What's On at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Jan - Mar 2019

CLASSICAL

WHAT’S ON

THU 14 FEB DANIELLE DE NIESE

Valentine’s Night Special

JA N – M A R ‘19 0121 331 5909 | BCU.AC.UK/CONCERTS /RoyalBirmCons

@BirmCons

Birmingham City University

NAME YOUR SEAT

THU 10 JAN

JAMES GILCHRIST (TENOR) 6pm Recital Hall

R O YA L B I R M I N G H A M C O N S E R VAT O I R E

£12 (£10) I n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h G r e a te r B i r m i n g h a m C h a m b e r s o f C o m m e r c e

James Gilchrist tenor Mark Eden guitar

TUE 8 JAN

BEETHOVEN’S GHOST TRIO 1.05pm Recital Hall

LUNCHTIME MUSIC

£8 (£6) Caroline Pether violin Hannah Roberts cello Domonkos Csabay piano Kodály Duo for violin and cello, Op.7 Beethoven Piano Trio in D major, Op.70 No.1 Ghost

BE PART OF ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE’S FUTURE BY NAMING A SEAT IN OUR FANTASTIC NEW CONCERT VENUE, THE BRADSHAW HALL

Contact robin.leonard@bcu.ac.uk

Birmingham City University

COMMUTER CONCERT

Programme includes works by Dowland, Schubert, Dodgson and Britten.

Recognised as ‘the finest Evangelist of his generation’, James Gilchrist’s extensive repertoire embraces works spanning many centuries. He is an enthusiastic and prolific exponent of lieder, and enjoys nothing better than putting together interesting and challenging recital programmes. He is accompanied for this early evening concert by guitar virtuoso, Mark Eden.

The Ghost, is one of Beethoven’s best known works in the trio genre rivaled only by the Archduke Trio, and features themes found in the second movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No.2. All-Music Guide states that “because of its strangely scored and undeniably eerie-sounding slow movement, it was dubbed the ‘Ghost’ Trio. The name has stuck with the work ever since.” The ghostly music is rumoured to have its roots in sketches for a Macbeth opera that Beethoven was contemplating at the time.

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THU 17 JAN

BITE-SIZED BACH 5.30pm Organ Studio FREE ADMISSION As a prelude to tonight’s Baroque Orchestra concert, we invite you to a short performance in our Organ Studio of beautiful music from one of the greatest composers of all time, Johann Sebastian Bach.

MON 14 JAN

MON 14 JAN

POULENC, SCHUMANN 1.05pm Recital Hall

A4 BRASS QUARTET LUNCHTIME MUSIC

7pm The Bradshaw Hall

FREE ADMISSION

£10 (£8)

Tse Fu Lin piano Dobromir Tsenov piano

A4 Brass Quartet Jamie Smith cornet / flugelhorn Jonathan Bates tenor horn Michael Cavanagh baritone horn Chris Robertson euphonium

Poulenc Concerto for two pianos Ivonne Porras soprano Jonathan French piano Villa-Lobos Lundú da Marquesa de Santos Villa-Lobos Cançao do poeta do Século XVIII Schubert Wandrers Nachtlied I, Op.4 No.3 Schumann So laßt mich Scheinen, bis ich Werde, Op.98a No.9 Wolf Mein Leibster ist so Klein from Italienisches Liederbuch Séverac Les Hiboux Poulenc C’est ainsi que tu es from Metamorphoses León Màs que nunca Heggie Animal Passion from Natural Selection

Jonathan Bates Toccata 4 Smetana arr. Jonathan Bates Overture to ‘The Bartered Bride’ JS Bach arr. Jonathan Bates Fugue in G minor Bela Bartok arr. Chris Robertson Six Romanian Folk Dances Anton Bruckner arr. Chris Robertson Locus Iste Thomas Doss Moskito Jared McCunnie Just Cause Bramwell Tovey Street Songs: Movement 4 Oliver Waespi South Uist Variations: Movement 1 Daniel Hall The Black Dahlia Paul Desmond arr. Jonathan Bates Take Five Martin Ellerby Electra Dances Percy Grainger arr. Jonathan Bates Shepherd’s Hey Kentaro Sato arr. Jonathan Bates Tsunangari Jonathan Bates Mists of the Mountains

TUE 15 JAN

STAVROULA THOMA (PIANO) 1.05pm Recital Hall

LUNCHTIME MUSIC

£8 (£6) Stavroula Thoma piano Kodály Nine Pieces for Piano, Op.3 Piano Sonata Sz.80 Manos ‘For a Little White Seashell’

ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE BAROQUE ORCHESTRA: CONCERTO!

Stavroula Thoma is a Cypriot pianist, well acknowledged for the vivid sense of communication, warmth and lyricism in her music making.

£8 (£6)

‘Stavroula Thoma played the piano reduction of Frid’s chamber orchestral score with slick precision, bringing a vast array of colour to Frid’s atonal harmonies.’ The Herald on The Diary of Anne Frank.

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6pm Recital Hall

COMMUTER CONCERT

Lucy Russell director/violin Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Baroque Orchestra Kate Allsop recorder Gareth James baroque flute Mary Walton baroque cello Mark Wilson baroque bassoon Vivaldi Concerto for bassoon in F major RV485 CPE Bach Concerto for cello in A major Franz Benda Concerto for flute in E minor Vivaldi Concerto in G minor ‘La Notte’

A4 Brass Quartet comprises of principal players from some of the UK’s top brass bands, including Grimethorpe Colliery, Brighouse and Rastrick and Foden’s Band. With ‘technical virtuosity in abundance’ (Brass Band World), these four astonishing musicians come together to perform both lyrical and high-octane works, forming a distinctive and new take on chamber music.

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THU 17 JAN

Musicians from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s Early Music Department perform 18th Century concertos on period instruments.

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FRI 18 JAN

MON 21 JAN

7pm The Bradshaw Hall

7pm Recital Hall

£12 (£8)

£8 (£6)

Conductors David Gordon-Shute, Richard Ward* Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Wind Ensemble

Curator Martin Perkins

ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE WIND ORCHESTRA

Holst Hammersmith* Philip Sparke Bluegrass* Arnold Four Scottish Dances Vaughan Williams Toccata Marziale Frank Ticheli Blue Shades Fisher Tull Sketches on a Tudor Psalm

FRI 18 JAN

LUNCHTIMES @ BMAG 12.30pm The Round Room, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

LUNCHTIME MUSIC

FREE ADMISSION Saorsa Quartet Alastair Legg violin Sean Morrison violin Peter Whitehead viola Chloe Butterworth cello Mozart Divertimento in B flat K137 Webern Langsamer Satz Mendelssohn String Quartet in A minor Op.13 Musicians from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire treat you to a delightful lunchtime recital in the beautiful surroundings of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

VOX BOX: JANE AUSTEN – A MUSICAL PORTRAIT

The Vocal and Operatic department transports you to Regency England and the world of Jane Austen, revealed in words and music. Focusing on the Austen family music books, join us as we explore the music she knew alongside extracts from her letters and novels.

Music by Dibdin, Handel, Giordani, Gluck, Haydn, and Storace.

We are delighted to welcome David Gordon-Shute to conduct this Wind Orchestra concert. The programme showcases all that is great about British and American compositions for Wind Band across many years: Vaughan Williams’s Toccata is a real showpiece for band and Malcolm Arnold preserves and enhances traditional Scottish songs by setting them for large wind ensemble.

The American tradition is represented by Fisher Tull’s masterwork, almost certainly a reaction to Vaughan Williams’ incredible Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, and Frank Ticheli’s piece brings the programme right up to date.

TUE 22 JAN

PUBLIC RESEARCH SEMINAR

To start the concert, following his successful Wind Orchestra programme last January, postgraduate student Richard Ward returns to conduct music by two other great British composers for this line-up; Gustav Holst and Philip Sparke.

3.30pm Workshop 2 £5 Dr Liz Johnson, with Jack McNeill (clarinet): Scintilla - Shapeshifting from the concert platform into the realms of theatre: the collaborative processes involved in creating a new work for clarinettist, live electronics and dancer

MON 21 JAN

Composer Liz Johnson and clarinettist Jack McNeill discuss their ambitious new work-in-progress, Scintilla. Weaving layers of poetry, music, live electronics and breathing together, Scintilla creates a complex sound environment which will become a staged dance work exploring the inner landscape of the mind. The creative processes of the collaboration will be explored, with reference to film footage from rehearsals. Jack will perform live extracts and other recent clarinet repertoire.

LUNCHTIMES AT ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE 1.05pm Recital Hall

LUNCHTIME MUSIC

FREE ADMISSION See website for programme details.

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THU 24 JAN

OPEN DAY

CAMERATA 7.30pm St Albans Church, Highgate Retiring Collection

THU 24 JAN

Conductor King Chan Conductor Joe Cooper Conductor Judith Lyons

ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE OPEN DAY

Dylan McCaig organ

10am – 4pm

Handel Your voices raise Haydn The heavens are telling Howells Magnificat in G for New College Oxford Moore It is a thing most wonderful Parry My soul there is a country Poulenc Salve Regina Tomkins When David Heard Weaver Te Deum De Wert Adesto dolori mei

Our Open Day is designed for those considering taking a course at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and also for staff involved in the teaching of these students and advising them on higher education courses.

The day will consist of workshops and talks about Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s courses and life at the University.

