 views of Mount Fuji were given a beautiful and delicate performance by the Vickers-Bovey Guitar Duo, both composer and performers are ones to watch’.
Sean Clancy, April 2014.
‘My favourite was probably Riversong. I thought you both captured the quixotic lyricism beautifully, creating a placid pulse which allowed the music to eddy without loss of forward-motion. A balance which Stephen’s gestural style doesn’t always make it easy to achieve, as I know from playing the harpsichord music.’ Michael Maxwell Steer, April 2014.
‘Julian Vickers and Daniel Bovey are obviously extraordinary players individually, but as a duo they are exceptional. They displayed an astonishing range of tone colours, rhythmic precision, meticulous attention to detail and watchful interplay’.
Peter Thomas, November 2013. The full review for the Newport and Market Drayton Advertiser can be seen here:
‘One of the most exciting guitar duos I have recently heard. They have beautifully effortless techniques, musicality in abundance, and that special ingredient that makes them stand out… originality!’
Mark Eden, June 2013.