Birmingham Conservatoire - Spring Concert Diary 2014 by Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

A comprehensive schedule of events at Birmingham Conservatoire

concertdiary

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January to April 2014

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Facilities at Birmingham Conservatoire

Discover Musicians for Any Occasion

Birmingham Conservatoire has a varied range of rooms for hire to suit almost any occasion, from meetings, conferences and exhibitions to concerts, recitals, rehearsals and auditions. Facilities include the Adrian Boult Hall (520 seats) and Recital Hall (150 seats). We can also arrange catering, conference equipment, technical requirements and a number of musical instruments for hire. Our friendly staff will be happy to discuss your requirements and arrange to show you around our facilities. To request a copy of our Halls for Hire brochure or to make an appointment, please contact the Concert Office on 0121 331 5909/7212 or email us at bhamcons.concerts@bcu.ac.uk. You can also contact us via the Quick Query form, which can be found on the Birmingham Conservatoire website: www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire, under Facilities & Services/Venue Hire.

Holly Thomas (BMus Jazz Year 2), Arts and Business Awards sponsored by Jaguar Landrover, Birmingham Town Hall, 7th October 2010. Photo by Luke Unsworth.

If you are seeking to enhance an event with music, Birmingham Conservatoire is proud to offer professional and talented student and graduate musicians for events including corporate functions, weddings, charity dinners, ceremonies, parties and public recitals. We have a range of classical or jazz ensembles and soloists to enhance your event with superb live music!

Our friendly and efficient External Engagements team will help you to select an ensemble and programme that will make your special event a memorable occasion, both for you and for your guests or potential clients. To find out more about booking our performers and details of our competitive prices, please contact our External Engagements Team (T: 0121 331 6901 / E: external.engagements@bcu.ac.uk / www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire)

‘Our guests really enjoyed the musicians, they were very professional – a wonderful performance’ Pauline Jones, Hirer of Louis Armstrong Tribute Group (student and graduate jazz ensemble) for surprise birthday party

‘It was a truly remarkable performance and one that we shall treasure forever’ Robin Neill, Hirer of Georgiev String

Recital Hall

Quartet for concert performance

Board Room

Welcome Welcome to 2014 at Birmingham Conservatoire! Last term saw the debut of our new Public Masterclass Series. Following the success of these events we are pleased to announce the continuation of this series throughout the spring term, featuring some of Europe’s top musicians – Clara Andrada de la Calle, Dame Felicity Lott, Thomas Riebl and Gergely Boganyi. We also welcome two rising stars – Pei-Chun Liao and Isabel Villanueva, for a lunchtime Performance Platform concert. Over the last few years we have watched the growth and success of the Frontiers Festival, and this year’s is the largest to date. Entitled ‘Frontiers: Extraordinary Music from Downtown New York and Birmingham’, the festival looks at Birmingham as a world-class creative city, working with partners from across the city centre, including the new Library of Birmingham, Flatpack, Town Hall Symphony Hall, Ikon and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group. The festival will look at the transformative culture of Birmingham over the past 50 years, showcasing it alongside the more familiar stories of the Downtown New York movement. Our friendship and partnership with the CBSO continues to grow and this season we see two CBSO pre-concert events at Symphony Hall, as well as the first ever Jazzlines pre-concert showcase, which takes place at Symphony Hall with our Jazz Orchestra. The Jazz Department continues to go from strength to strength, and this term also sees the new Live Jazz Broadcast series taking

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place every other Wednesday lunchtime (free to Monday Showcase audience members – just bring your programme along!). We welcome a collaboration with the School of English and in view of the recent centenary celebrations, present an evening of Benjamin Britten's poetry and music. Poetry and music is also the inspiration and foundations for the student production ‘Finzi’s Hardy’, which looks at the text setting of Hardy’s poetry for Finzi’s vocal compositions. This theme continues with Peter Donohoe taking command of the notorious Années de Pèlerinage – a composition heavily inspired by Romantic and early literature. As with each season, we are proud to present a variety of events from both Conservatoire performers and external organisations. Other events to note this term include our spring Opera Production - Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites; the Birmingham Philharmonic Concerto Prize – organized and staged in association with the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra; the return of Birmingham Classical Players; and a visit by American jazz saxophonist, Mark Turner. Throughout each term we are astounded by the support and loyalty of our audience. For this we thank you, and wish you a Happy New Year. David Saint Principal Birmingham Conservatoire

Contents January

February

Mon 6

Monday Showcase

Tue 7

Performance Platform: Clara Andrada de la Calle (flute) and Alberto Rosado (piano)

Tue 7 Sun 12 Mon 13 Tue 14 Tue 14 Wed 15 Thu 16 Mon 20 Tue 21 Tue 21 Wed 22 Thu 23 Thu 23 Thu 23 Fri 24 Fri 24 Sun 26 Mon 27 Tue 28 Tue 28 Wed 29 Wed 29 Thu 30

Public Masterclass with Clara Andrada de la Calle (flute) Birmingham Conservatoire Viola Day: A celebration of Pedagogy, Position and personality … Cinderella no more! Monday Showcase Performance Platform: Poulenc’s String Sonatas Liszt’s Années de Pèlerinage Live Jazz Broadcast Birmingham Conservatoire Camerata Choir Monday Showcase Performance Platform: Stavroula Thoma (piano) Frontiers Series: Composers’ Platform Jazzlines Pre-Concert Event: Birmingham Conservatoire Jazz Orchestra Birmingham Conservatoire Open Day Snapshot Series: Composers' Orchestra – New Territories and Tchaikovsky Birmingham Conservatoire Chamber Choir Friday Orchestral Series: Birmingham Conservatoire Baroque Orchestra The Last Five Years Birmingham Conservatoire Tenor Horn and Flugel Day Monday Showcase Performance Platform: The Eblana String Trio Public Research Seminar: Sally Cathcart Live Jazz Broadcast Birmingham Small Ensemble Series: Songs and Poems in a Time of War Beyond Classical: Viva Vivaldi!

8 8

Sat 1 Sun 2 Mon 3 Tue 4 Tue 4

Birmingham Junior Conservatoire Orchestral Concert The Double String Orchestra Monday Showcase Performance Platform: Dame Felicity Lott (soprano) Public Masterclass with Dame Felicity Lott (soprano) CBSO Pre-Concert Events: Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra Showcase Prizes and Competitions Series: The Renna Kellaway Piano Prize Monday Showcase Performance Platform: Pei-Chun Liao (piano) Public Research Seminar Double Bill: Dr Christopher Dingle & Dr Janet K. Halfyard

17 17 18 18 19

8 9 9 10 10 10 11 11

Wed 5

Wed 12

Live Jazz Broadcast

Thu 13

Birmingham Small Ensemble Series: The Grand Tour 22

Fri 14

Friday Orchestral Series: Vaughan Williams, Mahler and Beethoven

Tue 18

‘Breake, Blowe, burn and make me new’ John Donne and Benjamin Britten - Words into Music

Wed 19

Prizes and Competitions Series: The Leamington Music Prize

Thu 20

Beyond Classical: The Havid Duo

Thu 20

Finzi’s Hardy: ‘Earth and Air and Rain’ and ‘By Footpath and Stile’

Fri 21

Friday Orchestral Series Commuter Concert: Symphonies of Wind & Brass

Fri 21

How can you mend a broken heart? Music therapy and cardiac disease: an exploration of medical and psychological phenomena

Thu 6 Mon 10 Tue 11 Tue 11

13 13 13 14 14 15 15 15 16 16

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19 20 20 20 21

Thu 20 Thu 20 Fri 21 Fri 21 Fri 21 Sat 22 Mon 24 Sat 22 Mar – Sat 5 Apr

Wed 26

Prizes and Competitions Series: The Andrew Downes Performance Prize

Thu 27 Fri 28

BCMS Chamber Music Series: Mozart and more A Musical Journey on the Orient Express

26 26

March Mon 3 Mon 3 Tue 4 Wed 5 Thu 6 Thu 6 Thu 6 – Sat 8 Mon 10 Mon 10 Tue 11 Tue 11 Tue 11 Wed 12 Thu 13 Fri 14 Sat 15 Mon 17 Tue 18 Tue 18 Tue 18 Wed 19 Wed 19

Monday Showcase Frontiers Series: Creative Ensemble Performance Platform: Isabel Villanueva (viola) & Stefan Stroissnig (piano) Prizes and Competitions Series: Town Hall Symphony Hall Recital Prize CBSO Pre-Concert Events: Master Pianists I Wouldn’t Recommend It

27 27

28 29

Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites

Monday Showcase Frontiers Series: Composers’ Platform Performance Platform: Robin Ireland (viola) and Conservatoire Students Public Research Seminar: Professor Deborah Mawer Frontiers Series Double-Bill: Part 1 Christopher Redgate (oboe) & Stephen Robbings (piano); Part 2 Magdalena Wajdzik (piano) Live Jazz Broadcast Birmingham Small Ensemble Series: Spotlight on Harp Feelin’ Blue: Beaufort Ensemble Frontiers Series at the New Art Gallery Walsall Monday Showcase Performance Platform: Thomas Riebl (viola) Public Masterclass with Thomas Riebl (viola) Birmingham Small Ensemble Series: Guitar Chamber Music Concert Live Jazz Broadcast Prizes and Competitions Series: The Ashleyan Opera Prize

30 30 30 31

Mon 24 Mon 24 Tue 25 Tue 25

28 28

31 32 32 33 33 33 34 34 35 35 35

Beyond Classical: Melodías Españolas Frontiers Series: Mark Turner Friday Orchestral Series: Pre-Concert Talk Friday Orchestral Series: The Major Brass Project Johannes Thorell (saxophone) Birmingham Junior Conservatoire Chamber Music Concert Monday Showcase

36 36 37 37 38 38 38

Frontiers Festival: Extraordinary Music from Downtown New York and Birmingham

Birmingham Small Ensemble Series: Recorder Ensemble New Frontiers Frontiers Series: Composers’ Platform Performance Platform: Gergely Boganyi (piano) Public Masterclass with Gergely Boganyi (piano)

41 41 41 42

Tue 25

Frontiers Series: Simplicity and Beauty – an exquisite evening for strings and electronics

Thu 27 Fri 28 Sat 29 Mon 31

Birmingham Small Ensemble Series: Fortepiano Gala Concert Friday Orchestral Series: Requiem Birmingham Junior Conservatoire End of Term Concert Melody Music Birmingham Spring Concert

43 43 43 43

April Tue 1 Wed 2 Thu 3 Fri 4 Fri 11 Sun 13 Thu 17 Sun 27

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Performance Platform: Harriet Carr (viola) Prizes and Competitions Series: The Ambache Prize for the Performance of Music by Women Composers Birmingham Small Ensemble Series: Birmingham Conservatoire Saxophone Ensemble - Travels and Folklore Decibel / Robert Ashley Honorary Doctorate 3DOM Spring Sharing Prizes and Competition Series: The Birmingham Philharmonic Concerto Prize Public Masterclass with Julian Jacobson (piano) An Afternoon with Birmingham Classical Players

44 44 45 45 45 46 46 46

www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

Sat 22 – Counterpoints: Music Therapy Practice in the 21st Century Sun 23

Concert Series Amongst the many wonderful and varied concerts featured within our programme, the Conservatoire concert diary includes a range of regular series: THE MONDAY SHOWCASE SERIES: Escape the hustle and bustle and beat away those Monday blues with this series of FREE weekly lunchtime concerts. With an established appreciative audience this set of concerts gives an excellent opportunity for students to give first performances of demanding repertoire, and provides a weekly snapshot of the exciting work being undertaken by Birmingham Conservatoire students. If you are new to classical music and wish to listen to live performances then this is also the ideal concert series for you. Concerts start at 1pm and last for approximately 1 hour See pages 7, 8, 10, 14, 18, 20, 27, 30, 33, 38