For further information and a programme for the day, please see the website bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire/ opendays or contact 0121 331 5901 or e-mail conservatoire@bcu.ac.uk

A wonderful choral concert consisting of music from different periods and composers from different countries.

Some of the repertoire are famous movements extracted from masterworks; others are recently composed giving a freshness to the programme.

AN EVENING OF CONTEMPORARY BRASS 7pm Recital Hall

EMERGING DIRECTORS

£8 (£6), students £4 Tom Carr, Josh Ayrton, Gareth Howell trumpets Ashley Nayler, Zac Fellows, Toby Carr, Dan Price trombones Robert King horn James Romaine saxophone Josh Palmer, James Hobbis tubas Ainjiel Clark voice, piano Jerome Blackburn, Dean Rogers percussion

THU 24 JAN

JULIEN VAN MELLAERTS (BARITONE) & SIMON LEPPER (PIANO)

Apparat A Bang in The Void John Kenny Fanfare Michael Wolters Funf Fanfaren Joe Jones Duet For Brass Instruments George Brecht Drip Music George Brecht Saxophone Solo Renegade Brass Band Landscapes (Interlude) Renegade Brass Band Peloton

6pm Recital Hall R O YA L B I R M I N G H A M C O N S E R VAT O I R E

£12 (£10)

FRI 25 JAN

I n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h G r e a te r B i r m i n g h a m C h a m b e r s o f C o m m e r c e

Julien van Mellaerts baritone Simon Lepper piano Multi-award-winning baritone Julien Van Mellaerts studied at the University of Otago, before joining the International Opera School of the Royal College of Music. He is joined by Simon Lepper, an official accompanist for the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Song Prize.

Mauricio Kagel Atem Mnozil Brass Uraufführung/Premiere James Meador Six-Pack Andy Ingamells Having Never Seen (a) Ghost Andy Ingamells Long Piece Riot Jazz Brass Band Paradox Riot Jazz Brass Band Necropolis King and Nayler Plumbus No.2 Join us for an exploration into the weird and wonderful world of contemporary brass music featuring works by James Meador, John Kenny, Renegade Brass Band, Riot Jazz Brass Band and many more, as well as original compositions from tutors at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

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SAT 26 JAN

CHAMBER MUSIC SATURDAYS

MON 28 JAN

12pm Beatbox (basement level), Library of Birmingham

LUNCHTIMES AT ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE

FREE ADMISSION

1.05pm Recital Hall

Nox Quartet Boglárka György violin Tomohiko Kimura violin Nicholas Fidler viola Bora Kim cello

FREE ADMISSION

LUNCHTIME MUSIC

See website for programme details.

TUE 29 JAN

PUBLIC RESEARCH SEMINAR

Haydn Quartet in D Op.64 No.5 ‚Lark’ Debussy Quartet in G minor Op.10

3.30pm Workshop 2

Join the truly international Nox Quartet for one of Haydn’s best known string quartets alongside Debussy’s single contribution to the genre, the masterful Quartet in G minor.

£5

TUE 29 JAN

Public Research Seminar: Dr Shirley Thompson (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire): Tartini à la française: the concerti grossi of Charles-Henri de Blainville

7pm Centrala, 158 Fazeley St, Birmingham B5 5RT

Around 1751, the French theorist and composer CharlesHenri de Blainville published a set of six concerti grossi based on solo violin sonatas by Giuseppe Tartini. Blainville’s decision to arrange Tartini’s works as concerti grossi and to publish them in mid-century Paris seems at first sight odd, given that the concerto was not widely cultivated in France. This seminar will explore Blainville’s approach and demonstrate how the resulting works represent a genuinely (re-)creative initiative.

SAT 26 JAN

STEPHEN WILLIAMS COMMEMORATION CONCERT

in aid of the james langley memorial trust 7.30pm The Bradshaw Hall £15 (£12) Conductor Anthony Bradbury Midland Youth Orchestra Alumni Pauline Lowbury violin David Gregory leader Stephen Williams ‘In Search of Altruism’ Bruch Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor Tchaikovsky Symphony No.5 in E minor This concert commemorates the pioneering and remarkable contribution of the late Stephen Williams to youth music in the Midlands. Tonight’s performance begins with one of Stephen’s own compositions, In Search of Altruism, which is dedicated to Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Malala Yousafzai.

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TRASH TV TRANCE £5 includes free drink, tickets available on the door Produced by Serge Vuille and Adrian Spillett Millennial Percussion Simon Aeschimann electric guitar Chris Roberts guitar Yfat Soul Zisso singer Programme to include: Guo Wenjing Drama Fausto Romitelli Trash TV Trance György Ligeti Síppal, dobbal, nádihegedüvel Fumiko Miyachi Stratified By popular demand, Millennial Percussion return to Centrala.

This first of two shows sees the incredibly diverse guitarist, Simon Aeschimann feature alongside percussionist and composers from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. World premieres by local composer Fumiko Miyachi and the extraordinary work, Síppal, dobbal, nádihegedüvel by Ligeti for mezzo-soprano and percussion promise to make for a high-energy evening of contrasts bringing together Trash, TV and Trance. Don’t miss the sequel, String Motion Sensor, on Tue 19 Feb.

TUE 29 JAN

EBLANA STRING TRIO

with thomas martin and atéa wind quintet 1.05pm The Bradshaw Hall £10 (£8) Martinů String Trio No.2 H.238 Dohnányi Serenade for String Trio Op.10 Martinů Nonet H.374 The Eblana String Trio join forces with the acclaimed Atéa Wind Quintet and International Chair in Double Bass, Thomas Martin for a rare performance of Martinů’s Nonet, alongside Eastern European gems of the string trio repertoire by Martinů and Dohnányi.

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WED 30 JAN

#BIRMINGHAMNEWMUSIC 7pm The Lab £8 (£6) Frontiers presents a concert of new works by Royal Birmingham Conservatoire composers. This concert will feature a wide range of styles, and utilise the flexible layout of the Lab venue in creative and inventive ways.

THU 31 JAN

YCAT AT THE CONSERVATOIRE: TIMOTHY RIDOUT (VIOLA) AND FRANK DUPREE (PIANO)

WED 30 JAN

6pm Recital Hall

YCAT AT THE CONSERVATOIRE: CASTALIAN QUARTET 2.05pm The Bradshaw Hall £8 (£6)

£8 (£6)

COMMUTER CONCERT R O YA L B I R M I N G H A M C O N S E R VAT O I R E

I n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h G r e a te r B i r m i n g h a m C h a m b e r s o f C o m m e r c e

Timothy Ridout viola Frank Dupree piano

AFTERNOON MUSIC R O YA L B I R M I N G H A M C O N S E R VAT O I R E

FRI 1 FEB

CONTOURS + THE HOCKLEY FOLK 7.30pm Eastside Jazz Club £10 (£8) £4 Students A collaboration from two up-and-coming groups, The Hockley Folk and the Cornish band Contours, formed by a selection of students from conservatoires across the UK. Expect sublime folky covers of your favourite songs alongside some progrock, jazz and folk infused originals.

Bridge Pensiero and Allegro appassionato Britten Lachrymae for viola and piano, Op.48 Bowen Viola Sonata No.1 in C minor, Op.18

I n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h G r e a te r B i r m i n g h a m C h a m b e r s o f C o m m e r c e

Castalian Quartet Sini Simonen violin Daniel Roberts violin Charlotte Bonneton viola Christopher Graves cello

Since winning 1st Prize in the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition in 2016, Timothy Ridout has gone on to perform widely internationally. Born in London, Timothy studied at the Royal Academy of Music (graduating with the Queen’s Commendation for Excellence), and is currently at the Kronberg Academy with Nobuko Imai.

Haydn String Quartet in C, Op.20 No.2 Elgar String Quartet in E minor, Op.83

‘Castalian String Quartet makes the simplest things we hear into the most important things we could ever want to hear.’

Calgary Herald

Winner of the 2018 Opus Klassik Award for Piano Concerto Recording of the Year, German pianist Frank Dupree recently came to international attention as the laureate prize winner of the 2014 Deutscher Musikwettbewerb, captivating the judges with his musical maturity, refined technique and ability to draw a wide spectrum of sound and colour from the keyboard.

Young Classical Artists Trust is a leading charity for young artist development and management.

“A gorgeous tone, a thoughtful approach to phrasing and an infectious sense of impetuosity.”

The Gramophone on Timothy Ridout

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ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE

GUITAR FESTIVAL

Miloš Karadaglić © Andy Earl, Mercury Classics

SAT 2 & SUN 3 FEB

Featuring Miloš Karadaglić, David Russell, Daniel Martinez, Vida Guitar Quartet and many more.

Vida Guitar Quartet Vickers Bovey

‘THE HOTTEST GUITARIST IN THE WORLD ’ THE SUNDAY TIMES ON MILOŠ KARADAGLIĆ David Russell

Daniel Martinez

I am so proud to be putting on what will be, I am sure, a most memorable weekend for us all.

We have on offer some of the best talent from around the world that the guitar has to offer, from youth performances by local guitar ensembles including the Birmingham Schools Guitar Ensemble and the National Youth Guitar Ensemble, to world renowned stars of the guitar David Russell and Miloš Karadaglić.

