RNCM Live Summer 2012 by RNCM

Welcome to the Summer season at the RNCM Few artists in recent years have matched the global reach of Benin singer Angelique Kidjo (16 May) the joy and passion in her music embodying the spirit of Africa today. Alongside her band, Kidjo will be performing with the Manchester World Voices Choir, a new chorus brought together by the RNCM especially for the occasion. This collaboration heralds Manchester’s We Face Forward season, a celebration spanning the city’s galleries, museums and music venues of the visual arts and music of West Africa, and which also features Mamane Barka and Etran Finatawa (3 July) from Niger live at the RNCM. Kidjo’s isn’t the only voice singing out this Summer: Ute Lemper (3 May), unsurpassed in the art of the Berlin cabaret song, explores the dark alleyways of Buenos Aires, New York and Paris, as well as the German capital, whilst the heavenly purity of Norway’s Trio Mediaeval (22 May) fills the Victoria Baths, and the monks of the Tashi Lhunpo monastery (15 June) bring traditional Tibetan chant, longhorns and dance to the RNCM in honour of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s visit to Manchester in June. Matthew Herbert (18 May) turns his attentions to the life and times of One Pig, a thoughtprovoking evening of electronic music from a band that includes a chef cooking live on stage. The theatre stage will also welcome accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen (6 June) and a troup of Finnish wrestlers for an extraordinary collaboration complete with visuals, lighting and an amplified wrestling mat, whilst some of cult label FatCat’s finest electronica artists (21 May) come together for a triple-bill that explores the post-classical, transcendental vibe. Saxophones feature large in a strong jazz line-up, with a trio of Brits – Andy Sheppard with his new Trio Libero (26 May), Tim Garland with his trio Lighthouse (26 April), and John Surman (18 May, and in turn one of three collaborations with the Manchester Jazz Festival) – and one American, in the form of legend Bob Mintzer (7 July), who rounds off the RNCM Big Band year with an evening that promises an ensemble playing at its absolute peak. And it’s not all saxophones, with the effortless swing bass of Kyle Eastwood (4 May) and the melancholic sonic spells conjured by the trumpet of Arve Henriksen (22 May).

Steven Osborne (14 June) brings the second and final instalment of his complete Ravel piano music project, much anticipated beyond the electrifying first part this February. The Pražàk Quartet (18 June) focus on classic repertoire, whilst Eclipse (23 April), one of Europe’s finest early music groups, makes a long overdue return with a programme inspired by the early roots of English folk music. Several of the Summer’s festivals feature in our ongoing Nørth season (see opposite), including a Shakespearian RNCM Day of Song (29 April), the RNCM Keyboard Festival (23 -24 June), which this year surveys the piano music from Tromso to Tallinn, and Ny musik Dansk (13 -14 June), spotlighting the new music of Denmark and woven around visits from the two composer giants of that nation, Per Nørgård and Hans Abrahamsen. The RNCM Gold Medal Weekend (15 -17 June) returns for a seventh year, with 11 free recitals that feature some of the College’s finest young musicians in recital, whilst the four soloists studying on the RNCM’s International Artist Diploma course join Manchester Camerata (19 -20 May) for a weekend of popular concerti by Schumann, Mendelssohn and Mozart. The RNCM Symphony Orchestra will relish the chance to tell the Firebird’s story under conductor Gergely Madaras (18 May), before taking off to The Bridgewater Hall with a journey to Holst’s Planets, under the baton of Yan Pascal Tortelier (5 July). And we welcome Sir Mark Elder CBE to direct the RNCM Chamber Orchestra (22 June), marking the Summer solstice with a performance of the music that Mendelssohn wrote to accompany Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. There are seven free lunchtime concerts this Summer, featuring everything from gospel choir to guitar ensemble, and we’ve drawn these together in a separate listing on page 37. And look out too for our free Spotlights (marked with ), a chance to see just a little of the music that we make here at the College every day of the year. We look forward to seeing you at the RNCM this Summer.

Toby Smith Director of Performance and Programming

From rolling English hills to windswept Scottish isles, the fjords and lakes of Scandinavia and the frozen landscapes of the Arctic, Nørth explores music from the northern frontiers of Europe. From the traditional music of the British Isles and the best in Nordic jazz to the symphonic music of Elgar, Holst, Vaughan Williams, Sibelius, Grieg and Nielsen, and everything in between, this is music for a cold climate that warms us all. Since the bagpipes of Peter Maxwell Davies’ Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise heralded the opening of the Nørth season back in October, we’ve experienced the ice instruments of Terje Isungset, explored the polar regions on HD film with a live orchestra, and chilled out to N jazz-from-a-cold-climate from Christian Wallumrød and Tord Gustavsen. Twelfth Day have explored Scottish folk tales through music, Uiscedwr have thrown their last céilidh, and the New Music North West festival has spotlighted the contemporary music of our region, whilst the RNCM’s orchestras and ensembles have travelled from the Cornish seas of Bax’s Tintagel to Mendelssohn’s excursions around the Scotland isles, via the music of Elgar, Britten, Grieg and Sibelius.

NORTH N

As the far north approaches the endless daylight of midsummer, the music of the Nørth fills Manchester’s warming air. Musical innovator Kimmo Pohjonen pins us to the floor with a dynamic, high voltage music and movement experience for 12 wrestlers and amplified accordion; Victoria Baths offers the perfect acoustic for the three pure voices of Norway’s Trio Mediaeval and the quiet beauty of compatriot jazz trumpeter Arve Henriksen; whilst Jóhann Jóhannsson’s elegant, haunting, melancholic electronica flies a flag for the new Icelandic sound.

NORTH

Ny musik Dansk focuses on the contemporary music of Denmark, with Per Nørgård and Hans Abrahamsen in residence, whilst the RNCM Keyboard Festival surveys piano music from Bergen to St Petersburg. And Shakespeare’s enduring influence extends across much of the Summer season, from Eclipse’s exploration of English folk music, a Bard-influenced RNCM Day of Song, Mendelssohn’s music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music, which, along with Holst’s musical journey through The Planets, closes the Nørth season at The Bridgewater Hall in July.

RNCM Historic Instrument Collection Open 12 - 1pm before every lunchtime concert (see page 37 for details) and 6 - 7.15pm where this symbol appears. Festival opening times are listed on the appropriate pages. 3

Monday 23 April

Tuesday 24 April

The CoreSinging Experience

Eclipse

With Meribeth Dayme

An Apple for my Love

Come and enjoy a highly experimental, fun-filled, exciting way to approach singing. Drawing on a range of concepts, from both Western and Eastern practices to Quantum mechanics and recent studies on consciousness, the CoreSinging Experience is designed for anyone who wants to improve his or her voice. Past participants include students, teachers, singers, actors, choristers and directors, and all from aged 10 to 90 are welcome – everyone sings and participates.

Joy Smith celtic harps Layil Barr recorders, viol Nicholas Hurndall-Smith vocals Steve Player baroque dance, guitar

6.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Tickets £50, student concession £35, available only from www.coresinging.org Promoted by CoreSinging

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

NORTH N

NORTH

Would you dance from London to Norwich with a Shakespearean actor? Should you obey your father or follow your heart? Would you choose a cruel sister over a fair one? Could you resist following a bardic harper into battle, and if you met a female pirate, would you live to tell the tale? Come and find out with Eclipse’s feast of Irish jigs, English folk songs, Celtic legends, baroque grounds and Purcell songs… Monumental cathedrals and wild sea shores, Cornish fields and Scottish castles... Everything you wanted to know about the British Isles and didn’t dare ask! Tickets £17 £14 Concessions available www.eclipse-baroquefusion.com

eclipse

April

RNCM

Wednesday 25 – Saturday 28 April 7.30pm Saturday 28 April 2pm RNCM Studio Theatre

Guys and Dolls RNCM Youth Perform A musical fable of Broadway based on a story and characters of Damon Runyon Music and lyrics by Frank Loesser Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows Caroline Clegg director Jon Malaxetxebarria musical director Philip L Edwards lighting design This year’s production from the RNCM’s talented musical youth theatre group is a tale of gangsters, gambling and chorus girls, set in the bright lights of Broadway. Into this mix comes Sarah Brown, a Salvation Army officer from the Save-A-Soul Mission, intent on turning them away from their ungodly lives. When Sky Masterson, the coolest high roller of them all, accepts a bet to make her fall in love with him, the scene is set for an exhilarating evening of romance, comedy and outright mayhem. With its sizzling dance routines and songs such as Luck Be A Lady and Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat, this Broadway hit will have you humming all the way home. ‘Everything about the production... fizzed and sparkled with vivacity and humour.’ www.jildysauce.wordpress.com on Little Shop of Horrors, April 2011 This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Ltd on behalf of Music Theatre International of New York. Concessions available Youth Perform is supported by The Eric and Margaret Kinder Charitable Trust

RNCM

April

Tickets £10

Thursday 26 April

6.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Spotlight The Manchester Trumpet Sound Rex Richardson, in residency as Yamaha Visiting Tutor of Trumpet, joins RNCM students for some eclectic repertoire, ranging from the refined to the outrageous. Free admission, no ticket required

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Tim Garland’s Lighthouse + Ignite II Tim Garland saxophones Gwilym Simcock piano Asaf Sirkis drums RNCM String Ensemble Tim Garland returns to the RNCM with his latest Ignite project showcase. This exciting initiative sees Tim working alongside our students to create brand new works to be premièred in Manchester. In this, the second of the series, Tim has been working with string players and the results of this collaboration will be unveiled tonight.