PERFORMANCE PLATFORM AND PUBLIC MASTERCLASS SERIES: Taking place each Tuesday, our Performance Platform allows you to escape any stresses of the day and enjoy stunning lunchtime concerts created and presented by our leading musicians: namely our postgraduate students, ensembles in residence, junior fellows and tutors, interspersed by visits

from leading professional artists throughout the year. Throughout the spring season we are also continuing to incorporate concerts and public masterclasses delivered by leading international artists into this series. Tickets for the Performance Platform are FREE to audiences from the week's Monday Showcase (show your Monday programme to gain free entry) - just a little gift from us so that you can enjoy two concerts each week at no expense! If you’ve not been able to join us on the Monday, tickets are still only £6 (£3.50 concessions) and there are discounted tickets for those who want to attend both the concerts and public masterclasses. Concerts start at 1.05pm and last for approximately 55 minutes. Masterclasses take place in the early evening See pages 7, 8, 9, 11, 15, 18, 19, 20, 28, 30, 34, 38, 41, 42, 44, 46

FRONTIERS SERIES: If you are interested in hearing the latest music and seeing work that no one has seen before,

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our Frontiers series is for you. In recent years our composition, music technology and jazz departments have nurtured some of the hottest talent on the British and European music stage and this is where it all started. Featuring guest performers and composers, as well as our student performers and composers, this series explores the vast world of contemporary music both acoustically and electronically. If you think you know what Contemporary Music is like, be prepared to be surprised and let us show you what the future of Contemporary Music sounds like. Concerts take place on a Tuesday evening and start at 7.30pm See pages 11, 27, 30, 31, 33, 36, 41

BCMS CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES: Chamber music holds a special place within Birmingham Conservatoire and throughout our history we have had links with some of the finest musicians working in the field of chamber music. We are very honoured to have been able to take over and secure the future of the Birmingham Chamber Music Society concert series, after the sad decision to wind down the venerable Society in 2012. This series of commuter concerts highlights up and coming musicians from the Conservatoire as well as internationally renowned ensembles. Concerts start at 6.15pm on various Thursdays and last for approximately 45 minutes See page 26

FRIDAY ORCHESTRAL SERIES: Featuring the larger ensembles here at the Conservatoire, the Friday Orchestral Series provides audience members with a journey into large scale repertoire. These concerts attract a loyal following and often feature soloists who are recent graduates or studying in their final year or as a postgraduate. These concerts often highlight a particular composer or theme and are the perfect way to relax and unwind at the end of the working week. Concerts take place on various Fridays throughout the term and last for between one to two hours See pages 22, 24, 37, 43

BIRMINGHAM SMALL ENSEMBLE SERIES: Contrasting with our Friday Orchestral Series, the Small Ensemble Series is the platform where the smaller ensembles and departments within the Conservatoire perform the repertoire they have been working on. These concerts are a wonderful way to explore the sounds of instruments such as guitar, recorder and harp, in an intimate concert setting. Concerts start between 7.30pm and 8.00pm on a range of Mondays, Wednesdays or Thursdays throughout the term See pages 16, 22, 32, 35, 41, 43, 45

RESEARCH SEMINAR SERIES: We are delighted to have introduced a programme of research seminars into our public events programme, providing you with a stimulating insight into a range of academic topics. Seminars take place on Tuesday afternoons at 3.30pm on various dates throughout the term See pages 15, 21, 31

PRIZES & COMPETITIONS SERIES: Observe captivating performances and witness the thrill and anticipation as our students compete to win a range of esteemed prizes and awards. Concerts take place on various days and times See pages 20, 23, 26, 28, 35, 44, 46

CBSO PRE-CONCERT SHOWCASE SERIES: As part of our close relationship with THSH and the CBSO, each term our Symphony Orchestra and a selection of our elite pianists present free showcases in the magnificent setting of Symphony Hall, as a precursor to the CBSO’s concert that evening. Each of our showcases reflects the CBSO’s 20|20 programming stream, where compositions that first saw the light of day a century ago are revisited. These events are now firmly established as highlights within the musical offerings of the academic term. Concerts take place on various Wednesdays at 6.15pm See pages 19, 28 page 6

BEYOND CLASSICAL SERIES: Join us for a series of free gigs that redefine the rules, taking you beyond the concert hall into the laid-back setting of Symphony Hall bar. Sample sonic delights with Birmingham’s rising stars as they guide you through stunning pieces, from the classics to the cutting edge. Grab a drink, have a chat and enjoy the music. In association with Town Hall/Symphony Hall. Concerts take place on the second or third Thursday of the month at 5.30pm See pages 16, 23, 36

LIVE JAZZ BROADCAST SERIES: The Conservatoire presents a brand new series of concerts for the Jazz Department. This new lunchtime session showcases the best of our senior jazz students playing a range of original and contemporary improvised music. So come and do something a little different with your lunchtime and be a part of an exciting live recording and broadcast that will launch a new generation of jazz artists onto the scene! Concerts start at 12.30pm and last for approximately 1 hour, every other Wednesday See pages 10, 15, 21, 32, 35

JANUARY

MON 6

TUE 7

PERFORMANCE PLATFORM: CLARA ANDRADA DE LA CALLE (FLUTE) AND ALBERTO ROSADO (PIANO)

MONDAY SHOWCASE The Isis Trio: Kathryn Coleman violin Katy Nagle cello Sarah Joseph piano

Clara Andrada de la Calle flute Alberto Rosado piano

Bridge Phantasie in C minor Dimitrios Zervas piano Chopin Barcarolle, Op.60 in F sharp Samuel Oram baritone Jonathan French piano Finzi

By Footpath and Stile, Op.2

Join us for a weekly snapshot of the exciting work being undertaken by talented Conservatoire students. 1:00pm, Recital Hall Admission Free

Francis Poulenc Ramón Lazkano André Jolivet Franz Doppler

Flute Sonata Title TBC Chant de Linos Fantasia Pastoral Hungarian

Jesús Torres

Sonata for Flute and Piano (Movement II)

Clara Andrada de la Calle is one of the leading flute players of her generation, currently holding Solo Flute positions in both the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. Accompanying her is Alberto Rosado – a contemporary pianist known for his solo work and his performances with the Plural Ensemble. Today they present a programme of European music, including compositions from their native Spain, with pieces by Ramón Lazkano. 1:05pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door

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Our Tuesday Performance Platform is free to audiences from the week’s Monday Showcase; just keep your programme from the previous day and bring it along with you to gain free entry.

SUN 12

PUBLIC MASTERCLASS WITH CLARA ANDRADA DE LA CALLE (FLUTE)

BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE VIOLA DAY: A CELEBRATION OF PEDAGOGY, POSITION AND PERSONALITY … CINDERELLA NO MORE!

Clara Andrada de la Calle flute

Artistic Directors: Louise Lansdown (Head of Strings) and Robin Ireland (Head of Chamber Music and Senior Tutor in Viola)

Alberto Rosado piano Undergraduate and Postgraduate students from Birmingham Conservatoire Following her lunchtime recital, Spanish flautist Clara Andrada de la Calle presents the first Public Masterclass of the spring season, working with our students to explore technique and performance style. 5:00pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door

Fancy joining us for both the lunchtime concert and public masterclass? Purchase a special ticket for both events for just £8 (£6). Tickets are available on the door.

Birmingham Conservatoire Viola Day will be celebrating a love of everything viola and we are delighted to be able to welcome Professor Blazej Maliszewski from Gdansk to perform and teach. Conservatoire violists will be on show performing both solo and ensemble items, alongside pedagogical discussions and masterclasses delivered by Robin Ireland, Louise Lansdown, Rose Redgrave and Blazej Maliszewski. There will be opportunities for violists of all ages to take part in ensemble sessions and viola masterclasses. We will also be introducing the British Viola Society (based at Birmingham Conservatoire) and introducing the Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition which will be launched in October 2014. The viola is alive, thriving and growing in Birmingham Conservatoire and we would love to invite you to come and see everything we do. We hope to see you there. Please visit bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire for further details and a full schedule for the day. 11:00am - 18:00pm Birmingham Conservatoire Admission Free Please register in advance using the online registration at bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire page 8

MON 13

MONDAY SHOWCASE Yawen Mu piano Debussy Liszt

Images Book 2 Sonetto 104

Gabriella Gemesi viola Robert Markham piano Bowen Bridge

Phantasy for viola and piano Op.54 Two pieces for viola and piano

Fan Yu piano Bach Capriccio in B flat, BWV 992 Beethoven Piano sonata, Op.109 in E Rachmaninoff Étude tableaux, Op.39, No.9 in D Join us for a weekly snapshot of the exciting work being undertaken by talented Conservatoire students. 1:00pm, Recital Hall Admission Free

www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

TUE 7

TUE 14

LISZT’S ANNÉES DE PÈLERINAGE CELEBRITY GALA Fund-raiser to endow the Peter Donohoe Prize

TUE 14

PERFORMANCE PLATFORM: POULENC'S STRING SONATAS Susanne Stanzeleit violin Lionel Handy cello Julian Jacobson piano Poulenc Poulenc Poulenc

Sonata for Violin and Piano L'embarquement pour Cythère Sonata for Cello and Piano

This concert commemorates the 50th anniversary of the death of Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963), the youngest and possibly ‘enfant terrible’ of Les Six, the group of composers formed in Paris in the 1920s in a reaction against German Romanticism and French Impressionism. Poulenc wrote and revised the sonatas for cello and violin that we will hear performed today, in the 1940s, at which time he very honestly and openly declared that he found it difficult to write for strings, saying that the violin sonata was 'an utter faliure'! These works certainly do not enjoy the popularity of Poulenc’s wind sonatas and chamber music, but despite this and the many technical challenges that they contain, they are extremely fine works. This concert provides a rare opportunity to hear both of Poulenc's major works for strings together. The two string sonatas are centred around a delightful interlude: Poulenc’s Embarquement pour Cythère for two pianos where Julian Jacobson will be joined by the outstanding Conservatoire student, Lucy Chang. 1:05pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door

Our Tuesday Performance Platform is free to audiences from the week’s Monday Showcase; just keep your programme from the previous day and bring it along with you to gain free entry.

Peter Donohoe piano Liszt

Années de Pèlerinage i. Suisse ii. Italie

Inspired by the literature of Dante and Petrach, and Goethe’s novel of self-realisation ‘Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship’ (a text for which the title Années de Pèlerinage refers), Années de Pèlerinage exemplifies the fusion of art and nature, each suite capturing the emotion invoked by a particular scene. It is the revolutionary approach to music that enabled Liszt to create a world in which piano texture, movement and technique are used purely to create atmosphere and story. Undertaking the task of these virtuosic compositions is one of Britain’s foremost pianists and vice-president of Birmingham Conservatoire, Peter Donohoe. The first half of tonight’s concert will be The First Year, Switzerland (i. Suisse) and following an interval, Donohoe will present The Second Year, Italy (ii. Italie), climaxing with the Dante Sonata and Supplements. 7:30pm, Adrian Boult Hall £20 - Our best seats with tickets including a champagne reception with Birmingham Conservatoire’s Principal David Saint, Head of Keyboard John Thwaites and Peter Donohoe, after the concert; £10 (£8) - standard tickets; £1 - ‘The Gods’: seats towards the rear of the concert hall. Tickets available from birmingham-box.co.uk, 0121 245 4455 or in person from The Box, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Centenary Square page 9

MON 20

WED 15

LIVE JAZZ BROADCAST Producer: Jeremy Price The Conservatoire presents a brand new series of concerts for the Jazz Department. This new lunchtime session showcases the best of our senior jazz students and alumni playing a range of original and contemporary improvised music. Do something a little different with your lunchtime and come and be a part of an exciting live recording and broadcast that will launch a new generation of jazz artists onto the scene! 12:30pm, Recital Hall £5 (£3) Tickets available on the door Our Live Jazz Broadcast is free to audiences from the week’s Monday Showcase; just keep your Monday Showcase programme and bring it along with you to gain free entry.

BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE CAMERATA CHOIR

MONDAY SHOWCASE

Birmingham Conservatoire Camerata Choir

Chopin Liszt

Student conductors:

Nicola Starkie Daniel Galbreath David Emerson Nicolas Parisot

Gesualdo O vos omnes Rossini O salutaris hostia Bainton And I saw a new heaven Durufle Ubi Caritas Palestrina Exultate Deo Ireland The Hills Mendelssohn Richte mich, Gott Poulenc Salve Regina Barber To Be Sung on the Water or Sure on this Shining Night Schütz Jauchzet dem Herrn (Psalm 100) Elgar My Love Dwelt in a Northern Land A varied concert by the choir created for students on the Conservatoire’s Choral Conducting Course, presented in the magnificent church of St Alban the Martyr, Highgate. 7:30pm, St Alban the Martyr Church, Highgate Retiring Collection Tickets available on the door page 10

Zsuzsanna Tihanyi piano

Two Scherzi Two Legends

Wesley Biggs baritone Jonathan French piano Mozart Schumann

Non più andrai from The Marriage of Figaro A selection of Lieder

Join us for a weekly snapshot of the exciting work being undertaken by talented Conservatoire students. 1:00pm, Recital Hall Admission Free

www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

THU 16

TUE 21

PERFORMANCE PLATFORM: STAVROULA THOMA (PIANO) ‘Hope for Children’ Stavroula Thoma piano Clementi Schumann Bartok Debussy

Fantasia and variations on "Au clair de la lune", Op. 48 Kinderszenen, Op. 15 For Children, Vol. 4 Children's Corner

Conservatoire graduate Stavroula Thoma presents a playful programme of music inspired by the child. 1:05pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door

TUE 21

FRONTIERS SERIES: COMPOSERS’ PLATFORM This is the first showcase of 2014 for our home-grown composers. Expect a wide range of styles, experimentation and music that you will not find anywhere else, written and performed by students at the Conservatoire. 7:30pm, Recital Hall £5 (£3) Tickets available on the door

Our Tuesday Performance Platform is free to audiences from the week’s Monday Showcase; just keep your programme from the previous day and bring it along with you to gain free entry.

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WED 22

JAZZLINES PRE-CONCERT EVENT: BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE JAZZ ORCHESTRA Birmingham Conservatoire Jazz Orchestra Director: Jeremy Price The Birmingham Conservatoire Jazz Orchestra are pleased to be invited by JazzLines to perform in Symphony Hall as part of their new Big Band Series. Jeremy Price, Head of Jazz at the Conservatoire, will direct the band through a cross section of contemporary Big Band repertoire including works by British luminaries such as Stan

THU 23

BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE OPEN DAY

SNAPSHOT SERIES: COMPOSERS' ORCHESTRA – NEW TERRITORIES AND TCHAIKOVSKY

The day will consist of concerts, workshops and talks about Birmingham Conservatoire’s courses and life at the University. For further information and a programme for the day, please contact us on 0121 331 5901 or e-mail conservatoire@bcu.ac.uk

Sulzmann, Pete Hurt and Stan Tracey as well as US colossus’ Bill Holman and Jim McNeely. Also featured will be works by recent alumni who are taking their place amongst the professional scene. This is a fantastic opportunity to hear great Big Band music in the wonderful acoustic of Symphony Hall.

10:00am - 4:00pm, Birmingham Conservatoire Admission Free Please register in advance using the online registration form at bcu.ac.uk/ conservatoire/opendays

Birmingham Conservatoire Composers’ Orchestra Conductor: Edwin Roxburgh Orchestral works by composition students Tchaikovsky Romeo & Juliet Overture From a selection of orchestral compositions submitted by student composers, six are chosen for performance in this concert. During the three days of rehearsals the composers have the opportunity to hear their works rehearsed in detail under the direction of Edwin Roxburgh. Committing themselves to the responsibility of first performances at a very high standard is also an important challenge for the students in the orchestra. Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece, the fantasy-overture, Romeo and Juliet is included to spice the programme with familiar territory and to locate the new works in a broad context. 5:30pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door

7:00pm, Symphony Hall Admission Free page 12

www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

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

THU 23

BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE CHAMBER CHOIR Birmingham Conservatoire Chamber Choir Conductor: Paul Spicer

Mass for Double Choir Martin Villette Three Motets: O quam amabilis Jesu, dulcis memoria Panis angelicus Pizzetti Requiem Poulenc Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël

FRI 24

FRIDAY ORCHESTRAL SERIES: BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE BAROQUE ORCHESTRA

THE LAST FIVE YEARS

Lucy Russell director and violin Samantha Taylor baroque oboe

Concerto for 4 Violins in D major, Vivaldi Op.1, No.1 Wassenar Concerto Armonico in G major Valentini Concerto for 4 Violins in A minor Fasch Oboe Concerto in G minor Baroque violinist and leader of the Fitzwilliam Quartet, Lucy Russell directs the Conservatoire’s Baroque Orchestra in a programme of 18th century concertos for strings and oboe.

An exquisite evening of choral music presented in the beautiful surrounds of St Alban the Martyr, Highgate. 7:30pm, St Alban the Martyr Church, Highgate Retiring Collection Tickets available on the door

6:00pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door

page 13

Kirsty Williamson Cathy Christopher Griksaitis Jamie Jonathan French piano Tim Francis lighting Jason Robert Brown The Last Five Years

The Last Five Years is a musical written by Jason Robert Brown. The story begins with Catherine Hiatt, a struggling actress, who is scrutinising her relationship. But nothing is as simple as it first seems; she tells her side of the story in reverse chronological order. Jamie Wellerstein, Catherine’s partner, who is a successful author, goes against the initial flow and tells his version chronologically. This leads them into a dispute against time and a flurry of mixed emotions. The whole musical takes the audience from the last heart-wrenching moment of a broken heart to the joy of a new-found relationship and everything in between. Birmingham Conservatoire proudly supports this student produced event. This performance contains some adult themes and content and may be unsuitable for under 16’s.

8:00pm, Recital Hall £8 (£5) Tickets available from thelastfiveyearskc.co.uk

MON 27

BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE TENOR HORN AND FLUGEL HORN DAY

MONDAY SHOWCASE

A warm invitation to all interested tenor horn and flugel horn players, from any age and any standard, to come and join us at Birmingham Conservatoire for an inspirational day of teaching, performing and everything horn-related! We are delighted to be able to showcase Owen Farr, our tenor horn tutor here at the Conservatoire, as well as current and past students from the college.

Périlhou Borne

The day will consist of 2 recitals by Farr, a recital by Richard Davies - flugel horn with the Cory Band, a student recital, a masterclass for anybody who would like to perform, a talk from Peter Maertens on his new book about the tenor horn and an introduction to a wealth of new repertoire recently written for the tenor horn and flugel horn. In addition, everybody will have the opportunity to take part in a horn ensemble and even a massed band to finish! Please visit bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire for further details and a full schedule for the day. 10:00am – 5:00pm, Birmingham Conservatoire Admission Free Please register in advance using the online registration form at bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire page 14

Katie Sazanova flute Joanne Sealey piano

Ballade Carmen Fantasie

Theodora Raftis soprano Daniel Bovey guitar Tsvetelina Likova harp Britten Ravel

I will give my love an apple Five Popular Greek Melodies (arranged for voice and harp)

Join us for a weekly snapshot of the exciting work being undertaken by talented Conservatoire students. 1:00pm, Recital Hall Admission Free

www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

The Last Five Years Book, music & lyrics by Jason Robert Brown This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Ltd. on behalf of Music Theatre International of New York.

SUN 26

TUE 28

PERFORMANCE PLATFORM: THE EBLANA STRING TRIO Jonathan Martindale violin Lucy Nolan viola Peggy Nolan cello Beethoven String Trio in C minor, Op.9, No.3 Sergey Taneyev String Trio in E flat, Op.31 The Eblana String Trio, currently Junior Fellows in Chamber Music at the Conservatoire, present two jewels of the string trio repertoire – Beethoven’s emotionally charged String Trio in C minor, followed by the highly virtuosic and romantic Trio in E flat by Sergey Taneyev, one of Tchaikovsky’s most notable students. 1:05pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door

TUE 28

WED 29

PUBLIC RESEARCH SEMINAR: SALLY CATHCART, INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON - COMMON ATTITUDES TO PUPIL PROGRESS IN INSTRUMENTAL LESSONS: DEFINING AND CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO

LIVE JAZZ BROADCAST

For many instrumental teachers in the UK, progress is measured by a steady climb up through the instrumental exam system. During this seminar, research into instrumental teaching supporting this concept will be presented and the linear and potentially limiting nature of this approach outlined. The concept of an instrumentalspecific curriculum – in this case for the piano – will be introduced and the ‘messy piano’ teaching this enables will be outlined. 3:30pm, Arena Foyer £4 Tickets available on the door

Our Tuesday Performance Platform is free to audiences from the week’s Monday Showcase; just keep your programme from the previous day and bring it along with you to gain free entry.

page 15

Producer: Jeremy Price The Conservatoire presents a brand new series of concerts for the Jazz Department. This new lunchtime session showcases the best of our senior jazz students and alumni playing a range of original and contemporary improvised music. Do something a little different with your lunchtime and come and be a part of an exciting live recording and broadcast that will launch a new generation of jazz artists onto the scene! 12:30pm, Recital Hall £5 (£3) Tickets available on the door

Our Live Jazz Broadcast is free to audiences from the week’s Monday Showcase; just keep your Monday Showcase programme and bring it along with you to gain free entry.

THU 30

BEYOND CLASSICAL: VIVA VIVALDI!

WED 29

BIRMINGHAM SMALL ENSEMBLE SERIES: SONGS AND POEMS IN A TIME OF WAR Devised by Robert Allan and given by members of the Vocal Studies Department. 2014 sees the centenary of the start of The Great War. To honour this, tonight’s Liederabend features a programme of songs and poetry to commemorate this 100th anniversary. 7:30pm, Recital Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door

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Connect with classical music in a new way, in the laid-back setting of Symphony Hall’s bar. In the first Beyond Classical concert of the spring term the Birmingham Conservatoire Saxophone Ensemble perform a programme of music, including works by Vivaldi, Albinoni and Bach. In association with Town Hall Symphony Hall. 5:30pm, Symphony Hall Bar Admission Free

www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

Birmingham Conservatoire Saxophone Ensemble

FEBRUARY

SAT 1

SUN 2

BIRMINGHAM JUNIOR CONSERVATOIRE ORCHESTRAL CONCERT

THE DOUBLE STRING ORCHESTRA

Junior Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Daniele Rosina

Birmingham Classical Players Conductor: Lee Armstrong

Junior Conservatoire Wind Orchestra Conductor: Jeffrey Snowdon

Tippett Goossens Armstrong-Gibbs Vaughan Williams

Talented young students from the Junior Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra and Wind Orchestra present an engaging programme of music. 7:00pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door

Concerto for Double String Orchestra Concertino for Double String Orchestra Suite for Double String Orchestra Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis

Join Birmingham Classical Players for the second concert of their inaugural season, in which the ensemble will be exploring the rarely heard works for double string orchestra. Recently formed from graduates and professional musicians, The Birmingham Classical Players is an exciting, flexible ensemble that aims to bring classical music to a new audience. What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than with the good music and company of Birmingham Classical Players? 4:00pm, Adrian Boult Hall £8 (£4) (£3 Students) Tickets available from birminghamclassicalplayers.com or by emailing tickets@birminghamclassicalplayers.com page 17

TUE 4

PERFORMANCE PLATFORM: DAME FELICITY LOTT (SOPRANO)

Fauré Poulenc Britten Offenbach

MON 3

MONDAY SHOWCASE Justyna Zanko violin Robert Markham piano Beethoven Wieniawski

Violin Sonata No.7 in C minor, Op.30 iii. Scherzo: Allegro iv. Finale: Allegro; Presto Variations on an original theme, Op.15

Join us for a weekly snapshot of the exciting work being undertaken by talented Conservatoire students. 1:00pm, Recital Hall Admission Free

Mandoline Clair de Lune Green Trois poèmes de Louise Lalanne Voyage à Paris Violon La Dame de Monte Carlo La Courte Paille Le Roi s'en va-t'en chasse La Belle est au jardin d'amour Quand j'étais chez mon père Dites-lui Ah! Que j'aime les militaries

We are honoured to welcome Dame Felicity Lott to the Adrian Boult Hall stage for today’s Performance Platform and Public Masterclass. Dame Felicity will present a delightful programme featuring three French masters – Fauré, Poulenc and Offenbach. A touch of Britten will also be added, in demonstration of her love and expertise in English song. 1:05pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door

Our Tuesday Performance Platform is free to audiences from the week’s Monday Showcase; just keep your programme from the previous day and bring it along with you to gain free entry.

page 18

www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

Dame Felicity Lott soprano Sebastian Wybrew piano

TUE 4

PUBLIC MASTERCLASS WITH DAME FELICITY LOTT (SOPRANO) Felicity Lott soprano Undergraduate and Postgraduate students from Birmingham Conservatoire In the second masterclass of the spring season, Dame Felicity will work with elite students from the Conservatoire’s Vocal Department exploring emotion in vocal performance. This is a unique opportunity for our students to develop their performance style alongside one of the most highly regarded sopranos of her generation. 5:00pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door Fancy joining us for both the lunchtime concert and public masterclass? Purchase a special ticket for both events for just £8 (£6). Tickets are available on the door.

