Birmingham Conservatoire Spring 2015

Spring Concerts and Events January – March 2015 www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

Spring Season At A Glance ABH AF BCa BC BH BMAG CT NLT RH SH StCh

Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham Conservatoire Arena Foyer, Birmingham Conservatoire Birmingham Cathedral Birmingham Conservatoire Birmingham Hippodrome Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery The Crescent Theatre New Lecture Theatre, Birmingham Conservatoire Recital Hall, Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony Hall Cafe Bar St. Chad’s Cathedral

JANUARY FRI 9 MON 12 TUE 13 TUE 13 FRI 16 MON 19 MON 19 TUE 20 TUE 20 WED 21 WED 21 THU 22 THU 22 THU 22 FRI 23 MON 26 TUE 27 TUE 27 WED 28 THU 29 FRI 30

Penny For Your Thoughts Monday Showcase Performance Platform: Robin Ireland, Tim Horton & Louise Crane International Artist Masterclass: Natalie Clein Lunchtimes at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Monday Showcase Frontiers: The Irish Canon with Michelle O’Rourke Performance Platform: Marie-Christine Zupancic & Joanne Sealey International Artist Masterclass: Zupancic & Sealey The Live Jazz Broadcast An Evening of Traditional Folk Birmingham Conservatoire Open Day Percussion Department Showcase CBSO Pre-Concert Showcase: Stravoula Thoma & Sofia Sarmento Birmingham Conservatoire String Orchestra Monday Showcase Performance Platform: Chi Hoe Mak & Samuel Tan Lectures and Talks: Dr Rachel Harris The Leamington Music Prize Harp and Friends Chamber Concert Belle Nuit

ABH RH ABH ABH BMAG RH RH ABH ABH RH AF BC RH SH ABH RH ABH AF RH RH RH

7.30PM P31 1PM P8 1.05PM P10 2.30PM P10 12.30PM P16 1PM P8 7PM P25 1.05PM P11 5.45PM P11 1.05PM P15 7.30PM P31 10AM P35 5.30PM P20 6.15PM P30 6PM P27 1PM P8 1.05PM P11 3.30PM P18 7PM P33 7.30PM P20 8PM P31

Monday Showcase The Renna Kellaway Piano Prize Performance Platform: Liang Shang The Live Jazz Broadcast Spring Liederabend Beyond Classical Birmingham Conservatoire Jazz Orchestra Birmingham Junior Conservatoire Orchestral Concert Monday Showcase Frontiers: Composers’ Platform Performance Platform: Susan Bickley & Iain Burnside

RH 1PM P8 ABH 7.15PM P33 ABH 1.05PM P12 RH 1.05PM P15 RH 7.30PM P34 SH 5.30PM P17 RH 7.30PM P23 ABH 7PM P27 RH 1PM P9 RH 7.30PM P25 ABH 1.05PM P12

FEBRUARY MON 2 MON 2 TUE 3 WED 4 WED 4 THU 5 THU 5 SAT 7 MON 9 MON 9 TUE 10

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TUE 10 TUE 10 WED 11 WED 11 - SUN 22 THU 12 MON 16 TUE 17 FRI 20 FRI 20 FRI 20 SAT 21 - SUN 22 WED 25 THU 26 THU 26 - SAT 28 FRI 27 FRI 27

Lectures and Talks: Dr Luca Della Libera International Artist Masterclass: Susan Bickley & Ian Burnside CBSO Pre-Concert Showcase Skryabin and The Russians Gala Celebrity Chamber Recital Monday Showcase: Two Pianos Performance Platform: The Complete Solo Works of Stravinsky Lunchtimes at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Celebritiy Vocal Gala with Susan Gritton & Daniel Browell A Blast from Russia Birmingham Conservatoire Festival of Wind & Brass Alma Guitar Quartet Hello! Mr Sax Ava’s Wedding (Opera) Thallein Ensemble & Richard Baker Of Men and Mountains

AF 3.30PM P18 ABH 5.45PM P12 SH 6.15PM P30 VARIOUS P36-40 ABH 7.30PM P37 RH 1PM P37 RH 1.05PM P37 BMAG 12.30PM P16 ABH 2PM P39 ABH 6PM P40 BC P41 RH 7.30PM P32 RH 7.30PM P21 CT P42 RH 5.30PM P28 ABH 6PM P28

Music For Youth Beethoven: A Marathon Monday Showcase Performance Platform: Rachel Barton Pine International Artist Masterclass: Rachel Barton Pine The Live Jazz Broadcast The Town Hall Symphony Hall Prize The Jazz Composers Band Plays George Russell The String Sound Birmingham Conservatoire Chorus with David Saint Monday Showcase San Giovanni Battista Performance Platform: The Schubert Ensemble Lectures and Talks: Professor Stephanie Pitts Frontiers: Wolff at 80, Finnissy’s Beats and Howard Skempton The Andrew Downes Performance Prize Recorder Futures John Riley Presents Quartet for the End of Time Andreas Moutsioulis Guitar Concert Frontiers: The Young Composers’ Project Monday Showcase Frontiers Festival of Contemporary Music Performance Platform: The Rosamunde Trio International Artist Masterclass: The Rosamunde Trio The Live Jazz Broadcast: John O’Gallagher Beyond Classical John O’Gallagher Fortepiano Gala Concert Lunchtimes at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Birmingham Conservatoire ‘Handpicked’ Orchestra Birmingham Junior Conservatoire Chamber Music Concert Melody Music Birmingham Easter Showcase Performance Platform: Sofia Sarmento Thallein & Integra Birmingham Junior Conservatoire End of Term Concert

ABH 10AM P46 RH 11AM P43 RH 1PM P9 ABH 1.05PM P13 ABH 5PM P13 RH 1.05PM P15 RH 7PM P33 RH 8PM P23 RH 7.30PM P32 STCH 7.30PM P44 RH 1PM P9 RH 7.30PM P32 ABH 1.05PM P13 AF 3.30PM P19 RH 7.30PM P26 RH 7PM P33 RH 7.30PM P22 NLT 6.30PM P24 RH 7.30PM P32 RH 7.30PM P46 RH 6.30PM P26 RH 1PM P9 VARIOUS P45 ABH 1.05PM P14 ABH 5PM P14 RH 1.05PM P24 SH 5.30PM P17 RH 8PM P24 RH 7.30PM P22 BMAG 12.30PM P16 ABH 7.30PM P29 RH 7PM P29 NLT 6PM P46 ABH 1.05PM P14 ABH 8PM P29 ABH 7PM P29

MARCH SUN 1 SUN 1 MON 2 TUE 3 TUE 3 WED 4 WED 4 THU 5 FRI 6 FRI 6 MON 9 MON 9 TUE 10 TUE 10 TUE 10 WED 11 THU 12 FRI 13 FRI 13 SAT 14 SUN 15 MON 16 MON 16 - FRI 27 TUE 17 TUE 17 WED 18 WED 18 WED 18 THU 19 FRI 20 FRI 20 SAT 21 MON 23 TUE 24 FRI 27 SAT 28

Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

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Contents Spring Season At A Glance 2 Welcome 5 Spring Season Highlights 7 Lunchtime, Afternoon and Early Evening Events The Monday Showcase Performance Platform featuring The International Artist Masterclass Series The Live Jazz Broadcast Lunchtimes at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery Beyond Classical Lectures and Talks

8 10 15 16 17 18

Evening Events Thursdays at Birmingham Conservatoire 20 The Jazz Club 23 Frontiers 25 Orchestras, Ensembles and Chamber Music 27 City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Pre-Concert Showcases 30 Emerging Directors 31 Prizes and Competitions 33

Special Events and Festivals Spring Liederabend Open Day Skryabin and the Russians Festival Festival of Wind and Brass Ava’s Wedding (Opera) Beethoven: The Complete Violin and Cello Sonatas. A Marathon Birmingham Conservatoire Chorus with David Saint Frontiers Festival of Contemporary Music

34 35 36 41 42 43 44 45

Guest Artists 46 Booking Information How To Find Us Venue Information

47 48 49

Cover image courtesy of Sussie Ahlburg 4

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Welcome Welcome to the spring concert season at Birmingham Conservatoire in which you will find a fantastic range of concerts, festivals and public masterclasses for the New Year.

We are extremely excited and honoured to be joined by one of the most accomplished lyric sopranos of her generation, the Grammy nominated, Susan Gritton. Susan performs as part of a special 10-day festival celebrating the work of Russian composer, Alexander Skryabin (p39) which also sees performances of other prominent Russian works by Shostokovich, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky and more.

Superstar cellist Natalie Clein imparts her expertise to our students as part of our public masterclass series (p10). The former BBC Young Musician of the year is accompanied by Robert Markham on piano and takes pupils through pieces by Beethoven, Dvořák and Chopin in what promises to be a fascinating event.

Other public masterclasses in the series feature mezzosoprano Susan Bickley, violist Rachel Barton Pine, flautist Marie-Christine Zupancic and The Rosamunde Trio.

Frontiers Festival returns focusing on technology in live music performance and our highly acclaimed Integra Lab. Integra Live provides musicians with a unique platform to create.

Hear exciting new compositions from our students as well as performances from Xenia Pestova, the Decibel Ensemble and the Court-circuit Ensemble conducted by Philippe Hurel (p45).

Susan Gritton

We are delighted to welcome both Superbrass and London Winds as well as musicians from the CBSO as part of our Festival of Wind and Brass (p41). Featuring workshops, masterclasses, trade exhibitions and performances, you can also join in with massed ensembles – all ages and abilities welcome!

You can witness a world première at The Crescent Theatre in February as Michael Wolters, Alexandra Taylor and Students of the Conservatoire Vocal and Instrumental Departments present Ava’s Wedding (p42).

This comical and very English opera will showcase the very best of talent that we have at the Conservatoire.

Our jazz programme continues to flourish as we are graced by two giants of the New York jazz scene.

