April 2009
I will be conducting a full production of La Voix Humaine with Katerina Mina this September with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra.
Just finished arranging Schumann's cello concerto for violin and strings, for Anthony Marwood and the Irish Chamber Orchestra, to be premiered next week.
The following week I will play my tenth concert of Bach suites in churches, and for the first time I will give four recitals in a row in various churches in the north of England. A few weeks later I will give six recitals on consecutive nights, which I have never before attempted.
In the middle of planning an exciting season with the Royal Orchestral Society - confirmed programmes in the next posting. With concerts in St John's Smith Square the orchestra has a huge potential. I will be conducting Sibelius' wonderful 6th Symphony, Beethoven's 8th and (for the first time!) Mozart's 40th with Kew Sinfonia.
Just finished my first six weeks of rehearsal and concerts with the Philharmonia, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen and Lorin Maazel, playing fiendishly difficult repertoire. Delighted that I will now be put on the extra list.
Now starting the mammoth task of reorchestrating Auber's Fra Diavolo for Stanley Hall Opera, which will dominate my time for the next two months along with the Bach recitals.
Very pleased to hear my music used extensively on the BBC's Victorian Farm series. One day soon I will find time to do more composing.
January 2009
The first engagement of the year was a last minute one, stepping in to conduct a rehearsal of Mahler 9 with the RPO. Forthcoming conducting dates include Kew Sinfonia on the 7th February featuring my sister Juliet playing the Bartok Viola Concerto, and the Royal Orchestral Society, who have just asked me to be their principal conductor, in St John's Smith Square on the 29th March. The concert includes the wonderful soprano Katerina Mina in the Onegin letter scene and my first performance of Sibelius' 7th Symphony.
The CD of Rachmaninov Op 18 which the ECO & I recorded last year has been released and is available from Novelbond.
Cello work this month includes a tryout of a new Joseph James composition; a string quintet version of the late Beethoven piano sonatas. We are hoping to record them later this year. January finishes with my first concert playing in the cello section of the Philharmonia, and later on this year I'll be playing the Bach cello Suites in around 30 churches (details here).
October 2008
Just back from conducting the wonderful Irish Chamber Orchestra, performing with a group of fantastically talented actors in a great show put together by Liam Halligan and Lawrence Evans. The audience seemed to love it and we received standing ovations for all performances. Here's the Irish Examiner:
'Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream
A bewitching, beguiling night's theatre is the best way of describing the collaboration between Storytellers Theatre Company and the Irish Chamber Orchestra.
It was a magical experience. Right from the four chords that set the magical atmosphere of the overture to Puck's final soliloquy we were in a place apart, a place where theatrical and musical magic happened. Overall the production was remarkably inventive, and the seven actors who played the 20 roles were extraordinarily athletic, never allowing the pace to slacken. And of course, the shimmering, sensitive brilliance of the ICO's playing was a joy throughout.'
Vaughan Williams' fifth symphony is a revelation - I think I'm beginning to understand something of the feelings which drove him to write such a peaceful ending in the midst of WW2. I hope we can do it justice - 8th November, St Anne's Church, Kew Green.
The Royal Orchestral Society have invited me back to conduct their next concert which I'm hoping will be an opportunity to programme one of two symphonies which I've been longing to do for years - Sibelius 7th or Shostakovitch 10th.
I'm also working up to a cello recital in a couple of weeks and much looking forward to the 15 Bach recitals next year.
The Roman River Festival was a huge success, with audience figures substantially up on last year, and a definite mandate to progress forward with our artistic policy over the next few years.
Just back from conducting the wonderful Irish Chamber Orchestra, performing with a group of fantastically talented actors in a great show put together by Liam Halligan and Lawrence Evans. The audience seemed to love it and we received standing ovations for all performances. Here's the Irish Examiner:
'Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream
A bewitching, beguiling night's theatre is the best way of describing the collaboration between Storytellers Theatre Company and the Irish Chamber Orchestra.
It was a magical experience. Right from the four chords that set the magical atmosphere of the overture to Puck's final soliloquy we were in a place apart, a place where theatrical and musical magic happened. Overall the production was remarkably inventive, and the seven actors who played the 20 roles were extraordinarily athletic, never allowing the pace to slacken. And of course, the shimmering, sensitive brilliance of the ICO's playing was a joy throughout.'
Vaughan Williams' fifth symphony is a revelation - I think I'm beginning to understand something of the feelings which drove him to write such a peaceful ending in the midst of WW2. I hope we can do it justice - 8th November, St Anne's Church, Kew Green.