WED 5

CBSO PRE-CONCERT EVENTS: CONSERVATOIRE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA SHOWCASE Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Michael Seal Arnold

Symphony No.5

The ready accessibility of the musical language of Malcolm Arnold’s 5th Symphony led to a hostile critical reception at the work’s première in 1971: “…a black mark for putting a tune into a symphony” as one reviewer put it. In fact the music is subtler and more elusive than the critics gave it credit for. The ironic intent of some of the grand gestures, combined with the real compositional skill of the use of his musical material makes this one of Arnold’s most remarkable works. 6:15pm, Symphony Hall Admission Free

page 19

THU 6

MON 10

TUE 11

PRIZES AND COMPETITIONS SERIES: THE RENNA KELLAWAY PIANO PRIZE

MONDAY SHOWCASE

PERFORMANCE PLATFORM: PEI-CHUN LIAO (PIANO)

7:15pm, Recital Hall £4 Tickets available on the door

Matt Ellis piano Stravinsky Shostakovich Poulenc Gary Schyman Kapustin

Piano Rag Music 3 Fantastic Dances Melancolie Cohen’s scherzo Concert étude No.6

Benjamin Pall piano Chopin Chopin Chopin

Noctune in B minor, Op.9 Étude in A minor, Op.25, No.1 Étude in C minor, Op.12, No.12

Join us for a weekly snapshot of the exciting work being undertaken by talented Conservatoire students. 1:00pm, Recital Hall Admission Free

Pei-Chun Liao piano ‘Hear the Scene’ Mozart Messiaen Schumann

Piano Sonata No.9 in D major, K.311 ‘Cantéyodjayâ‘ Carnaval, Op.9

Rising star Pei-Chun Liao returns to Birmingham as part of her recital tour ‘Hear the Scene’. Liao studied at the Conservatoire under Malcolm Wilson and Philip Martin, graduating with Distinctions, and winning many of the Conservatoire’s top prizes during this time. Liao now performs internationally as a concerto soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician and we are delighted to welcome her back to the Adrian Boult Hall stage ahead of the release of her first album this year. 1:05pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door Our Tuesday Performance Platform is free to audiences from the week’s Monday Showcase; just keep your programme from the previous day and bring it along with you to gain free entry.

page 20

www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

The Renna Kellaway Prize is open to all Conservatoire pianists in their third or fourth year and all postgraduate pianists. Each competitor, who has already been put through their paces in the preliminary rounds, will perform a programme of 30 minutes in tonight’s final.

TUE 11

PUBLIC RESEARCH SEMINAR DOUBLE BILL: DR CHRISTOPHER DINGLE & DR JANET K. HALFYARD - MOON AND STARS Dr Christopher Dingle From the Cahiers to the Scores: charting Messiaen’s thoughts for Des Canyons aux étoiles… One of the most remarkable sources to which scholars have had access since Messiaen’s death is the collections of birdsong cahiers. This paper explores the translation from these notebooks not just of birdsong transcriptions, but also rare sketch sources, in this case for the orchestral work Des Canyons aux étoiles… (From the Canyons to the Stars…, 1971–74). It examines these documents in the light of recent insights regarding the continuity of thought that underpins Messiaen’s superficially fragmentary structures. In addition, the paper explores the importance of place, the first-hand experience of an environment, as a compositional catalyst for some of Messiaen’s most important works. Dr Janet K Halfyard Cellos by moonlight: music and the romanticization of the male vampire in television This paper examines the use of cellos in scoring recent reluctant vampires, notably Angel (Angel) and Bill Compton (True Blood), taking a cue from the use of cello in Elliot Goldenthal’s scoring of the equally reluctant Louis (Interview with the Vampire, 1994). It examines love themes and the gendered coding of the cello in cinema, and contrasts this with the construction of gender and emotion in TV shows that match a reluctant, attractive male vampire with a (clearly willing) attractive female human. It demonstrates how the use of the cello encourages us to read the reluctant vampire as possessing human emotions and how these are mapped on to the melodic characteristics of their music. The themes written for Angel, Bill and also Stefan (The Vampire Diaries) follow similar musical patterns of minor keys and melodies that regularly echo each other in their choices of intervals; in particular musical gestures of ‘sighing’ and ‘yearning’ that encode both romance and regret.

WED 12

3:30pm, Arena Foyer £4 Tickets available on the door page 21

FRI 14

THU 13

BIRMINGHAM SMALL ENSEMBLE SERIES: THE GRAND TOUR Passacaglia: Annabel Knight recorders, baroque flute Oliver Webber baroque violin Reiko Ichise viola da gamba; Robin Bigwood harpsichord

Birmingham Conservatoire ‘Handpicked’ Orchestra Conductors: Daniele Rosina and John Lubbock Owen Wallage tuba Ellie Edmonds mezzo-soprano Jacob Baker piano Vaughan Williams Tuba Concerto in F Minor Mahler Rückert-Lieder (taken from Sieben Lieder aus letzter Zeit) Beethoven Piano Concerto No.5 in E Flat Major – “Emperor” Op.73

The baroque ensemble Passacaglia explores music from across Europe that would have been prevalent in the first decades of the eighteenth century.

In this concert, a handpicked orchestra under the baton of Daniele Rosina and John Lubbock will accompany three of the Conservatoire's most promising soloists as they perform some of the most challenging Concertos in the repertoire. Owen Wallage will perform Vaughan Williams’ Tuba Concerto in F minor which demonstrates the tuba’s lyrical beauty as well as its agility. Ellie Edmonds will perform Mahler’s Rückert Lieder which Mahler said gave him an opportunity to express himself as he is; his reflections on life, love and his playful humour. Jacob Baker will perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.5, more popularly known as the Emperor Concerto. This work, dedicated to Archduke Rudolf, is the largest in scale of all of Beethoven’s concertos and also his last.

7:30pm, Recital Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door

7:30pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door

Handel Telemann Marais Vivaldi Bach

Trio Sonata in F, Op.2, No.4 Paris Quartet No.6 in E minor Pièces de Violes Concerto, Op.3 and 8 Toccata, BWV 912

page 22

www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

FRIDAY ORCHESTRAL SERIES: VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, MAHLER AND BEETHOVEN

WED 19

PRIZES AND COMPETITIONS SERIES: THE LEAMINGTON MUSIC PRIZE

TUE 18

‘BREAKE, BLOWE, BURN AND MAKE ME NEW': JOHN DONNE AND BENJAMIN BRITTEN - WORDS INTO MUSIC

Open to all third and fourth year undergraduates and postgraduates; join us tonight as the students shortlisted for this prize experience the emotions and excitement of public competition, hoping to be awarded the prize of £1000 and a recital opportunity with Leamington Music, the generous sponsor of this prize.

James Geer tenor Ronald Woodley piano Kate Kennedy, David Roberts and Gregory Leadbetter speakers Benjamin Britten

The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, Op.35

Benjamin Britten’s settings of nine of the Holy Sonnets of John Donne are some of the most intense, thoughtful, and at times disturbing of all his songs. They were composed in the summer of 1945 in the immediate aftermath of visits to the newly liberated concentration camps while he was on tour in Germany with Yehudi Menuhin. This evening’s event in music, words and images will explore these profound works from the perspectives of poetry, interpretation, musical setting, and the composer’s life, with contributions from Britten literary specialist Dr Kate Kennedy (Girton College, Cambridge), and Professor David Roberts and Dr Gregory Leadbetter from our own School of English. The settings will be performed by James Geer, former Britten-Pears School Young Artist, with Professor Ronald Woodley from the Conservatoire’s Research Department.

7:00pm, Recital Hall £4 Tickets available on the door

7:30pm, Recital Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door

5:30pm, Symphony Hall Bar Admission Free

THU 20

BEYOND CLASSICAL: THE HAVID DUO Harriet Carr viola David McIlfatrick double bass Connect with classical music in a new way, in the laid-back setting of Symphony Hall’s bar. Today’s concert features the viola-double bass duo, the Havid Duo, performing music by Hindemith, Dittersdorf, Gliere and Oscher. In association with Town Hall Symphony Hall

page 23

THU 20

FRI 21

FINZI’S HARDY: ‘EARTH AND AIR AND RAIN’ AND ‘BY FOOTPATH AND STILE’

FRIDAY ORCHESTRAL SERIES COMMUTER CONCERT: SYMPHONIES OF WIND & BRASS

Samuel Oram baritone Lauren Gregory piano

Stravinsky Mozart Akinola Koetsier Stravinsky

Earth and Air and Rain, Op.15, 10 Songs for baritone and piano By Footpath and Stile, Op.2 6 songs for baritone and string quartet

‘Samuel Oram performed the aria with fire and gusto…’ Mario Lanza Competition 2012 Come to an evening which shows the many colours of Gerald Finzi's song writing combined with the timeless poetry of Thomas Hardy. Samuel Oram is joined by Lauren Gregory and The Cornwell Quartet, to portray the musical styles of Finzi at either end of his lifetime. Both cycles feature common themes, such as: love, longing and regret. The songs travel through different times and seasons, both culminating in the idea of a cycle of everlasting life. This concert will be part of Samuel's ‘Final Project’ for his degree from Birmingham Conservatoire. Birmingham Conservatoire proudly supports this student produced event. 7:30pm, Recital Hall £6 (£4) (£3 Conservatoire students - early bird tickets) Tickets available online from earthandairandrain.ticketsource.co.uk, by emailing Finzi@outlook.com or telephoning 07740 956074 page 24

Octet Piano Quintet New Work Symphony for Brass Symphonies of Wind Instruments

Framed by two of Igor Stravinsky's iconic works for wind and brass instruments, this concert features such diverse elements as a classic work by Mozart for woodwind and piano and the world première of a new work for wind and brass ensemble by Conservatoire composition student, Segun Akinola. To conclude, an opportunity to hear Jan Koetsier's epic Brass Symphony. 6:00pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door

www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

Featuring members of the Atéa Wind Quintet Conductor: Christopher Houlding

The Cornwell Quartet: Christine Cornwell violin Megan Hill violin Elizabeth Chan-Foxley viola Lucy Smith cello Finzi Finzi

FRI 21

SAT 22 – SUN 23

HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART? MUSIC THERAPY AND CARDIAC DISEASE: AN EXPLORATION OF MEDICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PHENOMENA

COUNTERPOINTS: MUSIC THERAPY PRACTICE IN THE 21ST CENTURY

The Tony Wigram Memorial Lecture sponsored by the Music Therapy Charity in association with the British Association for Music Therapy Professor Cheryl Dileo, PhD, MT-BC

Biannual Conference of the British Association for Music Therapy

Professor Dileo is the Carnell Professor of Music Therapy at Temple University, Philadelphia, USA, where she coordinates the PhD Program in Music Therapy and is Director of the Arts and Quality of Life Research Center. She is the Music Therapy Charity’s Visiting Fellow to the UK for 2014. The Music Therapy Charity (musictherapy.org.uk) supports research in music therapy. It funds a range of projects in the UK and also sponsors international music therapy researchers to visit the UK and speak to professionals and the public. The British Association for Music Therapy (bamt.org) promotes the practice and profession of music therapy in the UK and represents professional music therapists. It also publishes the British Journal for Music Therapy twice a year. The lecture is the opening event of the BAMT Conference for 2014, Counterpoints: Music Therapy Practice in the 21st Century, at Birmingham Conservatoire from 21 to 23 February 2014. For details of the conference and to register for the whole conference or day admission please visit the conference website at bamt.org/conference2014 or email conference2014@bamt.org. 7:30pm, Recital Hall Free on Application To reserve a ticket (free of charge) please contact the BAMT Office by email: bookings@bamt.org; or telephone: 0207 837 6100

page 25

The British Association for Music Therapy is a national charity which exists to promote the practice and profession of music therapy and also acts as the professional body for music therapists in the UK. This national conference will feature presentations and workshops, by practitioners and researchers, on music therapy and its relationship to current practice, including service development, evaluation and research, music and health, and education and training. 8:30am – 6:00pm (Sat) 8:30am – 4:00pm (Sun) Birmingham Conservatoire Registration from £150 (both days) or £70 (one day) Tickets available from conference2014@bamt.org Day tickets are also available from birmingham-box.co.uk, 0121 245 445 or in person from The Box, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Centenary Square

THU 27

BCMS CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES: MOZART AND MORE FRI 28

WED 26

PRIZES AND COMPETITIONS SERIES: THE ANDREW DOWNES PERFORMANCE PRIZE Sponsor of this new prize, Andrew Downes was Head of Composition and Creative Studies at Birmingham Conservatoire from 1990 to 2005. Downes is well-respected as a composer around world and the prize requires entrants to perform a programme of his music along with that of other British composers born after 1949. See the shortlisted students perform in this final, as they compete to win an impressive cash prize and a recital opportunity in one of our future concert series.