Legendary drummer, John Riley, joins students for three days before performing contemporary material with them at our New Lecture Theatre. We then present two concerts from pioneering saxophonist, John O’Gallagher that feature reworkings of Anton Webern compositions as well as classic and contemporary jazz compositions.

Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

London Winds

Finally, as many of you know, I am preparing to stand down from my role at some point in the first half of 2015. To mark the end of nearly 37 years’ association with the Conservatoire, I am already practising hard for the chorus concert on 6 March. This takes place in St Chad’s Cathedral, focus of my ‘other life’, and the programme includes Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem which I will accompany on the magnificent Walker organ. Do come!

All of this and much more takes place this term. We wish you the very best for 2015.

Professor David Saint Principal Birmingham Conservatoire

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“Thank you for the excellent support we received at our workshop on Sunday. It was a tremendous success and gives me ideas for a similar event in 2015.�

Tony Veal (Community Band Workshop)

One Unique Venue...

Thousands of Unique Events

Offering flexible spaces in a unique environment, Birmingham Conservatoire is a stimulating alternative to other venues. Located in a prime position in the heart of Birmingham City Centre, the venue offers competitive prices and a first-rate, bespoke, personalised service from a team of experienced event managers.

Available to hire from one hour upwards, facilities include two acoustically enhanced halls (520 and 154 seats), a range of lecture theatres, a light and spacious board room and over sixty other practice, rehearsal, meeting rooms and break out spaces. First-rate equipment and instruments, technical support, excellent catering, and in-house musicians make Birmingham Conservatoire an ideal choice for your event, whether that be a concert or recital, rehearsal or workshop, meeting, conference, exhibition, product launch or drinks reception.

So why not contact us and find out how we can help to make your next event truly unique?

To request our brochure or to discuss holding your event at Birmingham Conservatoire, please contact the Venues, Concerts and Events Office on 0121 331 5909 or email bhamcons.concerts@bcu.ac.uk

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Spring Season Highlights Not to be missed

Our Associate Principal (Director of Performance), Paul Bambrough, offers you his picks of the season:

MON 19 JAN THE IRISH CANON WITH MICHELLE O’ROURKE – PAGE 25 7pm Recital Hall £5 (£3) TUE 27 JAN CHI HOE MAK AND SAMUEL TAN – PAGE 11 1.05pm Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) THU 12 FEB GALA CELEBRITY CHAMBER RECITAL – PAGE 37 7.30pm Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) WED 18 FEB THE COMPLETE SKRYABIN PIANO SONATAS – PAGE 39 7.30pm Adrian Boult Hall £10 (£7) SUN 1 MAR BEETHOVEN: A MARATHON – PAGE 43 11am Recital Hall Day ticket £22 (£10). Individual performances £5 (£3) each.

SUN 1 MAR MUSIC FOR YOUTH – PAGE 46 10am Adrian Boult Hall Free admission TUE 3 MAR RACHEL BARTON PINE – PAGE 13 Recital 1.05pm, £6 (£3), Masterclass 5pm, £6 (£3) £10 (£5) Joint ticket for recital and masterclass Adrian Boult Hall TUE 10 MAR WOLFF AT 80, FINNISSY’S BEATS AND HOWARD SKEMPTON – PAGE 26 7.30pm Recital Hall £5 (£3) Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

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The Monday Showcase Beat away those Monday blues with this series of FREE weekly lunchtime concerts.

Join us to see a variety of exciting work that Conservatoire students are undertaking.

MON 12 JAN

VIEUXTEMPS, FONTANA, BLAVET, CHOPIN, DEBUSSY 1pm Recital Hall Free admission Tickets available on the door Katherine Lambeth viola Charles Matthews piano Vieuxtemps Viola Sonata

MON 26 JAN

CILÈA, POULENC, DEBUSSY, OLIVEIRA, DUTILLEUX, KODÁLY 1pm Recital Hall Free admission Tickets available on the door Tai Yu Ma tenor Jonathan French piano

Fontana Sonata III Blavet Sonata Terza

Cilèa L’anima ho stanca from Adriana Lecouvreur Poulenc Tel jour, telle nuit Debussy Ces airs joyeux and Ces chants de fête from L’enfant prodigue

Arthur Bocaneanu piano

Sofia Sarmento piano

Chloë-Jade Butlin recorder Martin Perkins harpsichord

Chopin Ballade No.4 in F minor, Op.52 Debussy L’isle joyeuse

MON 19 JAN

BEETHOVEN, RACHMANINOV, FAURÉ, KORNGOLD 1pm Recital Hall Free admission Tickets available on the door Kornelie Mareckova piano Beethoven Piano Sonata No.8, Op.13 ‘Pathétique’ Rachmaninov Moments musicaux Op.16, No.1 Rebecca Tan piano Fauré Nocturne No.6 in D flat Ruta Labutyte violin Guy Murgatroyd piano Korngold Violin Sonata, Op.6 8

Oliveira Pirâmides de Cristal Josh Large trombone Joanne Sealey piano Dutilleux Choral, Cadence et Fugato Stavroula Thoma piano Kodály Marosszek Dances

MON 2 FEB

JAZZ 1pm Recital Hall Free admission Tickets available on the door Lucinda Fosker jazz voice Fourth year jazz student, Lucinder Fosker, leads a contemporary jazz group. /BirmsCons

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MON 9 FEB

MON 2 MAR

MON 16 MAR

HOWELLS, BUTTERWORTH, BUCCHINO, BACH/ BUSONI, STITT, CHOPIN

JAZZ

SHOCKER, BOZZA, BRITTEN, DEBUSSY, BEETHOVEN

1pm Recital Hall Free admission Tickets available on the door

1pm Recital Hall Free admission Tickets available on the door Mark Pringle jazz piano Fourth year jazz student, Mark Pringle, leads a contemporary jazz group from the piano.

Erica Sinclair clarinet

Butterworth A Shropshire Lad Bucchino Unexpressed Stitt Sonnet 29 Yang Tsao piano Bach/Busoni Chaconne Chopin Heroic Polonaise

Josephine Wilkin flute Joanne Sealey piano Shocker Airborne Bozza Agrestide

Howells Clarinet Sonata George Stuart tenor Jonathan French piano

1pm Recital Hall Free admission Tickets available on the door

MON 9 MAR

PROKOFIEV, MENDELSSOHN, SCHUBERT, POULENC, MOZART 1pm Recital Hall Free admission Tickets available on the door

Ying Min Lin soprano Jonathan French piano Britten On This Island, Op.11 Debussy Quatre chansons de jeunesses Giorgi Dolidze piano Beethoven Sonata in A flat, Op.110

Yun Lee piano MON 16 FEB

TWO PIANOS 1pm Recital Hall Free admission Tickets available on the door Malcolm Wilson piano Philip Martin piano Rachmaninov Suite No.2 Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances Taking place as part of our Skryabin and the Russians Festival, for full details please see page 37

Prokofiev Sonata No.3, Op.28 Mendelssohn Variations sérieuses, Op.54 Elizabeth Adams soprano Jonathan French piano Schubert Ganymed Op.19, No.3, D.544 Schubert Nacht und Träume Poulenc Trois poèmes de Louise Lalanne Mozart Ach, ich fühl’s, es ist verschwunden from Die Zauberflöte, K.620

Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

Elizabeth Adams

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

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Performance Platform FEATURING THE INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS MASTERCLASS SERIES Enjoy lunchtime concerts created and presented by leading musicians every Tuesday.

Performances by our postgraduate students, ensembles in residence, junior fellows and tutors are interspersed by visits from leading professional and international artists throughout the year.

Tickets for the Performance Platform are FREE to audiences from the week’s Monday Showcase (just show your programme from Monday’s concert to gain free entry) – a little gift from us so that you can enjoy two concerts each week at no expense.

TUE 13 JAN

ROBIN IRELAND, TIM HORTON AND LOUISE CRANE 1.05pm Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door Robin Ireland viola Tim Horton piano Louise Crane contralto Brahms Two Songs for Contralto and Piano with obligato viola, Op.91 - Gestillte Sehnsucht - Geistliches Wiegenlied Shostakovich Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op.147 (1975) Robin Ireland and his longtime duo partner, Tim Horton, give a rare performance of Shostakovich’s final work, completed days before his death. Full of allusions to his own and others’ music, it is both hauntingly beautiful and deeply moving at times, but also contains a lively and ironic scherzo in Shostakovich’s best manner.

The concert starts with Brahms’s wonderful songs for the uniquely warm pairing of contralto and viola.

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Natalie Clein – Image courtesy of Sussie Ahlburg

TUE 13 JAN

NATALIE CLEIN 2.30pm Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door International soloist and teacher Natalie Clein will be giving masterclasses to Birmingham Conservatoire cellists in an engaging, inspiring and unique event.

Born in the United Kingdom, Natalie came to widespread attention at the age of sixteen when she won the BBC Young Musician of the Year.

She has been described by The Times as a ‘mesmerising’ cellist who plays everything with ‘passion’.

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TUE 27 JAN

CHI HOE MAK AND SAMUEL TAN 1.05pm Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door Chi Hoe Mak bass baritone Samuel Tan piano Schumann Dichterliebe Op.48 Chee Yean Wong We two boys together clinging Chee Yean Wong In the forest Chee Yean Wong When we two parted Gerald Finzi Selected songs Hear the UK première of Malaysian composer Chee Yean Wong’s works performed by prize winners and laureates of several national and international competitions, and former students of Birmingham Conservatoire, Chi Hoe Mak and Samuel Tan.

Marie-Christine Zupancic

TUE 20 JAN

MARIE-CHRISTINE ZUPANCIC AND JOANNE SEALEY Recital: 1.05pm Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Masterclass: 5.45pm Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) £10 (£5) Joint ticket for recital and masterclass Tickets available on the door Marie-Christine Zupancic flute Joanne Sealey piano Hindemith Sonate für Flöte und Klavier Jules Mouquet La flute de Pan, Op.15 Christobal Halffter Debla (Solo VI) for Flute Philippe Gaubert Nocturne et Allegro Scherzando André Jolivet Chant de Linos for flute and piano CBSO Flute Section Leader and member of BCMG, Marie-Christine Zupancic performs a delightful programme for flute before taking students for a public masterclass with pianist Joanne Sealey.