The Royal Orchestral Society have invited me back to conduct their next concert which I'm hoping will be an opportunity to programme one of two symphonies which I've been longing to do for years - Sibelius 7th or Shostakovitch 10th.
I'm also working up to a cello recital in a couple of weeks and much looking forward to the 15 Bach recitals next year.
The Roman River Festival was a huge success, with audience figures substantially up on last year, and a definite mandate to progress forward with our artistic policy over the next few years.
August 2008
It's been a manic year, partly because we've a new addition to the family which has taken up a huge amount of energy, as well as giving us many fantastic moments and a large dose of happiness.
Last week I played the 6th Bach cello Suite for the first time, in my third Cello Pilgrimage concert. The sixth suite is a vast canvas which feels like a totally different genre compared to the others. The cellist he wrote them for must have been a wonderful musician. Six more Cello Pilgrimage concerts are planned for next year and another 7 or 8 are in the pipeline, which I'm really pleased about.
I've also just finished putting together the programme for the next Roman River Festival. We've added two new events since last year and I'm really pleased with the way it has worked out.
There have been more arrangements for Sinead O'Connor, this time for the Ulster Orchestra, and I met Sinead's fantastic band for the first time.
I've also written music for two plays. The first was Martin Crimp's The Country, in a lovely theatre above a pub called The Tabard, in West London. Writing music for the theatre was like coming home again - I have been missing collaborating with the director, and I was lucky enough to be working with one of the most intelligent, sensitive and strong directors I've come across - Simon Godwin. Watch this space for future collaborations - I hope there'll be loads. The second play was Macbeth for the Central School with a memorable and talented group of actors.
Andrew Keener has finished editing the Joseph James/Rachmaninov disc which I recorded with the ECO last year. I'm really pleased with the final result and look forward to the reaction when it is released. There's already been interest from various chamber orchestras and venues about performing it.
Other inspiring moments have been working with Rohan de Saram on Boulez, Reich and a collection of unusual and imaginative new pieces for multiple cellos, brilliantly produced work by Phil Venables of Endymion who put the project together. I accompanied Linda Thompson for her performance at the QEH - a voice and personality to die for, and a dream to work with. A special moment was performing the Fantasia Concertante by Tippett or the second time with the virtuoso string orchestra Arco Strings; the piece had matured in the few months since we had first performed it.
I also organised the building of a full-size whale (around 16 metres long) from willow withies, on my local village green, as part of a local campaign to persuade people to bring their own shopping bag. The whale was filled with plastic bags to highlight marine deaths from plastic.
I'm also working on an environmental audit for the Peer Gynt Earthly Music project planned for next year. I'm hoping this could become a blueprint for other organisations who would like to lessen their environmental impact. It is very exciting that the issues that the environmental movement have been talking about are beginning to be debated in the mainstream.
Next is something I'm hugely looking forward to - working in Dublin on a Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare and Mendelssohn) with a theatre company called Storytellers, and then with the Irish Chamber Orchestra. It will be a new production which fuses the music and text together in a way which hasn't been done before.
It's been a manic year, partly because we've a new addition to the family which has taken up a huge amount of energy, as well as giving us many fantastic moments and a large dose of happiness.
Last week I played the 6th Bach cello Suite for the first time, in my third Cello Pilgrimage concert. The sixth suite is a vast canvas which feels like a totally different genre compared to the others. The cellist he wrote them for must have been a wonderful musician. Six more Cello Pilgrimage concerts are planned for next year and another 7 or 8 are in the pipeline, which I'm really pleased about.
I've also just finished putting together the programme for the next Roman River Festival. We've added two new events since last year and I'm really pleased with the way it has worked out.
There have been more arrangements for Sinead O'Connor, this time for the Ulster Orchestra, and I met Sinead's fantastic band for the first time.
I've also written music for two plays. The first was Martin Crimp's The Country, in a lovely theatre above a pub called The Tabard, in West London. Writing music for the theatre was like coming home again - I have been missing collaborating with the director, and I was lucky enough to be working with one of the most intelligent, sensitive and strong directors I've come across - Simon Godwin. Watch this space for future collaborations - I hope there'll be loads. The second play was Macbeth for the Central School with a memorable and talented group of actors.
Andrew Keener has finished editing the Joseph James/Rachmaninov disc which I recorded with the ECO last year. I'm really pleased with the final result and look forward to the reaction when it is released. There's already been interest from various chamber orchestras and venues about performing it.