Rebecca Clarke Sonata for Viola and piano Mozart Quintet for Piano and Winds, K452 Piano, viola and woodwinds come together to provide a beguiling mixture of music, which includes the intoxicating youthful ardour of Rebecca Clarke’s work of genius for viola and piano, and the unmatched splendour of Mozart’s great Quintet for Piano and Winds. This first concert in the BCMS series for 2014 will be presented by some of the finest students at the Conservatoire, both younger and older, British and International. 6:15pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door

7:30pm, Recital Hall £4 Tickets available on the door page 26

A MUSICAL JOURNEY ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS Hannah Smalley flute Lucy French cello Joanne Sealey piano Ian Clarke Widor Pleyel Donatoni Briccialdi

The Great Train Race Suite for Flute and Piano, Op.34 Sonata No.1 in C major, Op.14 Fili Carnival of Venice, Op.78

For one night only the Orient Express comes to Birmingham Conservatoire! Hannah Smalley, a fourth year flautist will take you on a musical journey through Europe, performing music from some of the most beautiful cities that this historic train visited. Birmingham Conservatoire proudly supports this student produced event. 7:00pm, Recital Hall £7 (£5 students and children under 16) (£4 Conservatoire students - early bird ticket) Tickets available from musicjourneyontheorientexpress. ticketsource.co.uk Tickets are also available on the door (subject to availability)

www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

Chu-Hui Huang viola Isabel Brearley flute Luke Newby clarinet Caitlin Stock bassoon Sian Collins horn Arthur Bocaneanu piano

MON 3

MONDAY SHOWCASE Jessica Wilkes flute Joanne Sealey piano

MARCH

Prokofiev

Sonata No.2

Rosie Walker soprano Jonathan French piano Debussy

Ariettes oubliées

Long Long Hou piano Beethoven Piano sonata, No.30 in E, Op.109 Join us for a weekly snapshot of the exciting work being undertaken by talented Conservatoire students. 1:00pm, Recital Hall Admission Free MON 3

FRONTIERS SERIES: CREATIVE ENSEMBLE Creative Ensemble Director: Riaan Vosloo Creative Ensemble explores the many differing approaches to composition and performance that exist, without being limited by genre definitions. This concert will be focused on student compositions from members of the ensemble, with music that has been written by individuals and also devised by the group. The programme will also include works by Stevens, Cardew, Zorn, Morris and Skempton as well as exploring concepts connected to improvisation. 7:30pm, Recital Hall £5 (£3) Tickets available on the door page 27

TUE 4

WED 5

PERFORMANCE PLATFORM: ISABEL VILLANUEVA (VIOLA) & STEFAN STROISSNIG (PIANO)

PRIZES AND COMPETITIONS SERIES: TOWN HALL SYMPHONY HALL RECITAL PRIZE

Schumann Britten Brahms

Märchenbilder, Op.113 for viola and piano Lachrymae - Reflections on a Song by John Dowland, Op.48 for viola and piano Sonata in E-flat, Op.120, No.2 for viola and piano

Young Spanish star Isabel Villanueva presents a programme for viola and piano alongside Credit Suisse Award 2014 nominee Stefan Stroissnig. Villanueva, at only 25 years old, has already appeared as a soloist throughout Europe with orchestras, ensembles, and at festivals. She is committed to expanding the repertoire for viola and, as such, has premièred new works, many of which were dedicated to her. Austrian pianist, Stroissnig, has performed as a soloist and chamber musician across the world and has been awarded for his recordings of works by Liszt and Schubert. Today, these two dynamic forces come together for a programme of nineteenth and twentieth century compositions. 1:05pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door Our Tuesday Performance Platform is free to audiences from the week’s Monday Showcase; just keep your programme from the previous day and bring it along with you to gain free entry.

Join us tonight for the final of the Town Hall Symphony Hall Recital Prize. Open to third-year, fourth-year, and postgraduate students, the prize for this major competition includes a public 50 minute recital at the prestigious Town Hall or Symphony Hall. In tonight’s final, competitors will perform 20 minutes of contrasting music, either as a soloist or in chamber ensembles. 7:00pm, Recital Hall £4 Tickets available on the door THU 6

CBSO PRE-CONCERT EVENTS: MASTER PIANISTS Zsuzsanna Tihanyi piano Yenting Wang piano Liszt Chopin Scriabin

Legend No.2 ‘St Francis of Paola Walking on the Waves’ Nocturne in D flat, Op.27, No.2 Sonata No.5, Op.53

For the third in our series of showcase events at Symphony Hall this term, two rising stars of the Conservatoire keyboard department showcase the mastery of nineteenth century composers. Liszt captures the spiritual story of St. Francis of Paola Walking on the Waves beautifully, representing the water and movement through furious scales and tremolos. Chopin directly inspired both Liszt and Skryabin and is represented here by one of the purest of his Nocturnes. Scriabin described his Sonata No.5 as ‘a great poem for the piano’. 6:15pm, Symphony Hall Admission Free page 28

www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

Isabel Villanueva viola Stefan Stroissnig piano

R A

THU 6

I WOULDN’T RECOMMEND IT Vickers Bovey Guitar Duo Saxophone Ensemble James Oldham Ryan Probert Paul Norman

Title TBC (World Première) Title TBC (World Première) I Wouldn’t Recommend It (World Première)

Winners of Birmingham Conservatoires 2013 Sylvia Cleaver Chamber music prize Daniel Bovey and Julian Vickers present an exciting concert of brand new works for guitar duo including a concerto type piece with Saxophone ensemble. The programme features music by three talented composers at varying stages of their careers: Ryan Probert, a current final year student of Birmingham Conservatoire, James Oldham, a Bachelor of Music Graduate and Paul Norman, a Masters graduate. Ryan Probert is a composer from the Forest of Dean; the most apparent feature of his music is a strong emphasis on melody, a fascination with unusual musical traditions, strikingly contrasting structures and forms and a fervent sentimental streak. James Oldham is a 21st Century British composer who lives in a world of ridiculousness and comical absurdity. He generally gravitates towards large scale work for theatre and orchestra, but when the mood is right James will work very closely and carefully with individual performers to write more personalised music. Paul Norman composes uncompromising music driven by concept, playing with ideas of exhaustion, reduced material and extended duration. His music needs to be watched as well as listened to, and often disturbs or breaks the usual concert traditions. The programme of this performance, developed in close collaboration between the composers and guitarists, promises an entertaining concert full of charm, intimate beauty, witty humour, virtuosity and the unexpected. Birmingham Conservatoire proudly supports this student produced event. 8:00pm, Recital Hall £5 (£3) Tickets available on the door

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THU 6 – SAT 8

POULENC’S DIALOGUES DES CARMÉLITES Members of the Vocal and Operatic Department Conductor: Fraser Goulding Director: Michael Barry Design: Colin Judges Lighting: John Bishop Poulenc

Dialogues des Carmélites

The terror and turbulence of the French Revolution are the setting for Francis Poulenc’s powerful opera of faith, bravery and redemption. Poulenc created the libretto for Dialogues des Carmélites after a play of the same name by writer Georges Bernanos. The performances will be sung in French. 7:00pm; Additional matinee performance at 2:00pm on 8 March The Crescent Theatre £15 (£12) (£5 Birmingham Conservatoire Students) Tickets available from The Crescent Theatre Box Office on 0121 643 5858

MONDAY SHOWCASE Luke Newby clarinet Joanne Sealey piano Martin

TUE 11

Robin Ireland viola with Shi Ling Chin violin Jessica Heynes violin Gabriella Gemesi viola Felicity Smith cello

Sonatine for clarinet and piano

Noemi Molinero double bass Robert Markham piano Schubert Arpeggione Sonata, D.821 Allegro moderato Join us for a weekly snapshot of the exciting work being undertaken by talented Conservatoire students. 1:00pm, Recital Hall Admission Free MON 10

FRONTIERS SERIES: COMPOSERS’ PLATFORM Featuring the creative talent of our composers here at the Conservatoire, our Composers’ Platforms never fail in delivering an exciting and stimulating evening. In the second Composers’ Platform of the spring season, expect a concert full of surprises and a wide range of styles, wild experimentation and music that you won’t find matched anywhere else in Birmingham. 7:30pm, Recital Hall £5 (£3) Tickets available on the door

PERFORMANCE PLATFORM: ROBIN IRELAND (VIOLA) AND CONSERVATOIRE STUDENTS

Maria Oguren violin Laurie McGee violin Kat Lambeth viola Maja Mollander cello with Ivan Robido Gonzalez double bass Zsofia Farago piano Mozart Mozart Mozart

Adagio and Fugue String Quintet in G minor, K516 Fantasia in C minor, K475

Devised by Robin Ireland, the Conservatoire’s Head of Chamber Music, this all-Mozart lunchtime recital sees two of the Conservatoire’s best student quartets joined respectively by double bass (Ivan Rubido Gonzalez) and by viola (Robin Ireland) . Pianist Zsofia Farago completes the programme. They present three works which show Mozart at his most uncompromising and visionary. The Adagio and Fugue creates a level of intensity almost Beethovenian, while clearly paying homage to Bach. The Fantasia in C minor is brooding, dramatic and also forward-looking. The String Quintet in G minor is one of his greatest works of any kind, taking the listener through a powerful emotional journey. 1:05pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door page 30

Our Tuesday Performance Platform is free to audiences from the week’s Monday Showcase; just keep your programme from the previous day and bring it along with you to gain free entry.

www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

MON 10

R A

TUE 11

PUBLIC RESEARCH SEMINAR: PROFESSOR DEBORAH MAWER - WHEN FRENCH MUSIC MEETS JAZZ ...

FRONTIERS SERIES DOUBLE-BILL: PART ONE CHRISTOPHER REDGATE (OBOE) & STEPHEN ROBBINGS (PIANO); PART TWO - MAGDALENA WAJDZIK (PIANO)

In our final public research seminar of the series, Professor Deborah Mawer explores a topic that crosses classical–jazz boundaries and which should be of interest to performers, composers and listeners.

Christopher Redgate oboe Stephen Robbings piano

French music and jazz have often enjoyed a special creative, cultural exchange: both French modernist composers being receptive to early jazz in the 1920s and 1930s and jazz musicians – especially in the later 1950s – having a real affinity with French impressionist styles. But how do these different worlds actually relate? How is the resulting music inflected by its association and what effect might this have upon a work’s meaning? What are the implications for performance? Two balancing case studies are presented to show the scope of this topic, with a focus on instrumental repertoire. The first looks at Ravel’s theory and practice of the ‘Blues’ in his well-known Violin Sonata (1924 –27). The second considers resonances of Ravel (together with Chopin, as an adoptive Frenchman!) and even parallels with Messiaen in exquisite music from 1958–59 by the American modal jazz improviser and pianist, Bill Evans. 3:30pm, Arena Foyer £4 Tickets available on the door

Edwin Roxburgh The Well Tempered Oboe Kah Hoe Yii My Spirit is Singing Tazul Tajuddin Sebuah Pantun VI New works by Birmingham Conservatoire postgraduate composition students The first part of tonight’s Frontiers double-bill sees a welcome return from virtuoso oboe/piano duo Christopher Redgate and Stephen Robbings. Alongside a major recent work from Edwin Roxburgh, written for the redesigned HowarthRedgate oboe, this event includes works by leading Malaysian composers Kah Hoe Yii and Tazul Tajuddin, alongside works by Birmingham Conservatoire postgraduate students. ‘...the result of a quarter-century’s dedicated research and graft: one man’s love affair with the contemporary oboe. Redgate is one of a tiny band of oboists across the world who have made a life’s work of taking the instrument into the farthest reaches of technical virtuosity and physical capability, and in doing so inspired a generation of composers to create a virtuoso repertoire characterised by blazing compositional audacity and extremity.’ James Weeks – Tempo Magazine 7:00pm, Recital Hall £5 (£3) Tickets available on the door

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THU 13

BIRMINGHAM SMALL ENSEMBLE SERIES: SPOTLIGHT ON HARP

The second part of tonight’s Frontiers double bill features outstanding pianist Magdalena Wajdzik, who graduated last year from the Conservatoire’s flagship Professional Performance programme. Currently based in Budapest where she is a Weingarten Scholarship recipient, Magdalena has recently given recitals at London’s South Bank Centre (as part of the Park Lane Group New Artists Series) and Birmingham Town Hall. She has been working closely with our 2nd year BMus composition students, and tonight she performs the results of this collaboration.