Being dedicated to helping the next generation of musicians on their way into the profession, MarieChristine teaches at Birmingham Conservatoire and also leads sectional rehearsals for the CBSO youth orchestra.

Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

Chi Hoe Mak

Samuel Tan

STAY IN THE LOOP Sign up to our ebulletin to receive regular updates at www.bcu.ac.uk/mailinglist

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

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Performance Platform TUE 10 FEB

SUSAN BICKLEY & IAIN BURNSIDE Recital: 1.05pm Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Masterclass: 5.45pm Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) £10 (£5) Joint ticket for recital and masterclass Tickets available on the door Susan Bickley mezzo-soprano Iain Burnside piano

Liang Shang

TUE 3 FEB

See why Susan Bickley has firmly established herself as one of the most accomplished mezzosopranos of her generation. In May 2011 she received the prestigious Singer Award at the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards, the highest recognition for live classical music in the UK. For this performance she is accompanied by the acclaimed pianist and broadcaster, Iain Burnside.

LIANG SHANG 1.05pm Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door Liang Shang piano Bach Suite No.6 in E major, BWV 817 Beethoven Piano Sonata No.15 in D major, Op.28 Glinka Variations on Alyabyev’s Romance ‘The Nightingale’ Young Chinese pianist Liang Shan performs works

by Bach and Beethoven in a delightful afternoon of music.

Liang began his musical education at the China Conservatory of Music before moving to Britain in 2008, where he received a full scholarship for undergraduate study at Birmingham Conservatoire.

Having recently graduated with a Masters in Performance from the Royal College of Music, Liang has returned to Birmingham to study on our flagship Professional Performance programme.

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TUE 17 FEB

PETER DONOHOE: THE COMPLETE SOLO WORKS OF STRAVINKSY 1.05pm Recital Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door Peter Donohoe piano Stravinsky Four Etudes Op.7 Stravinsky Sonata (1924) Stravinsky Piano Rag Music Stravinsky Serenade in A Stravinsky Three Movements from Petrushka Taking place as part of our Skryabin and the Russians Festival, for full details please see page 37.

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TUE 3 MAR

RACHEL BARTON PINE Recital: 1.05pm Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Masterclass: 5pm Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) £10 (£5) Joint ticket for recital and masterclass Tickets available on the door Rachel Barton Pine viola JS Bach Sonata in G minor, BWV 1001 Mohammed Fairouz ‘For Egypt’ from Sonata for Unaccompanied Violin ‘Native Informant’. Dedicated to Rachel Barton Pine Earl Maneein Metal Organic Framework. Dedicated to Rachel Barton Pine Paganini Selections from 24 Caprices, Op.1 Rachel Barton Pine made her orchestral debut at the age of seven, performing the Haydn Violin Concerto in G major with the Chicago String Ensemble. Ten years later she became the first American to win the coveted gold medal in the JS Bach International Competition in Leipzig. She has since gone on to perform with some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, working with conductors such as Charles Dutoit, Zubin Mehta, Neeme Järvi, Marin Alsop and John Nelson and is recognised for her ambassadorial work in connecting classical and rock music for the younger generation. Following her lunchtime recital, Pine will present a public masterclass featuring Conservatoire violists.

‘Rachel Barton Pine really may be the most charismatic, the most virtuosic, and the most compelling American violinist of her generation.’ All Music Guide

Rachel Barton Pine

TUE 10 MAR

THE SCHUBERT ENSEMBLE 1.05pm Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door Simon Blendis violin Douglas Paterson viola Jane Salmon cello William Howard piano Chausson Piano Quartet, Op.30 Join the Schubert Ensemble, in residence at Birmingham Conservatoire, for a chance to hear the glorious but rarely performed Piano Quartet by the French composer Ernest Chausson. A pupil of Massenet and Franck, his output was tragically cut short by his death at the age of 44 after a cycling accident. The Ensemble will have recently returned from touring the work in Bermuda, USA and Holland and will record it for Chandos later in March.

The Schubert Ensemble

Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

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Performance Platform ADDITIONAL SPRING MASTERCLASSES

The Rosamunde Trio

Sofia Sarmento

TUE 17 MAR

TUE 24 MAR

THE ROSAMUNDE TRIO

SOFIA SARMENTO IMAGINARY BORDERS: ENGLAND AND PORTUGAL

Recital: 1.05pm Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Masterclass: 5pm Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) £10 (£5) Joint ticket for recital and masterclass Tickets available on the door Martino Tirimo piano Ben Sayevich violin Daniel Veis cello Boulanger D’un matin de printemps Mozart Piano Trio in G major K564 Lalo Piano Trio No.3 in A minor Op.26 Enjoy a rather unusual and challenging programme featuring works from Mozart, Boulanger and Lalo, followed by an early evening masterclass with Conservatoire students.

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1.05pm Adrian Boult Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door

MON 16 FEB PUBLIC MASTERCLASS WITH HOWARD SHELLEY #1 For full details of this event please see page 37.

MON 16 FEB PUBLIC MASTERCLASS WITH HOWARD SHELLEY #2 For full details of this event please see page 37.

Sofia Sarmento piano John Ireland Sarnia João Pedro Oliveira Pirâmides de Cristal Ignatius Sokol New Work Benjamin O´Sullivan New Work Tiago Morais Morgado New Work

WED 18 FEB PUBLIC MASTERCLASS WITH PASCAL NEMIROVSKI For full details of this event please see page 38.

Sofia Sarmento is a Portuguese pianist currently studying on the Conservatoire’s flagship Professional Performance programme. This recital includes works for both solo piano and piano with live electronics. As Sofia reveals her Portuguese musical background and explores English music in collaboration with our composition students, the distance between the two countries is significantly reduced.

This lunchtime concert takes place as part of the Frontiers Festival of Contemporary Music.

For further details about the festival, please see page 45.

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The Live Jazz Broadcast Jazz up your lunch-break with performances by the very best senior students from Birmingham Conservatoire.

Keep your eyes and ears on emerging talent from the Birmingham jazz scene, while being part of an exciting music making experience. A recording of the performance is made available for you shortly after the concert at www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire WED 21 JAN WED 4 FEB WED 4 MAR WED 18 MAR 1.05pm Recital Hall £5 (£3) Tickets available on the door

SPECIAL OFFER Join us for all four Live Jazz Broadcasts in the spring term for the special price of just £10 (£5). These tickets will be available on the door of the first concert on 21 Jan. Then show your ticket at each subsequent event to gain entry.

Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

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Lunchtimes at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Join us as we take the Conservatoire out into the City, for a series of lunchtime concerts in the elegant surroundings of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

FRI 16 JAN

FRI 20 FEB

THE REMUS STRING QUARTET

THE KLEE STRING QUARTET

12.30pm The Round Room, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery Free admission Tickets available on the door

12.30pm The Round Room, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery Free admission Tickets available on the door

Ruta Labutyte violin Duygu Ince violin Katharina von Colson viola Daniel O’Brien cello

Naoko Senda violin Emi Otogao violin Jun Ohta viola Ruri Kuroda cello

Beethoven String Quartet No.6 in B flat major, Op.18 Shostakovich String Quartet No.7 in F sharp minor, Op.108

György Kurtág 6 Moments musicaux for String Quartet, Op.44 Mendelssohn String Quartet No.2 in A minor, Op.13

Witness this fresh and exciting young quartet who have been coached by The Kuss Quartet’s Oliver Wille in a programme of Beethoven and Shostakovich.

The Eblana String Trio 16

The Klee Quartet formed in 2008 at Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo. Having undertaken chamber music studies at the Hochschule für Musik, ‘Hanns Eisler’, Berlin, they are now studying at Birmingham Conservatoire.

The Klee String Quartet

FRI 20 MAR

THE EBLANA STRING TRIO 12.30pm The Round Room, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery Free admission Tickets available on the door Jonathan Martindale violin Lucy Nolan viola Peggy Nolan cello Eugène Ysaÿe String Trio ‘Le Chimay’ Mozart Divertimento in E flat major K.563 Formed in 2006, The Eblana String Trio consists of three committed chamber musicians, intent on performing the often neglected string trio repertoire. The Eblana String Trio have recently been appointed Chamber Music Junior Fellows at Birmingham Conservatoire, a post which encompasses performing, studying and teaching all while acting as ambassadors for the Conservatoire. /BirmsCons

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Beyond Classical 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 Café Bar. Sample sonic delights with Birmingham’s rising stars as they guide you through 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.

THU 5 FEB WED 18 MAR 5.30pm Symphony Hall Café Bar Free admission Tickets available on the door Visit www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts from mid-January for details of soloists, ensembles and programmes to be performed.

Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

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Lectures and Talks Providing you with a stimulating insight into a variety of academic topics.

TUE 27 JAN

DR RACHEL HARRIS – CHINA’S INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE CRAZE: PERFORMANCE AND TRANSFORMATION 3.30pm Arena Foyer £4 Tickets available on the door Rachel Harris lectures on Chinese music at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and has been closely involved with issues of Intangible Cultural Heritage in China, from advisory work for UNESCO through to fieldwork in rural Xinjiang.

Taking a range of case studies from Kunqu opera to the Uyghur Twelve Muqam, she considers the transformations which these items of heritage have undergone since their acceptance into UNESCO’s system of preservation, in terms of context and style, aesthetics and meanings.

Dr Rachel Harris

TUE 10 FEB

DR LUCA DELLA LIBERA – RENAISSANCE ROOTS AND BAROQUE ‘AFFETTI’ IN THE SACRED MUSIC OF ALESSANDRO SCARLATTI 3.30pm Arena Foyer £4 Tickets available on the door Luca Della Libera (Conservatoire of Frosinone) is a major authority on the celebrated Italian composer Alessandro Scarlatti (1660–1725).

This seminar focuses upon an interesting issue concerning the extent to which Scarlatti’s sacred music in the stile antico was actually more ‘modern’ in style.