Mark Ashford Head of Guitar RBC

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SUN 3 FEB

12pm Recital Hall £5

10.30am Recital Hall

BIRMINGHAM SCHOOLS AND NATIONAL YOUTH GUITAR ENSEMBLE FELLOWSHIP

WORKSHOP WITH FLAMENCO GUITARIST DANIEL MARTINEZ

tickets

ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE AND JUNIOR CONSERVATOIRE GUITAR CONCERT £5

2pm-3pm The Lab

VICKERS BOVEY GUITAR DUO IN CONCERT

£5

12pm Recital Hall

MASTERCLASS WITH MILOŠ KARADAGLIĆ

£5

3.30pm-5.30pm Recital Hall

WORKSHOP WITH LIZ PALLETT

£5 for observers

2pm-3pm Workshop 2

DAVID RUSSELL IN CONCERT

£5

7pm Recital Hall

£20 £35 Day Weekend tickets

SAT 2 FEB

£15 (£12)

R O YA L B I R M I N G H A M C O N S E R VAT O I R E

I n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h G r e a te r B i r m i n g h a m C h a m b e r s o f C o m m e r c e

FLAMENCO NIGHT WITH DANIEL MARTINEZ AND HIS TROUPE 9.30pm Eastside Jazz Club £12 (£10)

MASTERCLASS WITH DAVID RUSSELL 3.30pm-5.30pm Recital Hall £5 for observers

MILOŠ KARADAGLIĆ & VIDA GUITAR QUARTET IN CONCERT 7pm The Bradshaw Hall R O YA L B I R M I N G H A M C O N S E R VAT O I R E

£18 (£15)

I n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h G r e a te r B i r m i n g h a m C h a m b e r s o f C o m m e r c e

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SAT 2 FEB

JUNIOR ORCHESTRAL CONCERT 7pm The Bradshaw Hall £8 (£6) Talented young artists from the Junior Conservatoire Symphony, Wind and Chamber orchestras present an engaging programme of music.

MON 4 FEB

LUNCHTIMES AT ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE 1.05pm Recital Hall

LUNCHTIME MUSIC

FREE ADMISSION Ea-5 Mixed Ensemble Kai Chareunsy drum kit James Owston bass Steve Saunders guitar Gemma Whitfield electronics Gloria Yehilevsky percussion Alex Howley Persistance

TUE 5 FEB

ANDREW DOWNES PERFORMANCE PRIZE WINNER RECITAL: EDWARD LEUNG (PIANO) 1.05pm Recital Hall

LUNCHTIME MUSIC

Ruifan Xuan piano

£8 (£6)

Shuai Zhang Three Preludes

Edward Leung piano James Allen piano*

MON 4 FEB

Andrew Downes Sonata No.1, Op.12 Stephen Hough Piano Sonata No.2, ‘notturno luminoso’ Andrew Downes Sonata for Two Pianos, ‘The Lord will be a refuge for the Oppressed; a refuge in times of trouble.’

(Ps. 9, v. 9), Op.40*

THE LEAMINGTON MUSIC PRIZE 7pm Recital Hall £8 (£6) Witness some of our finest musicians battle it out to be awarded a prize of £1,000 and a recital opportunity by Leamington Music, the generous sponsor of this prize.

Lauded as one of ‘16 Incredibly Impressive Students at Princeton University’ by Business Insider, American pianist and Andrew Downes Performance Prize Winner, Edward Leung joins us for what promises to be a hugely enjoyable lunchtime concert.

‘A real poet of the piano.’

Christopher Axworthy, Concert Promoter

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Edward Venn

TUE 5 FEB

PUBLIC RESEARCH SEMINAR 3.30pm Workshop 2 £5 Dr Edward Venn (University of Leeds): ‘Mysterious Things’ - Interpreting Adès’s Operas Thomas Adès has drawn attention to the ‘mysterious thing that happens when you set actions to music: a third shape that emerges when something non-visual like a musical score is acted out by people moving on a stage’. Using such ‘mysterious things’ as a point of departure, this paper suggests ways of thinking about and through Adès’s operas, with a focus on their realisation in performance.

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WED 6 FEB – WED 19 JUN 2019

ORCHESTRA OF THE SWAN 2.30pm The Bradshaw Hall £19.50 - £26.50 Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is delighted to welcome Orchestra of the Swan as its resident orchestra. Not only will they perform an exceptional programme of orchestral concerts in The Bradshaw Hall, but their residency will: • Enable students to enjoy performance and composition masterclasses with its soloists and core players • Feature the premiere of a 3-5 minute work by a composition student at every concert • The chance to compete in an in-house competition winning a valuable concerto performance with the orchestra every year

• Offer side by side opportunities at rehearsals alongside OOTS’ skilled professional players • Enable students taking their community modules as part of their degree to participate in our half-day workshops in care homes for those with dementia.

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is extremely excited to bring such fantastic 21st-Century chamber orchestral performance, and a wealth of talented conductors and soloists, to the students and people of Birmingham on a regular basis. Watch the exceptional skill and refreshing energy of Orchestra of the Swan once, and you won’t miss them again!

• Provide shadowing opportunities for students studying Arts Management

WED 6 FEB

TASMIN LITTLE PLAYS VIVALDI’S FOUR SEASONS

Tasmin Little © Benjamin Eolovega

Peter Donohoe © Susie Ahlburg

WED 1 MAY

WED 19 JUN

2.30pm The Bradshaw Hall

2.30pm The Bradshaw Hall

£19.50 - £26.50

£19.50 - £26.50

Jason Lai conductor Peter Donohoe piano

Andrew Griffiths conductor Luke Jones piano

Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis Mozart Piano Concerto No.25 Patrick Case ‘a dream’ Vaughan Williams Symphony No.5

Beethoven Piano Concerto No.1 Thea Musgrave Green

PETER DONOHOE PLAYS MOZART

1.30pm Pre-Concert Talk: Chris Morley in conversation with Jason Lai and Peter Donohoe

2.30pm The Bradshaw Hall

A CELEBRATION OF NEW TALENT

1.30pm Pre-Concert Talk: Chris Morley in conversation with Thea Musgrave

£19.50 - £26.50 Tasmin Little violin/director David Le Page violin

Save 20%

Vivaldi Concerto Grosso in D minor Arvo Pärt Fratres Victoria Benito This is only a work of fiction JS Bach Concerto for Two Violins Vivaldi The Four Seasons

OOTS packages are only available in person at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire box office or via 0121 331 5908 / 0121 331 5909

Book tickets for 3 remaining concerts in the OOTS season and get 20% off ticket prices.

Revolving around the production of the most thrilling ambience, this concert features two fabulous concertos.

The central movement of the Bach contains some of the most sublime music ever written.

1.30pm Pre-Concert Talk: Chris Morley in conversation with Tasmin Little and David Le Page

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FRI 8 FEB

Daniel Lebhardt

ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE PROJECTS ORCHESTRA 7pm The Bradshaw Hall £12 (£10)

THU 7 FEB

Conductor Daniele Rosina Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Projects Orchestra

7.30pm The Bradshaw Hall

Britten Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings Bartók Viola Concerto Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.1

ESSENCE OF BRASS THU 7 FEB

DANIEL LEBHARDT (PIANO) 6pm Recital Hall

COMMUTER CONCERT

£8 (£6)

WED 6 FEB

SIR LENNY HENRY IN CONVERSATION 6.30pm The Bradshaw Hall

Conductors Stuart Birmie and Tom Stoneman Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Brass Band with Birmingham Schools’ Brass Band

Beethoven Piano Sonata No.2, Op.2 No.2 Rachmaninoff Piano Sonata No.2 Op.36, 1913 version

Peter Graham Essence of Time Matthew Hall Nightingale Dances

Born in Hungary, Daniel studied at the Franz Liszt Academy with István Gulyás and Gyöngyi Keveházi and at the Royal Academy of Music with Pascal Nemirovski. He was selected by Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) in 2015 and is currently based in Birmingham, where he is enrolled on an Advanced Diploma in Performance at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Brass Band and Birmingham Schools Brass Band are proud to present a concert featuring some of the greatest works written for brass band. The two great bands will join forces to round the night off in style; a performance that will include over 60 brass players!

‘...the gifted pianist Daniel Lebhardt, brought virtuosity, refinement and youthful exuberance..’ New York Times

FRI 8 FEB

Join us for an exclusive evening with our Chancellor, Sir Lenny Henry. Discussing his career as a writer, comedian, actor and activist and his personal journey and role at Birmingham City University.

BITE-SIZED BACH 6.30pm Organ Studio FREE ADMISSION As a prelude to tonight’s Projects Orchestra concert, we invite you to a short performance in our Organ Studio of beautiful music from one of the greatest composers of all time, Johann Sebastian Bach.

Ticketing arrangements to be announced shortly via www.bcu.ac.uk

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£10 (£8)

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In this concert, four final-year students have an opportunity to perform a concerto with an orchestra of their peers.

Bartók’s Viola Concerto was one of the last pieces written by the composer, and indeed was left unfinished at the time of his death. Conversely, Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto was a very early work, written in 1891 when the composer was only 18, although it underwent substantial revision later in his career. In between these pieces, two soloists join force to perform Britten’s Serenade, a song cycle for tenor with solo horn and string orchestra.

MON 11 FEB

LUNCHTIMES AT ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE 1.05pm Recital Hall

LUNCHTIME MUSIC

FREE ADMISSION See website for further details

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A

fter a spectacular start to Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s Opening Festival, which saw incredible performances from Sir Lenny Henry, Xuefei Yang, Roderick Williams and Laura van der Heijden as well as many fantastic concerts from our very own musicians, we continue with Part 3.

