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Newsletter A regular update on news and events – Spring/Summer 2010
Alec Haylor
A passage to India
Renga performing in London with Scott Stroman and the Karnataka College of Percussion The next twelve months are shaping up to become a year of Indian flavours, beginning with a ten-day tour of India in March/April 2010 by the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Renga ensemble. Along with the Karnataka College of Percussion, Renga will be giving four performances in key Indian cities.
a selection of music in the South Indian ‘Carnatic’ style with jazz and Western classical influences. The ‘Carnatic’ style is based around ancient Indian folk melodies, the pieces often telling stories and expressing feelings that soloists interpret and incorporate into their own improvisations.
A group of highly trained classical musicians from the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Renga works with performers and composers from outside the classical mainstream. Under the leadership of Scott Stroman, the group has developed into a well-respected performance ensemble. The Karnataka College of Percussion was founded in 1978 by vocalist Ramamani and percussionists Ramesh Shotham and T.A.S. Mani, and has since, with the addition of Mike Herting on piano, formed KCP4.
With financial support from the Orchestra’s International Touring Partner, Aviva, Renga will give two performances in Mumbai and one each in Delhi and Bangalore between 30 March and 8 April 2010. High profile Indian venues, such as St Andrew’s Auditorium and the Tata Theatre in Mumbai, and the Kamani Auditorium in Delhi are all ideal performance spaces, holding between 600 and 1,000 people.
The two groups collaborated in April 2009 at a concert at London’s Union Chapel. The performance combined
Renga will also undertake as much education and outreach work as possible during the tour. The daytime workshops will be a unique opportunity for community engagement in a more intimate environment and,
Newsletter published by the London Philharmonic Orchestra 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP Tel: 020 7840 4200 | Fax: 020 7840 4201 Ticket Office: 020 7840 4242 | Website: www.lpo.org.uk
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A very grand affair
In undertaking the tour, the London Philharmonic Orchestra is keen to foster new relationships to help bring classical music to as wide an audience as possible in India. Exciting public performances in the evening combined with strong education-focused workshops during the day will give local people the chance to experience Western music on its own and in conjunction with musicians from their own culture. It is hoped that, with strong media help, interest in the events will extend beyond the concert venues and help explore the musical infrastructure that might in the future facilitate a tour of the entire London Philharmonic Orchestra to India. The Indian theme continues on 1 July 2010 with an extraordinary evening at the Royal Festival Hall which will include the world première of Indian musician Ravi Shankar’s First Symphony, scored for the London Philharmonic Orchestra and a group of Indian musicians. Ravi Shankar is famous throughout the world as a sitarist and for his work with George Harrison of The Beatles. His daughters, Norah Jones and Anoushka Shankar, have also made successful careers in the music industry. Ravi Shankar has collaborated for many years with American composer Philip Glass so it is appropriate that works by these two composers are to be performed side by side. The opening work, Shaker Loops, written in the heyday of American minimalism, helped to earn John Adams a place at the forefront of living composers and this remains one of his most popular and frequently performed works. A concert definitely not to be missed! Thursday 1 July 2010 | 7.30pm | Royal Festival Hall ADAMS Shaker Loops GLASS Violin Concerto SHANKAR Symphony (world première) DAVID MURPHY conductor ROBERT McDUFFIE violin LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA INDIAN MUSICIANS Book now on 020 7840 4242 The Renga ensemble is featured on the Orchestra's December podcast where interviews with director Scott Stroman and musical excerpts can be heard. To listen visit www.lpo.org.uk/podcasts. 2 | London Philharmonic Orchestra
© The Goldsmiths’ Company
depending on the audience, can take on a variety of formats, such as participatory-style interactions or demonstrations of classical chamber music repertoire. These projects will seek to support Aviva’s work with local school children in the regions.