Three scores are discussed: Salve Regina for four unaccompanied voices (SATB), the more contrapuntal and rhetorical Missa defunctorum (1717) for SATB and basso continuo, and finally the Miserere, written for the Cappella Pontifici, a work much more complex in terms of its structure and harmonic language.

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Dr Luca Della Libera

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Professor Stephanie Pitts

TUE 10 MAR

PROFESSOR STEPHANIE PITTS – DEVELOPING MUSICIANS: RESEARCHING STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES OF MUSIC IN HIGHER EDUCATION 3.30pm Arena Foyer £4 Tickets available on the door Stephanie Pitts lectures in music at the University of Sheffield. This seminar draws upon recent research that explores students’ experiences of undergraduate music education. It will cover how the ‘lived curriculum’ relates to institutional and national debates about the place of the arts and humanities in the higher education landscape.

Through research projects on extra-curricular performance, concert-going, arts enterprise and community partnerships, this lecture considers how students form their musical identities within and beyond their degree studies. Issues for debate include how and why students acquire particular skills and attitudes for their musical futures, how students can gain from reflecting on their learning, and what might be the ethical and educational responsibilities of researching student experience. harmonic language.

Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

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Thursdays at Birmingham Conservatoire Thursday evenings at Birmingham Conservatoire typify the wide variety of musical instruments, genres and styles on offer within our concert programme. From jazz, piano and contemporary music, to harp, recorder and saxophone ensembles, this concert series offers a sonic feast as you near the end of working week.

THU 22 JAN

PERCUSSION DEPARTMENT SHOWCASE 5.30pm Recital Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door Director Adrian Spillett Dvořák arr. Jason Huxtable Slavonic Dance No.8 Tobias Brostrom Nordic piece Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson Heyr Himna Smiður Lou Harrison Concerto for flute and percussion János Kovács Firebird suite Steve Reich Mallet Quartet Join the percussion department as they explore percussion ensemble repertoire with particular focus on music for percussion quartet.

The concert culminates in a performance of Steve Reich’s 2009 composition, Mallet Quartet.

THU 29 JAN

HARP AND FRIENDS CHAMBER CONCERT 7.30pm Recital Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door Director Catherine White A rare opportunity to hear beautiful chamber music united by the many strings of the harp, presented by the Conservatoire’s harp department and friends.

The programme contains a beguiling mixture of the familiar and the exotic, featuring music for harp and strings with a French accent. Included are Ravel’s beloved Introduction and Allegro, as well as works

by Ibert, Samuel-Rousseau and pioneering 20th century American composer Lou Harrison.

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Birmingham Conservatoire Saxophone Department

THU 5 FEB

THU 12 FEB

THU 26 FEB

BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE JAZZ ORCHESTRA

GALA CELEBRITY CHAMBER RECITAL

HELLO! MR SAX

7.30pm Recital Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door Taking place as part of our Jazz Club series, for full details please see page 23.

7.30pm Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door A concert featuring extraordinary and rarely heard Russian chamber music, which takes place as part of our Skryabin and the Russians Festival.

For further details of festival events please see page 37.

7.30pm Recital Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door Director Naomi Sullivan Berlioz Chant sacré Singelée Premier Quatour Wiedoeft Valse vanité Ravel Bolero In celebration of Mr Sax’s greatest invention, the saxophone department will present a concert of early and influential repertoire for saxophones.

From the Chant sacré arranged

by Adolph Sax’s close friend, Hector Berlioz, to music by one of the USA’s biggest musical stars of the 1920’s dance halls, Rudy Wiedoeft.

Birmingham Conservatoire Jazz Orchestra Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

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Thursdays at Birmingham Conservatoire continued THU 19 MAR

FORTEPIANO GALA CONCERT 7.30pm Recital Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door Director Sharona Joshua Come and join us for a magical evening of classical and early romantic repertoire featuring the fortepiano.

The fortepiano department, comprising of second year undergraduate and postgraduate students, present an exciting programme comprising of music

by Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert and others.

Birmingham Conservatoire Recorder Department

THU 5 MAR

THU 12 MAR

THE JAZZ COMPOSERS’ BAND PLAYS GEORGE RUSSELL

RECORDER FUTURES

8pm Recital Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door A popular and experimental student-led big band explores the music of the legendary composer George Russell. For full details please see page 23.

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Students join forces with period string players and singers to form riveting ensembles. Lieder, duos, trios, music for fortepiano four hands, solos and concerto movements showcase the fortepiano in all its glory.

7.30pm Recital Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door Directed by Annabel Knight and Chris Orton Recorder department students and tutors explore music written for the recorder in the last fifty years, with a mix of established works and brand new pieces by student composers. /BirmsCons

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The Jazz Club With gigs ranging from traditional to contemporary jazz music, as well as visits by artists of international repute, there is something here for jazz aficionados as well as those completely new to the jazz scene.

Birmingham Conservatoire is home to a stimulating Jazz Department, nurturing some of the very best new talent on the UK jazz scene. This series highlights the outstanding work being produced by the department and also plays an important role in the City’s flourishing jazz calendar.

THU 5 FEB

BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE JAZZ ORCHESTRA 7.30pm Recital Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door Birmingham Conservatoire Jazz Orchestra plays the music of Bob Brookmeyer, Jim McNeely and Maria Schneider. The musical output of these three luminaries of Big Band composition from the US is a benchmark for all jazz composers today. They simultaneously look back to the origins of large ensemble writing in jazz, encapsulating the essence of swing and blues such as Ellington, Basie and Thad Jones, while striving to look ahead through innovative orchestrations and expanded forms.

THU 5 MAR

JAZZ COMPOSERS’ BAND PLAYS GEORGE RUSSELL 8pm Recital Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door This popular and experimental student-led big band is currently exploring the music of the legendary composer George Russell. The focus of this gig is on the 1956 Blue Bird recordings, which include the classics Ezz-thetic and Concerto for Billy the Kid. Expect thrilling new home-made arrangements, deep grooves and free-flowing improvisations.

Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

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The Jazz Club continued WED 18 MAR

JOHN O’GALLAGHER 1.05pm Recital Hall £5 (£3) 8pm Recital Hall £5 (£3) Tickets available on the door

John O’Gallagher

The jazz department is thrilled to present two concerts by the contemporary New York jazz pioneer John O’Gallagher. An alto saxophonist and composer, O’Gallagher has been active on the New York scene for over 20 years and has collaborated with Joe Henderson, Maria Schneider and with many of the younger major players of the avant-garde.

JOHN RILEY PRESENTS

In our lunchtime Live Jazz Broadcast slot, O’Gallagher presents The Webern Project where he leads a senior student and graduate band through his extraordinary re-workings of his Webern compositions.

The concert includes performances of the original sources, Opus 25 (Three Songs), Opus 5 (The Seventh Ring), and Opus 27 (Piano Variations).

6.30pm New Lecture Theatre £5 (£3) Tickets available on the door

Following on from this, in the evening John curates music by his current New York contemporaries, alongside classic jazz compositions from the history of the music, in a concert showcasing our jazz students’ excellent improvising and ensemble playing.

FRI 13 MAR

Legendary New York drummer John Riley, of Village Vanguard Orchestra fame, is the guest of the Conservatoire’s Jazz Department for three days. This concert is the culmination of the visit where you will hear senior jazz students perform material from the contemporary New York scene with John Riley at the helm.

OTHER JAZZ EVENTS TAKING PLACE THIS SPRING: THE MONDAY SHOWCASE – JAZZ MON 2 FEB LUCINDA FOSKER MON 2 MAR MARK PRINGLE All concerts take place at 1pm Recital Hall For further details please see pages 8-9.

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THE LIVE JAZZ BROADCAST Wed 21 Jan Wed 4 Feb Wed 4 Mar Wed 18 Mar All concerts take place at 1.05pm Recital Hall For further details please see page 15.

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Frontiers Hear the latest music and see work that no one has seen performed before in our Frontiers series.

Our composition and music technology departments have nurtured some of the hottest talent on the British and European music stage and this is where it all starts. 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.

Also featuring in the spring season is our Frontiers Festival of Contemporary Music.

For further details please see page 45.

MON 19 JAN

THE IRISH CANON WITH MICHELLE O’ROURKE 7pm Recital Hall £5 (£3) Tickets available on the door Michelle O’Rourke Irish Canon Anna Murray Aimai Garrett Sholdice Prologue from Recueillement Judith Ring Mouthpiece Benedict Schlepper-Connolly Cyan Linda Buckley Q Amanda Feery Lua Andrew Hamilton O’Rourke The Irish Canon is a concert series showcasing contemporary music from Irish composers and for one night only we are delighted to host this at Birmingham Conservatoire.

Michelle O’Rourke is an Irish vocalist based in Dublin and Berlin. Her natural, direct sound and unaffected expressivity make for a performer of rare dynamism. She has been involved in the commission, première and touring of works

by Linda Buckley, Garrett Sholdice, Benedict Schlepper-Connolly, Judith Ring and Andrew Hamilton, amongst others. She continues to commission new works and to collaborate with living composers.

Michelle O’Rourke

MON 9 FEB

COMPOSERS’ PLATFORM 7.30pm Recital Hall £5 (£3) Tickets available on the door This is the spring showcase of work by our home-grown composers. Expect a wide range of styles, experimentation and music that you will not find anywhere else, written and performed by Conservatoire students.

Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

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Frontiers continued SUN 15 MAR

THE YOUNG COMPOSERS’ PROJECT CONCERT 6.30pm Recital Hall £5 (£3) Tickets available on the door

Philip Thomas

TUE 10 MAR

WOLFF AT 80, FINNISSY’S BEATS AND HOWARD SKEMPTON 7.30pm Recital Hall £5 (£3) Tickets available on the door Philip Thomas piano Howard Skempton Oculus Christian Wolff Sailing By Michael Finnissy Beat Generation Ballads In his 80th year, a new work for solo piano by the highly individual American experimentalist Christian Wolff is partnered by new works from two equally experimental English composers, Howard Skempton and Michael Finnissy, both of whom have been drawn to Wolff’s work in different ways.

