LSO International Violin Festival by London Symphony Orchestra

London Symphony Orchestra Living Music

LSO International Violin Festival 12 Violin Superstars | 12 Amazing Concerts Box Office 020 7638 8891 | lso.co.uk/violinfestival

April to June 2015 Festival Concert Guide

APRIL TO JUNE 2015

LSO International Violin Festival Jonathan Moulds, who is generously supporting the LSO International Violin Festival, introduces the season.

I am delighted to welcome you to – and to be supporting – the LSO International Violin Festival. My interest in the violin goes back many years, initially as a player and now as a collector. During this Festival you will hear twelve of the world’s top violinists and some of the world’s top instruments. The quality of workmanship underpinning the great instruments

series of BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concerts; you can get closer to the

are now 300 or more years old, with each instrument having its own

music through LSO Discovery events and online Artist Conversations;

character and personality. I feel proud that a number of my instruments are

and The Strad, media partners of the Festival, will hold three The Strad Sundays,

now on loan to some of today’s finest violinists, such as Nicola Benedetti

with free violin-making demonstrations during the day followed by panel

and LSO Leader Roman Simovic. Through individuals like these, exquisite

discussions with expert speakers from the Barbican Hall stage.

craftsmanship, illustrious history and supreme musicality can be brought together in the most breathtaking fashion. The show-stopping evening concerts are combined with a programme of extra events, transforming the Festival into a true celebration of

all things violin. At LSO St Luke’s, four leading violinists deliver a

is extraordinary. In fact, many of the most exceptional Italian instruments

LSO INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN FESTIVAL ~ LSO.CO.UK/VIOLINFESTIVAL

I do hope you enjoy the collection of violinists – and violins – that the LSO has brought together for this Festival. I don’t think you will be disappointed. Jonathan Moulds CBE, LSO Board Member

MEDIA PARTNER

Welcome to the LSO International Violin Festival. We at The Strad are delighted to be involved in this celebration of today’s great violinists, showcasing some of the most loved and challenging masterpieces in the repertoire. This year The Strad celebrates its 125th birthday. To mark this milestone we are hosting three free events at the Barbican Centre over the course of the Festival. The Strad Sundays take place on

CONTENTS 4–7 The Concertos & Violinists 8–10 Event Listings 11 Venue & Booking Information lso.co.uk/violinfestival Visit our website to find out about the artists and their violins, watch live artist conversations, read interviews and behind-the-scenes blogs, and more.

12 April, 3 May and 28 June and feature makers exhibitions inside the Barbican’s Fountain Room, where you can meet luthiers, try out instruments and learn about the art of violin making. Each exhibition will be followed by a pre-concert panel discussion from the Barbican Hall stage. On 12 April, A Guide to Violin Sound asks whether it is possible to distinguish a Stradivari violin from a modern instrument by sound alone – with demonstrations and an audience vote! On 3 May we turn our attention to orchestras, with advice from LSO players on navigating the daunting audition process. Finally, our discussion on 28 June explores teaching children, with tips on how to keep young instrumental students inspired. The Strad Sundays offer fascinating insights into the string music world both on and off the stage. We hope you will come and join us! Chloe Cutts, Magazine Editor – The Strad

SEE PAGE 11 FOR BOOKING DETAILS

CHRISTIAN TETZLAFF

THE CONCERTOS AND VIOLINISTS

JANINE JANSEN

ALINA IBRAGIMOVA

1775

1806

1845

MOZART VIOLIN CONCERTO NO 3

BEETHOVEN VIOLIN CONCERTO

MENDELSSOHN VIOLIN CONCERTO

Sun 14 Jun

Sun 24 May

Tue 2 Jun

LSO Discovery schemes as a student and

he says, ‘you listen, together, with the audience’.

recordings, but it’s in the concert hall that she

making her debut with the Orchestra at the

In May, he returns to Beethoven’s great Concerto,

really comes into her own, pouring every drop

2007 BBC Proms. In June, she channels her

bringing his modern violin’s kaleidoscope of tones

of energy and emotion into her performances.

imaginative, vibrant playing into Mozart’s

to bear on the music’s warm, serene radiance.

Hear it for yourself in June, as she plays

rising star in the violin world, Alina Ibragimova is already a great friend of the LSO, taking part in

or German violinist Christian Tetzlaff, communication is at the heart of bringing a piece of music to life. In a performance,

BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT Thu 21 May Solo works by Bach

LSO INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN FESTIVAL ~ LSO.CO.UK/VIOLINFESTIVAL

the ‘queen of the downloads’, in recognition of her award-winning and immensely popular

Mendelssohn’s deeply romantic Concerto.