DATE 10.01.19 24.01.19 30.01.19 31.01.19 02.02.19 03.02.19 06.02.19 14.02.19

PART THREE Featuring:

19.02.19 26.02.19 27.02.19 05.03.19

James Gilchrist

Julien Van Mellaerts

David Russell

Miloš Karadaglić

12.03.19 19.03.19 22.03.19 27.03.19 Danielle de Niese

Lauren Zhang

Nicholas Daniel

Peter Donohoe

…and many more www.bcu.ac.uk/opening-festival

Birmingham City University

EVENT TITLE

Once again, international stars from all corners of the music world grace the Conservatoire stage alongside our exciting young artists as we invite you to experience the very best in live performance in our state-of-the-art venues.

Full programme listings can be found at www.bcu.ac.uk/opening-festival

JAMES GILCHRIST JULIEN VAN MELLAERTS YCAT: CASTALIAN QUARTET YCAT: TIMOTHY RIDOUT & FRANK DUPREE DAVID RUSSELL IN CONCERT MILOŚ KARADAGLIĆ & VIDA GUITAR QUARTET SIR LENNY HENRY IN CONVERSATION SEAN SHIBE DANIELLE DE NIESE FRANCK LAURENT-GRANDPRE XIZI ZHANG CALLUM SMART & RICHARD UTTLEY YCAT: CASTALIAN QUARTET PASCAL PASCALEFF ED PETHER LAUREN ZHANG NICHOLAS DANIEL & CHARLES MATTHEWS PETER DONOHOE YCAT: BENJAMIN BAKER & DANIEL LEBHARDT

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ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL MON 11 FEB – FRI 15 FEB VIVA BOCCHERINI!

MON 11 FEB

BOCCHERINI CHAMBER MUSIC 1 7pm Recital Hall £8 (£6) Guitar Quintet No.9 in C G453 Juan Pablo Brugere guitar Leonie Jones and Lucy Armstrong violins Holly Coombes viola Joanna Rottenbury cello String Quintet Op.39 No.1 in B flat G337 Lourdina Baboun and Risa Sekine violins Emily Dore viola Harry Broom cello Tom Neil double bass

Virtuoso cellist Luigi Boccherini’s enormous compositional output has been largely lost to time. This week at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire we are delighted to present a rich selection of Boccherini’s Chamber Music, brimming with genuine innovation and originality, and Mediterranean influences of the composer’s adopted homeland of Spain.

Featuring performances by our students and faculty, we are thrilled to welcome you for Viva Boccherini!

String Quintet Op.29 No.4 in A G316 Boglárka György and Tomohiko Kimura violins Nicholas Fidler viola Ulrich Heinen and Bora Kim cellos String Quintet Op.46 No.4 in G minor G362 Hun Sik Lee and Zhi Koay violins Carla Mendoza viola Ruoxa Zhao and Jingyi Wei cellos

Peggy Nolan, Festival Organiser

Guitar quintet No.6 in D G448 Chris Roberts guitar Yung Hsuan Chuang and Renee Neeson violins Aimee Lucas viola Matthew Philips cello

TUE 12 FEB

ANTHONY ALCOCK, HANNAH ROBERTS, GILDAS QUARTET, STUDENTS AND FACULTY OF THE RBC 1.05pm Recital Hall £8 (£6) String Quintet Op.39 No.2 in F G338 Nathaniel Vallois and Shi Ling Chin violins Louise Lansdown viola Griffith Wadkin cello Anthony Alcock double bass String Trio Op.14 No.4 in D G98 Impetus Trio Mafalda Barradas, Vaz Galante violin Maria Do Vale Antunes viola Gabriel Maciel Rodrigues double bass String Quintet Op.28 No.4 in C G310 Gildas Quartet with Hannah Roberts: Christopher Jones and Ed Pether violins Kay Stephen viola Hannah Roberts and Anna Menzies cellos Students, faculty, and guest artists of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire come together for this lunchtime concert showcasing some of Boccherini’s most exuberant and virtuosic Chamber works.

Boccherini’s preferred genre of the string quintet takes centre stage in the opening concert of Viva Boccherini. We hear the breadth of his instrumentation in writing for five players, culminating in the famous fandango, evoking the sights and sounds of Madrid after dark.

MON 11 FEB

NIGHT MUSIC 6.40pm Boult’s Bar & Restaurant FREE ADMISSION String Quintet Op.30 No.6

Musica notturno della strada di Madrid; Boccherini’s tongue in cheek depiction of the procession of the military night watch through Madrid’s streets.

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TUE 12 FEB

WED 13 FEB

THU 14 FEB

7pm Recital Hall

11am Recital Hall

1pm Recital Hall

£8 (£6)

£8 (£6)

£8 (£6)

String Quintet Op.11 No.5 in E G275 Mafalda Barrada, Vaz Galantez and Eleanore Schwaabe violins Gavin Marnoch viola Lucy Samuels, Gary Hunt cellos

Sonata for cello and basso in A G13 Thomas Martin, Anthony Alcock double basses

Olga Eckert violin Yahan Chen cello Mun Chew piano

BOCCHERINI CHAMBER MUSIC 2

String Quintet Op.13 No.4 in D minor G280 Doris Kuo, Man Chun Yu violins Toby Holden viola Yunhaotian Pan and Alice Cheer cellos String Quintet Op.11 No.6 in D ‘l’Uccelleria’ (The Aviary) G276 Fitzroy Quartet with Jonathan Madden: Stefanie Mengoli and Laura Custodio Sabas violins Emily Pond viola Michael Newman, Jonathan Madden cellos Stabat Mater (1781 version) Ivonne Porras Ocampo soprano Wilford Goh, Sybren Holwerda violins Mabon Rhyd viola Egor Semenov cello Thomas Martin double bass Boccherini’s Op.11 quintets are rich in invention and contain both his timeless Minuet from, Op.11 No.5 as well as the extraordinary sounds of exotic birds in the Aviary. The second half features his wonderful Stabat Mater, heard in its original version and featuring Royal Birmingham Conservatoire musicians and International Chair in Double Bass, Thomas Martin.

BOCCHERINI CHAMBER MUSIC 3

SCHUMANN & BRAHMS PIANO TRIO

String Quintet Op.25 No.4 in C G298 Lily Kettle, Francesca Girdlestone violins Yuxin Chen viola Peggy Nolan and Gen Li cellos

Schumann Fantasiestücke for Piano Trio, Op.88 Sybren Holwerda violin Yuchen Zhao cello Angus Webster piano

Quintet Op.39 No.3 in D G339 Sean Morrison, Alistair Legg violins Peter Whitehead viola Chloe Butterworth, Andrea Bellido Karanicolas cellos Two quintets brimming with Boccherini’s charm and eccentricities are preceded by a chance to hear one of his spectacularly virtuosic cello sonatas played by two of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s esteemed Double Bass faculty members.

WED 13 FEB

BITE-SIZED BACH 6.30pm Organ Studio FREE ADMISSION As a prelude to tonight’s Chamber Orchestra concert, we invite you to a short performance in our Organ Studio of beautiful music from one of the greatest composers of all time, Johann Sebastian Bach.

Brahms Piano Trio in C major, Op. 87

FRI 15 FEB WED 13 FEB

ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA WITH JIAN WANG 7pm The Bradshaw Hall £12 (£10) Director Zoe Beyers Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Chamber Orchestra Imogen Russell soprano Jian Wang cello Eduardo Vassallo cello Boccherini Symphony Op.37 No.1 G515 Boccherini Cello Concerto No.9 in B flat G482 Boccherini Aria accademica G557 ‘Se un amor tiranno’ Boccherini Symphony Op.12 No.4 G506 ‘La casa del diavolo’

THE DANCE IN MUSIC 1.05pm Recital Hall £12 (£10) Martino Tirimo & Atsuko Kawakami piano Brahms Variations on a theme by Haydn (St. Anthony Chorale) Op.56b Guastavino 3 Argentinian Romances Inafante 3 Andalusian Dances: II. Sentimiento Ravel Rapsodie Espagnole Born into a musical family in Cyprus, Martino Tirimo is a world-renowned artist who has performed all over the world with most major orchestras and has recorded extensively for EMI and Warner. Joining Martino is Atsuko Kawakami who has made a name for herself as a brilliant pianist of great sensitivity.

Boccherini’s symphonies bookend a dizzying display of his extraordinary writing for cello. His well-loved Concerto in B flat preludes the rarely performed Aria Accademica, featuring stratospheric writing for obbligato cello along with solo soprano. Viva Boccherini comes to a close with the his best known symphony, The Devils house.

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Sean Shibe

THU 14 FEB

SEAN SHIBE (GUITAR) 6pm Recital Hall

COMMUTER CONCERT R O YA L B I R M I N G H A M C O N S E R VAT O I R E

£12 (£10)

I n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h G r e a te r B i r m i n g h a m C h a m b e r s o f C o m m e r c e

Sean Shibe guitar

THU 14 FEB

DANIELLE DE NIESE VALENTINE’S NIGHT SPECIAL

James Oswald Divertimenti Peter Maxwell Davies Farewell to Stromness James Macmillan Motet Steve Reich Electric Counterpoint Julia Wolfe LAD

7pm The Bradshaw Hall

Sean Shibe is ‘one of the foremost guitarists’ of his generation. His approach to the traditional classical guitar canon avoids cliché, and challenges all preconceptions.