Each season the Orchestra’s special events calendar culminates in the annual fundraising Gala. This sumptuous black tie evening includes a drinks reception, orchestral performance and formal dinner and is held each year in a prestigious London venue. Past events have included an evening at St James’s Palace with renowned pianist Lang Lang, a Russian themed Gala at London’s Guildhall with conductor Vladimir Jurowski, a glamorous evening at the Banqueting House with international soloist Sergey Khachatryan, a midsummer’s evening at Lincoln’s Inn and a spectacular 75th Anniversary Gala in the beautiful setting of The Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, compèred by actor Simon Callow. The ornate surroundings of Goldsmiths’ Hall, one of London’s historic hidden treasures, will provide a stunning setting for the 2010 Gala evening. Rarely open to the public, guests will be shown through to a preperformance cocktail reception in the Drawing Room where they can enjoy delicious canapés serenaded by Orchestra musicians. We then proceed to the magnificent Livery Hall (pictured above), as the Orchestra’s Principal Conductor Vladimir Jurowski steps away from the conductor’s podium and to the piano for a very special musical performance. This will be followed by an exquisite meal in the company of Orchestra musicians, supporters and pillars of the music and business communities. The Gala is an essential component of the Orchestra’s year-round fundraising campaign, attracting support from over 200 guests, including our Patron HRH The Duke of Kent. The 2010 Gala Evening takes place on Tuesday 15 June at Goldsmiths’ Hall. If you would like to find out more about this flagship event please contact Melissa Van Emden on 020 7840 4206 or email melissa.vanemden@lpo.org.uk.
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The next generation Away from the concert platform but at the heart of the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s activities is our Education and Community Department. It is committed to providing musical experiences to inspire the next generation of musicians and concert-goers. Our varied programme of events and projects develops musical passion and talent in all those involved, from pre-schoolers right through to post-graduate students and beyond, touching the lives of more than 40,000 people each year. We believe that our Education and Community programmes should be accessible to everyone. The projects below are just some of the ways that the Orchestra, with the help of its supporters, is ensuring a bright future for classical music. Early Years: Through our early years work and partnerships with In Harmony Lambeth and The Bridge Project, we help to instil musicality at a young age. Working with schools and pre-schools in our local boroughs of Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, we teach children basic musical skills and theory and prepare them for regular musical tuition. Visits from Orchestra players also help to give them an early taste for the magic of live performance. BrightSparks: Our well-established BrightSparks concerts for schools provide tailor-made orchestral experiences for Key Stage 1, 2, 3 and 4 pupils from all across London. Thanks to the support of Deutsche Bank Citizenship UK, over 28,000 tickets for these concerts will be provided free of charge this year. All our BrightSparks concerts are supported by our ConcertLink programme, which gives schools the opportunity to bring the music they hear at these concerts into the classroom with the help of musicians from the Orchestra.
The Band: The Band provides young musicians, aged 15 to 19, with a space in which they can explore composing in their own musical styles. They get the support of Orchestra members’ skills and expertise, and learn about what it means to be a member of a musical ensemble. Foyle Future Firsts: Our Foyle Future Firsts programme has been supporting young pre-professional musicians for five years. It provides comprehensive orchestral experience in London’s competitive classical music scene and fantastic access to a world-class orchestra. As well as sitting in on rehearsals and receiving tuition from Orchestra principals, the young players are also given opportunities to perform in world-class venues, including the chance to play under the baton of Principal Conductor Vladimir Jurowski. In addition to this, participants engage in many of the various Education and Community projects we run, helping them to pass on their skills to the younger generation. Young Composers: The Young Composers programme has been equally supportive of creative talent, giving our selected composers a platform on which their compositions are performed by professional musicians. At a series of workshops, the musicians play through the pieces whilst in development, giving the composers a chance to analyse them in detail and make improvements before their final performances. It also gave us great pleasure this year to be able to award two of our young composers commissions to write fanfares for our BrightSparks concerts. With further projects for GCSE and A-level students in development, the London Philharmonic Orchestra aims to be able to encourage young musicians at every stage in their development. For more information on any of the programmes above, please visit our website or call Alec Haylor, Education and Community Assistant, on 020 7840 4231.
Isobel Timms
Foyle Future Firsts rehearsing at the Royal Festival Hall
London Philharmonic Orchestra | 3
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PHILHARMONIC NEWS
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LPO Contemporaries Saturday 24 October saw the launch of LPO Contemporaries. Over 100 guests were joined by Orchestra players, conductor Yannick NézetSéguin and percussion soloist Colin Currie to unveil this exciting new membership programme designed for young, dynamic Londoners in their 20s and 30s, keen to become involved in the city’s cultural life as members of an exclusive social group. At the centre of this group is the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
me new program The LPO Contemporaries’ Christmas Party, e about the or m r ea h Gathering to another invitation-only, headline event to promote the new
LPO Contemporaries have an exciting calendar of events to look forward to in 2010. As well as benefiting from priority booking for a specially selected LPO Contemporaries’ subscription series, members will enjoy drinks and canapés at a VIP concert evening, shop in style at a private Orchestra event hosted by partner and luxury clothing supplier, Thomas Pink, and relax at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall with champagne in hand on a Saturday morning after attending a rehearsal. We look forward to welcoming new members to LPO Contemporaries over the course of 2010. If you, or someone you know, is interested in finding out more about LPO Contemporaries, please contact Anna Gover on 020 7840 4225 or anna.gover@lpo.org.uk or visit our website: www.lpo.org.uk/lpocontemporaries.