April

Tickets £18 £16 £14

Concessions available www.triolighthouse.com

RNCM

lighthouse

The second half of the show features one of Tim’s many other projects, Lighthouse, a trio who return in their original line-up after a two year break working on other projects. The trio will be showcasing material from their new album, due out in May 2012, which positions the band as an orchestra unto themselves.

Friday 27 April

Saturday 28 April

The Magnetic Fields

Manchester Camerata

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

The Magnetic Fields return to their signature mix of synth and acoustic sounds, celebrating their latest release, Love at the Bottom of the Sea. They are joined this evening by support band, Tender Trap. Tickets £22.50 No concessions Promoted by DHP Group

6.30pm RNCM Lecture Theatre

Talking Point Dr Laura Tunbridge, Senior Lecturer in Music at The University of Manchester, presents an exploration of string music in the Romantic period. Free admission to ticket holders

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Portrait of Love Anton Webern Langsamer Satz (Slow Movement) Johannes Brahms (arr Hermann) Liebeslieder Waltzes Op 52 Antonín Dvorˇák (arr Matthews) Love Songs Op 83 Piotr llyich Tchaikovsky Souvenir de Florence Gábor Takács-Nagy conductor Anna Stéphany mezzo-soprano From Webern, whose inspiration was his future wife, Wilhelmine Mortel, to Tchaikovsky, whose muse was his mystery patron, Nadezhda von Meck, whom he never actually met, this portrait features works by composers struck by love.

Tickets £25 £18.50 £10 Promoted by

April

the magnetic fields

After the concert, stay on and enjoy free music with us in the RNCM Café Bar, in association with Manchester Jazz Festival.

Sunday 29 April

10.30am RNCM Concert Hall N

A SHAKESPEARE SONGNORTH DAY RNCM DAY OF SONG

NORTH A warm welcome to our annual RNCM Day of Song, an event which has become an important and much-anticipated date in the College calendar.

This year we have a literary theme to the day as we bring together the genius of Shakespeare and some of our great English song composers. We will draw on many aspects of RNCM music-making – our singers, pianists and instrumentalists – to produce a day full of variety, featuring spoken recitations and performances of wonderful settings of Shakespearean texts. The programme also includes a masterclass by Richard Wistreich and specially written works by our own composition students, as well as a performance by the RNCM Chamber Choir in the day’s closing concert. Do join us for a moving, stirring, thoughtprovoking occasion. Barbara Robotham, Sue Roper artistic directors RNCM

Day Ticket £30

April

Individual tickets as listed

Look out for two further concerts featuring Shakespearean settings later this season: Mendelssohn’s complete incidental music to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, performed by Mark Elder and the RNCM Chamber Orchestra on Friday 22 June (see page 26); and the orchestral setting of Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music, performed by the RNCM Symphony Orchestra on Thursday 5 July at The Bridgewater Hall (see page 32).

A marriage of true minds Shakespeare and Roger Quilter Roger Quilter Orpheus with his lute; When icicles hang by the wall Op 32 Roger Quilter Come away death; O mistress mine; Blow, blow thou winter wind Op 6 Roger Quilter Who is Sylvia?; When daffodils begin to peer; How should I your true love know; Sigh no more, ladies Op 30 Roger Quilter Fear no more the heat of the sun; Under the greenwood tree; It was a lover and his lass; Take, o take those lips away; Hey ho the wind and the rain Op 23 Many composers have been inspired by Shakespeare, but none more so than Roger Quilter, whose settings have given us some of our best loved songs. In this concert you will hear all of his Shakespeare songs, framed by Shakespeare texts. Tickets £6 Concessions available

11.45am Carole Nash Recital Room

2.15pm Carole Nash Recital Room

5.15pm Carole Nash Recital Room

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Madness and Magic

Masterclass with Richard Wistreich

Shakespeare through the centuries

Evening Concert

RNCM Dean of Research and Enterprise, Richard Wistreich works with RNCM singers on performing 16th and 17th century settings of Shakespeare and his contemporaries in appropriate style. Performers will sing with lute and theorbo accompaniment and gain insights into the performance values and ideals of the early modern era.

Thomas Morley It was a lover and his lass Robert Johnson Where the bee sucks (Versions 1 and 2) Dr John Wilson Take, o take those lips away John Banister Come unto these yellow sands; Full fathom five Pelham Humphrey Where the bee sucks Henry Purcell Come unto these yellow sands; Full fathom five Richard Leveridge When daisies pied John Weldon Take, o take those lips away Thomas Chilcott Orpheus with his lute; Hark hark the lark; Pardon Goddess of the night Thomas Arne When daisies pied; When icicles hang by the wall; Under the greenwood tree; Honour riches marriage blessing

Ralph Vaughan Williams Three Shakespeare Songs Constant Lambert Dirge from Cymbeline Hector Berlioz La mort d’Ophelia Gerald Finzi Let us garlands bring Igor Stravinsky Three songs from William Shakespeare Erich Korngold Songs of the clown Op 29 Roger Steptoe Five Shakespeare Songs for tenor and piano (world première) Joseph Horovitz Lady Macbeth Scena John Dankworth All the world’s a stage; Blow, blow thou winter wind; The compleat works Ralph Vaughan Williams Serenade to Music

Ophelia is one of Shakespeare’s most noted female characters. In this concert you see how she has appealed to the great Lieder composers Brahms and Strauss. Magic and sorcery have appeared in many of Shakespeare’s plays and here we also introduce Ariel personified in two varied song cycles by Michael Tippett and Jonathan Dove. Ariel will introduce himself, and Prospero’s words bring the concert to a close. Tickets £6 Concessions available

1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall

Scenes, sonnets and recitations To contrast with and complement the rest of the day’s activities, this part of the programme will feature RNCM students performing extracts from some of Shakespeare’s best loved plays. Dynamic, lively and enthralling, this part of the event promises a few delights and surprises! Tickets £6 Concessions available

Free admission, no ticket required

4pm RNCM Concert Hall

To thine own self be true Ivor Gurney, Madeleine Dring, Herbert Howells Under the greenwood tree Arthur Sullivan, Ralph Vaughan Williams Orpheus with his lute Peter Warlock, Ernest Moeran Sigh no more, ladies Eric Coates, Frederick Delius, Gerald Finzi It was a lover and his lass Douglas Steele, Hubert Parry, Frank Bridge Blow, blow thou winter wind Michael Betteridge It was a lover and his lass; Blow, blow thou winter wind; Under the greenwood tree (world première) Leah Fogo It was a lover and his lass; Blow, blow thou winter wind; Under the greenwood tree (world première) This concert offers a fascinating look at how the same text can inspire composers in many different ways. You will hear the spoken texts and some fascinatingly diverse reactions. The programme will also feature performances of new works by two RNCM composition students written especially for the day. Tickets £6 Concessions available

A rare opportunity to hear some less well known songs composed over two centuries, accompanied on the lute. Tickets £6 Concessions available

6.30pm RNCM Lecture Theatre

Pre-concert talk with David Lindley David Lindley, Professor of Renaissance Literature at the University of Leeds and an expert in the interrelationship between literature and music, explores song from Shakespeare’s lifetime. Free admission, no ticket required

Shakespeare in all his infinite variety

RNCM Chamber Choir James Burton conductor David Jones piano Soloists from the RNCM School of Vocal Studies Our closing concert features a variety of song and choral music, performed by the RNCM Chamber Choir and the RNCM’s talented young soloists, and all inspired by the words of Shakespeare. The concert will be framed by performances of two of Vaughan Williams’ best-loved works: the Three Shakespeare Songs, and the chamber arrangement of Serenade to Music, based on Act V of Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice. We are also delighted to present the first ever performance of Five Shakespeare Songs by the renowned British composer Roger Steptoe, who has completed writing these songs especially for this unique occasion. And, in an evening not to be missed, Shakespeare’s Puck will have the final say... Tickets £12 Concessions available

April

Johannes Brahms Five Ophelia Lieder Richard Strauss Ophelia Lieder Op 67 Jake Heggie Ophelia’s song Elizabeth Maconchy Ophelia’s song Michael Tippett Songs of Ariel Jonathan Dove Songs of Ariel

Monday 30 April

Tuesday 1 – Saturday 5 May

Tuesday 1 May

Wednesday 2 May

Manchester Camerata Unwrapped

Saturday 5 May 2pm

Cheadle Hulme School

Chess

Cheadle Hulme School presents an evening of music featuring the School’s choirs, orchestra, bands and chamber ensembles.