The Young Composers’ Project is an initiative set up by Birmingham Conservatoire’s Head of Composition Joe Cutler and led by composer Kirsty Devaney. The project involves young composers who have been attending workshops from October 2014 to March 2015, where they have worked with professional and student composers and musicians. This concert will showcase the huge range of music that has been produced and will reflect the diversity of styles and openness of the group. The Young Composers’ Project has encouraged young people to find their own musical voice, by giving them freedom to experiment with their music in a creative and safe environment, producing startlingly wonderful effects.

For further information , and for details of how you can join the project next time, please visit www.youngcomposersproject.wordpress.com The Young Composers’ Project Concert takes place on the eve of our Frontiers Festival, as a precursor to the two weeks of contemporary music that will follow. For further about the Frontiers Festival of Contemporary Music details please see page 45.

Finnissy in particular reveals the influence of Wolff’s music from the ‘80s in his new large-scale work Beat Generation Ballads, the composer’s first set of variations proper. Finnissy records his debt to a number of poets, notably Allen Ginsberg, who were influential upon his creative development in the ‘60s. He draws upon material by these poets alongside music which also influenced him at the time; a characteristically eclectic mix of Bill Evans, Webern, Sorabji, Franck and Beethoven!

Beat Generation Ballads is commissioned with funds from the Britten-Pears Foundation.

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Orchestras, Ensembles and Chamber Music The perfect way to relax and unwind at the end of the working week, the Conservatoire’s programme of orchestral concerts provides a journey into large-scale repertoire. Concerts feature soloists who are recent graduates, those studying in their final year or our postgraduates, and often highlight a particular composer or theme.

Chamber music also holds a special place within Birmingham Conservatoire and throughout our history we have had links with some of the finest musicians working in this field.

FRI 23 JAN

BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE STRING ORCHESTRA 6pm Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door Conductor Richard Lester Yelian He cello Ivan Rubido Gonzalez double bass Mozart Divertimento in F major, K.128 CPE Bach Cello Concerto in A major (No.3) Vanhal Double Bass Concerto in D major CPE Bach Sinfonia in B flat, Wq.182 Distinguished cellist and chamber musician Richard Lester leads the Conservatoire’s String Orchestra in a programme of early Classical works. Mozart’s Divertimento in F major, a relatively early work by the teenage prodigy sits alongside CPE Bach’s ebullient Cello Concerto in A major, with Yelian He, winner of the Australian Cello Awards Competition Grand Prize, as the featured soloist.

SAT 7 FEB

BIRMINGHAM JUNIOR CONSERVATOIRE ORCHESTRAL CONCERT 7pm Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door Conductor Daniele Rosina Tchaikovsky Swan Lake Suite Conductor Timothy English Mozart Symphony No.29 Talented young students from the Junior Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra and Wind Orchestra present an engaging programme of music.

Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

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Orchestras, Ensembles and Chamber Music FRI 13 FEB

FRI 27 FEB

BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

THALLEIN ENSEMBLE & RICHARD BAKER

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

5.30pm Recital Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door

Taking place as part of Skryabin and the Russians Festival, for full details please see page 37.

Eight world premières by Ryan Probert, Daniel Blanco Albert, Anthony Leung, Blanka Stachelek, Ihnatsi Sokal, James Alexandropoulos-McEwan, Rob Jones and Reuben Penny.

Under the guise of Thallein Ensemble, five exceptional performers from the Conservatoire pair up with five leading professional musicians for a concert of eight brand new pieces by Conservatoire composers. To lead this dynamic project we welcome back distinguished conductor and composer Richard Baker.

FRI 27 FEB

OF MEN AND MOUNTAINS 6pm Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door Conductor Ian Porthouse Birmingham Conservatoire Brass Band Musicians from The Band of The Prince of Wales Division and The Band of The Royal Signals Roger Webster cornet FRI 20 FEB

A BLAST FROM RUSSIA 6pm Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door Taking place as part of Skryabin and the Russians Festival, for full details please see page 40.

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Programme to include: Edward Gregson Of Men and Mountains Eric Ball Resurgam Gilbert Vinter Spectrum Delight in a programme that includes three seminal works for brass band in a joint collaboration with Musicians from HM Armed Forces and featuring one of the world’s greatest cornet soloists, Roger Webster. /BirmsCons

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FRI 27 MAR

FRI 20 MAR

THALLEIN & INTEGRA

BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE ‘HANDPICKED’ ORCHESTRA

8pm Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door

7.30pm Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door Robert Tilson tenor Louise Franks trumpet Eleanor Hodkinson soprano Birmingham Conservatoire ‘Handpicked’ Orchestra Vaughan Williams On Wenlock Edge Addison Trumpet Concerto Poulenc La voix humaine Witness three of the Conservatoire’s most promising soloists perform with a handpicked orchestra.

Conductor Daniele Rosina Thallein Ensemble Thallein Ensemble’s programme celebrates some of the wonderful compositions for ensemble and live electronics that the influential Integra project, based at Birmingham Conservatoire, has helped to create, preserve and promote.

Taking place as part of our Frontiers Festival of Contemporary Music, for further details please see page 45.

Addison’s Trumpet Concerto gets the evening off to a bold and rhythmic start, in contrast to the lyrical On Wenlock Edge which follows.

Vaughan Williams’s original version has a piano and string quartet accompaniment, but here is a later reworking using the full sound of the orchestra.

Finally, Poulenc’s La voix humaine is a oneact opera based on a play of the same name in which a woman is engaged in a phone conversation to her former lover, and uses a different, more recitative vocal style.

SAT 21 MAR

SAT 28 MAR

BIRMINGHAM JUNIOR CONSERVATOIRE CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT

BIRMINGHAM JUNIOR CONSERVATOIRE END OF TERM CONCERT

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

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

Small ensembles, string quartets and soloists from the Junior Conservatoire present a varied programme of chamber music.

To celebrate the end of the spring term, our Junior Conservatoire orchestras and choirs present another engaging evening of music.

Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

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City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Pre-Concert Showcases As part of our close relationship with Town Hall Symphony Hall and the CBSO, a selection of our elite musicians 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.

THU 22 JAN

STRAVOULA THOMA AND SOFIA SARMENTO 6.15pm Symphony Hall Free admission Tickets available on the door Stravroula Thoma piano Beethoven Sonata in F sharp major, Op.78, No.24 Bartók ‘For Children’ Vol.4, Rhapsody Sofia Sarmento piano Manuel de Falla Four Spanish Pieces: Aragonesa Cubana Montañesa Andaluza

Four Spanish Pieces is one of the big piano works by Manuel Falla, a Spanish nationalist composer. Presented by Sofia Sarmento, who is studying on our flagship Professional Performance programme, this piece is a musical description of four different areas of Spain: Aragon, Cuba (which was a Spanish colony in the past), Astúrias and Andaluzia.

In contrast, Stavroula Thoma, who is also studying on the same programme, presents works by Beethoven and Bartók.

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WED 11 FEB

BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 6.15pm Symphony Hall Free admission Tickets available on the door Conductor Michael Seal Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra Skryabin Le poème de l’extase (The Poem of Ecstasy) Skryabin’s Poem of Ecstasy is a lush, extravagant and utterly overwhelming single movement composition, written between 1905 and 1907, just as the harmonic language of traditional tonality was breaking down. The programme notes for the original performance ended; ‘When the Spirit has attained the supreme culmination of its activity… the Time of Ecstasy shall arrive’. And the long poem that Skryabin wrote as a companion to the composition ends with the words; ‘I am a moment illuminating eternity... I am affirmation...

I am ecstasy.’

Taking place as part of our Skryabin and the Russians Festival, for further details about the festival please see page 36.

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Emerging Directors As part of the final year of their studies at the Conservatoire, a selection of students are invited to develop their skills in the arena of producing and directing their own events, the results of which can be seen here in our Emerging Directors series.

FRI 30 JAN

BELLE NUIT FRI 9 JAN

8pm Recital Hall £8 (£5) Tickets available from bellenuitbirmingham. ticketsource.co.uk

PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS 7.30pm Adrian Boult Hall £12 (£9) (£5 students) For more information please email penniesforpenny@hotmail.com Director George Stuart ‘How much can one Penny change your life?’ This event tells the life story of Penny Forster, a much-loved local headteacher, friend and mother who sadly passed away of cancer in September 2013.

Using songs from the world of musical theatre, a cast and band of 35 people will present a funny, reflective and emotional night commemorating the life of a truly inspirational lady.

All proceeds from the evening will be donated to Cancer Research UK.

Director Helen Cooper

WED 21 JAN

AN EVENING OF TRADITIONAL FOLK 7.30pm Arena Foyer Price is £6 (£4) Director Emma Cowper Traditionally, folk music has featured instruments such as fiddles and clarinets. Join past and present members of the Conservatoire Folk Ensemble, and enjoy an evening of folk music featuring oboes, guitars, vocals and a euphonium.

Be transported into the world of timeless French arias with the beautiful melodies of operas such as Béatrice & Bénédict, Les pêcheurs de perles, Roméo et Juliette and Les contes d’Hoffmann.

Enjoy complimentary wine and light refreshments in the intimate setting of Birmingham Conservatoire’s Recital Hall.

All proceeds from the evening will be donated to Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

STAY IN THE LOOP Sign up to our ebulletin to receive regular updates at www.bcu.ac.uk/mailinglist Helen Cooper Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

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Emerging Directors continued WED 25 FEB

FRI 6 MAR

ALMA GUITAR QUARTET

THE STRING SOUND

7.30pm Recital Hall £7 (£5) (£4 students) Tickets available on the door

7.30pm Recital Hall £7 (£5) (£3 students) Tickets available from John Hird at jhirdy130@gmail.com

Director Hannah Woollacott Jonathan Cumming guitar I Hannah Woollacott guitar II Rowan McConkey guitar III Berxwedan Koçkaya guitar IV An exciting concert of guitar quartet music from the Americas, featuring pieces by Funk Pearson, Andrew York and Daniel Bernard Roumain.