Other inspiring moments have been working with Rohan de Saram on Boulez, Reich and a collection of unusual and imaginative new pieces for multiple cellos, brilliantly produced work by Phil Venables of Endymion who put the project together. I accompanied Linda Thompson for her performance at the QEH - a voice and personality to die for, and a dream to work with. A special moment was performing the Fantasia Concertante by Tippett or the second time with the virtuoso string orchestra Arco Strings; the piece had matured in the few months since we had first performed it.
I also organised the building of a full-size whale (around 16 metres long) from willow withies, on my local village green, as part of a local campaign to persuade people to bring their own shopping bag. The whale was filled with plastic bags to highlight marine deaths from plastic.
I'm also working on an environmental audit for the Peer Gynt Earthly Music project planned for next year. I'm hoping this could become a blueprint for other organisations who would like to lessen their environmental impact. It is very exciting that the issues that the environmental movement have been talking about are beginning to be debated in the mainstream.
Next is something I'm hugely looking forward to - working in Dublin on a Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare and Mendelssohn) with a theatre company called Storytellers, and then with the Irish Chamber Orchestra. It will be a new production which fuses the music and text together in a way which hasn't been done before.
January 2008
Back from an exhilarating week in Naples doing an intensive italian language course.
I'll be making my debut with the Irish Chamber Orchestra this Autumn, conducting Mendelssohn's complete incidental music to Midsummer Night's Dream, in a new collaboration with the Dublin theatre company Storytellers.
I'm also reading a brilliant version of Peer Gynt written by Bathsheba Doran, which could form the basis for a new chamber version of the play with Grieg's music, to be toured next year to various UK Festivals.
There's a possibility that I could make the first ever recording of Humperdinck's music to four Shakespeare plays, which I found in the British Library last month. A publishing house in Germany is sending me copies of the original manuscripts of the full scores (the music was never published) and I'm talking to a record label and producer about putting together a recording.
The country's first carbon-neutral arts festival Earthly Music which I'm putting together with the producer Jo Paton, is taking shape and I'm bringing together English Chamber Orchestra, some fantastic performers as well as some of the most influential and inspiring leaders from the environmental world. It is incredibly fulfilling to be putting into practice something I've thought about for nearly two decades now.
I'm also putting together the programme for Roman River Music, a weekend of music in beautiful rural Essex.
Andrew Keener is editing the second disc I recorded with the English Chamber Orchestra last year, of some wonderfully fragrant Joseph James arrangements of Rachmaninov piano music. The disc has a pencilled release date of September this year.
Lastly I'm rehearsing the first John Adams work that I've ever been able to programme, with the Kew Sinfonia. It is a huge and exciting challenge which the orchestra is rising to marvellously, and learning it is one of the most intellectually satisfying processes I've undertaken for a long time.
Back from an exhilarating week in Naples doing an intensive italian language course.
I'll be making my debut with the Irish Chamber Orchestra this Autumn, conducting Mendelssohn's complete incidental music to Midsummer Night's Dream, in a new collaboration with the Dublin theatre company Storytellers.
I'm also reading a brilliant version of Peer Gynt written by Bathsheba Doran, which could form the basis for a new chamber version of the play with Grieg's music, to be toured next year to various UK Festivals.
There's a possibility that I could make the first ever recording of Humperdinck's music to four Shakespeare plays, which I found in the British Library last month. A publishing house in Germany is sending me copies of the original manuscripts of the full scores (the music was never published) and I'm talking to a record label and producer about putting together a recording.
The country's first carbon-neutral arts festival Earthly Music which I'm putting together with the producer Jo Paton, is taking shape and I'm bringing together English Chamber Orchestra, some fantastic performers as well as some of the most influential and inspiring leaders from the environmental world. It is incredibly fulfilling to be putting into practice something I've thought about for nearly two decades now.
I'm also putting together the programme for Roman River Music, a weekend of music in beautiful rural Essex.
Andrew Keener is editing the second disc I recorded with the English Chamber Orchestra last year, of some wonderfully fragrant Joseph James arrangements of Rachmaninov piano music. The disc has a pencilled release date of September this year.
Lastly I'm rehearsing the first John Adams work that I've ever been able to programme, with the Kew Sinfonia. It is a huge and exciting challenge which the orchestra is rising to marvellously, and learning it is one of the most intellectually satisfying processes I've undertaken for a long time.
London, December 2007
Very excitingly just had confirmation that BBC1 and ITV have both used my music this year.
Working on a version of Peer Gynt with the complete, wonderful and amazingly little-known (apart from the two orchestral suites) music by Grieg.
The first stop on my Cello Pilgrimage was a great success, raising £1,300 for the church. More concerts planned for next year. Picture above is me rehearsing in Fingringhoe church. More info on the cello pilgrimage site (see right).