Masterclass with Noriko Ogawa

Edward Elgar Serenade for Strings Gábor Takács-Nagy sheds light on the conductor’s role in performance and interpretation as he leads a group of Camerata string players through some core repertoire. This interactive session demonstrates interpretative ideas with opportunity for discussion and questions, and will be followed after a short break by a complete performance of the work. Tickets £16 Promoted by

7.30pm

RNCM Studio Theatre

Music by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus Book and lyrics by Tim Rice Eleanor Ford director Emma Corrigan musical director Amidst political intrigue and international conspiracies, two world chess champions fight to win the heart of one woman in a romantic triangle that mirrors the heightened passions of the Cold War. Chess is set to an explosive score of opera, rock, pop and musical theatre and includes songs such as I Know Him So Well and One Night in Bangkok. Tickets £12

April | May

Concessions available (matinee performance only) Promoted by South Manchester AOS

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Tickets £8 Concessions available Promoted by Cheadle Hulme School

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Reflections on Debussy The acclaimed Japanese pianist Noriko Ogawa works with pianists and composers from the RNCM and Chetham’s School of Music. This class will focus on Debussy’s first book of Préludes, as well as new Préludes inspired by contemporary life in Manchester. A second masterclass will take place on 24 May, in preparation for a final performance of both sets of Préludes at The Bridgewater Hall on 9 June (see pages 17 and 20). Tickets £5 Concessions available Part of Reflections on Debussy, a series of concerts from The Bridgewater Hall and BBC Philharmonic RNCM in association with

Noriko Ogawa

6pm RNCM Concert Hall

Wednesday 2 May

Thursday 3 May

Candi Staton

Spotlight

8.30pm RNCM Theatre

Described as ‘a voice with a tear in it, the cry of a woman wounded by life, by men, by woes turned inwards’, American soul and gospel diva Candi Staton has been thrilling audiences with her raw, heartfelt, powerful voice for over 50 years, particularly with the hits Young Hearts, Run Free and You Got the Love. Tickets £24.50 No concessions Promoted by SENBLA and Band on the Wall

6.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Catalan Composers Pianist Carla Fernandez Boix takes us on a chronological journey through the music of three of the greatest Catalan composers, Albéniz, Mompou and Charles Soler. Free admission, no ticket required

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Ute Lemper Last Tango in Berlin Ute Lemper vocals Vana Gierig piano Hector Castro bandoneon One of the world’s great cabaret singers, Ute Lemper celebrates the tango and the music of Astor Piazzolla with some of his most dramatic and sensual songs about love, life, death, fatality, passion and survival in Buenos Aires. She finds a common destiny in these songs that take us on a journey through the dark alleys of Berlin, New York and Paris, drawing in evocative tangos from the pens of Kurt Weill and Jacques Brel. ‘Lemper simply makes beautiful music.’ New York Times Tickets £17.50 Concessions available www.utelemper.com

may

UTe lemper

RNCM

Thursday 3 May

Friday 4 May

Saturday 5 May

RNCM Brand New Orchestra

Spotlight

Junior RNCM Formal Concert

Carlos del Cueto, Yibin Seow, Duncan Ward conductors An opportunity to hear new works for symphony orchestra by RNCM composition students in this workshop performance. Free admission, no ticket required RNCM

Friday 4 May

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Wigan Music Service A Brass Band Olympic Triathlon Wigan Youth Brass Band Bolton Youth Brass Band Astley Youth Band David Little, Helen Minshall, Toby Hobson conductors The youth brass bands of Wigan, Bolton and Astley have achieved an enviable reputation for the excellence of their music-making and education programmes. This evening they join forces to celebrate the 2012 Olympic Games with a programme of predominantly British music and Olympic themes. Individual band performances will be followed by a massed band finale bringing together over 120 of some of the region’s finest school age brass players. Tickets £6

may

Concessions available Funded by Wigan Council Promoted by Wigan Music Service and Bolton Music Service (Councils)

6.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Supersax! This homage to the virtuosic Charlie Parker tribute band, Supersax, features a fully harmonized sax section that will tackle swing, funk, bebop and latin.

12.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

A varied and exciting programme featuring students from Junior RNCM. Free admission, no ticket required RNCM

Free admission, no ticket required

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Kyle Eastwood Band Kyle Eastwood bass Martyn Kaine drums Andrew McCormack piano Graeme Blevins saxophone Quentin Collins trumpet A virtuoso bassist on electric and upright, as well as a talented composer with a keen ear for great tunes, Kyle Eastwood is right at the forefront of the contemporary jazz scene, having chosen to immerse himself in the music he loves. Since signing to Candid Records in 2004, Kyle has toured extensively around the world, his music resonating with swing, groove and funk overtones. Growing up in California, and the eldest son of actor Clint Eastwood, as a child Kyle listened to the records of jazz stars such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Miles Davis. His childhood had jazz as its soundtrack and he credits his father with introducing him to the joys of the bass line. Today Kyle is less and less the son of Clint and more of a universally respected musician and leader in his own right, heading up a band whose live shows are phenomenal. Tickets £18 £16 £14 Concessions available www.kyleeastwood.com RNCM in association with Jazz FM

Kyle Eastwood

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Sunday 6 May

Friday 11 May

Saturday 12 May

Music for a Royal Jubilee

Spotlight

Re:Sound

Junior RNCM New Music Day

Music to include: Hubert Parry I Was Glad George Frideric Handel Zadok the Priest HWV 258 Ralph Vaughan Williams The Old Hundredth Psalm Tune ‘All people that on earth do dwell’

Composer Simon Parkin is writing a piece for every day of the year in a mixture of styles. Expect anything, everything and nothing! Today will be a selection from the 31 January compositions.

Conceived and directed by Katherine Wilde, Rebecca Lea and Jonathan Ainscough

Manchester Ladies Choir, Salford Community Choir, Urmston Choral Society, Werneth Concert Band Delia Maunder, Paul Trimble, Julie Parker conductors Allan Jones musical director Three leading Greater Manchester choirs combine with Werneth Concert Band to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth ll’s accession to the throne. There will also be an opportunity for the audience to join in with some traditional favourites.

The Calendar Project

Free admission, no ticket required

7pm and 9pm RNCM Studio Theatre

Battles Within and Without

Performed by Rebecca Lea, Emma Häll, Rebecca Anderson, Sarah Barham, William Balkwill, William Petter, Harry Bagnall, Peter Foggitt, Matthew Kellett and Jonathan Ainscough

Anniversary Concert Heather Brown conductor

Tickets £10

This annual event showcases performances of the school orchestra, school choir and gospel choir, big band, steel band, flute choir, brass group and drumming group.

RNCM

Concessions available Promoted by Manchester Ladies Choir, Salford Community Choir and Urmston Choral Society

Thursday 10 May 7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Trinity Church of England High School

Tickets £6 Concessions available Promoted by Trinity Church of England High School

12.30pm and 4.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

This New Music Day features works by Junior RNCM composition students, performed by fellow Junior RNCM students. The first session focuses on solo and chamber works, whilst the second concert focuses on the Junior RNCM New Music Ensemble. Free admission, no ticket required RNCM

Following their sell-out production of Into the Woods at the RNCM last season, Battles Within and Without is a new piece of music theatre created by the innovative music theatre collective Re:Sound, exploring human conflict from the external struggles of the battlefield to the inner turmoil of the heart. Featuring ten singer-instrumentalists, this new venture combines visceral vocal performances with exciting staging and movement. Bringing together Judith Weir’s 20th-century choral masterpiece Missa del Cid and a selection of Monteverdi’s Madrigali Guerrieri e Amorosi (Madrigals of War and Love), the texts - a Spanish medieval poem, extracts from the Latin Mass Ordinary, and Renaissance Italian poetry are contrasted with modern modes of narration to create a compelling juxtaposition of old and new. These elements will allow the audience to experience these magnificent vocal works in a new theatrical environment.

Tickets £10

Re:sound

6.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Concessions available

may

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Sunday 13 May

Tuesday 15 May

Wednesday 16 May

Duane Eddy

Piano Recital Prize

Angelique Kidjo

RNCM Jazz Collective

Produced by Richard Hawley and Colin Elliot, and following a 25 year hiatus, Duane Eddy’s latest album Road Trip showcases everything that is unique in the guitarist’s style. Drawing from different moments in Eddy’s career, the album ranges from rocking numbers with wailing sax to prettier, quieter numbers defined by elegance and space. In Eddy’s own words, the music reflects ‘echoes of the past, yet it sounds new’.

Talented students from the RNCM School of Keyboard Studies play a variety of piano repertoire to compete for this prize, adjudicated by Jonathan Plowright.

with Manchester World Voices Choir

with Rex Richardson

Audrey Mattis choir director

Mike Hall director Rex Richardson trumpet

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Tickets £22.50 No concessions Promoted by DHP Group

7pm RNCM Concert Hall

Tickets £9 Concessions available

RNCM

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Grammy award-winning singer Angelique Kidjo is one of Africa’s most powerful and charismatic stars, mixing driving dance rhythms and passionate political lyrics with her own extraordinary stage presence. She reaches huge numbers internationally with her recordings, tours and philanthropic work, her joy and passion embodying the spirit of Africa. After a string of classic albums on Island, and collaborations with Alicia Keys, Bono, John Legend and Dianne Reeves, Kidjo’s high-octane sound blends melodies from her traditional Benin roots, rhythm and blues, soul music and jazz. Angelique and her band will be joined in Manchester by the Manchester World Voices Choir, a new chorus drawn together to perform songs by Kidjo, including hits such as Agola and Fifa, before joining Angelique on the Africa stage as part of her performance in the BT River of Music festival in London this July.

7.30pm RNCM Studio Theatre

International trumpet soloist Rex Richardson joins our younger students for a programme of inspirational jazz virtuosity. Music will include pieces written to feature Rex and a selection from the library of the Mingus Big Band. Tickets £7 Concessions available

RNCM

9.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Spotlight John Kenworthy Quintet Exploring classic arrangements through a new perspective, the John Kenworthy Quintet creates an exciting blend of modern jazz and fusion. Free admission, no ticket required

‘Africa’s première diva.’ Time Magazine Tickets £20 £15

may

This project is produced by Serious with RNCM, as part of an ongoing participatory programme linked to BT River of Music, a spectacular weekend of free music from across the 205 Olympic and Paralympic nations, presented at iconic sites along the River Thames on 21-22 July 2012. BT River of Music is supported by National Lottery funds through the Olympic Lottery Distributor and Arts Council England. It is part of the London 2012 Festival.

This performance is part of We Face Forward, a season of contemporary art and music from West Africa, celebrated across Manchester. We Face Forward is part of the London 2012 Festival.