Director John Hird A unique and exciting recital showcasing the development of the string family sound from early Renaissance to modern day. Using historical instruments and bows with a close focus on the viola, the concert will feature some of the best works of Byrd, Bach, Beethoven, Glinka, Britten and Cutler.

Instruments and bows will be on display so that you can not only hear, but see their development.

MON 9 MAR

SAN GIOVANNI BATTISTA 7.30pm Recital Hall £10 (£7) Tickets available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/ date/135123 Director Catherine Booth Selby Stradella San Giovanni Battista

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Discover San Giovanni Battista, a rarely-performed oratorio by the Italian composer Alessandro Stradella. Be transported to the Baroque world of passion, murder and beautiful melodies whilst enjoying complimentary refreshments in the atmospheric setting of the Recital Hall.

John Hird

FRI 13 MAR

QUARTET FOR THE END OF TIME 7.30pm Recital Hall £10 (£7) Tickets available on the door Director Lucy French Zhivko Georgiev violin Jack McNeill clarinet Lucy French cello Mark Pringle piano Messiaen Quartet for the End of Time Thomas Ades Court Studies Witness a select ensemble of fourth year Conservatoire students and graduates who come together to perform repertoire for this unusual grouping of instruments.

A performance of Messiaen’s master work, Quartet for the End of Time, will be contrasted with British composer Thomas Ades’s lively Court Studies. /BirmsCons

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Prizes and Competitions Witness the thrill and anticipation as our students compete to win a range of esteemed prizes and awards.

WED 4 MAR

THE TOWN HALL SYMPHONY HALL PRIZE 7pm Recital Hall £4 Tickets available on the door The prize for this major competition includes a public recital performance at Town Hall or Symphony Hall. In the final, we are guaranteed a series of exceptionally captivating performances as our students prove their ability to undertake a public recital at one of these major venues.

WED 28 JAN

MON 2 FEB

WED 11 MAR

THE LEAMINGTON MUSIC PRIZE

THE RENNA KELLAWAY PIANO PRIZE

THE ANDREW DOWNES PERFORMANCE PRIZE

7pm Recital Hall £4 Tickets available on the door

7.15pm Adrian Boult Hall £4 Tickets available on the door

7pm Recital Hall £4 Tickets available on the door

Birmingham Conservatoire’s prize season gets into full swing in the spring term, starting with The Leamington Music Prize. Open to all third and fourth year undergraduates and postgraduates, join us as students shortlisted for the prize undergo the emotions and tensions of a public competition, contending to be awarded a prize of £1,000 and a recital opportunity by Leamington Music, the generous sponsor of this prize.

The Renna Kellaway Piano 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 the final.

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

Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

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Spring Liederabend WED 4 FEB 7.30pm Recital Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door Students of the Vocal and Operatic Department Our Spring Liederabend offering takes the form of an evening of songs and readings from Goethe’s book Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre (Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship).

Assembled by Julian Pike from an original idea of Christoph Ritter, settings of songs are presented, as sung by Mignon, The Harper and other characters from this great German novel.

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OPEN DAY EXPLORE YOUR MUSICAL FUTURE AT BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE

THU 22 JAN, 10am – 4pm Birmingham Conservatoire Discover what Birmingham Conservatoire and Birmingham City University has to offer in an Open Day of concerts, workshops and talks.

The day is perfect for those considering taking a course in music, and also for staff involved in the teaching of these students and advising them on higher education.

For further information and a programme for the day, please contact 0121 331 5901 or email conservatoire@bcu.ac.uk.

Skryabin and the Russians Festival Experience an extraordinary ten days in which we invite you to let Skryabin get under your skin in the centenary year of his death. His mature style is intoxicating, richly exotic, sensuous and mystic, informed by his extraordinary life and the pursuit of theosophy and synaesthesia.

For context we explore other great Russian composer-pianists, including Skryabin’s teacher Taneyev (who caught pneumonia at Skryabin’s funeral, resulting in a fatal heart attack and a double centenary), Rachmaninov (his student friend), Medtner (who has a strong link to Birmingham through the advocacy and friendship of Edna Iles), less familiar figures like Lyapunov (another student of Taneyev), and then the great figures of Prokofiev, Shostakovich and even Stravinsky, who forged an apparently very different path. We hope that you enjoy the festival.

WED 11 FEB

WED 11 FEB

BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

CBSO SHOSTAKOVICH UNCOVERED

6.15pm Symphony Hall Free admission Taking place as part of our CBSO pre-concert showcases, for full details please see page 30.

7.30pm Symphony Hall £20 plus £3 transaction fee for all telephone and online bookings Tickets available from www.cbso.co.uk or 0121 345 0600 Presenter Paul Rissmann Conductor Andris Nelsons City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Shostakovich An introduction to Shostakovich Symphony No.11 Shostakovich Symphony No.11 (The Year 1905) Shostakovich’s Eleventh Symphony is an epic musical tale of tyranny and revolution – or is it? In this special concert, presenter Paul Rissmann uses illustrations, anecdotes and the full CBSO to explain Shostakovich’s hidden agenda – and unlock the story behind the music. Then Andris Nelsons conducts a full performance of this most gripping of 20th century symphonies.

Michael Seal

Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra

Festival pass: Purchase a festival pass for £50 (£30), a saving of over £40 on individual ticket prices, which allows entry to all events taking place at Birmingham Conservatoire venues.* Ticket prices for individual events, as well as day passes for certain dates, are as indicated in the listings below.

Tickets available from www.bcu.ac.uk/skryabin unless otherwise stated.Orchestra Michael Seal Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony 36 *Please note that day and festival passes do not allow entry to events taking place at Symphony Hall.

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FRI 13 FEB

MON 16 FEB

BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

PUBLIC MASTERCLASS WITH HOWARD SHELLEY

7pm Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door Conductor Michael Seal Ashok Gupta piano Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra Thomas Riebl

THU 12 FEB

GALA CELEBRITY CHAMBER RECITAL 7.30pm Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door Jonathan Martindale violin Benedict Holland violin Susanne Stanzeleit violin Thomas Riebl tenor viola Louise Lansdown viola Ursula Smith cello Leon Bosch double bass John Thwaites piano

Skryabin Piano Concerto F sharp minor, Op.20 Shostakovich Symphony No.1 Michael Seal conducts the Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Skryabin’s virtuosic Piano Concerto, with Ashok Gupta, a student studying on our flagship Professional Performance programme.

Shostakovich’s extraordinary 1st Symphony was written as the composer’s graduation piece at Petrograd Conservatory and completed when he was only 19. The contrast between light, witty music and darker, dramatic material foreshadows the great symphonies of his later life.

Sergey Ivanovich Taneyev Trio in E flat Op.31 for Violin, Viola and Tenor Viola Alexander Sergeyevich Taneyev Feuillet d’album for Viola and Piano Sergey Mikhailovich Lyapunov Piano Sextet in B flat minor Op.63

MON 16 FEB

Some extraordinary and rarelyheard Russian chamber music, including Lyapunov’s only chamber music work, a mighty sextet full of colour and glorious melody in a typically pianistic key. Alongside this, the original instrumental form of Taneyev’s great string trio is performed.

Malcom Wilson piano Philip Martin piano

TWO PIANOS 1pm Recital Hall Free admission Tickets available on the door

Rachmaninov Suite No.2 Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances

2.30pm & 6.30pm Recital Hall £2 each Tickets available on the door A public masterclass with Howard Shelley, who has made legendary recordings of the Rachmaninov Preludes for Hyperion. Shelley works in detail on selected preludes from Op.23 (2.30pm) and Op.32 (6.30pm), as students prepare for performances on these later in the week.

Tue 17 FEB

THE COMPLETE SOLO PIANO WORKS OF STRAVINKSY 1.05pm Recital Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door Peter Donohoe piano Stravinsky Four Etudes, Op.7 Stravinsky Sonata (1924) Stravinsky Piano Rag Music Stravinsky Serenade in A Stravinsky Three Movements from Petrushka The first of two incredible contributions to the Festival from Peter Donohoe, who has long been associated with Russia and its music.

A rare opportunity to hear two great Professors of Birmingham Conservatoire join forces in this lunchtime recital.

Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

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Skryabin and the Russians Festival continued TUE 17 FEB

TUE 17 FEB

WED 18 FEB

KATHARINE LAM & DUNCAN HONEYBOURNE

CHECKPOINT CHARLIE

PUBLIC MASTERCLASS WITH PASCAL NEMIROVSKI

3pm Recital Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door Katharine Lam piano Duncan Honeybourne piano Skryabin Two Pianos Skryabin Fantasy in A minor Skryabin Russian Dance Regular duo partners Katharine Lam (visiting tutor at Birmingham Conservatoire) and Duncan Honeybourne (Birmingham Conservatoire alumnus) return after the great success of their recital in our Delius festival two years ago.

7.30pm Recital Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door Julian Jacobson piano Liane Carroll jazz voice East meets West, and the Recital Hall becomes a swinging jazz café, complete with tables, wine and low lighting…

We kick off with student performances of the heavily Jazz-influenced Soviet composer Kapustin. Julian will sing the Russian Composers’ Song, and then return to the piano to open the American Songbook, joined by one of the greatest living British jazz vocalists, Liane Carroll.

TUE 17 FEB

WED 18 FEB

TOWARD THE FLAME: ALEXANDER SKRYABIN’S JOURNEY IN MUSIC AND THOUGHT

Simon Nicholls is joined by student performers to help illustrate with a multi-media presentation the profound evolution of Skryabin’s style from his earliest days through to this untimely death.

5pm Recital Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door Julian Jacobson piano

Julian Jacobson demonstrates his enormous versatility, moving from the first of Prokofiev’s War Trilogy Sonatas, by way of some of his favourite Skryabin pieces, to some singing, and then back to the piano for some Jazz.

The great pedagogue Pascal Nemirovski works with students on Skryabin, including selected Preludes, before their performances on Thursday.