20th November 2007
Back from conducting in Cork (Sinead O'Connor and orchestra), Bexhill and Chelmsford (Benjamin Grovsenor and the English Chamber Orchestra), now preparing for the first concert of my 'cello pilgrimage', playing Bach cello suites in parish churches, on 7th December in Fingringhoe, Essex. A second concert will take place next April in Suffolk. More details.
Back from conducting in Cork (Sinead O'Connor and orchestra), Bexhill and Chelmsford (Benjamin Grovsenor and the English Chamber Orchestra), now preparing for the first concert of my 'cello pilgrimage', playing Bach cello suites in parish churches, on 7th December in Fingringhoe, Essex. A second concert will take place next April in Suffolk. More details.
London, August 2007
Another concert with Sinead O'Connor has been confirmed for October in Cork. I'll be arranging some more of Sinead's songs for orchestra, and I'm also composing a five-minute orchestral piece to go with a short film launching a new whiskey for Irish Distillers.
Meanwhile the stuff I composed for Audio Network has now gone live on their website http://www.audiolicense.net/.
I've just recorded some arrangements of early Rachmaninov piano pieces (the Morceaux, Op 3) with the English Chamber Orchestra.
Another concert with Sinead O'Connor has been confirmed for October in Cork. I'll be arranging some more of Sinead's songs for orchestra, and I'm also composing a five-minute orchestral piece to go with a short film launching a new whiskey for Irish Distillers.
Meanwhile the stuff I composed for Audio Network has now gone live on their website http://www.audiolicense.net/.
I've just recorded some arrangements of early Rachmaninov piano pieces (the Morceaux, Op 3) with the English Chamber Orchestra.
Otherwise I'm rehearsing with the Hertfordshire Chamber Orchestra, for concerts on the 8th September (in Chatteris, Cambridgeshire) and 9th September (St Paul's Church, Covent Garden) including the Schumann Concerto with Raphael Wallfisch.
The next London concert after that is with Kew Sinfonia on 13th October (St Anne's Church, Kew, Beethoven and Sibelius Fifth Symphonies).
The next London concert after that is with Kew Sinfonia on 13th October (St Anne's Church, Kew, Beethoven and Sibelius Fifth Symphonies).
Vienna, 18th July
In the middle of a heatwave, conducting Mozart and Strauss at Schonbrunn. I've been asked to conduct the Irish Chamber Orchestra next season, having worked with them last week at the Shannon Festival, where they and Anthony Marwood put on a collaboration with Sinead O'Connor.
I'm also preparing Sibelius 2nd symphony, Scriabin's Prometheus and various other bits and pieces for Music Camp next week, and the scores for the English Chamber Orchestra concert on 10th August, and I'm starting work on the next collaboration with Joseph James on some Rachmaninov pieces, to be recorded with the English Chamber Orchestra later on this year.
Reading David Cairns' wonderful account of Mozart and his operas; heart-warming and laser-sharp at the same time.
June 2007
The English Chamber Orchestra have asked me to conduct two more concerts with them this year, on 17th and 18th November. Chopin, Mendelssohn and Elgar, with Benjamin Grovesnor. Incredible virtuoso and beautiful playing a few weeks ago at air studios - I can't wat to perform with them on the concert platform.
We are also planning an ground-breaking festival for London in 2009 which will involve top classical, world and jazz virtuosi collaborating to produce some amazing concerts.
The English Chamber Orchestra have asked me to conduct two more concerts with them this year, on 17th and 18th November. Chopin, Mendelssohn and Elgar, with Benjamin Grovesnor. Incredible virtuoso and beautiful playing a few weeks ago at air studios - I can't wat to perform with them on the concert platform.
We are also planning an ground-breaking festival for London in 2009 which will involve top classical, world and jazz virtuosi collaborating to produce some amazing concerts.
I'm arranging some of Sinéad O'Connor's wonderful new songs for the Irish Chamber Orchestra and Anthony Marwood, to be premiered on 11th July in Shannon, Ireland.
You can now buy my first conducting efforts in the recording studio from Signum Records and from all music shops. It is a Schubert/Schumann CD with the English Chamber Orchestra and Schubert Ensemble. http://www.signumrecords.com/index.htm
The CD number is SIGCD095
The CD number is SIGCD095
May 2007
ECO/Malvern
I'll make my concert debut with the English Chamber Orchestra this August in Malvern.
ECO/Malvern
I'll make my concert debut with the English Chamber Orchestra this August in Malvern.