RNCM in association with

Angelique kidjo

Concessions available www.kidjo.com

Friday 18 May

Matthew Herbert: One Pig

RNCM Symphony Orchestra with Gergely Madaras

Seed Studios and RNCM Music for Health

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

FutureEverything Matthew Herbert electronics Tom Skinner drums, percussion Sam Beste samples, keyboards Rosie Sykes chef One Pig is the latest project from Matthew Herbert, an electronica album created entirely from recordings of a modern pig’s life cycle, from birth to sty to pan to plate, in effect the ‘biography’ of an otherwise-anonymous farm animal.

Herbert has pioneered the use of so-called ‘real’, ‘ordinary’ or ‘found’ sounds in modern electronic music. He has written scores inspired by packets of crisps and human hair, and once recorded 3,255 people biting into an apple at the same time in a quest for the perfect percussive beat. For 2005’s Plat du Jour, he created music from recordings of factory chickens and coffee beans as a commentary on modern-day food production and ecology, and One Pig promises to continue this creative and intelligent exploration of one of the key issues of our day through his trademark thoughtprovoking yet satisfying grooves.

Sergei Prokofiev Piano Concerto No 2 in G minor Op 16 Igor Stravinsky The Firebird (complete) Gergely Madaras conductor Syuzanna Kaso piano Prokofiev’s second Piano Concerto opens tonight’s proceedings, a composition notable for its terrifyingly difficult solo part and, especially, for the maniacal demands of the opening movement’s cadenza. Written for the Paris-based Ballet Russe, The Firebird made Stravinsky famous overnight. A straightforward fairytale – the firebird helps a young prince to rescue a beautiful princess from an evil ogre and win her heart – Stravinsky’s score is packed with orchestral colour that brings every part of the story to vivid life. Much of the musical language owes much to the composer’s teacher, Rimsky-Korsakov, yet there is much more besides: Debussy for one was thrilled by the score’s latent barbarism and revelled in its ‘unusual combinations of rhythms’.

7.30pm RNCM Studio Theatre

Collaborative project Members of Seed Studios in Old Trafford have been working with RNCM Music for Health students to develop original pieces of music. This performance celebrates the outcome of this fruitful collaboration. For further information contact RNCM Music for Health on 0161 907 5414. Tickets £3, available only on the door No concessions Sponsored by Trafford Council, blue SCI and PRS for Music Foundation Promoted by RNCM Music for Health and Seed Studios

Tickets £17 £14 Concessions available

RNCM

Tickets £16 Concessions available www.matthewherbert.com www.futureeverything.org in association with RNCM

may

matthew Herbert

One Pig débuted at the Royal Opera House in October last year on a stage filled with hay bales and musicians in white butchers’ coats. A new instrument, designed by Yann Seznec and called a ‘styharp’, was commissioned as part of the project, and will be played live alongside a chef who cooks bacon, onstage, as part of the performance in Manchester.

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 May

Sunday 20 May

Monday 21 May

RNCM INTERNATIONAL ARTIST DIPLOMA CONCERTO WEEKEND

Rocio Bolanos and Sophie Rosa

Hauschka + Dustin O’Halloran + NORTH Jóhann Jóhannsson

Saturday 19 May 7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Joris van den Berg and Maya Irgalina Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No 30 in D major K 202 Robert Schumann Cello Concerto in A minor Op 129 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No 35 in D major K 385 ‘Haffner’ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto in A major K 488 Carlos del Cueto, Jon Malaxetxebarria conductors Joris van den Berg cello Maya Irgalina piano Joris van den Berg performs Schumann’s Cello Concerto, a score that the composer finished in two hurried weeks and which reveals the composer’s love of the instrument. Maya Irgalina performs Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 23, a score packed with well-known themes that are gracefully lyrical and light and make it one of the most popular of all the composer’s piano concerti. Each of tonight’s concerti is complemented by a Mozart symphony, including the famous Haffner, one of his finest orchestral creations.

may

Tickets £16 £13

Concessions available RNCM in association with

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No 31 in D major K 297 ‘Paris’ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Clarinet Concerto in A major K 622 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No 33 in B flat major K 319 Felix Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor Op 64 Marco Bellasi, Andrew Gregory conductors Rocio Bolanos clarinet Sophie Rosa violin Rocio Bolanos performs Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, a work of consistently melancholic beauty, not least in its elegiac slow movement. There is no denying the work is among the very finest of concerti ever written for the instrument. As a young boy, Mendelssohn wrote two concertos for violin, both of them immensely accomplished. Yet, neither anticipated the breathtaking originality of his Violin Concerto in E minor, written very much later in 1844, a work that firmly rebuts the idea that the precocious composer lost most of his inspiration after the age of 20. Again, each of tonight’s concerti is complemented by a Mozart symphony, including the Paris symphony, so named as the composer was staying in the French capital at the time he wrote it. Tickets £16 £13 Concessions available Supported by Buffet Crampon

RNCM in association with Before the evening performance on Saturday 19 May there is a free Spotlight concert open to all. The Lucani Quartet will perform Grieg’s String Quartet in G minor Op 27 at 6.30pm in the RNCM Studio Theatre.

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

NORTH Celebrating FatCat’s ‘postclassical’ imprint, 130701 Records: Transcendentalists Tour 2012

A special triple bill of 130701 artists, all of whom are opening up very different pathways through the new musical zone where postclassical, electronica, ambient and song meet. The programme features Hauschka’s jawdropping classical / techno crossover Salon des Amateurs, a wholly original take on dance music written for prepared piano, orchestral instruments and drumkit; the elegant and hushed beauty of Dustin O’Halloran’s Lumiere, a studio LP for piano, electronics and strings, and Vorleben, a follow-up live album for solo piano; and Jóhann Jóhannsson’s The Miners’ Hymns, a powerful and moving soundtrack to Bill Morrison’s found-footage documentary on the mining communities of North East England and their tragic end, recorded live in Durham Cathedral by a 16-piece brass ensemble. Tickets £14 Concessions available www.130701.com RNCM Hey! Manchester

Jóhann Jóhannsson

with Manchester Camerata

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Tuesday 22 May

Thursday 24 May

7.30pm Victoria Baths,

1.30pm Barbirolli Room, The Bridgewater Hall

Hathersage Road, Manchester M13 0FE

Trio Mediaeval and Arve Henriksen

NORTH

Masterclass with Noriko Ogawa Reflections on Debussy

Anna Maria Friman, Linn Andrea Fuglseth, NORTH Berit Opheim Versto vocals Arve Henriksen trumpet The mesmerising sound of Trio Mediaeval’s female voices come together with Arve Henriksen’s hushed trumpet and live electronics to perform music both ancient and modern in a spine-tingling performance in the atmospheric acoustic of Manchester’s Victoria Baths. One of ECM’s major recording artists, the three Grammy award-winning singers of Trio Mediaeval have carved a high profile name for themselves in the USA and Europe, seamlessly entwining performances of mediaeval sacred music with traditional Norwegian folk and the work of contemporary composers like Gavin Bryars. Their riveting performances flow out of a deep-rooted knowledge of the music, continuously re-interpreting the ancient music of religious orders or the folk music of Nordic lands for a new audience, and using improvisation and an innate sensitivity to bring this beautiful music to life. Arve Henriksen is one of Norway’s most widely acclaimed musicians, a unique performer whose timeless music stretches across jazz, contemporary and folk to create haunting, filmic soundtracks.

This is the second of two masterclasses featuring the acclaimed Japanese pianist Noriko Ogawa. Working with pianists and composers from the RNCM and Chetham’s School of Music, this class will focus on Debussy’s first book of Préludes, as well as new Préludes inspired by contemporary life in Manchester. A final performance of both sets of Préludes takes place at The Bridgewater Hall on 9 June (see page 20). Tickets £5, available from The Bridgewater Hall box office only on 0161 907 9000 or www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk Part of Reflections on Debussy, a series of concerts from The Bridgewater Hall and BBC Philharmonic in association with RNCM

Concessions available www.triomediaeval.no

www.arvehenriksen.no

Supported by

RNCM in association with

Victoria Baths

may

Trio mediaeval

Tickets £15

Saturday 26 May

Tuesday 29 May

Friday 1 June

Spotlight

Sound Ideas

Spotlight

Transatlantic Winds

RNCM Outreach

Sounds of China

The Lekker Quintet, assisted by Leanne Cody, perform works from both sides of the Atlantic, mixing Gordon Jacob’s melancholic Sextet with Gershwin’s upbeat and relaxed American in Paris.

RNCM instrumentalists perform original works by GCSE and A-level students from Stretford High School, Marple Hall School, The Fallibroome Academy and Winstanley College, composed as part of the Sound Ideas Outreach project, working alongside composer Eve Harrison.

Showcasing traditional instrument the Guzheng, performer Yeeni Tse and other RNCM students bring together Chinese and Western sound worlds. This Spotlight also features a new work by RNCM composer Leo Geyer.