Third Violin Concerto, a work full of the composer’s trademark elegance and charm.

anine Jansen may have been dubbed

NIKOLAJ ZNAIDER

JOSHUA BELL

ISABELLE FAUST

1878

1904

BRAHMS VIOLIN CONCERTO

TCHAIKOVSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO

SIBELIUS VIOLIN CONCERTO

Thu 7 May

Tue 12 May

Sun 28 Jun

to exploring the stories behind the music.

Concerto, from the soaring opening to the

In the Brahms Violin Concerto this story is

lively chase of the finale, showcasing the

recordings, featuring on Oscar-winning film

the friendship between the composer and

sumptuous tones of his Guarneri del Gesù violin.

soundtracks, or appearing on popular TV shows

Panel Discussion

the work’s dedicatee, violinist Joseph Joachim,

A familiar face to LSO audiences, Znaider’s copious

(from The Tonight Show to Sesame Street!).

6pm Barbican Hall

a friendship that resulted in a centrepiece

collaborations with the Orchestra have included

We welcome him to the LSO for Sibelius’ brooding,

Making Instrument Lessons Fun for Kids

of the repertoire, which marries symphonic

an Artist Portrait series, tours, educational

contemplative Violin Concerto, summed up by

drama, exquisite lyricism and infectious

projects with LSO Discovery, a celebration of

Bell as ‘very athletic, very dark, very emotional’.

Eastern European dance rhythms.

the centenary of Elgar’s Violin Concerto, and,

sabelle Faust, whose Festival performance marks her LSO debut, combines her unmistakable sound with a commitment

ikolaj Znaider’s Festival performance promises to bring out all of the soulfulness and passion of Tchaikovsky’s Violin

‘

lassical superstar’ Joshua Bell’s diverse career reveals his passion

THE STRAD SUNDAYS

for sharing music with others,

Makers Exhibition

whether that’s through making chart-topping

3–5.30pm Fountain Room, Barbican

more recently, turning his hand to conducting.

SEE PAGE 11 FOR BOOKING DETAILS

MIDORI

GIL SHAHAM NICOLA BENEDETTI

1916

1937–8

1938–9

SZYMANOWSKI VIOLIN CONCERTO NO 1

BARTÓK VIOLIN CONCERTO NO 2

BRITTEN VIOLIN CONCERTO

Sun 3 May

Thu 30 Apr

Sun 12 Apr

notes the ‘rewarding exchange of musical ideas

yzmanowksi’s First Violin Concerto has

rom her debut with the LSO as a

been a centrepiece of Nicola Benedetti’s

THE STRAD SUNDAYS

career ever since, at the age of 16,

Makers Exhibition

she chose it for her winning performance at the

3–5.30pm Fountain Room, Barbican

BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition.

teenager in 1987 to her collaboration with the Orchestra this year, Midori

il Shaham’s history with the LSO dates back to 1987, a debut performance at the Barbican that was followed two

years later by a defining moment of his career,

and inspiration that takes place every time we

when – as an 18-year-old student – he stepped

‘This piece is fantastical, other-worldly, mystical

Panel Discussion

work together’. For the Festival, she returns to

in for Itzhak Perlman in two concerts with

and impressionistic’, she says, ‘but not without

6pm Barbican Hall

a work that she recorded at the very start of

the Orchestra. His performance this year is

soul or emotional expression’. A favourite

Surviving Orchestral Auditions

her career, giving voice to the wild, relentless

centred on Britten’s dark, haunting Concerto,

rhythms of Bartók’s Second Violin Concerto.

a meditation on the Spanish Civil War.

with LSO audiences, Benedetti returns to this captivating work in May, then pairs Mozart

BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT

and Beethoven in a BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime

Thu 25 Jun

VIOLIN MASTERCLASS WITH MIDORI

Concert the following month.