Opera Soprano Danielle de Niese is more than just the most magnetic presence in modern classical music, or the woman described by the New York Times magazine as ‘opera’s coolest soprano.’ She’s the performer who’s shredding the classical rulebook with her unique combination of artistic credibility and exotic 21st-Century allure.

£25, £20 includes free glass of prosecco Danielle de Niese soprano Jonathan French piano

Born in Edinburgh in 1992 of English and Japanese heritage, he studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and with Paolo Pegoraro in Italy. At the age of 20, he became the first guitarist to be selected for the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme, and the only solo guitarist to be awarded a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship.

‘A diva for the digital age.’ The Classical Singer

‘Bracingly original… spectacular’, Gramophone 28

Join ‘the most sought-after singer on the planet’ (BBC) for a unique Valentine’s themed special, perfect for a romantic night out in the beautiful surroundings of The Bradshaw Hall.

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FRI 15 FEB

MON 18 FEB

12.30pm The Round Room, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

LUNCHTIMES AT ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE

FREE ADMISSION

1.05pm Recital Hall

Francaix Wind Trio Jacob Perkins oboe Will Hammond clarinet Dominic O’Sullivan bassoon

FREE ADMISSION

LUNCHTIMES @ BMAG

Ibert Cinq Beethoven Variations on the theme “La ci dares la mano” from Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” Bradbury 5*4*3 (except after C) Francaix Divertissement pour Hautbois, Clarinette et Basson Poulenc Sonata for Horn, Trumpet and Trombone

Franck Laurent-Grandre

Xizi Zhang

LUNCHTIME MUSIC

Alistair Clements trumpet Jo Sealey piano Honegger Intrada J.B. Loeillet Sonata in Ab Andrew Rawlings voice Jonathan French piano Turina Poema en forma de canciones Beethoven An die ferne geliebte

Musicians from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire treat you to a delightful lunchtime recital in the beautiful surroundings of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

TUE 19 FEB

FRANCK LAURENT-GRANDPRE (PIANO) SUN 17 FEB

11.05am Recital Hall

COFFEE CONCERT

TUE 19 FEB

XIZI ZHANG (PIANO) 1.05pm Recital Hall

LUNCHTIME MUSIC

VARSITY VOCALS PRESENTS A CAPPELLA UNITED KINGDOM QUARTER FINAL

£8 (£6)

£8 (£6)

Franck Laurent-Grandpré piano

Xizi Zhang piano

Franck Laurent-Grandpré La Sagrada Familia (1st Part)

5pm The Bradshaw Hall

Chopin Ballade No.3 in A flat, Op.47 Debussy Pour le Piano, L.95 Schumann Kreisleriana, Op.16

For the fifth year running, the prestigious International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella will be touring across the nation in search of the biggest vocal harmony talent in the UK.

MON 18 FEB

‘I can say that it’s rare to find such devotion and sincere love for the music, that I see in him, Franck Laurent-Grandpré has a unique vision and takes on every piece of music he plays.’ Eliso Virsaladze

It won’t rest until it finds a champion.

7.30pm The Bradshaw Hall

The Sagrada Familia is a classical work, rooted in time, mixing in an elaborated composition of Latin rhythms and accessible melodies, composed by this morning’s pianist Franck Laurent-Grandpré.

You’ve seen Pitch Perfect, you’ve seen Glee; you’ve never seen anything like this. Experience the electric atmosphere of live a cappella as university groups converge in the biggest competition of the vocal calendar to showcase the culmination of this year’s hard work.

£15 (£10) £5 Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Staff & Students

£20 (£15)

Be blown away by these top vocalists, celebrate their successes, and maybe even witness aca-history in the making.

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LOVE’S CONSEQUENCES – AN EVENING OF OPERA EMERGING DIRECTORS

Director Emily Sloan An evening of opera arias, ensembles and choruses based on The Consequences of Love. Featuring soloists from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Royal Birmingham Junior Conservatoire Choir.

PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE SHOWCASES

All profits from this event will go to the charity Action for Children.

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Xizi Zhang is currently studying Advanced Postgraduate Diploma with John Thwaites and Alastair Beatson at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with a full Scholarship. Xizi has had master classes with renowned musicians such as Olga Kern, Richard Goode, Peter Donohoe, Jon Nakamatsu and has won 1st prize at both the 2008 Robert Schumann International Piano Competition for Youth and Beijing International Piano Festival Young Artists Concerto Competition.

These concerts feature our Advanced Postgraduate Diploma students – performers at the highest level of study, who are already launching their professional careers.

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TUE 19 FEB

FRI 22 FEB

7pm Centrala, 158 Fazeley St, Birmingham B5 5RT

ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE COMPOSER’S ORCHESTRA

MON 25 FEB

£5 includes free drink

7pm The Bradshaw Hall

9am-1pm Boult’s Bar & Restaurant

Produced by Serge Vuille and Adrian Spillett Millennial Percussion Maximillian Haft electric violin Serge Vuille percussion

£8 (£6)

FREE ADMISSION

Conductor Daniele Rosina Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Composer’s Orchestra This exciting concert is the culmination of an intensive four days of rehearsals with conductor Daniele Rosina and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire orchestra. The four composers presenting new works are James Abel, Hugo Bell, Ka Cheuk Kwok and Matthew Trembling. Come and listen to brand new works for the orchestral medium.

This Gamelan workshop is a great introduction to group music-making for children and adults of any age, whatever your level of musical ability. The straightforward playing technique makes these instruments instantly accessible, and everyone can learn to play as no previous knowledge or experience is required. Learning to play gamelan enriches many areas of music-making, and the emphasis on playing together as a group reinforces the importance of community over individual values.

SAT 23 FEB

MON 25 FEB

STRING MOTION SENSOR

Programme to include: Sarah Nemtsov Drummed Variation Christopher Lortie Jouska Steven Snowden A Man With a Gun Lives Here Steve Reich Four Organs Michael Daugherty Lex By popular demand, Millennial Percussion return to Centrala, this time in collaboration with musicians from Ensemble Contrechamps and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s Stage Management Department. This show sees the incredibly diverse violinist, Maximillian Haft and percussionist, Serge Vuille feature alongside percussion students from the Conservatoire. Don’t miss Steve Reich’s remarkable and rarely performed, Four Organs, alongside some amazing pieces using music technology.

This programme is an invitation to take a fresh look at the symbiotic relationship between musical sound and motion.

Don’t miss the prequel, Trash TV Trance on Tue 29 Jan.

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CHAMBER MUSIC SATURDAYS 12pm Beatbox (basement level), Library of Birmingham FREE ADMISSION Jeffrey Armstrong, Alicja Humeniuk, Olga Eckert, Mark Lee violins Yue Yu, Mabon Llyr Rhyd violas Bora Kim, Flora McNicoll cellos

GAMELAN OPEN WORKSHOP PERFORMANCE

BEETHOVEN, TAKEMITSU 1.05pm Recital Hall

MON 25 FEB LUNCHTIME MUSIC

7pm Recital Hall

Hejie Zhong piano

£8 (£6)

Beethoven Sonata Op.110 No.31

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire recorder department musicians perform new and innovative works exploring the use of electronics and sound treatments. Music by Donnacha Dennehey, Jesper Nordin, Annette Ziegenmeyer and Roderik de Man, as well as RBC composition students.

Enescu Octet for Strings in C major, Op.7

David Ravelid guitar

A rare opportunity to hear this masterpiece, presented by senior string musicians from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

Colin Downs Mosaic Takemitsu In The Woods (Three pieces for guitar)

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FRONTIERS: RECORDER FUTURES

FREE ADMISSION

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WED 27 FEB

YCAT AT THE CONSERVATOIRE: CASTALIAN QUARTET 2.05pm The Bradshaw Hall

AFTERNOON MUSIC R O YA L B I R M I N G H A M C O N S E R VAT O I R E

£10 (£8)

Callum Smart

TUE 26 FEB

CALLUM SMART (VIOLIN) AND RICHARD UTTLEY (PIANO) 1.05pm Recital Hall £10 (£8) Callum Smart violin Richard Uttley piano

I n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h G r e a te r B i r m i n g h a m C h a m b e r s o f C o m m e r c e

Castalian Quartet Sini Simonen violin Daniel Roberts violin Charlotte Bonneton viola Christopher Graves cello Beethoven String Quartet in B flat, Op.18 No.6 Brahms String Quartet in A minor, Op.51 No.2

‘…the Castalians, led by the seraphic Sini Simonen who seems to pull her inspiration straight down from the skies, lived every moment.’ The Arts Desk Young Classical Artists Trust is a leading charity for young artist development and management.

Callum is joined by Richard Uttley. Noted for the integrity and breadth of his musicianship as soloist, chamber musician and recording artist, Richard has been recognised for his ‘musical intelligence and pristine facility’ International Record Review, ‘amazing decisiveness’, and ‘tumultuous performance’ Daily Telegraph.

INTEGRA LAB SHOWCASE 4pm The Lab £8 (£6) Integra Lab presents a selection of interactive music technology performances showcasing staff research and performance collaborations. Exploring live electronics, gestural controllers and music interaction design, this concert will feature exciting new works.