Free admission, no ticket required

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Free admission, no ticket required

Andy Sheppard’s Trio Libero

Supported by the Michael Tippett Musical Foundation

Andy Sheppard saxophones Michel Benita bass Seb Rochford drums Trio Libero is the latest project from British saxophonist Andy Sheppard, featuring French bassist Michel Benita and British drummer Seb Rochford. From Rochford’s work with Polar Bear to Benita’s collaborations with Archie Shepp and Lee Konitz, Trio Libero is shaped by three leading individuals from today’s jazz scene. Performing from their self-titled début ECM album, together they produce exquisite grooves and insinuating themes with an easy grace that belies the musical sophistication at work. Tickets £18 £16 £14

may | JUne

Concessions available www.andysheppard.co.uk RNCM in association with

6pm RNCM Studio Theatre

6.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Free admission, no ticket required

7.30pm RNCM Studio Theatre

Flea Circus Jack Davies trumpet Rob Cope clarinet, bass clarinet Aidan Shepherd accordion James Opstad bass Flea Circus is Jack Davies’ latest small group project, inspired by Dave Douglas’ Charms of the Night Sky group, the French Bal-Musette, and Ivo Papasov’s incredible Bulgarian band. In stark contrast to much of the electrified music being made today, Flea Circus is an entirely acoustic chamber group. With a dark, nocturnal sound, Flea Circus draws on the canon of European jazz and contemporary music, fusing composition and improvisation. Following concerts at LSO St Luke’s and a broadcast from the BBC Proms for BBC Radio 3, the band’s self-titled début album will be available from April 2012, and this tour draws on material from this recording. Tickets £12 Concessions available www.jdaviesmusic.co.uk

RNCM

trio libero

6.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Saturday 2 June

Wednesday 6 June

Indian Classical Music Society Manchester

Spotlight

Bansuri Recital

Kimmo Pohjonen: Accordion Wrestling

An exciting duo explores different genres of music composed for flute and guitar, taking you on a journey from Spain to the Americas.

Teymour Housego bansuri (Indian flute) Alok Verma tabla (Indian drums) Teymour Housego grew up in Paris and Delhi studying Indian classical music and jazz. His collaborations with Western and world fusion musicians have taken the richness of Indian melodic phrasing, the wealth of mood-evoking ragas and the playfulness of complex rhythms to new levels. He is joined in this concert by the versatile and accomplished tabla player, Alok Verma. Tickets £10, available from 0161 789 2856 or abuchicms@gmail.com

kimmo pohjonen : Accordion wrestling

Concessions available Promoted by The Indian Classical Music Society Manchester

6.30pm RNCM Studio Theatre

Recuerdo

Free admission, no ticket required

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

NORTH N

NORTH Music, film and wrestling combine for this extraordinary sport and arts experience, featuring the sonic power of Kimmo Pohjonen’s accordion set against the physical prowess of twelve champion wrestlers.

Finnish musical adventurist Pohjonen’s mission is to expand the capabilities, sound and experience of the accordion to levels never heard before. Accordion, voice, effects, surround sound and light combine to make highly distinctive and captivating performances which have won Kimmo ardent fans across musical genres. Accordion Wrestling takes a modern spin on the Finnish wrestling tradition from the early to mid-1900s, when the accordion was used as musical accompaniment for wrestling matches, expanding it into an innovative and entertaining physical theatre and music performance with Finnish wrestling group Helsinki Nelson, members of the British Wrestling Association and Finland’s leading creative production team. Using the latest lighting and sound technology, Accordion Wrestling features film, music performance and choreographed wrestling presented on a specially designed amplified wrestling mat and using surround sound to dramatic effect. A pioneering sport and music production, catch Accordion Wrestling before its residency at New York’s Lincoln Center. ‘Finland may be a land without Elvis…but it is a land with Kimmo Pohjonen.’ Wire Tickets £15 Concessions available www.kimmopohjonen.com Supported by

RNCM in association with

june

6.30pm RNCM Studio Theatre

Saturday 9 June

10am The Bridgewater Hall

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Impressions of Manchester NORTH N

Reflections on Debussy

NORTH Pianists and composers from the RNCM and Chetham’s School of Music present the first book of Debussy’s Préludes alongside a new cycle of Préludes inspired by modern-day Manchester life. Free admission, no ticket required

RNCM Chamber Ensemble

Concessions available Promoted by Phil Jones for Edge St Live

Please contact The Bridgewater Hall box office on 0161 907 9000 for more information Part of Reflections on Debussy, a series of concerts from The Bridgewater Hall and BBC Philharmonic in association with RNCM

Sunday 10 June

Vintage Mist’s Comedy Jam

Absolution Saxophone Quartet

7pm RNCM Theatre N

NORTH N

NORTH In her first studio recording for six years, Stories from the Steeples demonstrates Mary Black’s bewitching vocal prowess coupled with her trademark warmth and sincerity. Along with her full five-piece band, Mary performs songs of utmost grace and beauty, casting light and shade amongst the lyrics of carefully chosen songwriters. Tickets £24.50 £19.50 £15

Following Noriko Ogawa’s performance of Debussy’s Douze Etudes in the evening’s main concert, stay on for a performance of Jacques Ibert’s sparking Divertissement, bringing The Bridgewater Hall’s Reflections on Debussy festival to a close.

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Stories from the Steeples

9.30pm The Bridgewater Hall

Ibert’s Divertissement

Mary Black

Sunday 10 June

Vintage Mist’s Comedy Jam brings together a perfect mix of British and American comedians, tonight featuring Slim, Kojo, Victor Daniels, Tony Woods and Lateef Lovejoy in an evening of stand-up comedy, full of explosive energy and humour. Tickets £18 Concessions available Promoted by Marcel Remy Clarke

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

RNCM International Artist Diploma Chamber Music Recital Gavin Bryars Alaric I or II Jacob Ter Veldhuis Postnuclear Winterscenario No 10 Luis Tinoco Short Cuts Peter van Onna Gravity of D Ian Wilson So Softly Tristan Keuris Music for Saxophones Currently studying on our International Artist Diploma in Chamber Music course, the Absolution Saxophone Quartet follows up its Chamber Music Festival performance with this eclectic programme. The players have chosen the works in tonight’s programme to showcase the full range of what the saxophone quartet can do, giving them ample opportunity to demonstrate their innate sense of ensemble and electrifying performance style. Tickets £10 Concessions available www.absolutionsaxophonequartet.com

RNCM

absolution saxophone quartet

Saturday 9 June

Monday 11 June

6.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Spotlight Songs Without Words This Spotlight presents two of Robert Schumann’s finest chamber works, Drei Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano, and Fünf Stücke im Volkston for cello and piano. Free admission, no ticket required

Tuesday 12, Thursday 14, Tuesday 19 and Thursday 21 June 6pm RNCM Theatre

RNCM Opera Scenes RNCM students from the School of Vocal Studies perform selected staged excerpts drawn from operas by Weber, Offenbach, Britten, Cimarosa, Debussy, Donizetti, Rossini and Verdi. Free admission, no ticket required

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

RNCM

RNCM Viola Prize The RNCM’s leading young viola players compete for the annual Viola Prize. Tonight’s adjudicator will be Fiona Winning, RNCM alumna and Principal Violist of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Tickets £7 Concessions available

RNCM

7.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Masterclass with Michael Cox

Tickets £9 Concessions available

RNCM

june

One of Britain’s top flautists, Michael Cox holds down three jobs as Principal Flute with three outstanding and contrasting ensembles: the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields and London Sinfonietta. Formerly holding principal positions with the London Symphony Orchestra, London Mozart Players and Britten Sinfonia, he has a huge range of experience to draw upon as he shares his insights with RNCM flautists in this masterclass.

Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 June

Wednesday 13 June 1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall

NY MUSIK DANSK: NEW MUSIC FROM DENMARK PER NØRGÅRD AND HANS ABRAHAMSEN

Lunchtime Concert N

NORTH N

NORTH Two giants dominate the current Danish musical landscape - Per Nørgård and Hans Abrahamsen. Although their music is very different, both composers have reacted to the post-Nielsen aesthetic by embracing soundscapes full of drama, mystery and colour.

Abrahamsen’s epic work Schnee receives a complete performance by a recently-formed group of current RNCM students and recent graduates, the OCM Ensemble. The focus on Nørgård follows a major performance of his music with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall on 12 June, leaving plenty of time for all supporters, including Nørgård himself, to make it back up to Manchester for the wonderful first lunchtime concert. Don’t miss these two grand figures of European new music! Clark Rundell artistic director RNCM

Per Nørgård The Well-Tempered Percussion Tom Harrold New work (world première) Per Nørgård Dancers Around Jupiter Taking Bach as a starting point, Nørgård has brilliantly reworked various motives from the Well-Tempered Clavier into a work of wit and colour. Free admission, no ticket required

5.15pm RNCM Studio Theatre

Open Forum and Performance Per Nørgård Billet Doux Per Nørgård Mod Aften Per Nørgård Within the Fairy Ring – And Out of It Per Nørgård String Quartet No 6 ‘Tintinnabulary’ A chance to hear Nørgård talking about his life and music together with performances of some of his best-known chamber works, including the beautiful sixth string quartet. Free admission, no ticket required

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

RNCM New Ensemble Per Nørgård Prelude to breaking Per Nørgård And life’s sweet summer sleeps below Per Nørgård Lila Daniel Kidane New work (world première) Per Nørgård Night-Symphonies, Day Breaks Clark Rundell, Jon Malaxetxebarria, Aljoša Škorja conductors The RNCM New Ensemble performs two major works for ensemble, including the exceptionally original and sparkling Lila, whilst eight RNCM cellists bring to life Nørgård’s haunting and rarely heard work, And life’s sweet summer sleeps below. Free admission, by ticket only

Thursday 14 June

5.15pm RNCM Lecture Theatre

Open Forum and Performance Hans Abrahamsen Hans Abrahamsen Hans Abrahamsen (UK première) Hans Abrahamsen

Gush Hymn and Siciliano Three pieces by Schumann Flowersongs

Andrew Gregory conductor Hans Abrahamsen speaks about his work and his fascinating journey as a composer alongside performances of some of his beautiful chamber works. Abrahamsen’s catalogue features a number of arrangements of works by other composers and in this concert, three of Schumann’s works receive the Abrahamsen treatment. Free admission, no ticket required

7.30pm RNCM Studio Theatre

OCM Ensemble Hans Abrahamsen Schnee Carlos del Cueto conductor Hans Abrahamsen gives a personal insight into this huge and fascinating work, prior to a rare complete performance by the OCM Ensemble. This is an event not to be missed, and draws our Danish composer festival to a close.

june

Free admission, by ticket only

Thursday 14 June

Friday 15 June

Steven Osborne

Tashi Lhunpo Monks

Maurice Ravel: The Complete Solo Piano Music Part 2

The Power of Compassion: Sacred Sounds from Tibet

Maurice Ravel Menuet Antique; Miroirs; Valses nobles et sentimentales; Le tombeau de Couperin

As a prelude to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s visit to Manchester this weekend, eight Tibetan monks from the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery offer a dramatic presentation of their unique sacred dances, music and prayers, with colourful traditional costumes and ceremonial masks.