WED 12

Director: Catherine White

LIVE JAZZ BROADCAST

The annual concert highlighting the versatility and beauty of music for harp solo and ensemble, which this year focuses on British and French composers of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Producer: Jeremy Price The Conservatoire presents a brand new series of concerts for the Jazz Department. This new lunchtime session showcases the best of our senior jazz students and alumni playing a range of original and contemporary improvised music. Do something a little different with your lunchtime and come and be a part of an exciting live recording and broadcast that will launch a new generation of jazz artists onto the scene. 12:30pm, Recital Hall £5 (£3) Tickets available on the door Our Live Jazz Broadcast is free to audiences from the week’s Monday Showcase; just keep your Monday Showcase programme and bring it along with you to gain free entry.

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7:30pm, Recital Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door

www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

Birmingham Conservatoire Harp Department: Kinga Was, Fran Barsby, Tsveti Likova, Soma Bognar, Natasha Gale harps

Magdalena Wajdzik piano New works by Birmingham Conservatoire 2nd year BMus composition students

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MON 17

MONDAY SHOWCASE Mathew Hampton trumpet Joanne Sealey piano Martini Toccata in D Hindemith Trumpet Sonata Lucille Price saxophone Joanne Sealey piano

FRI 14

FEELIN’ BLUE: BEAUFORT ENSEMBLE

Ibert Concertino da camera Muczynski Saxophone Sonata

Beaufort Ensemble Featuring Woodwind, Brass and Percussion students from Birmingham Conservatoire Conductor: Alexander Webb Frank Ticheli Blue Shades Adam Gorb Yiddish Dances Three premières by Conservatoire composers Exploring the colour blue both as a musical genre and as a theme in society, the Beaufort Ensemble presents Frank Ticheli’s Blue Shades, Adam Gorb’s Yiddish Dances and three new premières by Birmingham Conservatoire student composers. Come and hear Birmingham’s premier wind orchestra in their most ambitious concert yet! 7:30pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door

SAT 15

FRONTIERS SERIES AT THE NEW ART GALLERY WALSALL This is the fourth time that our composers have been working with the New Art Gallery Walsall. After three hugely engaging and successful projects at the gallery, we are back for more. This time the students have created work inspired by the intricate world of Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota. Take a trip to the wonderful gallery in Walsall and experience the results of this year’s work. 2:00pm - 5:00pm, New Art Gallery Walsall Admission Free page 33

Join us for a weekly snapshot of the exciting work being undertaken by talented Conservatoire students. 1:00pm, Recital Hall Admission Free

TUE 18

PERFORMANCE PLATFORM: THOMAS RIEBL (VIOLA)

PUBLIC MASTERCLASS WITH THOMAS RIEBL (VIOLA)

Thomas Riebl viola

Thomas Riebl viola Undergraduate and Postgraduate students from Birmingham Conservatoire

J.S.Bach Rudolf Jungwirth: Schubert

Suite for cello solo, No.1, BWV 1007 (in the version for five stringed tenor viola in C major) ÉLÉGIE. hommage à Gérard Grisey (for five stringed tenor viola, 2011) Sonata a minor, D. 821, "arpeggione"

Since 1983, Riebl has given numerous masterclasses worldwide. Many of his students have won international competitions, as well as becoming professors at music universities or members of leading orchestras and string quartets. Join us to see the dazzling maestro help students from our thriving viola department to develop their performance style and technique.

Thomas Riebl has appeared as a soloist at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Concertgebouw Amsterdam and the ‘Goldene Saal’ of the Wiener Musikverein. He has performed with numerous leading orchestras including the Chicago, Berlin and Vienna Symphony Orchestras. We are delighted to welcome him to the Adrian Boult Hall stage today.

5:00pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door Fancy joining us for both the lunchtime concert and public masterclass? Purchase a special ticket for both events for just £8 (£6). Tickets are available on the door.

1:05pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door

Our Tuesday Performance Platform is free to audiences from the week’s Monday Showcase; just keep your programme from the previous day and bring it along with you to gain free entry.

page 34

www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

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TUE 18

BIRMINGHAM SMALL ENSEMBLE SERIES: GUITAR CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT Birmingham Conservatoire Guitar Department Directors: Mark Ashford and Mark Eden Tonight’s concert spans multiple genres and is given by the Conservatoire’s Guitar Department. Music for 18 guitars plus smaller chamber works will feature in this eclectic programme. 8:00pm, Arena Foyer £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door

WED 19

LIVE JAZZ BROADCAST

WED 19

PRIZES AND COMPETITIONS SERIES: THE ASHLEYAN OPERA PRIZE Come and witness the impressive talents of Birmingham Conservatoire’s highest level postgraduate vocal students as they compete to win this award. Each candidate will perform a programme of operatic arias, including one recitative, in a demonstration of their vocal prowess. 7:00pm, Recital Hall £4 Tickets available on the door

Our Live Jazz Broadcast is free to audiences from the week’s Monday Showcase; just keep your Monday Showcase programme and bring it along with you to gain free entry.

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THU 20

We are delighted to welcome saxophonist Mark Turner as the Jazz Department’s Visiting Artist 2014. Turner has worked and recorded with many respected musicians including Kurt Rosenwinkel, Dave Holland, Paul Motian, Brad Mehldau, John Pattitucci, Dave Douglas, Billy Hart, Lee Konitz and James Moody. He is on dozens of recordings as a sideman as well as producing five of his own recordings (Yam Yam on Criss Cross; Mark Turner, In This World, Ballad Session and Dharma Days on Warner Brothers). THU 20

This spring Turner joins the jazz department for a week to coach ensembles, give masterclasses and present this student performance. This outstanding date in the Jazz Department calendar is assured to be a stimulating and revealing evening, giving new insights into the world of contemporary jazz.

BEYOND CLASSICAL: MELODÍAS ESPAÑOLAS Iuno Connolly soprano Theodora Raftis soprano Daniel Bovey guitar Julian Vickers guitar Connect with classical music in a new way, in the laid-back setting of Symphony Hall’s bar. Today’s concert transports us to the heat and passions of Spain with a sequence of Spanish music for voice and guitars.

7:30pm, Recital Hall £5 (£3) Tickets available on the door

In association with Town Hall Symphony Hall 5:30pm, Symphony Hall Bar Admission Free page 36

www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

FRONTIERS SERIES: MARK TURNER

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FRI 21

FRIDAY ORCHESTRAL SERIES: PRE-CONCERT TALK

FRIDAY ORCHESTRAL SERIES: THE MAJOR BRASS PROJECT

Conductor Ian Porthouse presents a pre-concert discussion with the Conservatoire composers whose music features in tonight’s concert.

Birmingham Conservatoire Brass Band Conductor: Ian Porthouse Phillip Tait and James Screaton solo cornets

6:30pm, Arena Foyer Admission Free

Ernest Tomlinson Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen New works by Clara Catt

Programme to include:

Cornet Concerto Concerto for Cornet and Brass Band

Join the Conservatoire Brass Band in a celebration of new music by current students alongside extremely well-respected composers, in a concert which explores the distinctive voice of the brass band. The programme also features two gifted cornet students performing concertos, their performances forming part of their final year assessment. 7:30pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door

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FRI 21

MON 24

JOHANNES THORELL (SAXOPHONE)

MONDAY SHOWCASE Zsofia Farago piano Schubert

Johannes Thorell is one of Scandinavia´s leading saxophonists. He made his soloist debut with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra in 2002 performing the hugely demanding Saxophone Concerto by Edison Denisov, a performance that was given a rousing reception by both press and audience. Since then Thorell has received numerous prizes and grants, including a first prize in the Wolfgang Jacobi competition in Munich together with pianist Magnus Sköld and the Rosenborg/Gehrmans grant. He has received major grants from the Swedish Arts Grants Committee and was a prize-winner at the Biel/Bienne (Switzerland) competition for contemporary music. Join us to see Thorell working with students from our saxophone department. Following this he will present a recital of contemporary Swedish music. Thorell will be joined by our Head of Saxophone Naomi Sullivan for two UK premières of works by Jesper Norodin and Karin Rehnqvist. 7:00pm - 9:00pm, Recital Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door

SAT 22

BIRMINGHAM JUNIOR CONSERVATOIRE CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT Small ensembles, string quartets and soloists from the Junior Conservatoire present a varied programme of chamber music. Tonight’s concert also features a performance by the Peter Vernon Vocal Prize winner. 7:00pm, Recital Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door

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Sonata in C minor, D.958

Trumpet Ensemble: Eric Brooks Mathew Hampton Emily Walker Harry Jepson Rob Spalton Pawel Zadrozniak James Screaton Alex Smith Rachael Ames John Sheppard Michael Maddocks Matthew Frost James Potter Charles Tomlinson Jenni Boase Hannah Hodgson Morley Calvert

Canadian Folk Song Suite

Join us for a weekly snapshot of the exciting work being undertaken by talented Conservatoire students. 1:00pm, Recital Hall Admission Free

www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

Johannes Thorell saxophone

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SAT 22 MAR – SAT 5 APR

FRONTIERS FESTIVAL EXTRAORDINARY MUSIC FROM DOWNTOWN NEW YORK AND BIRMINGHAM Frontiers festival is coming, and it’s bigger and bolder than ever before. Improbable, playful, amazing, funny, surreal, spiritual, spectacular – we have it all. The go-it-alone, DIY, collaborative traditions of New York have given us many of the sounds, the ideas, and the iconic moments that we take for granted today: from John Cage to Lou Reed, minimalism to performance art, improv to indie rock, concept art to post-punk. We’re celebrating this alongside the vibrant scenes and bold new work from Birmingham. Full details of the festival programme will follow soon both online at frontiersmusic.org and in our special festival brochure. Highlights include:

• SCORE, an exhibition of graphic and text scores in the Library of Birmingham, curated by Joe Scarffe and Beth Derbyshire, and featuring performances and opportunities for you to take part.

• Pauline Oliveros, pioneer of ‘deep listening’ and leading edge music technology, presents two events of meditation and globally-networked performance.

• Robert Ashley, the David Lynch of American music, features with the world première of his String Quartet Describing the Motion of Large Real Bodies – a work that will be brought to fruition by 42 laptop artists and the Elysian Quartet. A staged version of his seductive, hypnotic Automatic Writing will also be given by one of New York’s most innovative performance companies, Object Collection.

• Elliott Sharp – the missing link between systems composition and funk – brings his stunning Foliage for a big band improvisation. The event will feature Birmingham’s finest; one of Sharp’s stunning string quartets, and a solo guitar set.

page 39

• Birmingham Conservatoire’s resident ensemble Decibel performs classic works by Philip Glass in the Ikon Gallery as part of an installation show by David Tremlett. In addition, watch out for details of a further two not to be missed performances by the ensemble in the festival. • King of sampling’ Carl Stone presents his latest work Fujiken, with the sounds of south-east Asia shift-shaping into miraculous clouds of sound. • A Frontiers Marathon, our ‘festival in a day’, gives a smorgasbord of sounds, performance and film within Conservatoire venues.