April 2007
Music for TV and film
I've just finished recording a second batch of underlays I composed for Audio Network TV and film music library, in Jeff Calvert's fantastic studio. Andrew Haveron (violin) and Martin Cousin (piano) were wonderful advocates. The results of the RPO session in January are already on my website (follow the link on the right and click listen) and these new tracks will be up in a few months.
Music for TV and film
I've just finished recording a second batch of underlays I composed for Audio Network TV and film music library, in Jeff Calvert's fantastic studio. Andrew Haveron (violin) and Martin Cousin (piano) were wonderful advocates. The results of the RPO session in January are already on my website (follow the link on the right and click listen) and these new tracks will be up in a few months.
March 2007
This summer I'll be back in the recording studio with the English Chamber Orchestra putting down the new version for string orchestra of Rachmaninov's 2nd piano concerto I've been working on with Joseph James. Sounds mad? It was one of the hardest briefs we have ever worked on, but I think the result will be excellent. Photo shows Rachmaninov working on his third concerto.
In July I have been invited back to Vienna to conduct several concerts, and will then indulge myself by spending a week in that wonderful haven of inspiration and English music-making tradition, Music Camp.
September will be a trip to my sister's chamber music festival in Kerry, Ireland, and then a concert with the Hertforshire Chamber Orchestra.
This summer I'll be back in the recording studio with the English Chamber Orchestra putting down the new version for string orchestra of Rachmaninov's 2nd piano concerto I've been working on with Joseph James. Sounds mad? It was one of the hardest briefs we have ever worked on, but I think the result will be excellent. Photo shows Rachmaninov working on his third concerto.
In July I have been invited back to Vienna to conduct several concerts, and will then indulge myself by spending a week in that wonderful haven of inspiration and English music-making tradition, Music Camp.
September will be a trip to my sister's chamber music festival in Kerry, Ireland, and then a concert with the Hertforshire Chamber Orchestra.
February 2007
I'm going to be working with Tom Morris (associate director at the National Theatre) exploring a staging of Beethoven's Op 131 String Quartet. Beethoven went almost completely deaf in his early thirties, and composed this piece more than fifteen years later. More on this in the summer when we'll have spent a week with some fantastic players.
I'm going to be working with Tom Morris (associate director at the National Theatre) exploring a staging of Beethoven's Op 131 String Quartet. Beethoven went almost completely deaf in his early thirties, and composed this piece more than fifteen years later. More on this in the summer when we'll have spent a week with some fantastic players.
January 2007
My chamber orchestra arrangement of Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream music is having another outing on June 24th this year. The performance will be at Stanley Hall Opera, the summer festival I have been musical director of since it started in 2001. This time I am going to work with an actor and singer who will together tell the whole story of the Dream using Shakespeare's text.
Ruth Paton will again be creating a show based on the opera for local primary schoolchildren.
My chamber orchestra arrangement of Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream music is having another outing on June 24th this year. The performance will be at Stanley Hall Opera, the summer festival I have been musical director of since it started in 2001. This time I am going to work with an actor and singer who will together tell the whole story of the Dream using Shakespeare's text.
Ruth Paton will again be creating a show based on the opera for local primary schoolchildren.
January 2007
I have just composed my first music for film and TV, which I recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra last month.
The music was commissioned by Audio Network who have asked me to write some more music for their production music library, which supplies music to all the major TV channels. The next recording session is planned for early spring.
Meanwhile I've just conducted Schubert's wonderful 9th Symphony for the first time, with a really excellent orchestra in South-West London, the Kew Sinfonia. Fiona McNaught played a superb Saint-Saens 3rd violin concerto. I'm putting together the programmes for two concerts next season at the moment.
I have just composed my first music for film and TV, which I recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra last month.
The music was commissioned by Audio Network who have asked me to write some more music for their production music library, which supplies music to all the major TV channels. The next recording session is planned for early spring.
Meanwhile I've just conducted Schubert's wonderful 9th Symphony for the first time, with a really excellent orchestra in South-West London, the Kew Sinfonia. Fiona McNaught played a superb Saint-Saens 3rd violin concerto. I'm putting together the programmes for two concerts next season at the moment.
November 2006
My first recording as conductor is due to be released in March 2007. It's with the English Chamber Orchestra with concertante solos played by members of the Schubert Ensemble.
My first recording as conductor is due to be released in March 2007. It's with the English Chamber Orchestra with concertante solos played by members of the Schubert Ensemble.
September 2006
I've just come back from Vienna where I conducted the overture and exerpts from Don Giovanni and got to know some fantastic little-known Johann Strauss waltzes, with a great orchestra at Schoenbrunn, who have invited me back next summer.
I'll also be conducting the RPO for the first time next year, for a recording session.
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