5pm Recital Hall £6 (£3.50) Tickets available on the door

JULIAN JACOBSON

Prokofiev Sonata No.6 Skryabin Poem and Etude

1pm Recital Hall £2 Tickets available on the door

Julian Jacobson

Day pass – TUE 17 FEB Purchase a day pass, which allows entry to all festival events taking place on Tue 17 Feb, for the discounted price of £15 (£10)*

38 *Please note that day and festival passes do not allow entry to events taking place at Symphony Hall.

Skryabin: The Notebooks, a translation of Skryabin’s writings

by Simon Nicholls and Michael Pushkin is scheduled for publication in Easter and here is presented with commentary from Simon Nicholls himself. This is upto-the-minute scholarship from a man who has made Skryabin one of his life’s abiding passions.

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Peter Donohoe

Students play Skryabin Preludes

WED 18 FEB

THU 19 FEB

THE COMPLETE SKRYABIN PIANO SONATAS

STUDENTS PLAY THE COMPLETE SKRYABIN PIANO PRELUDES

7.30pm Adrian Boult Hall £10 (£7) Tickets available on the door

10.30am Recital Hall £4 Tickets available on the door

Peter Donohoe piano Skryabin Sonata No.6, Op.62 Skryabin Sonata No.9 (Black Mass), Op.68 Skryabin Sonata No.2 (Fantasie-Sonata) in G sharp minor, Op.19 Skryabin Sonata No.7 (White Mass), Op.64 Skryabin Sonata No.8, Op.66 Skryabin Sonata No.3 in F sharp minor, Op.23 Skryabin Sonata No.4 in F sharp major, Op.30 Skryabin Sonata No.10, Op.70 Skryabin Sonata No.1, Op.6 Skryabin Sonata No.5, Op.53 Performed by the celebrated Peter Donohoe, there may not be another chance in our lifetimes to hear the ten sonatas unfold in a single evening, here in Birmingham.

STUDENTS PLAY THE COMPLETE RACHMANINOV PIANO PRELUDES 1pm Recital Hall £4 Tickets available on the door

STUDENTS PLAY OTHER RUSSIAN WORKS FOR PIANO 3pm Recital Hall £4 Tickets available on the door Join us as over 30 pianists perform great literature from Skryabin, Rachmaninov, Glazunov, Lyapunov, Medtner and more in this ambitious piano marathon day.

Day pass – WED 18 FEB Purchase a day pass, which allows entry to all festival events taking place on Wed 18 Feb, for the discounted price of £15 (£10)* Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

Day pass – THU 19 FEB Purchase a day pass, which allows entry to all festival events taking place on Thu 19 Feb, for the discounted price of £8* www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

Susan Gritton

FRI 20 FEB

CELEBRITY VOCAL GALA WITH SUSAN GRITTON AND DANIEL BROWELL 2pm Adrian Boult Hall £8 (£6) Tickets available on the door Susan Gritton soprano Daniel Browell piano Medtner Sonata Reminiscenza Op.38 No.1 Medtner Vocalise, Op.41 Rachmaninov Selected Songs Tchaikovsky Tatyana Letter Scene from Eugene Onegin, Op.24 Winner of the 1994 Kathleen Ferrier Award, Susan Gritton is one of the most accomplished lyric sopranos of her generation, a Grammy-nominated artist and acclaimed for her versatility in roles ranging from Handel and Mozart to Britten, Janáček and Strauss. This concert, with pianist and Birmingham Conservatoire’s Associate Head of Keyboard Daniel Browell, glories in the beautiful melodies and fantastical world of Medtner, Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky.

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Skryabin and the Russians Festival continued FRI 20 FEB

A BLAST FROM RUSSIA 6pm Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door Conductor Chris Houlding Yen-Ting Wang piano Birmingham Conservatoire Wind & Brass Ensembles Atéa Wind Quintet Shostakovich Kurt Weill Glière ed. Grechesky Solemn Overture for the Twentieth Anniversary of the October Revolution Stravinsky Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments Lyadov Eight Russian Folk Songs Mussorgsky arr. Howarth Pictures at an Exhibition Hear an eclectic selection of chamber works typifying the Russian soul from Shostakovich’s 1930s Kurt Weill pastiche to Stravinsky’s freshly neo-classical Concerto for Piano and Wind. This concert also includes Lyadov’s fairy tale fantasy for Wind Quintet culminating in Mussorgsky’s mighty Pictures at an Exhibition in Elgar Howath’s iconic arrangement for brass and percussion.

Yen-Ting Wang

SUN 22 FEB

CBSO YOUTH ORCHESTRA 7pm Symphony Hall £20 plus £3 transaction fee for all telephone and online bookings Tickets available from www.cbso.co.uk or 0121 345 0600 Conductor Edward Gardner Denis Kozhukhin piano Lutosławski Symphony No.4 Prokofiev Piano Concerto No.1 Mahler Symphony No.1

Atéa Wind Quintet

Day pass – FRI 20 FEB Purchase a day pass, which allows entry to all festival events taking place on Fri 20 Feb, for the discounted price of £10 (£8)*

Mahler’s First Symphony begins by creating the world – and ends by storming Heaven itself.

The inspirational young players of the CBSO Youth Orchestra, under the baton of CBSO principal guest conductor Edward Gardner, present something very special indeed. Working with the CBSO has been a particular pleasure during the festival, and a twentieth century classics by Lutosławski, and Prokofiev’s dazzling first Piano Concerto close the festival with an explosion of colour.

40 *Please note that day and festival passes do not allow entry to events taking place at Symphony Hall.

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@BirmsCons

Birmingham Conservatoire Festival of Wind and Brass

Superbrass

London Winds

SAT 21 – SUN 22 FEB Directors Jenni Phillips and Christopher Houlding Enjoy an incredible weekend celebrating woodwind and brass in the midst of the city’s exciting cultural centre, hosted by Birmingham Conservatoire.

Spend the whole weekend immersing yourself in workshops, performances, masterclasses, side by side rehearsals and massed ensembles for players of all ages and abilities, with the cream of British woodwind and brass players featuring Superbrass and London Winds.

£30 weekend pass (includes entrance into all performances, sideby-side sessions, workshops and masterclasses)

£20 per day (includes entrance into all performances, sideby-side sessions, workshops and masterclasses)

FRI 20 FEB

A BLAST FROM RUSSIA 6pm Adrian Boult Hall £6.50 (£4) Tickets available on the door

Chris Houlding

Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

See Birmingham Conservatoire Wind and Brass Ensemble perform as part of our Skryabin and the Russians Festival, as a prelude to our wind and brass weekend. For full details please see page 40. www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

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Ava’s Wedding (Opera) THU 26 – SAT 28 FEB Thu 7pm Fri 7pm Sat 2pm & 7pm The Crescent Theatre £16 (£13), £5.50 Conservatoire students Tickets available from The Crescent Theatre Box Office on 0121 643 5858 or by visiting www.crescent-theatre.co.uk Students of the Conservatoire Vocal and Instrumental Departments Music by Michael Wolters Libretto by Alexandra Taylor What is it that drives people to harbour terrible secrets, give up on their dreams and even turn to murder? Ava Blackwell’s friends and family are all very English people with very English problems. They could be leading happy lives, but instead they choose to make everything worse.

Ava’s Wedding is a brand new opera written by Michael Wolters (Deputy Head of Composition at Birmingham Conservatoire) and Alexandra Taylor. With music that borrows from five centuries of Englishness and a libretto that pays homage to soap opera, this world première showcases the Vocal and Instrumental Departments at Birmingham Conservatoire. www.facebook.com/avaswedding www.twitter.com/avaswedding

42

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@BirmsCons

Beethoven: A Marathon This exciting all-Beethoven day highlights the composer’s incredible output across the span of his life.

Join Conservatoire tutors Oliver Wille, Louise Lansdown, Alexander Baillie and John Thwaites in a day that also promises to be a fascinating showcase for the fabulous student talent at the Conservatoire. Renowned Beethoven expert, Professor Barry Cooper, will also provide an insightful introduction to each of Beethoven’s Violin and Cello Sonatas throughout our incredible marathon day.

Day ticket £22 (£10) which allows entry to all six marathon events (tickets available on the door).

SUN 1 MAR 11am Recital Hall

3.30pm Recital Hall

£5 (£3) Tickets available on the door

£5 (£3) Tickets available on the door

Sonata for Piano and Cello No.1 in F major Op.5, No.1 Sonata for Piano and Cello No.2 in G minor Op.5, No.2

Sonata for Violin and Piano No.6 in A major, Op.30, No.1 Sonata for Violin and Piano No.7 in C minor, Op.30, No.2 Sonata for Violin and Piano No.8 in G major, Op.30, No.3

12.05pm Recital Hall

5pm Recital Hall

£5 (£3) Tickets available on the door Sonata for Piano and Violin No.1 in D major Op.12, No.1 Sonata for Piano and Violin No.2 in A major Op.12, No.2 Sonata for Piano and Violin No.3 in E major Op.12, No.3

2pm Recital Hall

Sonata for Violin and Piano No.9 in A minor, Op.47 “The Kreutzer Sonata” Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 3 in A major, Op.69

6.15pm Recital Hall

£5 (£3) Tickets available on the door Piano Quartet, Op.16 in E flat major (arr. from Wind Quintet Op.16) Sonata for Violin and Piano No.4 in A minor, Op.23 Sonata for Violin and Piano No.5 in F major, Op.24 “The Spring” Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

£5 (£3) Tickets available on the door

£5 (£3) Tickets available on the door Sonata for Violin and Piano No.10 in G major, Op.96 Cello Sonata No.4 in C major Op.102, No.1 Cello Sonata No.5 in D major Op.102, No. 2

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

43

Birmingham Conservatoire Chorus with David Saint

David Saint

FRI 6 MAR 7.30pm St Chad’s Cathedral £7 (£5) Tickets available on the door Conductor Duncan Fielden David Saint organ Birmingham Conservatoire Chorus Soloists from the Conservatoire Vocal Department Duruflé Requiem Aston Alleluia Psallat Fielden Super flumina Babylonis [world première] Plus solo organ music by JS Bach and Duruflé.