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Following his first astonishing concert of Ravel’s solo piano works in February, RNCM alumnus Steven Osborne returns to complete the cycle.

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Tickets £17 £14

The sacred world of Tibet is filled with the chanting of Buddhist texts, the recitation of mantras, the ringing of bells, the clash of cymbals, the booming of the great long horns and the beating of drums. Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, founded by the first Dalai Lama in the 15th century, and the seat of the Panchen Lama, is one of the most important monasteries in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Now re-established in exile in South India, the monastery is once again becoming one of the major centres of learning and the performance offers a rare opportunity to witness a unique and endangered culture.

Concessions available www.stevenosborne.co.uk

Tickets £12

RNCM

Concessions available www.tashi-lhunpo.org.uk

Tonight’s programme features Ravel’s first published piece, the Menuet Antique, alongside Miroirs and Valses nobles et sentimentales, the latter being the composer’s favourite among his own piano works. Also featured is Ravel’s last solo piece for piano, Le tombeau de Couperin, written as a tribute to those who lost their lives in the First World War. ‘ever a poised, technically impeccable virtuoso, [Steven Osborne] combines clarity with heart… a shimmering pleasure.’ The Observer

The monks will be in residence at the RNCM from Monday 11 June, creating a sand mandala on the lower concourse over the next five days. Starting with a dedication ceremony at 9am on Monday 11 June, the monks will spend five days painstakingly creating a two-dimensional image of a Buddha’s palace using thousands of individually-placed grains of coloured sand. The mandala will be completed by Friday 15 June and at 1pm it will be destroyed in a moving ceremony. Both ceremonies are free and open to the public, as will be viewing of the creative process throughout the week.

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tashi lhunpo monks

RNCM

Friday 15 – Sunday 17 June

Friday 15 June

Saturday 16 June

RNCM GOLD MEDAL WEEKEND

Daria Bitsiuk piano

Sarah Bennett flute

This year’s RNCM Gold Medal Weekend features recitals by 11 of the RNCM’s finest young performers, each competing for the much-coveted RNCM Gold Medal. Also featured are three RNCM composers who have been commissioned to write a new work for the weekend, and you’ll be able to hear these premières performed by three of the soloists. There’s also a chance to hear last year’s Gold Medal winners, and the weekend ends with the announcement of the 2012 winners.

Carlos Seixas Sonata No 24 in B flat major J S Bach Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor BWV 903 Franz Schubert (arr Liszt) Ständchen von Shakespeare ‘Horch, horch! die Lerch’; Gretchen am Spinnrade Lowell Liebermann Allegro moderato and Presto feroce from Gargoyles Op 29 Sergei Prokofiev Piano Sonata No 7 in B flat major Op 83

Come along and experience performances by some of the stars of tomorrow.

9.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

The RNCM Gold Medal Weekend 2012 is dedicated to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee.

Jonathan Scott piano

Toby Smith Director of Performance and Programming

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RNCM

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Robert Fant french horn Prosper van Eechaute Nachtpoëma (Poème Nocturne) Halsey Stevens Horn Sonata Franz Strauss Nocturno Op 7 Reinhold Glière Four Pieces Op 35 Trygue Madsen Horn Sonata Op 24

10am RNCM Concert Hall

Jonathan Scott piano

Thea Musgrave Narcissus Paul Taffanel Fantaisie sur le Freischütz Brian Ferneyhough Cassandra’s Dream Song Carl Reinecke Undine Sonata 11.30am RNCM Concert Hall

Peter Liang violin

3.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Elfair Dyer harp

Gwenllian Elias mezzo-soprano Mared Emlyn Perlau yn y Glaw Traditional Gypsy music on triple harp John Parry Sonata No 1 John Thomas Dafydd y Garreg Wen Traditional Cerdd Dant Verse Singing Robert Ap Huw Extracts from the Manuscript Rhodri Davies Harp Feedback No 3 (world première) William Mathias Santa Fe Suite

Malcolm Forbes-Peckham piano Witold Lutosl´awski Subito Leoš Janácˇek Violin Sonata Franz Schubert Fantasy in C major D 934 Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Valse-Scherzo Op 34 2pm RNCM Concert Hall

Gintaute Gataveckaite piano Friedrich Gulda Prelude and Fugue César Franck Prelude, Chorale and Fugue Jack Sheen New work (world première of an RNCM commission) Sergei Prokofiev Piano Sonata No 6 in A major Op 82

5pm RNCM Concert Hall

Hanna-Liisa Kirchin mezzo-soprano David Jones piano

Christoph Gluck Addio, addio miei sospiri from Orfeo ed Euridice Ambroise Thomas Elle-est la! Près de lui from Mignon Claude Debussy Trois chansons de Bilitis Michael Betteridge New work (world première of an RNCM commission) Richard Strauss Schlagende Herzen; Heimliche Aufforderung; Mein Herz ist stumm; Hat gesagt - bleibst nicht dabei; Zueignung Garth Bardsley Songs for girls of a certain age (world première) Zina Goldrich The Alto’s lament

Svetlana Mochalova cello Slava Sidorenko piano Alberto Ginastera Pampeana No 2 Claude Debussy Cello Sonata in D minor Anton Webern Three Little Pieces Op 11 Olivier Messiaen Praise to the Eternity of Jesus from Quartet for the End of Time Benjamin Britten Cello Sonata in C major Op 65 9.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Kyran Matthews saxophone Martyn Parkes piano

Jenni Watson Urban Species (world première)

Sunday 17 June

4pm RNCM Concert Hall

6.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Lan Hu piano

2011 Gold Medal Winners’ Concert

2012 Gold Medal Winners’ Concert

11.30am RNCM Concert Hall

Muzio Clementi Piano Sonata Op 25 No 5 Maurice Ravel Gaspard de la nuit Robert Schumann Fantasiestücke Op 12 2pm RNCM Concert Hall

Le Yu percussion

Rory Farrell, Graham Proctor, Chang-Chun Tsai, Delia Stevens percussion Mark Harrison trumpet Deqing Wen Kung-Fu for multi-percussion Eric Sammut Variations on Porgy and Bess Jan Bradley Chieba for trumpet and percussion Anna Ignatowicz Toccata for marimba Zakiya Leeming New work (world première of an RNCM commission) Harold Arlen (arr Seide Leth) Over the rainbow for vibraphone Toshimitsu Tanaka Persona for marimba and percussion ensemble (UK première)

and announcement of the 2012 Gold Medal Winners

Stephanie Pfeffer soprano Maya Irgalina piano Kristine Healy flute

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Der Zauberer; Als Luise die Briefe Frances Poulenc C and Fêtes Galantes from Deux Poèmes de Louis Aragon Eoin Roe Hope Richard Strauss Ich wollt ein Sträusslein binden; Das Rosenband; Amor

The newly awarded 2012 Gold Medal winners conclude the festivities with a showcase performance of works from their winning programmes.

Free admission to all recitals, exit by donation in aid of Childreach International, a charity that works in genuine partnership with local communities in the developing world to help improve children’s access to healthcare, education, and child rights and protection.

Julian Clef piano Nikolai Kapustin Eight Concert Études Op 40 Nos 1, 4, 6 and 8 Béla Bartók Piano Sonata We welcome back two of last year’s Gold Medal winners to perform in this celebratory concert, which will conclude with the announcement of the 2012 Gold Medal winners.

june

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

7pm RNCM Theatre

Opera Seria Anna Bolena Gaetano Donizetti Anna Bolena Opera Seria Orchestra Jonathan Lo conductor Madeline Claire de Berrie director Rochelle Hart Anna Bolena Dmitry Yumashev Enrico VIII Benedetta Orsi Giovanna Seymour Richard Hansen Lord Percy Heather Lupton Smeton Marco Bellasi Lord Rochefort Adam Player Hervey Opera Seria presents this fully-staged production of Donizetti’s bel canto masterpiece, Anna Bolena. With lust, betrayal and beheadings, the opera portrays the final period in the life of Anne Boleyn, England’s ill-fated queen, driven to the brink of insanity and subsequent death by her husband, King Henry VIII. Tickets £15 £12.50

june

Concessions available Promoted by Opera Seria

Monday 18 June 6pm RNCM Studio Theatre

Spotlight Indigestion – A New Musical After previous performances in the Not Part Of festival and The Lowry Restaurant, Indigestion, a musical set in a working restaurant, comes to the RNCM in a semi-staged concert performance. Free admission, no ticket required