WED 27 FEB

THE DENIS MATTHEWS CENTENARY CELEBRATION CONCERT 8pm The Bradshaw Hall £8 (£6) A Gala Spectacular to remember the birth, 100 years ago this very day, of the great pianist, academic, musicologist and broadcaster Denis Matthews.

Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 8 in G major, Op.30, No.3 Schubert Fantasie in C major for violin and piano, D.934 Ginastera Pampeana No.1 Op.16 Callum Smart attracted wide public attention at the age of thirteen, having won the strings category of the 2010 BBC Young Musician Competition performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Vasily Petrenko. In the same year, he went on to become the top European prizewinner at the Menuhin Competition and now enjoys critical acclaim for his lyrical and accomplished interpretations.

WED 27 FEB

WED 27 FEB

THE TROUT QUINTET

To include Peter Donohoe playing Beethoven’s Sonata Op.101, John Humphreys and Alan Schiller on two pianos, and pianists Pascal Pascaleff, Imanuel Ivanov and Franck Grand.

This event is preceded by The Denis Matthews Centenary Talk at 6pm (free admission).

4pm The Bradshaw Hall £8 (£6) Jonathan Martindale violin Louise Lansdown viola Hannah Roberts cello Anthony Alcock double bass John Thwaites piano Schubert Quintet in A major D.667 The Trout

THU 28 FEB

CHAMBER MUSIC SHOWCASE 6pm Recital Hall £8 (£6)

FRI 1 MAR

COFFEE, CAKE AND CADENZAS 1pm The Piano Bar, New Alexandra Theatre FREE ADMISSION Shi Ling Chin violin Bach Chaconne in D minor Reger Chaconne Op.117 Bartok Ciaconna Hartmann Chaconne Beyer Chaconne for Solo Violin The Alexandra hosts monthly lunchtime concerts during term time, featuring Royal Birmingham Conservatoire musicians. This instalment features a fascinating programme of solo violin works presented by PhD student Shi Ling Chin.

MON 4 MAR

BEETHOVEN 1.05pm Recital Hall

Director and violin Caroline Pether

FREE ADMISSION

Come and see top strings musicians from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire perform popular chamber music under the direction of violin tutor Caroline Pether.

Olga Eckert violin Elizabeth Haughan piano

LUNCHTIME MUSIC

Beethoven Violin Sonata No.6, Op.30 No.1 Ruifan Xuan piano Beethoven Sonata, Op.101

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TUE 5 MAR Pascal Pascaleff

PUBLIC RESEARCH SEMINAR

Ed Pether

3.30pm Workshop 2 £5 Helen Roberts speaker and cornett Catherine Motuz historical trombone Public Research Seminar: Helen Roberts (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire) and Catherine Motuz (Schola Cantorum, Basel): Durham Cathedral in the 1620s and 1630s: A liturgical context for historical improvisation?

WED 6 MAR

TUE 5 MAR

11.05am Recital Hall

1.05pm Recital Hall

£8 (£6)

£8 (£6)

Pascal Pascaleff piano

Ed Pether violin

Chopin Nocturne in B major, Op.62 No.1 Beethoven Piano Sonata in C-sharp minor, Op.27 No.2

Bartók Sonata for Solo Violin Webern Vier Stücke R. Strauss Sonata for Violin and Piano in E flat major

Chopin Nocturne in E major, Op.62 No.2 Liszt Après une lecture du Dante Is it a Fantasia or is it a Sonata? A programme of seminal solo piano works that have redefined musical form and revealed new horizons ahead.

Jamal Aliyev

YCAT AT THE CONSERVATOIRE: JAMAL ALIYEV (CELLO) AND JÂMS COLEMAN (PIANO)

TUE 5 MAR

A FANTASIA OR A SONATA?

This is an interactive session exploring the case for improvised music within the context of early 17th-Century Durham Cathedral. We will introduce the musical and liturgical background of the cathedral at the time, along with contemporary accounts of services there that provide vital clues to performance practices. We will then lead attendees through three historical improvisation techniques, discussing how each may have found a place in the soundscape of the cathedral during this period.

2.05pm The Bradshaw Hall

ED PETHER (VIOLIN) LUNCHTIME MUSIC

This is a varied programme of music from Hungary to Austria to Germany. Both Bartók’s Sonata for Solo Violin and Webern’s 4 Pieces are staples of the early 20th Century violin repertoire, yet contrast greatly from each other, the Bachian polyphony of Bartók against the expressionism of Webern. Concluding the programme is Strauss’s hugely romantic Sonata for Violin and Piano, a passionate and virtuosic showcase for both instruments.

£8 (£6) Jamal Aliyev cello Jâms Coleman piano Bloch From Jewish Life for cello and piano Ligeti Sonata for solo cello Bridge Sonata for cello and piano While continuing his studies with Thomas Carroll at the Royal College of Music, Jamal Aliyev has performed widely in Europe and further afield, highlights including his recent solo debut at Royal Festival Hall London with the Philharmonia. In 2015, he was one of the first BBC Introducing Classical Artists selected, regularly appearing on BBC Radio 3 In Tune and with the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Jâms Coleman © Sim Canetty-Clarke

Jamal is accompanied by Jâms Coleman, a pianist who enjoys a rich and varied musical life performing as a soloist, chamber musician and vocal accompanist. He finds it inspiring and fascinating to collaborate with different musicians, and values the rewards of this process.

‘The tender cello solo ...is in my ear still.’ Ivan Hewett, The Telegraph, BBC Proms 2017 36

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WED 6 MAR

FRI 8 MAR

THE ANDREW DOWNES PERFORMANCE PRIZE

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY CONCERT 5pm Organ Studio

7pm Recital Hall

£8 (£6)

£8 (£6)

Students and Staff from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s Early Music, Recorder and Vocal departments perform music by women composers from the 16th to 18th centuries, in celebration of International Women’s Day.

Sponsor of this prize, Andrew Downes was Head of Composition and Creative Studies at Birmingham Conservatoire from 1990 to 2005. Well-respected as a composer around the world, the prize requires entrants to perform a programme of his music along with that of other British composers born after 1949, as they compete to win an impressive cash prize and recital opportunity.

THU 7 – SAT 9 MAR

SPRING OPERA: THE MAGIC FLUTE WED 6 MAR

#BIRMINGHAMNEWMUSIC

THU & FRI 7pm SAT 2pm & 7pm The Crescent Theatre

7pm The Lab

£16 (£13)

£8 (£6)

Director Michael Barry Conductor Christopher Bucknall

Frontiers presents a concert of new works by Royal Birmingham Conservatoire composers. This concert will feature a wide range of styles and utilise the flexible layout of the Lab venue in creative and inventive ways.

THU 7 MAR

LUCY RUSSELL (VIOLIN) AND SEZI SESKIR (FORTEPIANO) 6pm Recital Hall

COMMUTER CONCERT

£10 (£8) Lucy Russell violin Sezi Seskir fortepiano

Mozart The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte) K.620 Royal Birmingham Conservatoire presents Mozart’s late masterpiece, The Magic Flute, sung in German with English dialogue.

LUNCHTIMES AT ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE 1.05pm Recital Hall

LUNCHTIME MUSIC

FREE ADMISSION See website for programme details

TUE 12 MAR

LAUREN ZHANG MON 11 MAR

LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT: ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE CHAMBER CHOIR AND THOMAS TROTTER

Premiered in 1791, just two months before the composer’s untimely death, The Magic Flute is a virtuosic display of Mozart as both musician and dramatist. From the stratospheric heights of the Queen of the Night famous aria to the profound depths of Saratro’s, join Tamino and Pamina and a host of unlikely characters in a quest for redemption through love – a quest which takes them through a broken landscape of betrayal, revenge and murder.

1pm Symphony Hall

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Beethoven Violin Sonata in A minor, Op.23 Mozart Violin Sonata in B flat, K305 CPE Bach Violin Sonata in C, Wq.78 Beethoven Violin Sonata in F, Op.24, Spring

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MON 11 MAR

£6 tickets available from www.thsh.co.uk Still waters run deep. Gabriel Fauré was a quiet man, and there’s no anger or fury in his haunting Requiem – just some of the loveliest choral music ever written.

But it can’t conceal a world of heartfelt emotion. Under Paul Spicer’s direction, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Chamber Choir has emerged as an ensemble of international quality – this should be something very special indeed.

1.05pm Recital Hall R O YA L B I R M I N G H A M C O N S E R VAT O I R E

£8 (£6)

I n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h G r e a te r B i r m i n g h a m C h a m b e r s o f C o m m e r c e

Lauren Zhang piano BBC Young Musician of The Year and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire student, Lauren Zhang performs after winning millions of hearts with her thrilling execution of Prokofiev’s 2nd Piano Concerto with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mark Wigglesworth in the final.

‘She has a natural genuine musicianship …and a real intelligence.’ Nicola Benedetti.

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WED 13 MAR

FRI 15 MAR

7pm Recital Hall

12.30pm The Round Room, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

THE TOWN HALL SYMPHONY HALL PRIZE

TUE 12 MAR

PUBLIC RESEARCH SEMINAR : LECTURE-RECITAL 3.30pm Recital Hall £5 Dr Alexander Soares speaker and piano Public Research Seminar: Lecture-Recital Alexander Soares: Memorisation Strategy In Atonal Piano Repertoire British pianist Alexander Soares gives a lecture-recital, examining techniques and strategies to memorise contemporary piano repertoire, in which one of the primary means of memorisation – tonal language and structures – is largely removed. Professional pianists will use a range of kinaesthetic, conceptual and structural cues to create a framework to memorise the music and guide the performance. The lecture will include performances of solo piano works by Boulez, Dutilleux and Messiaen.