As the centrepiece of this evening’s concert, the Birmingham Conservatoire Chorus performs one of the twentieth century’s most appealing Requiem settings. Duruflé wrote several versions of this great work, and tonight’s concert offers a chance to experience the one for organ accompaniment alone on one of the UK’s finest instruments.

We also celebrate the life and work of composer and former student Professor Peter Aston, who died in September 2013.

Fittingly, this concert offers a final showcase for David Saint, the Conservatoire’s Principal, who is stepping down after nearly 37 years of service. David is also Organist and Director of Music at St Chad’s.

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Frontiers Festival of Contemporary Music Frontiers Festival is a two-week celebration of bold, new music and is recognised as one of the UK’s most ambitious festivals of contemporary music and interdisciplinary practice.

MON 16 – FRI 27 MAR Various Venues Frontiers 2015 will take a close look at technology in contemporary music, and in particular at the intersection between electronic and acoustic music.

The Festival will explore existing live electronics repertoire and showcase music created by our students using the Integra Live software and the resources of the Conservatoire’s groundbreaking Integra Lab. Among the highlights, a rare performance of Jonathan Harvey’s seminal From Silence side by side with Gérard Grisey’s Le temps et l’écume, the world premiere of Ed Bennett’s new PRS commission for piano and live electronics, and a monographic concert by the Ensemble Courtcircuit devoted to the music of Philippe Hurel on the occasion of his 60th birthday.

Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

The Festival will also feature contemporary pianist Xenia Pestova, the experimental and energetic Decibel Ensemble and our own Thallein Ensemble for what promises to be a memorable journey of discovery.

For further details please visit www.frontiersmusic.org or www.bcu.ac.uk/ frontiers, where a full festival programme will be available from the beginning of February. For further details about the Conservatoire’s Integra Lab, please visit www.bcu.ac.uk/integra

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

45

Guest Artists We value our relationship with a varied range of artists and organisations, from across Birmingham, the UK, and aboard and it is always a pleasure to welcome them for their concerts and events.

MON 23 MAR

MELODY MUSIC BIRMINGHAM EASTER SHOWCASE 6pm New Lecture Theatre Free admission Tickets available on the door

Music For Youth

SUN 1 MAR

SAT 14 MAR

MUSIC FOR YOUTH

ANDREAS MOUTSIOULIS GUITAR CONCERT

10am-5pm Adrian Boult Hall Free admission Tickets available on the door The UK’s most exciting youth music festival returns to Birmingham Conservatoire.

The Series is open to groups of young musicians based in the UK, aged 21 and under, who are performing an eclectic range of music to any standard. The Regional Festivals are free to enter and offer young musicians a platform on which to perform anything from folk, world and roots to western classical and contemporary jazz through to urban and electronic music.

46

7.30pm Recital Hall £10 (£8 students) Tickets available on the door

Melody Music Birmingham presents their spring concert which includes a variety of songs and pieces that have been produced by the group. The students and their tutors will have you smiling, singing along and tapping your toes. MMB is a music group for children and young people with Additional Support Needs. MMB has been based at the Conservatoire since its conception, and is run by past and present students of the college.

Andreas Moutsioulis guitar Join Andreas Moutsioulis for a spellbinding performance.

Andreas is a Greek-born guitarist and arranger, with performing experience in Europe and America. His compelling stage presence, together with his exceptional musical sensitivity, places him among the most gifted players of his generation.

Andreas will perform a large variety of music from Greece and Latin America, including his own arrangements of pop songs.

Andreas Moutsioulis /BirmsCons

@BirmsCons

Booking Information Tickets for Conservatoire events are individually priced (as shown in the event listings) and available to purchase in a variety of ways: ON THE DOOR Where indicated in the event listings, tickets for Conservatoire events are available to purchase from Birmingham Conservatoire Box Office from up to 45 minutes prior to the event start time.

ADVANCE RESERVATION Where tickets are available on the door, you can guarantee your ticket by telephoning the Venues, Concerts and Events Office on 0121 331 5909 to reserve your ticket in advance. Telephone lines are open Monday to Friday 10am-4pm. Your ticket will then be available for you to pay for at the Conservatoire Box Office from up to 45 minutes prior to the event start time.

Visa, Delta, Connect, Mastercard and Switch cards can be used. Cheques should be made payable to Birmingham City University. When purchasing tickets credit and debit card bookings incur a ÂŁ1 fee per transaction and all cash payments are fee free.

THROUGH OUR TICKETING PARTNER – THE BIRMINGHAM BOX Where stated in the event listings, tickets can be purchased through our ticketing partner The Birmingham Box. Book by clicking on the link within the online listing at www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts or:

By Phone Call the ticket hotline 0121 245 4455 Open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5.30pm In Person Visit The Box at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2EP Open Monday to Friday, 10am to 5.30pm; Saturday 10am to 4pm On-line Go to www.birmingham-box.co.uk

Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

Visa, Delta, Connect, Mastercard and Switch cards can be used. Cheques should be made payable to Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

When purchasing tickets 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 payments are waived for online bookings and all cash payments are fee free.

CONCESSIONS Unless otherwise stated, concession prices apply to children (16 and under or in full-time education), students, over 60s, disabled customers and the unemployed. Please note that we may ask to see identification when admitting people carrying concession tickets.

EXCHANGES AND REFUNDS Birmingham Conservatoire does not offer refunds on tickets after purchase. Where purchased in advance, and subject to availability, tickets can be exchanged for an alternative performance within the current concert season, provided tickets are returned to the Venue, Concert and Events Office no less than 48 hours before the event start time.

Tickets for events presented by external artists and organisations within Birmingham Conservatoire are subject to the refund and exchange policy of the organisation.

ADVERTISED PROGRAMME Every effort is made to ensure that all information included within the Concert and Events 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.

USE OF MOBILE PHONES To avoid disruption to performers and other audience members, Birmingham Conservatoire requests that you do not use mobile phones or other electronic devices during our concerts and events.

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

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HOW TO FIND US 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.

PARKING There are three car parking spaces for disabled visitors outside of the Conservatoire.

Access to these spaces is via the Council House barrier at the edge of Margaret Street.

Spaces are available on a first-come-first-served basis and display of the relevant badge is essential. There is no other parking available at the Conservatoire but there are several pay and display car parks located close by.

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/BirmsCons

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Venue Information CLOAKROOM A free cloakroom service is available at most events taking place in the Adrian Boult Hall.

BAR/COFFEE BAR The Conservatoire coffee bar is open throughout the day from 9am to 5pm.

For evening and weekend events the coffee and licensed bar is open from one hour before and during the interval of events selling teas and coffees, soft drinks, a range of alcoholic beverages and a range of snacks. Ice cream is on sale during the interval of most events in the Adrian Boult Hall. Interval drinks can be ordered in advance from the coffee and licensed bar from up to one hour before the event start time.

ACCESSIBILITY All of the Conservatoire’s venues and spaces are accessible by wheelchair. Accessible toilet facilities are also available. There are designated wheelchair spaces in both the Adrian Boult Hall and Recital Hall. Accompanying companion seats are available by requesting these in advance from the Venues, Concerts and Events Office on 0121 331 5909.

Wheelchair users are entitled to concessionary price tickets with a complimentary companion seat ticket is available on request if required.

Guide dogs are welcome at all venues. If you are bringing a guide dog, please let the Venues, Concerts and Events Office know in advance by telephoning 0121 331 5909, so that we can allocate a space for him or her.

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

FRIENDS OF BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE MAILING LIST To receive future Concert and Event Diaries, and details of special events, offers and promotions, please join our mailing list by sending your details to: Mailing List, Venues Concerts and Events Office, Birmingham Conservatoire, Paradise Place, Birmingham B3 3HG. Alternatively please email bhamcons.concerts@bcu.ac.uk or telephone 0121 331 5909.

Your details will be stored on a secure electronic database and will not be passed onto any third parties.

YOUR COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS The Venues, Concerts and Events team are always interested to hear your comments and suggestions about our concert programme, suggestions for future programming, our venue and our services.

You can write to the Head of Venues, Concerts and Events, Emily Bartlett, at the Venues, Concerts and Events Office, Birmingham Conservatoire, Paradise Place Birmingham B3 3HG.

A copy of this brochure is available in large print by contacting the Venues, Concerts and Events Office on 0121 331 5909.

Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

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Birmingham Conservatoire thanks its sponsors, funders, partners and supporters SPONSORS

PARTNERS

Avid Classical Guitar Centre DfE (Music & Dance Scheme) European Culture Programme EMI Music Sound Foundation John Avins Trust Leverhulme Trust The Schubert Ensemble of London The Tillet Trust The Wolfson Foundation Wilmcote Charitable Trust

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 Deutsche Bank Ex Cathedra In Harmony Stoke and Telford Jazzlines Leamington Music mac Birmingham Music Education Council Music for Youth Musicians’ Union Orchestra of the Swan Perry Beeches 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

EVENT FUNDERS Arts Council England Britten Pears Foundation Hinrichsen Foundation Holst Foundation Kingdom of the Netherlands PRS Foundation for New Music RVW Trust

MEMBERSHIP Association of European Conservatoires Conservatoires UK Incorporated Society of Musicians

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Supporting Us

Birmingham Conservatoire Association

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

SUPPORT THE MUSICIANS OF TOMORROW – JOIN US TODAY

THERE ARE MANY WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN SUPPORT US:

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.

• 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

Venues, Concerts & Events Office: 0121 331 5909

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 and 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 website 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

www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts

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Stay in touch for details of forthcoming concerts, special offers and our latest news.

To join Birmingham Conservatoire’s mailing list please email bhamcons.concerts@bcu.ac.uk or contact the Venues, Concerts & Events Team on 0121 331 5909. www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts /BirmCons @BirmCons Birmingham Conservatoire Paradise Place Birmingham B3 3HG 52

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