Mozart and Beethoven

Wed 29 Apr

LSO INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN FESTIVAL ~ LSO.CO.UK/VIOLINFESTIVAL

JAMES EHNES

LEONIDAS KAVAKOS ANNE-SOPHIE MUTTER

THE STRAD SUNDAYS Makers Exhibition 10am–5.30pm Fountain Room, Barbican

1945

1947–8

2001

KORNGOLD VIOLIN CONCERTO

SHOSTAKOVICH VIOLIN CONCERTO NO 1

ANDRÉ PREVIN VIOLIN CONCERTO

Sun 7 Jun

Wed 8 Apr

Wed 10 Jun

film scores – is, for James Ehnes, a ‘wonderfully

appearance in the Festival. For Kavakos,

orngold’s rhapsodic Violin Concerto – which brims over with the sweeping melodies of the Oscar-winning composer’s

he dark, restrained intensity of Shostakovich’s First Violin Concerto forms the focus of Leonidas Kavakos’

ew violinists can claim such a dedication to the music of today as Anne-Sophie Mutter, whose UBS Soundscapes: LSO Artist Portrait

series in 2011/12 showcased works by a number

rewarding piece to play, with beautiful melodies,

who grew up with the violin an ever-present

of contemporary composers. André Previn’s Violin

Panel Discussion

great harmonic flavour, and plenty of virtuosic

part of his family life, a belief in the importance

Concerto, subtitled ‘Anne-Sophie’, is just one of

6pm Barbican Hall

fireworks’. He also joins us for a solo recital at

of art is at the forefront of each of his

the pieces that have been written for her over

A Guide to Violin Sound

LSO St Luke’s, combining, in his own words, ‘two

performances, combined with a passion for

the course of her career. In June she teams up

of the greatest violin sonatas ever composed’.

the violin and the art of violin-making.

with the composer himself for a reprise of this work, which Mutter describes as ‘one of the

BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT

most sublime violin concertos written in the

Thu 11 Jun – Beethoven and Brahms

last hundred years’. SEE PAGE 11 FOR BOOKING DETAILS

APRIL 2015

MAY 2015

Wed 8 Apr 2015 7.30pm

Sun 26 Apr 2015 7.30pm

Fri 1 May 2015 12.30pm, LSO St Luke’s

LEONIDAS KAVAKOS

LSO STRING ENSEMBLE

LSO DISCOVERY

Shostakovich Violin Concerto No 1 Liszt A Faust Symphony

Schubert arr Mahler Death and the Maiden Shostakovich arr Pushkarev Sonata for Violin, Percussion and String Orchestra Shostakovich Chamber Symphony in C minor

David Alberman violin Rachel Leach presenter

Gianandrea Noseda conductor Leonidas Kavakos violin 6pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists String music by Shostakovich Sun 12 Apr 2015 7.30pm

GIL SHAHAM Arvo Pärt Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten Britten Violin Concerto Shostakovich Symphony No 6 Osmo Vänskä conductor Gil Shaham violin

10am–5.30pm Makers Exhibition Fountain Room, Barbican Free entry, no ticket required 6pm Panel Discussion A Guide to Violin Sound Can you tell the difference between a Strad and a factory-made violin from sound alone? A lively panel debate on what makes one instrument sound so different from another – including demonstrations by LSO Leader Roman Simovic. Free entry, no ticket required

FREE LUNCHTIME CONCERT

Supported by the Rothschild Charities Committee

Roman Simovic director Fri 10 Apr 2015 2pm Live on YouTube LSO Artist Conversation with Roman Simovic youtube.com/lso Wed 29 Apr 2015 6.30–8.30pm, Guildhall Lecture Recital Room

Sun 3 May 2015 7.30pm

NICOLA BENEDETTI ROMAN SIMOVIC (26 APR)

Krzysztof Urban´ski conductor Nicola Benedetti violin

LSO DISCOVERY

VIOLIN MASTERCLASS Midori violin with musicians from the Guildhall School Thu 30 Apr 2015 7.30pm

MIDORI Messiaen Les offrandes oubliées Bartók Violin Concerto No 2 Tchaikovsky Symphony No 4 Tugan Sokhiev conductor Midori violin

6pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists String chamber music by Bartók

LSO INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN FESTIVAL ~ LSO.CO.UK/VIOLINFESTIVAL

Glinka Overture: Ruslan and Lyudmila Szymanowski Violin Concerto No 1 Mussorgsky PIctures at an Exhibition

´ SKI (3 MAY) KRZYSZTOF URBAN

| 3–5.30pm Makers Exhibition Fountain Room, Barbican Free entry, no ticket required 6pm Panel Discussion Surviving Orchestral Auditions From preparing excerpts to excelling in your first trial, get the inside view from LSO players on landing your dream orchestral job. With LSO First Violin Maxine Kwok-Adams and Director of Music at the Guildhall School, Jonathan Vaughan. Free entry, no ticket required