LUNCHTIMES @ BMAG

£8 (£6)

FREE ADMISSION

The prize for this major competition includes a public recital at Town Hall or Symphony Hall. In the final, we are guaranteed a series of exceptionally captivating performances, as our students prove their ability to undertake a public recital at one of these major venues.

Director Mark Ashford

THU 14 MAR

LONDON WINDS 6pm The Bradshaw Hall £10 (£8) Philippa Davies flute Gareth Hulse oboe Richard Watkins horn Robin O’Neill bassoon Michael Collins clarinet/director A stunning combination of virtuoso players who also enjoy active solo careers, London Winds’ performances are renowned for their technical brilliance, interpretative vision and joie de vivre. Founded in 1988 by British clarinettist Michael Collins, the group has rapidly become one of the world’s most prominent chamber ensembles.

MON 18 MAR

THE ARTIST FORMERLY KNOWN AS INCUS LUNCHTIME MUSIC

Guitar duos, quartets and mixed ensembles from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire treat you to a delightful lunchtime recital in the beautiful surroundings of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

£10 (£8) Tim Lines clarinet Rose Redgrave viola Eliza McCarthy piano This trio is a flexible chamber music group that brings a fresh perspective and energy to established repertoire as well as being strong advocates of new music.

This afternoon, they perform music by Royal Birmingham Conservatoire composers.

MON 18 MAR

BARTÓK, FRANÇAIX 1.05pm Recital Hall

5.30pm Organ Studio

LUNCHTIME MUSIC

FREE ADMISSION Abigail Keers flute Thomas Carr trumpet Brotons Sonata Op.21 Charlier Solo de concours Françaix Sonatine for Trumpet and Piano Bozza Lied Dominika Blatt piano Bartók Improvisastions on Hungarian Peasant Songs Op.20

MON 18 MAR

ROUND THE STAR AND BACK

‘London Winds are second to none in terms of technical accomplishment, expressive commitment and warmth of timbre.’ BBC Music Magazine

7pm Recital Hall FREE ADMISSION Director Naomi Sullivan Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Saxophone Ensemble and Friends Programme to include: Ivor McGregor Film Noir Joel Love 3 Images Jonathan Harvey Round the Star and Back New music for saxophones that explores how music can evoke imagery – from the gritty, down-trodden Film Noir, chasing bed monsters to “the golden hour” just before and after sunrise/sunset.

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Nicholas Daniel

Charles Matthews

Corey Mwamba

TUE 19 MAR

FRONTIERS: STEVE POTTER HAM-HANDED: VIDEO, WORDS AND MUSIC FOR PIANO PLAYERS APART

7pm The Lab £8 (£6) Steve Potter concept and music K. Yoland video and direction Manrutt Wongkaew costume Mette Slot Johnsen producer Alex Grauze piano Potter/Yoland/Wongkaew HAM-HANDED: video, words and music for piano players apart (world premiere)

TUE 19 MAR

PUBLIC RESEARCH SEMINAR DOUBLE BILL 3.30pm Workshop 2 £5

TUE 19 MAR

Corey Mwamba: How the Vibraphone is a Mouth

NICHOLAS DANIEL (OBOE) AND CHARLES MATTHEWS (PIANO) 1.05pm The Bradshaw Hall R O YA L B I R M I N G H A M C O N S E R VAT O I R E

£12 (£10) Add lunch for £5 Nicholas Daniel oboe Charles Matthews piano Bach Sinfonia from Easter Oratorio BWV 249 (arr. for oboe and piano by Nicholas Daniel) Pavel Haas Oboe Suite Julian Anderson The Bearded Lady Stravinsky Russian Maiden’s Song (arr. for oboe and piano

by Nicholas Daniel) Bowen Sonata for oboe and piano

LUNCH OFFER Make the most of your afternoon in Boult’s bar by adding lunch for £5.

Choose from a delicious sandwich or soup with bread and drink - book in advance with your ticket purchase.

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In this collaboration between composer Steve Potter, video artist K. Yoland and fashion choreographer Manrutt Wongkaew, an ambiguously gendered, white, pianist playing on a cheap keyboard attempts to play along with a Cecil Taylor improvisation from 1981 shown on a screen.

After a while on a second screen, James Baldwin appears and critiques ‘living life by habit and imitation’. At this point the pianist panics that they have made an interracial faux-pas but continues to play noisily along. Captions intervene to try to make sense of it all.

I n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h G r e a te r B i r m i n g h a m C h a m b e r s o f C o m m e r c e

Nicholas Daniel has long been acknowledged as one of the world’s great oboe players, and is one of Britain’s best known musicians. In a distinguished career that began more than four decades ago, he has become an important ambassador in many different musical fields, and has significantly enlarged the repertoire for his instrument with the commissioning of hundreds of new works.

Charles Matthews joins Nicholas as pianist. Charles studied at the Royal College of Music, and was an organ scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge. He has won numerous awards, most notably first prize in the 1999 Franz Liszt Organ Interpretation Competition in Budapest.

‘Daniel is past praise in his virtuosity and eloquence.’

Gramophone Magazine

Corey Mwamba will present his research as a reflection of his vibraphone practice. This practice, rooted in jazz practical philosophies, considers the vibraphone as an analogue to the mouth. Through performance, research reading, and prose, this presentation hopes to provoke new ways of thinking about personal sound on the vibraphone in jazz and improvised music instrument.

Niccolò Granieri: Reach - Designing Keyboard Instruments with Pianists in Mind This seminar will explore the importance of the creation of a new framework for Digital Musical Instruments that focuses on recognising existing gestures in the musician’s technique rather than requiring additional technique to be learned and adapted. Building upon this concept, interface transparency and control intimacy will be introduced and discussed, guiding the audience through the thought process that made Reach, a keyboard instrument designed with pianists in mind, possible.

‘Some of the best oboe playing you’ll hear anywhere.’

Record Review BOOK NOW VIA WWW.BCU.AC.UK/CONCERTS OR 0121 331 5909

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WED 20 MAR

ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRE-CBSO CONCERT SHOWCASE 1pm Symphony Hall

WED 20 MAR

FRI 22 MAR

6pm The Bradshaw Hall

7pm The Bradshaw Hall

SYLVIA CLEAVER CHAMBER MUSIC PRIZE

Nielsen Maskarade Overture Bartók The Miraculous Mandarin

The best Chamber Music ensembles in the Conservatoire compete for this coveted prize, awarded by the Birmingham Chamber Music Society.

Peter Donohoe piano

Tse Fu Lin piano

Schumann Abegg Variations Op.1 Schumann Toccata Op.7 Tchaikovsky Sonata No.2 in G Major Op.37 Tchaikovsky Dumka Op.59 Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition

JS Bach/Ferruccio Busoni Chaconne in D minor

THU 21 MAR

ED PETHER (VIOLIN) 6pm Recital Hall Ed Pether violin

2.15pm Symphony Hall

Ed Pether became a pupil at Chetham’s School of Music aged eleven, and studied there for seven years with Professor Wen Zhou Li. At the age of 14, he performed the Bruch concerto with the Aberdeenshire Youth Orchestra and later won Second Prize at Chandos Young Musician of the Year.

Smetana The Bartered Bride: Overture and Three Dances Shostakovich Piano Concerto No.2 Schumann Symphony No.3 (Rhenish)

LUNCHTIME MUSIC

£15 (£12)

SCHUMANN’S RHENISH SYMPHONY Conductor Jac van Steen Steven Osborne piano City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

1.05pm Recital Hall

£8 (£6)

£10 (£8)

£13-£50 Tickets available from www.thsh.co.uk

BUSONI, COUSINS, GRIPPER

R O YA L B I R M I N G H A M C O N S E R VAT O I R E

FREE ADMISSION Conductor Michael Seal Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra

PETER DONOHOE PIANO RECITAL

MON 25 MAR

Ed continued his studies with Professor Li at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. During his time there he won the Helen Porthouse Paganini Prize and the Roger Raphael Prize, and also took part in masterclasses with James Ehnes, Olivier Charlier and Midori.

I n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h G r e a te r B i r m i n g h a m C h a m b e r s o f C o m m e r c e

In the years since his unprecedented success as Silver Medal winner of the 1982 7th International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Peter Donohoe has built an extraordinary world-wide career, encompassing a huge repertoire and over forty years’ experience as a pianist, as well as continually exploring many other avenues in music-making. He is acclaimed as one of the foremost pianists of our time, for his musicianship, stylistic versatility and commanding technique.

‘Donohoe is a pianist in a class of his own, an interpreter with a quite extraordinary feeling for musical phrasing, a ‘sculptor’ of the piano; his relentlessly clear representation of thematic conflicts brings the drama to life.’

Detlef Brandenburg (Schleswig-Holstein, 1993)

FREE ADMISSION

Chris Roberts guitar Trad. arr. Gerard Cousins Lisa Lân Ali Farka Touré arr. Derek Gripper 56 Trad. arr. Gerard Cousins Fantasia on Ar Lan y Mor

MON 25 MAR

GUITAR DEPARTMENT IN CONCERT 7pm Recital Hall £8 (£6) An eclectic mix of music for solo, duo, quartet and mixed ensemble from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s Guitar Department.