• In partnership with the Flatpack Film Festival, we showcase work by pioneering film-maker Henry Hills, whilst the Institute for Creative and Critical Writing hosts an evening inspired by the Beat Poets.

The festival will take place at Birmingham Conservatoire and venues across the city, including the Library of Birmingham, Ikon Gallery and Town Hall. We are also delighted to announce Yorks Bakery Café as our ‘festival hub’ – watch out for special offers.

• The UK première of Morton Feldman’s Swallows of Salangan performed by the Thallein Ensemble alongside BCMG, as well as works by Cage, Brown, David Lang and many more.

We are delighted to announce Hotel La Tour as our official festival hotel. Rooms are available for festival visitors and friends at a special rate of £80 (room only) or £92 (B&B) for the duration of the festival. This can be accessed using the code FRONTIERS FESTIVAL when booking by phone (0121 718 8000). More details on the hotel can be found at hotel-latour.co.uk

• Terry Riley’s classic In C is performed in the glorious book rotunda of the Library of Birmingham by Surge and Thallein, led by Sid Peacock.

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Look out for details of part 2 of the festival in early June, featuring a 24-hour event with the complete works of Thelonius Monk, an epic piece for 108 electric guitars by No Wave pioneer Rhys Chatham, and David Lang’s spectacular Crowd Out for 1,000 voices at Millennium Point.

www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

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MON 24

TUE 25

BIRMINGHAM SMALL ENSEMBLE SERIES: RECORDER ENSEMBLE - NEW FRONTIERS

PERFORMANCE PLATFORM: GERGELY BOGANYI (PIANO) Gergely Boganyi piano

Birmingham Conservatoire Recorder Department Students, Tutors and Friends

Liszt Liszt Liszt Bartók Schumann

Our Recorder Department students and tutors showcase their recent work with student composers, including new solos and chamber music. 7:30pm, Arena Foyer £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door

MON 24

FRONTIERS SERIES: COMPOSERS’ PLATFORM As our ‘Frontiers Festival – Extraordinary Music from Downtown New York and Birmingham’ gets underway we present another full programme of new music created at the Conservatoire. If you think you know what Contemporary Music is like, be prepared to be surprised and let our young composers show you what the future of Contemporary Music sounds like. 7:30pm, Recital Hall £5 (£3) Tickets available on the door

page 41

Angelus Les jeux d’eaux a la Villa d’Este Sursum Corda Sonata Carnaval Op.9

Hungarian pianist Gergely Boganyi is a bold, daring player, pushing interpretations of composition to the limits. His performances throughout Europe have left his audiences awestruck with his sense of mood, colour and, at times, the unexpected. In today’s Performance Platform he will perform three pieces by Liszt, a composer he is more than familiar with having received the Liszt Prize from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage in Hungary. Alongside works by Liszt, Boganyi will also perform Bartók’s Sonata and Carnaval Op.9 by Schumann. 1:05pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door Our Tuesday Performance Platform is free to audiences from the week’s Monday Showcase; just keep your programme from the previous day and bring it along with you to gain free entry.

TUE 25

PUBLIC MASTERCLASS WITH GERGELY BOGANYI (PIANO)

FRONTIERS SERIES: SIMPLICITY AND BEAUTY – AN EXQUISITE EVENING FOR STRINGS AND ELECTRONICS

Gergely Boganyi piano

Chamber players from Birmingham Conservatoire’s strings department Sarah Farmer violin Jamie Bullock live electronics

Postgraduate students from Birmingham Conservatoire To accompany his lunchtime recital, and as part of our public masterclass series, the internationally renowned and truly astounding pianist Gergely Boganyi will work with some of our finest senior piano students looking at technique, mood and performance style.

This intimate evening of chamber works for strings and live electronics will take the audience on a journey through the many facets of simplicity and beauty in music. By using state-of-theart electronic sound manipulation and live interaction, the sounds of solo string instruments, trios and quartets will be transformed and projected into other-worldly soundscapes for the listener to explore, enjoy and reflect upon.

5:00pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door

7:30pm, Recital Hall £5 (£3) Tickets available on the door

The programme will include Liz Johnson's Iridaceae and Alexandra Vrebalov's The Spell III.

Fancy joining us for both the lunchtime concert and public masterclass? Purchase a special ticket for both events for just £8 (£6). Tickets are available on the door.

page 42

www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

TUE 25

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SAT 29

BIRMINGHAM JUNIOR CONSERVATOIRE END OF TERM CONCERT FRI 28 THU 27

BIRMINGHAM SMALL ENSEMBLE SERIES: FORTEPIANO GALA CONCERT Director: Sharona Joshua Come and join us for a magical evening of classical and early romantic repertoire featuring the fortepiano. The Conservatoire’s fortepiano department presents an exciting programme comprising of music by CPE Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert and others. Students will be joining forces with period string players and singers to form riveting ensembles. Lieder, duos, trios, music for fortepiano four hands, solos as well as concerto movements may all be heard! A must-hear public concert showcasing the fortepiano in all its glory with authenticity, panache and charm! 8:00pm, Recital Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door

FRIDAY ORCHESTRAL SERIES: REQUIEM

To celebrate the end of their spring term, our Junior Conservatoire orchestras and choirs present a varied programme of music in the Adrian Boult Hall.

Birmingham Conservatoire Repertoire Orchestra Birmingham Conservatoire Chorus Soloists from the Vocal Department

7:00pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door

Conductor: Philip Pickett

MON 31

Chorus Master: Duncan Fielden

MELODY MUSIC BIRMINGHAM SPRING CONCERT

Fauré Mozart

Requiem Requiem

In this evening’s concert, the Conservatoire Chorus and Repertoire Orchestra join forces under the baton of Philip Pickett to perform possibly the two best-loved Requiem Masses in the canon. Whilst there are many differences between them, the Requiems by Mozart and Fauré share a wonderful depth of sincerity that is sure to communicate itself to the audience. 6:00pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door page 43

MMB will be presenting their spring concert including a variety of songs and pieces that have been created by the group. The students and their tutors will have you smiling, singing along and tapping your toes! MMB has been based at the Conservatoire since it began in 2010 and is a music group for children and young people with any form of learning difficulty. The group is run by volunteer tutors who are either past or present students of the Conservatoire. 6:30pm, New Lecture Theatre Admission Free

TUE 1

WED 2

PERFORMANCE PLATFORM: HARRIET CARR (VIOLA)

PRIZES AND COMPETITIONS SERIES: THE AMBACHE PRIZE FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF MUSIC BY WOMEN COMPOSERS

APRIL

Harriet Carr viola Robert Markham piano Schubert Sonata in A minor, D821, Arpeggione Hindemith Solo Sonata, Op.25, No.1 Vieuxtemps Elegie for Viola and Piano, Op.30 Harriet Carr has spent the last five years studying at the Royal Northern College of Music, gaining a first for her undergraduate final recital and distinction for her postgraduate studies. She is now continuing her studies with Dr Louise Lansdown on the flagship Professional Performance programme at Birmingham Conservatoire. This concert explores some of the core viola repertoire: an intimate journey with Schubert, raging storms in the Hindemith Sonata and a passionate outcry from Vieuxtemps ensure a truly indulgent way to spend your lunch hour. 1:05pm, Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door

Our Tuesday Performance Platform is free to audiences from the week’s Monday Showcase; just keep your programme from the previous day and bring it along with you to gain free entry. Please note that due to there being no Monday Showcase on 31 March, please bring your programme from Monday 24 March to gain free entry to today’s concert.

page 44

The Ambache Prize celebrates the importance of music by female composers. Open to both undergraduates and postgraduates, students can perform as a soloist or small ensemble, and this special prize always promises wonderful variety in both its competitors and their repertoire. 7:30pm, Adrian Boult Hall £4 Tickets available on the door

www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

THU 3

BIRMINGHAM SMALL ENSEMBLE SERIES: TRAVELS AND FOLKLORE Birmingham Conservatoire Saxophone Ensemble Director: Naomi Sullivan FRI 4

DECIBEL ROBERT ASHLEY HONORARY DOCTORATE An eminent and prolific composer and writer, and a leading figure in American contemporary music, Robert Ashley is internationally renowned for his multi disciplinary projects, recorded works, and pioneering work in new forms of opera. Tonight, as one of the finale events to our Frontiers Festival: Extraordinary Music from Downtown New York and Birmingham (see pages 39-40), we are privileged to see Ashley awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Birmingham City University. In celebration of this, our resident ensemble Decibel will present Ashley’s In Memoriam Estaban Gomez and Tap Dancing in the Sand. They will be presented alongside works by Conservatoire composers: Ed Bennett, Joe Cutler, Michael Wolters and Howard Skempton. Formed in 2002 as a collective of performers and composers, Decibel have been described in the Guardian as ‘Unclassifiable, raw-nerve music of huge energy and imagination’. 7:00pm, Adrian Boult Hall £9 (£7) Tickets available from birmingham-box.co.uk, 0121 245 4455, or in person from The Box, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Centenary Square. Tickets also available on the door (subject to availability)

The Conservatoire’s saxophone ensemble performs a programme of works by two of seminal composers of the 20th Century, while exploring the influence of folk music in their work. ‘I NEVER could share his lifelong gusto for his native folklore, and what is more, I couldn't help regretting it in the great musician’ Igor Stravinsky of Bela Bartók 8:00pm, Arena Foyer £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door FRI 11

3DOM SPRING SHARING Director: Liz Johnson Using the latest sensor technology, 3DOM present an eclectic mix of new pieces created by the 3DOM team. Using Soundbeam 5 and iPad technology, alongside acoustic instruments and voices, creates a magical combination. 3DOM provides opportunities for people with severe physical restrictions to perform together and with non-disabled musicians. 3DOM is funded by Arts Council England. 3:00pm, Recital Hall £5 (£3) Tickets available on the door page 45

SUN 13

THU 17

SUN 27

PRIZES AND COMPETITIONS SERIES: THE BIRMINGHAM PHILHARMONIC CONCERTO PRIZE

PUBLIC MASTERCLASS WITH JULIAN JACOBSON (PIANO)

AN AFTERNOON WITH BIRMINGHAM CLASSICAL PLAYERS

Adjudicator: to be announced Organised and staged by the Conservatoire in association with the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra, this is the premier prize in the competition calendar. In this final round, three of the Conservatoire’s most talented instrumental students will each perform a concerto of their choice. Following the great success of last year’s event, they will be accompanied by the esteemed Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra, making this an outstanding experience for the Finalists and the audience. 3:00pm, Adrian Boult Hall £13 (£10 students) (£8 children) (£32 family ticket: 2 adults + 2 children) (Free to students of Birmingham Conservatoire and the University of Birmingham) Tickets available from birmingham-box. co.uk, 0121 245 4455 or in person from The Box, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Centenary Square

Julian Jacobson piano Undergraduate and Postgraduate students from Birmingham Conservatoire Outstanding pianist Julian Jacobson presents the last Public Masterclass of the spring. Jacobson studied at the Royal College of Music and Queen’s College, Oxford and was a founder member of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, before pursuing an internationally successful career as a solo recitalist and chamber musician. He is a fine duo pianist, partnering with musicians such as Nigel Kennedy and Alexander Baillie. With an ongoing commitment to contemporary music, Jacobson is joined today by Conservatoire Undergraduate and Postgraduate pianists to present a programme including recent and exploratory piano literature. Today’s masterclass is in association with the Incorporated Society of Musicians as part of the ISM Conference 2014 taking place at Birmingham Conservatoire. ‘Julian Jacobson is a possessor of perfection in musical interpretation and this illuminates his chamber music partners as well as his students and all listeners...’ György Kurtág, composer 11:00am, Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door

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Birmingham Classical Players Programme to include music by Piazzolla and Copland. Join Birmingham Classical Players for the third concert of their first season. Birmingham Classical Players is an exciting, flexible ensemble setting out to explore repertoire which is forgotten or overlooked, as well as presenting music that we all know and love. The ensemble aims to bring the results of their exploration to a wide audience. 4:00pm, Adrian Boult Hall £8 (£4) (£3 Students) Tickets available from birminghamclassicalplayers.com or by emailing tickets@birminghamclassicalplayers.com

www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra

SUMMER 2014 Following our spring concert season, our summer term is jam-packed with a wonderful variety of not to be missed events. Highlights include: MONDAY 28 APRIL

TUESDAY 3 – SATURDAY 7 JUNE

SUNDAY 15 JUNE

JOHN MCCABE 75TH BIRTHDAY – KEYBOARD WORKS

FRONTIERS FESTIVAL: EXTRAORDINARY MUSIC FROM DOWNTOWN NEW YORK AND BIRMINGHAM – PART 2

CHARITY CONCERT WITH THE BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE ASSOCIATION

8:00PM, ADRIAN BOULT HALL WEDNESDAY 7 MAY

PUBLIC MASTERCLASS AND RECITAL WITH MILDA AGAZARIAN (HARP) 1:00PM, ARENA FOYER

VARIOUS VENUES WEDNESDAY 11 – SUNDAY 15 JUNE

CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: FUGUE AND FANTASY VARIOUS VENUES

FEATURING CBSO (STRING ENSEMBLE), CONDUCTOR: JEREMY PATTERSON 7:00PM, ADRIAN BOULT HALL FRIDAY 20 JUNE

MESSIAEN’S TURANGALÎLA BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 7:30PM, TOWN HALL

Full details of our summer concert season will be available in April. Please contact the Concert Office on 0121 331 5909 / bhamcons.concerts@bcu.ac.uk or at bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire to be added to our mailing list and receive future concert diaries free of charge, direct to your inbox or door. page 47

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Birmingham Conservatoire is offering the opportunity for your business to sponsor prestigious headline events across our concert calendar.