Relaxing at th e Christmas party
Welcome A warm welcome to new members of the Orchestra: Jaime Martin, Principal Flute; Daniel Newell, 4th trumpet; and Julia Rumley who will take the No. 4 spot in the first violins. Jaime was born in Santander, Spain, and studied in Madrid and The Hague. He has been Principal Flute in the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, has made chamber music recordings with Pinchas Zukerman and Emma Johnson, and has appeared as soloist at Carnegie Hall, the Moscow Conservatory, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall. Daniel has Jaime Martin previously worked on a freelance basis with the major London orchestras as well as with the Hallé Orchestra, European Union Youth Orchestra and London Brass. He has also played on the soundtracks for films such as Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings and Love Actually, and recorded and performed with Queen and Paul McCartney. His chair is generously supported by Mrs Steven Ward. Violinist Julia Rumley takes up her position with us on 16 January. 4 | London Philharmonic Orchestra
New Arrivals Welcome to Ursula, daughter of flautist Sue Thomas and partner Lindsay Shilling, who arrived on 6 September, and to Alan, son of Marketing Manager Katy Rodda and her partner Simon Russell, who was born on 14 September.
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group, was kindly hosted by founding member and Trustee of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Catherine Høgel, at her Chester Square home. Members of the group were joined by other special guests on Thursday 3 December for an evening of festive food, drinks and music-making.
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New Faces We are delighted to have just appointed a new Charitable Giving Manager, Nick Jackman, who joins us from across the river where he has been Trusts Manager at English National Opera. Nick has also worked for other London arts organisations including the London Symphony Orchestra and London Sinfonietta. His hobbies include singing, playing the cello and supporting Manchester United.
The importance of being a Friend… Nick Jackman
Other recent arrivals are Roanna Roanna Chan Chandler, our new Concerts Director, dler and David Burke, our new General Manager and Finance Director. Roanna has previously worked for the Philharmonia Orchestra and Glyndebourne, and was an Arts Management Fellow at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC. She is a keen amateur violinist. David comes to us from English Touring Opera and plays David Burke the clarinet, saxophone and piano. He enjoys travelling, exercising his pet Labradoodle, Portia, and supporting Liverpool Football Club.
Mr Ivan Powell, Principal Friend of the London Philharmonic Orchestra since 2000, talks to Maria Fountoukaki about his relationship with the Orchestra: ‘I have always loved classical music and when I moved to London in 1992 I became a regular visitor to the Royal Festival Hall. I first joined the Philharmonia Friends, but soon realised that there was a second resident orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall. I became a Principal Friend of the London Philharmonic Orchestra because I wanted to support this fine orchestra, but also to take advantage of some very attractive benefits, such as priority booking for concerts, meeting the players and having the Orchestra make parking arrangements for me. The Orchestra was wonderful during its time with Kurt Masur and I enjoyed many concerts under his conductorship. I was very pleased to see Vladimir Jurowski’s arrival on the podium, which in my opinion, has added great value to the Orchestra’s life. Being part of the Friends has really made me feel closer to the Orchestra, a relationship that has been built through the efficient communication between the organisation and its supporters. I recall once, before the refurbishment of the Royal Festival Hall, I attended one of the backstage tours with my daughter given by London Philharmonic Orchestra viola player Tony Byrne. His charismatic guidance of the tour completely fascinated and entertained us and we both found the tour very special.
Australian Acclaim The Orchestra is greeted with wild applause and streamers when it takes a final bow after its concert in Sydney on 9 October 2009.