SAT 23 MAR

JUNIOR CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT 7.30pm Recital Hall £8 (£6) Musicians from the Junior Conservatoire join together in a fitting finale to the end of term.

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David Edgar

TUE 26 MAR

CREATIVE INTERACTIVE MUSIC TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE 6pm The Lab £8 (£6) Students from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s Postgraduate programme present a selection of new and exciting works that combine interactive technologies with musical performance.

El Ultimo Tango

TUE 26 MAR

100 YEARS OF TANGO 1.05pm Recital Hall

Spanning a broad range of genres, expect performances that examine ways in which technologies—new and old—can be used to generate, expose and explore musical ideas using novel and unconventional approaches.

LUNCHTIME MUSIC

£10 (£8)

El Ultimo Tango, a group founded by CBSO principal cellist Eduardo Vassallo, plays music from their latest CD ‘100 Years of Tango’. Performing traditional and contemporary tangos inspired by the music of Astor Piazzolla.

WED 27 MAR

YCAT AT THE CONSERVATOIRE: BENJAMIN BAKER (VIOLIN) AND DANIEL LEBHARDT (PIANO)

El Ultimo Tango Eduardo Vassallo cello Nicolas Bricht flute Mark O’Brien sax John Turville piano Mark Goodchild bass

2.05pm The Bradshaw Hall R O YA L B I R M I N G H A M C O N S E R VAT O I R E

£8 (£6)

I n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h G r e a te r B i r m i n g h a m C h a m b e r s o f C o m m e r c e

TUE 26 MAR

Benjamin Baker violin Daniel Lebhardt piano

3.30pm Workshop 2

Beethoven Violin Sonata No.10 in G, Op.96 Schumann Violin Sonata No.2 in D minor, Op.121

PUBLIC RESEARCH SEMINAR £5

Benjamin Baker won 1st Prize at the 2016 Young Concert Artists auditions in New York and 3rd Prize at the Michael Hill Competition in New Zealand in 2017.

Public Research Seminar: David Edgar: State of Play The last 20 years are said to have seen a huge change in theatre practice: the rise of new forms of collaborative theatre-making and the decline of the traditional play. But is that actually what’s been happening? Is the individuallywritten play dead? Or have playwrights responded to the challenge of the new with a golden age of playwriting?

Award-winning playwright David Edgar assesses the past, present and future of the British play.

Recent highlights include a critically acclaimed debut at Merkin Concert Hall in New York, recitals at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and Festspiele MecklenburgVorpommern in Germany.

Equally at home as a chamber musician, Benjamin plays on a Tononi violin (1709) on generous loan.

Pianist Daniel Lebhardt won 1st Prize at the Young Concert Artists auditions in Paris and New York in 2014. A year later he was invited to record music by Bartók for Decca and in 2016 won the Most Promising Pianist prize at the Sydney International Competition.

‘The fine violinist Benjamin Baker… brought virtuosity, refinement and youthful exuberance to a daunting program.’

New York Times

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THU 28 MAR

SAT 30 MAR

MENDELSSOHN AND ENESCU STRING OCTETS 6pm Recital Hall

CHAMBER MUSIC SATURDAYS

COMMUTER CONCERT

£10 (£8) Jeffrey Armstrong violin Alicja Humeniuk violin Olga Eckert violin Mark Lee violin Mabon Llyr viola Yue Yu viola Flora McNicoll cello Bora Kim cello Hear string octets from both Mendelssohn and Enescu in this extended early evening concert (finishing around 7.15pm).

The Enescu octet is rarely heard and highly regarded as one of the most complex and virtuoso pieces for string ensemble. Paired with Mendelssohn’s Octet, this makes for a very unique and extravagant programme performed by hand-picked musicians from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Strings Department.

FRI 29 MAR

HARD RAIN SOLOISTS ENSEMBLE: ACROSS THE POND

SAT 30 MAR

12pm Beatbox (basement level), Library of Birmingham

JUNIOR END OF TERM CHOIRS AND ORCHESTRAS CONCERT

FREE ADMISSION

7pm The Bradshaw Hall

Impetus Trio Mafalda Galante violin Maria Antunes viola Gabriel Rodrigues double bass

£8 (£6) Soloists, choirs and orchestras from the Junior Conservatoire join together in a fitting finale to the end of term.

Boccherini String Trio Opus 14 No.4 G.98 in D Beethoven String Trio Opus 9 No.2 in D Sparkling music for string trio with a double bass in place of a cello.

7.30pm The Bradshaw Hall £10 (£8) Conductor Sinead Hayes Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble Aisling Agnew flutes Sarah Watts clarinets Joanne Quigley McParland violin Dave McCann cello Daniel Browell piano Alex Petcu percussion Perry Goldstien Twittering Machines Elizabeth Kelly Into the Depths John Zorn Hexentarrot Greg Caffrey Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold Piers Hellawell Ground Truthing Joe Cutler Archie Elliott Carter Triple Duo

Boult’s Bar and Restaurant is located on Level 0 with a simple range of hot and cold food for you to enjoy throughout the day and evening – equally perfect for you to enjoy before or after a concert or just when you are meeting up with friends. Also located here, the bar serves a range of quality wines, fizz, craft beers and fabulous cocktails.

To celebrate Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble’s fifth anniversary they revisit the monumental and challenging Triple Duo from Elliott Carter as well as work from his compatriots, resulting in a programme with a strong USA thread, albeit a broad stylistic variety.

There are also two brand new pieces; firstly Ground Truthing by Piers Hellawell, and then the latest work from Greg Caffrey completing his Yeats trilogy, Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold. Finally, we have a work from our very own Joe Cutler; his piano trio, Archie.

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OUR SUPPORTERS Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is extremely grateful for the generous support of all its donors, in particular the following individuals and organisations.

TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS PRS Foundation Signatur Sophie’s Silver Lining Fund The Alan Edward Higgs Charity The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation The Aspinwall Educational Trust The Brooks Van Der Pump Charitable Trust The Carne Trust The Denis Matthews Memorial Trust Fund The DMC McDonald Foundation The EMI Foundation The Ernest Cook Trust

The Fidelio Charitable Trust The George Cadbury Trust The John Avins Trust The Leverhulme Trust The Michael Bishop Foundation The Music and Dance Scheme The Nicholas Boas Charitable Trust The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Association The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Trust The Schubert Ensemble Trust The Wolfson Foundation

If you would like to support the work of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and its students, please contact Robin Leonard at robin.leonard@bcu.ac.uk or on 0121 331 5534. Thank you for your support!

INDIVIDUAL DONORS

Helen Allen Andrew Banks Dr Keith Bradshaw OBE DL Tony & Veronica Bridgewater Anita Davies Tony Davies & Darin Qualls Professor Andrew Downes Steve Elliott The Estate of Pauline Faulkner Elisabeth Fisher Jill Godsall John Gripton & Rosemary Phillips David & Erica Hart

Mark Hopton Gail Lawrence Betty Milne John Morris Marita Morrison Andrew Rackham Richard Rathbone Jean & John D Smith Margaret Tait Professor Graham Upton Dame Gillian Weir DBE The family and friends of Gwyn Williams Jane Williams

HOW TO FIND US HOW TO FIND US

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is situated at 200 Jennens Road, Birmingham B4 7XR, opposite Aston University and behind Millennium Point.

PARKING

There is a multi-storey car park owned and managed by Birmingham City Council situated adjacent to Millennium Point.

The car park entrance is on Howe Street off Jennens Road.

If you are using a sat nav please use the postcode B4 7AP.

BUS ROUTES

The 14, 55, 66 and 94 all go from Priory Queensway (B&M Bargains) and stop on Jennens Road. There is a stop almost opposite Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with a pedestrian crossing nearby.

ACCESSIBILITY

Wheelchair users are entitled to concessionary priced tickets with a complimentary companion seat. Guide Dogs are welcome at all Royal Birmingham Conservatoire venues.

If you wish to bring a Guide Dog or wheelchair, please let the Events Office know by calling 0121 331 5909.

PLEASE NOTE that listings are correct at time of going to print.

BIRMINGH A M CONSERVAT OIRE ASSOCIATION Registered Charity No 1067676 Support the Musicians of Tomorrow - Join us Today Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Association is a voluntary organisation supporting the work of the students at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Our international membership consists of alumni, current and former members of staff, distinguished Honorary Members including the President of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Sir Simon Rattle OM CBE DUniv, parents, friends and all those wishing to support our objectives.

Membership is open to everyone who wishes to support the work of the students at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

The students increasingly need your help in these days of global financial hardship. Please refer to our website www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire/bca to see the benefits offered to RBCA Members and join us online or by requesting an application form from RBCA Hon Secretary.

John Smith 0121 476 4741 / johnsmithhrs359@gmail.com

We are a Registered Charity which is independent from the Conservatoire. Our work includes the joint production with the Conservatoire of a twice-yearly promotional magazine Fanfare, financial support for the CBSO Learning and Participation Programme and to individual students for a variety of needs (such as instrumental purchase and repair, travelling and living expenses, and masterclasses), the annual Undergraduate Welcome and biennial Alumni and Staff Reunions.

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WHAT’S ON

SUN 3 FEB MILOŠ KARADAGLIĆ & VIDA GUITAR QUARTET IN CONCERT

AS PART OF ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSE RVAT OIR E ’S GUI TA R F E S T I VA L

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