HUNDREDS OF BESPOKE EVENTS... ONE BESPOKE VENUE

We believe in creating sponsorship opportunities that are bespoke to the client and tailored to your business goals. Each project will be unique and provide an inspiring creative partnership with our artistic programme across all areas of our work. We can help to enhance your companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s profile and bring clients and guests in direct contact with the highly accomplished musicians which you will beÂ supporting.

In addition to associating your business with the future faces of music in Birmingham, benefits include: our company and brand/logo on all Y publicity materials pportunities for your employees and O guests to meet our artists and conductors omplimentary tickets for your company C employees plus additional discounts for friends and family espoke receptions to include your choice B of professional background musicians

BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE. DARE TO BE DIFFERENT page 48

For more information or to receive the sponsorship taster menu please contact Libby Hall on 0121 331 5909 / Libby.Hall@bcu.ac.uk

Conservatoire venues Most of our concerts take place in the prestigious Adrian Boult Hall (ABH), named after the conductor, or the Recital Hall (RH), a flexible and modern performance space. The ABH is a 520 seat concert hall with excellent acoustics, while the smaller RH (150 seats) has a state-of-the-art surround sound system that is much in demand for music incorporating live electronics. Small scale, intimate performances are also held in our Arena Foyer (AF) and New Lecture Theatre (NLT). Our foyer area has a coffee bar and a licensed bar, a free cloakroom service and facilities for disabled visitors. Our friendly concert stewards (mostly current Conservatoire students) are on hand to help with any enquiries during your visit. If you have any queries about attending an event at the Conservatoire, please contact the Concert Office on 0121 331 5909/5921. Adrian Boult Hall

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Recital Hall

HOW TO FIND BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE Birmingham Conservatoire is located in the centre of Birmingham in Chamberlain Square, to the left of Paradise Forum, and just behind Town Hall. We can be easily reached by all transport routes:

We are here

By Car: From Junction 6 of M6, take A38 (M) to Birmingham, when approaching the City Centre take the A4400 and continue to Great Charles Queensway, following this round will lead you to Paradise Circus Queensway. There are two handy NCP car parks near to the Conservatoire: one on Brunel Street next to The Mailbox and the other on Suffolk Street Queensway adjacent to the Holiday Inn. By Bus: The Conservatoire is served by the following bus routes, 1,9, 22, 23, 24, 29, 29A, 82, 87, 89, 140, 141, 829. All of these stops are by Birmingham Town Hall, next to the Conservatoire. By Train: The Conservatoire is approximately ten minutesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; walk from both New Street and Snow Hill Stations. There is limited parking for disabled visitors outside of the Conservatoire. Access to this is via Margaret Street and the spaces are available on a first come, first served basis. Display of the relevant badge is essential.

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HOW TO BOOK YOUR TICKETS Where stated, tickets for our events can be booked in advance:

1. By Phone Call the TICKET HOTLINE: 0121 245 4455 Open Mon to Sat: 10am to 5.30pm

2. In Person Visit The Box at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Centenary Square, Broad Street Birmingham, B1 2EP Open Mon to Fri: 10am to 5.30pm, Sat: 10am to 4pm

3. On-line Go to www.birmingham-box.co.uk Visa, Delta, Connect, Mastercard and Switch cards can be used. Cheques should be made payable to Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Please note that when purchasing tickets either in person or over the telephone, credit card bookings incur a 3% fee per transaction and debit card bookings incur a 50p fee per transaction. Both of these fees are waived for on-line bookings and all cash payments are fee-free. Tickets for all other events at Birmingham Conservatoire can be purchased at the venue from up to 45 minutes prior to the concert start time. If you wish to guarantee your seat

by reserving your ticket in advance, please do so by phoning the Concert Office on 0121 331 5909 (lines open between 10am-4pm Mon-Fri). Your ticket will then be reserved and available to purchase on the door. Please note that we accept the following credit cards: Mastercard, Maestro, Visa, Switch, Solo and JCB. Unless otherwise stated, concession prices apply to children (16 and under or in full-time education), students, 60 plus, disabled people and the unemployed (UB40). We may ask to see identification when admitting people carrying concessionary tickets.

Birmingham Conservatoire cannot guarantee refunds or exchange tickets after purchase. Every effort is made to ensure that all information included within the Concert Diary is correct at the time of going to print, however the Conservatoire reserves the right to change the programme or replace artists due to unforeseen circumstances.

FACILITIES AT THE CONSERVATOIRE A free cloakroom service is available at most events taking place in the Adrian Boult Hall. page 51

The Coffee Bar is open one hour before and during the interval of most evening events, selling teas, coffee, soft drinks, biscuits, chocolate and sweets. Ice cream is on sale during the interval of most concerts in the Adrian Boult Hall. The Licensed Bar is open one hour before and during the interval of most events at the Conservatoire. Interval drinks can be ordered in advance. Please ring the Concert Office on 0121 331 5909 if you would like to check bar opening times.

FACILITIES FOR DISABLED PEOPLE The Adrian Boult Hall, Recital Hall, Arena Foyer and New Lecture Theatre are accessible to wheelchair users. Accessible toilet facilities are also available. There are spaces set aside in the Halls for wheelchair users and volunteer companion seats may be available on request. Please contact the Concert Office on 0121 331 5909. There is limited parking available for disabled visitors outside of the Conservatoire. Access to this is via Margaret Street and the spaces are available on a first come, first served basis.

Display of the relevant disabled sticker is essential. Disabled people are entitled to concessionary tickets where available.

FACILITIES FOR VISUALLYIMPAIRED PEOPLE Guide dogs are welcome at all venues. Please let us know in advance if you are bringing a guide dog, so that we can allocate a space for him or her! A copy of this brochure is available in large print by contacting the Concert Office on 0121 331 5909.

LATECOMERS To minimise disruption to the performers and to other members of the audience, latecomers will only be admitted to the Halls during a suitable break in the performance. This may be at the interval of the event.

SMOKING

FREE MAILING LIST To receive details of forthcoming events free of charge, please write to: Mailing List, Concert Office, Birmingham Conservatoire, Paradise Place, Birmingham B3 3HG Or email: bhamcons.concerts@bcu.ac.uk Or telephone: 0121 331 5909 for a mailing list form. Please note that the details you give us will be stored on an electronic database held in Birmingham Conservatoire’s Concert Office. By sending us your details, you have given us your permission to store this information. If you would like to receive information in large print, please indicate this in your letter.

YOUR COMMENTS The Concert Office staff are always interested to hear your comments and suggestions about our concert programme, facilities and services. You can write to the Concert Manager Emily Bartlett at Birmingham Conservatoire, Paradise Place, Birmingham B3 3HG or email bhamcons.concerts@bcu.ac.uk

Smoking is not permitted in Birmingham Conservatoire. page 52

Birmingham Conservatoire thanks its sponsors and supporters SPONSORS Avid Classical Guitar Centre European Culture Programme DfE (Music & Dance Scheme) EMI Music Sound Foundation John Avins Trust Leverhulme Trust The Schubert Ensemble of London The Wolfson Foundation Wilmcote Charitable Trust

EVENT FUNDERS Arts Council England Hinrichsen Foundation Holst Foundation PRS Foundation for New Music RVW Trust

FRONTIERS FESTIVAL PARTNERS Birmingham Contemporary Music Group Flatpack Hotel La Tour Ikon Gallery Laney Library of Birmingham Rotosound Third Ear Town Hall Symphony Hall Uk Guitar Show York's Bakery Cafe

PARTNERS Aston Performing Arts Academy Birmingham Contemporary Music Group Birmingham Hippodrome Birmingham Music Service Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra Birmingham Royal Ballet City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Coventry Performing Arts Service Ex Cathedra In Harmony Stoke and Telford Jazzlines Leamington Music page 53

mac Birmingham Music Education Council Music for Youth Musicians’ Union Orchestra of the Swan Perry Beaches II Quench Arts Royal College of Organists Royal Shakespeare Company sampad Sound Futures South Birmingham College Stan’s Café Third Ear Town Hall / Symphony Hall Tredegar Town Band Welsh National Opera Wolverhampton Music Hub

MEMBERSHIP Association of European Conservatoires Conservatoires UK Incorporated Society of Musicians

SUPPORTING US Birmingham Conservatoire is very grateful for the support of individuals and companies.

There are many ways in which you can support us: • • • • •

Sponsor a concert or series of concerts. Sponsor a student and follow them through their course of study. Support the Conservatoire Endowment Fund – a fund set up to benefit students in need. Make a donation. The Conservatoire values donations small or large. Donations can be gift-aided, increasing their value to the Conservatoire.

For further details, or if you have an idea you would like to discuss with us, please contact: Andrea Cox Principal’s Office Birmingham Conservatoire Paradise Place, Birmingham B3 3HG Tel: 0121 331 5910 Email: andrea.cox@bcu.ac.uk

BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE ASSOCIATION Support the Musicians of Tomorrow - Join us Today Birmingham Conservatoire Association is a voluntary organisation supporting the work of the students at Birmingham Conservatoire. Our international membership consists of alumni, current and former members of staff, distinguished Honorary Members including the President of Birmingham Conservatoire Sir Simon Rattle CBE Duniv, parents, friends and all those wishing to support our objectives. We are a Registered Charity which is independent from the Conservatoire. Our work includes the production of a twice-yearly promotional magazine Fanfare III, financial support for the CBSO String Training Scheme and to individual students for a variety of needs (such as instrumental purchase and repair,

travelling & living expenses, and masterclasses), the annual Undergraduate Welcome and biennial Alumni and Staff Reunions. Membership is open to everyone who wishes to support the work of the students at Birmingham Conservatoire. The students increasingly need your help in these days of global financial hardship. Please refer to our web site www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire/ bca to see the benefits offered to BCA members and join us online or by requesting an application form from BCA Hon Secretary John Smith 0121 476 4741 / smith@hrs359.fsnet.co.uk .

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TICKET HOTLINE

0121 245 4455

Quick Guide to Booking Your Tickets Where tickets are available in advance please: Phone the TICKET HOTLINE:

0121 245 4455

Mon to Sat: 10am to 5.30pm Book ON-LINE at www.birmingham-box.co.uk Visit The Box at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2EP Mon to Sat: 10am to 5.30pm Visa / Delta / Connect / Mastercard / Switch / Cheque with guarantee card For all other events at Birmingham Conservatoire (as indicated in the listings with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;tickets available on the doorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;) you can purchase your ticket at the venue from up to 45 minutes prior to the concert start time. If you wish to guarantee your seat by reserving your ticket in advance, please do so by phoning the Concert Office on 0121 331 5909 (lines open between 10am-4pm Mon-Fri). Your ticket will then be reserved and available to purchase on the door.

Stay in touch for details of forthcoming concerts, special offers and our latest news. To join Birmingham Conservatoire's free mailing list please e-mail bhamcons.concerts@bcu.ac.uk or contact the Concert Office on 0121 331 5909.