I also enjoy meeting players, people from the Orchestra’s management team and other fellow Friends. The Friends’ Bar is the ideal place to do this. It is essential to have a group that people feel proud to belong to, like a football club. Friends are important and the Orchestra needs their support, so do encourage them to continue; I’m definitely one of them!’ London Philharmonic Orchestra | 5
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Out and about with the Orchestra Follow the London Philharmonic Orchestra around the UK and abroad
Concerts in the UK
Concerts Abroad
Sun 31 Jan 2010 | Congress Theatre, Eastbourne | 3pm Debussy La Mer Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto 2 Bizet Symphony in C Fabien Gabel conductor Bertrand Chamayou piano Box Office: 01323 412000
Wed 20 Jan 2010 | Auditorio de Tenerife | 8.30pm
Sun 7 Mar 2010 | Avery Fisher Hall, New York | 3pm
Shostakovich Five Fragments Szymanowski Violin Concerto 1 Shostakovich Symphony 4 Vladimir Jurowski conductor Carolin Widmann violin
Programme and artists as for 3 March
Sat 6 Feb 2010 | Brighton Dome | 7.30pm Sibelius Tapiola Brahms Violin Concerto Sibelius Symphony 5 Osmo Vänskä conductor Sergey Malov violin Box Office: 01273 709709 Sun 14 Feb 2010 | The Sage, Gateshead | 7.30pm Ravel Daphnis et Chloé, Suite 2 Ravel Valses nobles et sentimentales Poulenc Concerto in D minor for two pianos Debussy Prélude à l’Après-midi d’un faune Debussy La Mer Yannick Nézet-Séguin conductor Melvyn Tan piano Ronald Brautigam piano Box Office: 0191 443 4661 Sat 13 Mar 2010 | Brighton Dome | 7.30pm Ravel Suite, Mother Goose Schumann Piano Concerto Brahms Symphony 2 Gunther Herbig conductor Hélène Grimaud piano Box Office: 01273 709709 Sun 11 Apr 2010 | Congress Theatre, Eastbourne | 3pm Elgar Serenade for Strings Elgar Cello Concerto Walton Suite, Henry V Delius The Walk to the Paradise Garden Davis Cranford Suite Elgar Pomp and Circumstance March 1 Carl Davis conductor Thomas Carroll cello Box Office: 01323 412000 Sun 16 May 2010 | Congress Theatre, Eastbourne | 3pm Mozart Symphony 35 (Haffner) Liszt Piano Concerto 1 Brahms Symphony 2 Robin O’Neill conductor Libor Novacek piano Box Office: 01323 412000
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Thu 21 Jan 2010 | Auditorio de Tenerife | 8.30pm
Turnage Texan Tenebrae (world première) Beethoven Piano Concerto 3 Prokofiev Symphony 4 Vladimir Jurowski conductor Mitsuko Uchida piano Fri 22 Jan 2010 | Gran Canaria, Auditorio Alfredo Kraus | 8.30pm
Thu 18 Mar 2010 | Philharmonie, Cologne | 8pm
Wagner Prelude to Lohengrin Brahms Violin Concerto Bartók Concerto for Orchestra Ludovic Morlot conductor Anne-Sophie Mutter violin Fri 19 Mar 2010 | Saalbau, Essen | 8pm
Programme and artists as for 18 March Sat 20 Mar 2010 | Festspielhaus, BadenBaden | 7pm
Programme and artists as for 21 Jan
Wagner Prelude to Lohengrin Brahms Violin Concerto Dvo˘rák Symphony 7 Ludovic Morlot conductor Anne-Sophie Mutter violin
Mon 1 Mar 2010 | Avery Fisher Hall, New York | 8pm
Sun 21 Mar 2010 | Kultur und Kongersszentru, Mannheim | 8pm
Beethoven Violin Concerto Brahms Symphony 2 Vladimir Jurowski conductor Thomas Zehetmair violin
Programme and artists as for 18 March
Tue 2 Mar 2010 | Carolina Performing Arts, Chapel Hill | 7.30pm
Wed 24 Mar 2010 | Laeiszhalle, Hamburg | 7.30pm
Programme and artists as for 20 Jan Sat 23 Jan 2010 | Gran Canaria, Auditorio Alfredo Kraus | 8.30pm
Mon 22 Mar 2010 | Gasteig, Munich | 8pm
Programme and artists as for 20 March
Programme as for 1 March Vladimir Jurowski conductor Yossif Ivanov violin
Programme and artists as for 20 March
Wed 3 Mar 2010 | Carolina Performing Arts, Chapel Hill | 7.30pm
Programme and artists as for 18 March
Shostakovich Five Fragments Ravel Piano Concerto in G Shostakovich Symphony 4 Vladimir Jurowski conductor Alexander Toradze piano Thu 4 Mar 2010 | Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News | 7.30pm
Programme and artists as for 3 March Sat 6 Mar 2010 | Tilles Center for the Arts, Greenvale | 8pm
Programme and artists as for 2 March
Thu 25 Mar 2010 | Congress Centrum, Hannover | 8pm
Fri 26 Mar 2010 | Konzerthaus, Dortmund | 8pm
Programme and artists as for 18 March