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Pražák Quartet Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart String Quartet No 21 in D major K 575 Alexander Zemlinsky String Quartet No 1 in A major Op 4 Antonín Dvorˇák String Quartet No 13 in G major Op 106 Pavel Hula, Vlastimil Holek violin Josef Kluson viola Michal Kanka cello We’re delighted to welcome the award-winning Pražák Quartet to the RNCM. Established in 1972 while its members were studying at the Prague Conservatory, the quartet has gone on to earn its place in the Czech quartet tradition through its musical virtuosity. Tonight, the ensemble opens with an understated quartet by Mozart which finds the composer in an almost secretive mood. Zemlinsky’s contribution is jubilantly romantic, whilst Dvorˇák’s quartet contains a beautiful set of soulful Adagio variations, shot through with more joyful moments but ultimately creating a mood of melancholic resignation. Tickets £17 £14 Concessions available www.prazakquartet.com

RNCM

PraŽák quartet

Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 June

Wednesday 20 June

Friday 22 June

Spotlight

RNCM Chamber Orchestra NORTH with Sir Mark Elder NORTH CBE

New Music for Oboe and Piano This Spotlight explores contemporary British music for oboe and piano with works written by established and emerging composers, including two world premières by current and recent students of the RNCM. Free admission, no ticket required

7.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

RNCM Composers’ Concert Adam Gorb, RNCM Head of Composition, introduces this concert of new and recently premièred works written by RNCM composers, performed by their fellow students. Tickets £7 Concessions available

RNCM

Friday 22 June

6.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Spotlight Eight Cellos

sir Mark Elder cbe

An eclectic mix of repertoire from Bach to Queen arranged for the rich tones of the cello octet. Free admission, no ticket required

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall N

Carl Maria von Weber* Overture to Oberon Igor Stravinsky Concerto in E flat, ‘Dumbarton Oaks’ Claude Debussy Syrinx Felix Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream (complete) Op 21 and 61 Mark Elder conductor Carlos del Cueto* assistant conductor Joshua Batty flute tbc narrator Sarah Ogden soprano Sarah Richmond mezzo-soprano RNCM Ladies Chorus David Jones chorus director The RNCM Chamber Orchestra is joined by the Hallé’s Music Director Sir Mark Elder CBE for this stunning programme, to raise funds for Future Talent, a charity founded and directed by HRH The Duchess of Kent, the RNCM’s founding President and a strong advocate for music education in the UK. Oberon heralds tonight’s concert in the overture to Weber’s opera, which makes way for one of Stravinsky’s most exhilarating chamber scores. We then mark the Summer solstice with a complete performance of incidental music by Mendelssohn, written to accompany a performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Rarely performed complete, this music beautifully captures the elfin atmosphere of Shakespeare’s play, providing an evocative series of musical tableaux, linked together by narrated extracts from Shakespeare’s play. Tickets £20 £15 Concessions available Tonight’s proceeds will be donated to Future Talent www.futuretalent.org RNCM in association with

june

6.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 June

Saturday 23 June 11.30am RNCM Concert Hall N

Angels of the north: NORTH the keyboard music of NORTH scandinavia, the baltics and st petersburg N

RNCM KEYBOARD WEEKEND Welcome to this year’s RNCM Keyboard Weekend that focuses on the keyboard music of The North. The festival takes us on an inspirational journey, which begins in Norway with Grieg’s beautifully poetic Lyric Pieces. We continue in Scandinavia with contrasting works by two of Denmark’s finest composers, Nielsen and Nørgård. A wide-ranging Finnish programme leads us to the Saturday night concert featuring many of Scandinavia’s most cherished works, performed by tutors and alumni of the College. Sunday is given over primarily to the Baltic States of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, together with music from St Petersburg, including the evocative and colourful works of ‘The Five’. RNCM keyboard students perform the majority of the works in the festival, with appearances from tutors, alumni of the College and the wonderful Russian pianist, Nikolai Demidenko. We are also delighted to welcome pianists from Chetham’s School of Music and Junior RNCM. Lectures from Daniel Grimley and George Kennaway will help contextualise this enthralling repertoire. Enjoy the journey. Graham Scott artistic director

june

RNCM

Festival Ticket £50 Day Tickets £28 Individual tickets as listed

Grieg Lyric Pieces Pianists from Junior RNCM and Chetham’s School of Music Edvard Grieg Lyric Pieces Brilliant young pianists perform a selection of the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg’s charming Lyric Pieces. Grieg wrote 66 of these distinctive short works throughout his life, and became so adept at writing for the genre that he once amusingly complained ‘...I have been lyric once again. Can’t you please cure me of this affliction?’ Tickets £7

3.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Finland’s Finest Einojuhani Rautavaara Sonata No 2 Op 64 ‘The Fire Sermon’ Selim Palmgren Youth Op 28 Jean Sibelius Valse Triste Einojuhani Rautavaara from Etudes Op 42 Einar Englund Introduction and Toccata Four of Finland’s finest composers are represented in this concert, including Sibelius and his hugely popular Valse Triste, a piece of utmost beauty, tinged with melancholy and nostalgia. Tickets £7 Concessions available

Concessions available

5pm Carole Nash Recital Room 2pm RNCM Concert Hall

The Great Danes Per Nørgård Canon Per Nørgård Nine Studies Op 25b Carl Nielsen Three Piano Pieces Op 59 Carl Nielsen Commotio Op 58 Perhaps the best known composer to hail from Denmark, Carl Nielsen became internationally recognised for his six symphonies, but he also wrote a number of extraordinary works for piano and organ. Commotio, Nielsen’s last major work, is almost symphonic in its scale, intertwining two fugues to produce a masterpiece of epic proportions. Also featured are two works by Per Nørgård, who visits the RNCM earlier in June for a retrospective of his music (see page 22). Tickets £7 Concessions available

Lecture with Daniel Grimley Rapture, Idyll, Counterpoint: Scandinavian Keyboard Music Daniel Grimley, a professor at Merton College Oxford and expert in Scandinavian music, gives an insight into the keyboard music being performed in the day’s concerts. Free admission, no ticket required

Evening Concert Grieg Piano Concerto with Graham Scott Christian Sinding The Rustle of Spring Op 32 No 3 Carl Nielsen Chaconne Op 32 Edvard Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor Op 16 (string quartet version) Jean Sibelius Finlandia Op 26 Einar Englund Piano Quintet Graham Scott, Peter Seivewright, Yuanfan Yang, Jeremy Young piano Jeffrey Makinson organ Benyounes Quartet Zara Benyounes, Emily Holland violins Sara Roberts viola Kim Vaughan cello Grieg’s Piano Concerto forms the centrepiece of this evening’s concert, featuring the very best keyboard music Scandinavia has to offer. The then 24-year-old composer wrote his one and only concerto in neighbouring Denmark, but he stayed true to his Norwegian roots in this hugely popular work, its unmistakable opening flourish on the piano featuring a falling motif, typical of the folk music of his homeland. We are delighted to welcome back RNCM alumni the Benyounes Quartet and the pianist Peter Seivewright, who has recorded the complete Nielsen piano music for Naxos, tonight performing his Chaconne. We also welcome Yuanfan Yang, the 2010 winner of the RNCM James Mottram International Piano Competition junior category and current BBC Young Musician of the Year finalist, and the organist Jeffrey Makinson, who gives a rendition of Sibelius’ rousing Finlandia. Tickets £17 £14 Concessions available

Sunday 24 June

11.30am Carole Nash Recital Room

Lecture with George Kennaway The Keyboard Music of the Baltics George Kennaway, a former principal cellist with the Orchestra of Opera North and current Research Assistant at Leeds University, looks ahead to the music being performed in this afternoon’s concerts. Free admission, no ticket required

2pm RNCM Concert Hall

The Baltics 1 Eduard Tubin Six Preludes Arvo Pärt Trivium Mikalojus Konstantinas Cˇiurlionis Šeriau žirgeli Anatolijus Šenderovas M K Cˇiurlionis Sketches Mikalojus Konstantinas Cˇiurlionis Little Sonata Julius Andrejevas Fate Jaan Rääts Toccata The first of two concerts featuring composers from the Baltic States, including the Lithuanian composer and cultural icon, M K Cˇiurlionis, who not only wrote over 200 works for the piano, but was also an established artist, creating over 300 paintings in his short life. Tickets £7 Concessions available

3.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

The Baltics 2

Nikolai Demidenko

Arvo Pärt Für Alina Arvo Pärt Variationen zur Gesundung von Arinuschka Pe¯teris Vasks Fantasia Lepo Sumera Piece from the Year 1981 Mikalojus Konstantinas Cˇiurlionis Prelude and Fugue Erkki-Sven Tüür Piano Sonata Two pieces by the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt open this second survey of keyboard music from the Baltics. Pärt has become internationally renowned for his signature, minimalist voice, which he introduced to the world back in 1976 with Für Alina, a peaceful and introspective work written for a family friend who moved to London. Tickets £7 Concessions available

5pm Carole Nash Recital Room

The Five at Five Alexander Borodin Petite Suite Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Four Pieces Op 11 César Cui Two Preludes from 25 Preludes Op 64 Modest Mussorgsky Sonata in C major for piano duet Mily Balakirev Islamey Op 18 The Five, or The Mighty Handful, was a group of five self-trained nationalist composers who aimed to create a distinctively Russian style of music. Orientalism became a trademark of this ‘Russian’ style, particularly in Balakirev’s Islamey, inspired by the composer’s trip to the Caucasus. Tickets £7 Concessions available

Pictures at an Exhibition Mikhail Glinka Nocturne Vasily Kalinnikov Nocturne Anton Rubinstein Barcarolle No 5 Op 93 Felix Blumenfeld Nocturne-Fantasia Nikolai Medtner Canzona Serenata; Sonata Reminiscenza Modest Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition We are delighted to welcome the internationally acclaimed Russian pianist Nikolai Demidenko to close the RNCM Keyboard Weekend with a performance of Mussorgsky’s showpiece suite for piano, Pictures at an Exhibition, inspired by the drawings and watercolours of Viktor Hartmann. The ten movements that make up the complete suite depict the enormous variety in character of the individual paintings, from the clumsy little gnome of the first movement to the majestic great gates of the work’s grand final movement. It’s an aural delight, with the sounds of bells, chimes, chants and much more bringing these paintings to life – and in the hands of Demidenko, it’s an experience not to be missed. Tickets £17 £14 Concessions available

june

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

MONday 25 june

Wednesday 27 June

Thursday 28 June

Saturday 30 June

Aquarelle Guitar Quartet

Christopher Rowland RNCM Chamber Ensemble of the Year Award

Special Virtuosi Summer Concert

Junior RNCM

Special Virtuosi students and tutors present their Olympic-themed summer concert, featuring a selection of solo, orchestral and chamber ensemble items. Tickets £7

Performance Day features a host of Junior RNCM ensembles, including the Foundation Section, Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Brass Band, Vocal Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble. For full details contact the Junior RNCM on 0161 907 5264.