JUNE 2015 Thu 7 May 2015 7.30pm

Fri 22 May 2015 12.30pm, LSO St Luke’s

Tue 2 Jun 2015 7.30pm

ISABELLE FAUST

LSO DISCOVERY

JANINE JANSEN

Brahms Violin Concerto Tchaikovsky Symphony No 5

Rachel Leach presenter

Edward Rushton new work Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Mahler Symphony No 5

FREE LUNCHTIME CONCERT

Semyon Bychkov conductor Isabelle Faust violin

Supported by the Rothschild Charities Committee

6pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists String chamber music by Brahms

Sun 24 May 2015 7.30pm

Tue 12 May 2015 7.30pm

NIKOLAJ ZNAIDER Balakirev (arr Lyapunov) Islamey Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto Shostakovich Symphony No 15 Valery Gergiev conductor Nikolaj Znaider violin 6pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists Songs by Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky

Daniel Harding conductor Janine Jansen violin

CHRISTIAN TETZLAFF

Sun 7 Jun 2015 7.30pm

Beethoven Violin Concerto Brahms German Requiem Daniel Harding conductor Christian Tetzlaff violin Dorothea Röschmann soprano Matthias Goerne baritone London Symphony Chorus Simon Halsey chorus director 6pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists Chamber music for strings by Beethoven

JAMES EHNES RACHEL LEACH (1, 22 MAY; 12, 26 JUN)

DANIEL HARDING (2 JUN)

Bartók Divertimento for Strings Korngold Violin Concerto Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances Marin Alsop conductor James Ehnes violin 6pm LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists Chamber music for strings by Korngold Wed 10 Jun 2015 7.30pm

Thu 21 May 2015 1pm, LSO St Luke’s

ANNE-SOPHIE MUTTER

BBC RADIO 3

André Previn Violin Concerto Rachmaninov Symphony No 2

LUNCHTIME CONCERT Bach Violin Partita No 2 in D minor BWV 1004 Bach Violin Sonata No 3 in C major BWV 1005 Christian Tetzlaff violin

LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists feature free recitals by postgraduate musicians from the Guildhall School, some of whom are studying on the Orchestral Artistry course in association with the LSO. Find out more at lso.co.uk/lsoplatforms

André Previn conductor Anne-Sophie Mutter violin

SEE PAGE 11 FOR BOOKING DETAILS

JUNE 2015 continued Thu 11 Jun 2015 1pm, LSO St Luke’s

Sun 21 Jun 2015 10am–5.30pm,

Fri 26 Jun 2015 12.30pm, LSO St Luke’s

BBC RADIO 3

Barbican and LSO St Luke’s

LSO DISCOVERY

LUNCHTIME CONCERT Beethoven Violin Sonata No 10 in G major Op 96 Brahms Violin Sonata No 3 in D minor Op 108

LSO DISCOVERY DAY

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

FREE LUNCHTIME CONCERT Maxine Kwok-Adams violin Philip Nolte violin Rachel Leach presenter

James Ehnes violin Steven Osborne piano

Featuring access to a morning LSO rehearsal and an afternoon of chamber music and talks, including a performance of Beethoven’s ‘Razumovsky’ String Quartet Op 59 No 1.

Fri 12 Jun 2015 12.30pm, LSO St Luke’s

Tue 23 Jun 2015 6pm, LSO St Luke’s

Sun 28 Jun 2015 7.30pm

LSO DISCOVERY

JOSHUA BELL

FREE LUNCHTIME CONCERT Guildhall School Violinists Rachel Leach presenter Supported by the Rothschild Charities Committee

Sun 14 Jun 2015 7.30pm

ALINA IBRAGIMOVA Mozart Violin Concerto No 3 Mahler Symphony No 1 (‘Titan’) Bernard Haitink conductor Alina Ibragimova violin Thu 18 Jun 2015 1pm, LSO St Luke’s BBC RADIO 3

LUNCHTIME CONCERT Beethoven Violin Sonata No 3 in E-flat major Op 12 No 3 Schumann Violin Sonata No 2 in D minor Op 121 Veronika Eberle violin Michail Lifits piano 10

LSO ON TRACK TAKE A BOW LSO On Track Young Musicians Nicola Benedetti violin Duncan Ward conductor LSO Strings 80 young musicians from schools in the boroughs of Bexley and Tower Hamlets perform alongside LSO musicians and Nicola Benedetti, playing a new commission by composer Michael Betteridge. In association with The Benedetti Sessions. Part of LSO Discovery at 25. In partnership with Bird College Bexley Music Education Hub and THAMES.

Thu 25 Jun 2015 1pm, LSO St Luke’s BBC RADIO 3

LUNCHTIME CONCERT Mozart Violin Sonata in E minor K304 Beethoven Violin Sonata No 9 in A major (‘Kreutzer’) Nicola Benedetti violin Alexei Grynyuk piano

LSO INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN FESTIVAL ~ LSO.CO.UK/VIOLINFESTIVAL

Supported by the Rothschild Charities Committee

Sibelius Violin Concerto Berlioz Symphonie fantastique

PABLO HERAS-CASADO (28 JUN)

Pablo Heras-Casado conductor Joshua Bell violin | 3–5.30pm Makers Exhibition Fountain Room, Barbican Free entry, no ticket required 6pm Panel Discussion Making Instrument Lessons Fun for Kids Explore how to make instrumental lessons engaging for school-age children, regardless of experience, background and ambition, with LSO Sub-Principal Second Violin Sarah Quinn, Junior Guildhall Head of Strings & English National Opera Cello William Bruce and Havering Music Manager Karen Tweddle. Free entry, no ticket required

BERNARD HAITINK (14 JUN)

EATING & DRINKING

TICKETS

REFRESH AND RELAX

All events take place in the Barbican Hall unless otherwise stated

Barbican Foyer Bars and Cafés: The ideal place to meet and catch up. Barbican Foodhall (Level G): Offering hot dishes and salads from a counter-top service as well as sandwiches, cakes, teas and coffees.

BARBICAN CONCERT TICKETS £10 £16 £22 £28 £38 + booking fee per transaction of £3 online or £4 by phone

DISABLED VISITORS

Barbican Lounge (Level 1): A chic relaxed ambience in which to enjoy a pre-concert drink or seasonal small plates from the tapas-style menu. Reservations 020 7382 6180. Gin Joint by Searcys (Level 2): Offering brasserie dining and the most extensive gin list in the City. Both full dining and bar menus are available. Reservations 020 7588 3008.

LSO String Ensemble (26 Apr) £10 £16 £22 + fees as above

BARBICAN CENTRE Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS LSO ST LUKE’S UBS and LSO Music Education Centre 161 Old Street, EC1V 9NG

SPECIAL BARBICAN CONCERTS

SEARCYS GIN JOINT

BARBICAN FOODHALL

LSO DISCOVERY DAY Full day tickets £17 (£13.50 concessions) / £12 afternoon only (from 2.30pm) + booking fee per transaction of £0.60 online or £0.70 by phone LSO ON TRACK TAKE A BOW £7 (£5 concessions) + fees as LSO Discovery Day Limited availability

Join the Barbican Access Membership scheme to inform us of your access requirements. Members may be eligible for reductions on tickets, limited in number and subject to availability. Full details are available online at barbican.org.uk/access and at the Box Office. Tickets can be exchanged for another LSO concert or credit vouchers valid for six months, provided that you return them to the Box Office at least 24 hours before the performance (two weeks for group bookings). Administration fee applies. Calls may be monitored or recorded for quality assurance or training purposes. All discounts are subject to availability and may not be combined. Information correct at time of going to print. The LSO reserves the right to change artists or programmes if necessary. Refunds will only be given in the event of a concert being cancelled.

BBC RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERTS

GUILDHALL SCHOOL Silk Street, EC2Y 8DT

£10 (£9 concessions) + fees as LSO Discovery Day Book any four concerts for £8 each

The Barbican is in the heart of the City of London with LSO St Luke’s just a five-minute walk away.

VIOLIN MASTERCLASS WITH MIDORI

See map on back cover

Free entry, booking essential Limited availability

Visit lso.co.uk/yourvisit for details of public transport, parking etc.

GROUPS OF 10 OR MORE Receive a 20% discount Call 020 7382 7211 (10am–5pm Mon-Fri) or visit lso.co.uk/groups

Book 3–4 concerts save 15% Book 5+ save 20%

FIND US

020 7638 8891 | lso.co.uk

You can get this guide in large print, audio and electronic formats. Contact 020 7588 1116 or email access@lso.co.uk

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The LSO is funded by Arts Council England in partnership with the City of London Corporation, which also provides the Orchestra’s permanent home at the Barbican. LSO is a Registered Charity No 232391 London Symphony Orchestra Barbican, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS lso.co.uk

Photographs Giorgia Bertazzi, Felix Broede, Benjamin Ealovega, Igor Emmerich, Kevin Leighton, Miguel Peñalver, Sheila Rock, Bill Robinson, Greenfield Sanders

Print Cantate Communications Illustration PIN Creative Editor Edward Appleyard