Concessions available Promoted by Special Virtuosi

Free admission, no ticket required

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Michael Baker, Vasilis Bessas, James Jervis, Rory Russell guitar Tonight’s concert marks the launch of the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet’s latest CD release Final Cut, featuring celebrated film themes including music from Frida, Django Reinhardt’s Minor Swing, Luis Bacalov’s Il Postino and Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Merry Christmas Mr Laurence. Currently enjoying positive reviews, BBC Music Magazine describes this latest release as one of ‘outstanding playing and infectious spirit… luscious and lively’. Tickets £12 Concessions available Promoted by Aquarelle Guitar Quartet

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Tonight’s competition brings together the winners of each of the RNCM’s chamber music prizes, held over the course of the academic year, to compete for this prestigious annual award. The proceeds from tonight’s competition will go towards the Christopher Rowland International Masterclass Fund. Tickets £9 Concessions available

RNCM

2+2 An exciting collaboration of piano duo and percussion duo, exploring the thrilling and virtuosic music of Bartók and Kapustin. Free admission, no ticket required

june

Friday 29 and Saturday 30 June 7.30pm RNCM Theatre

9.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Spotlight

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Hyde School of Dance Hyde School of Dance presents The Class of Twenty:Twelve, a fast-paced roller-coaster ride of varying dance styles, suitable for all ages. Tickets £12 Concessions available Promoted by HSD73

from 10.15am Various RNCM venues

Performance Day

Tuesday 3 July

Wednesday 4 July

The Rolling Music Lesson

Manchester Children’s Book Festival

A film by Jean Molitor This 50 minute film documents what happened when the four musicians of The Endless Journey took their music to outlying schools across Niger. The extraordinary response they received is captured in this film. Admission free to ticket holders

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Mamane Barka + Etran Finatawa The Endless Journey

Etran finatawa

Mamane Barka Oumarou Adamou, Alhousseini Anivolla and Bammo Agonla from Etran Finatawa The Endless Journey brings together four musicians from two of Niger’s leading internationally known music groups, Mamane Barka and Etran Finatawa. For the last six years both groups have been preoccupied with bringing the music and culture of their respective (and adopted) nomadic tribes to the world stage. But now there is a more urgent need to move from being cultural ambassadors to being cultural activists. Each time they return to Niger it is more evident that traditions, and with them cultural identity, are being rapidly lost. The Endless Journey recounts their attempts to stem the haemorrhaging of Niger’s cultural heritage in a powerful music performance with images and film. Tickets £12.50

Concessions available www.mamanebarka.com www.etranfinatawa.com This performance is part of We Face Forward, a season of contemporary art and music from West Africa, celebrated across Manchester. We Face Forward is part of the London 2012 Festival.

RNCM

6.30pm RNCM Theatre

Ian McMillan and Luke Carver Goss’ Flipchart and Squeezebox musical comedy show Ian McMillan, presenter of BBC Radio 3’s The Verb, is one of the most entertaining performers on the poetry circuit today. He presents this hilarious show, performed with musical ringmaster Luke Carver Goss, together offering a scintillating night of poems, music, comedy and improvisation. Tickets £10 Concessions available www.mcbf.org.uk Promoted by Manchester Children’s Book Festival

The Endless Journey and Angelique Kidjo (16 May, see page 14) are just two shows in the We Face Forward season. Look out for other events across other Manchester music venues that include Afro Cubism (3 June), Kanda Bongo Man (15 June), Jaliba Kuyateh and Kumareh Band (29 June), Femi Kuti (13 July) and Amkoullel (3 August). www.wefaceforward.org

JULY

6pm RNCM Lecture Theatre

Thursday 5 July

7.30pm The Bridgewater Hall N

RNCM Symphony Orchestra NORTH with Yan Pascal TortelierNORTH N

Ralph Vaughan Williams* Serenade to Music Jean Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor Op 47 Gustav Holst The Planets Yan Pascal Tortelier conductor Gergely Madaras* assistant conductor Caroline Pether violin Joanne Holton, Gabriella Cassidy, Jennifer Rust, Andrea Tweedale soprano Heather Ireson, Rosie Middleton, Hanna-Liisa Kirchin, Sarah Richmond alto Adam Player, Gordon Hodges, Thomas Morss, Elgan Thomas tenor Laurence Kirby, Daniel Shelvey, Jonathan Alley, Louis Hurst bass RNCM Ladies Chorus David Jones chorus director To mark the end of our Nørth season in style, we travel up the road to The Bridgewater Hall for an evening of epic music!

JULY

Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music is based on the discussion about the music of the spheres in the fifth act of The Merchant of Venice. It was written as a tribute to the conductor Sir Henry Wood to mark the 50th anniversary of his first concert and is arguably one of the finest of all musical settings of Shakespeare.

Sibelius was just 38 years old when he completed his only concerto, in 1903. The character of this piece has been described in turn as rhapsodic, lyrical, rhythmic and tender, and although its reputation was hard won – the soloist made something of a mess of the first performance – it now stands as one of the bestloved concerti in the repertoire.

The Planets, Holst’s most brilliantly inventive and famous score, was one of many pieces inspired by the composer’s extra-musical interests. In 1913 a friend introduced him to astrology, thus sparking the idea of creating a seven-part tone poem in which the characters of each planet would be evoked. This often turbulent and melancholic music was first performed on 29 September 1918, and it was inevitable that the score would be perceived as an expression of the nation’s collective emotions during the war years. Jupiter, source of the patriotic hymn I Vow to Thee my Country, is perhaps the best-known episode, but listening to The Planets for the first time is bound to produce moments of strange familiarity, as this is one of the most often quoted and plagiarized scores of the 20th century. Tickets £17 £14 Concessions available

RNCM

9.30pm The Bridgewater Hall Foyer

Spotlight Laurence McNaughton Big Band: Mosaic Heavily influenced by the likes of Kenny Wheeler and Charles Mingus, Laurence’s Mosaic project consists of many fragments which form to create an engaging, exciting and glorious unified work. Free admission, no ticket required

Saturday 7 July

Spotlight

Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra, Wigan Youth Choir and Wigan Community Choir

Bob Mintzer’s Saxophone Quartets RNCM ensembles showcase saxophone quartet movements from the pen of this evening’s guest soloist. Free admission, no ticket required

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

RNCM Big Band with Bob Mintzer Mike Hall director Bob Mintzer saxophone

bob mintzer

We’re delighted to welcome sax legend Bob Mintzer back to the RNCM. Bob leads several musical lives that, at times, seem humanly impossible for one person to sustain. He is a member of the Grammy award-winning Yellowjackets, leads his own Grammy-winning big band, is the recipient of the Buzz McCoy endowed chair of jazz studies at the University of Southern California, teaches all over the world, is a prolific writer, travels with his own quartet, and plays with numerous other bands. Mintzer’s music is played all over the world and has influenced numerous big band writers. He honed his big band writing and playing skills in the bands of Tito Puente, Buddy Rich, Thad Jones and Mel Lewis. As an instrumentalist, he has worked with the likes of Art Blakey, Randy Brecker and Gil Evans and has also done session work for James Taylor, Steve Winwood, Donald Fagan and countless others. Tickets £18 £16 £14 Concessions available www.bobmintzer.com

RNCM

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

David J Little, Keith Orrell, Imelda Shirley conductors This concert marks the very first collaboration between Wigan Music Service and the Wigan Community Choir. The award-winning Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra performs with adult and youth voices from across the Wigan borough, presenting a varied evening of big band jazz and light choral music. Tickets £6 Concessions available Promoted by Wigan Music Service

Sunday 8 July

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Bury Music Centre Orchestral Concert Bury Youth Orchestra The young musicians from Bury Music Centre have showcased their talents for many years here at the RNCM. Many of them have gone on to become professional musicians and tonight’s concert provides an opportunity to spot some stars of the future, as well as enjoying an inspiring concert of classical music. Tickets £6 available from 0161 764 8442 Concessions available Promoted by Friends of Bury Music Centre

JULY

6.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Monday 9 – Friday 13 July

Saturday 14 July

Sunday 15 July

Monday 16 - Friday 20 July

One Education Music Showcase

Altrincham Choral Society

Wigan Youth Orchestra

Stockport Music Service Showcase

This series of concerts demonstrates the great variety and high standards achieved by pupils in Manchester’s Schools and Academies and through One Education Music’s activities programme. Each evening performance begins with a short informal performance on the concourses before moving into the Concert Hall.

Johann Strauss II Die Fledermaus

7pm RNCM Concert Hall

Tickets £4 Concessions available Promoted by One Education Ltd

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Die Fledermaus Manchester Philharmonia Steven Roberts conductor Mathew Duncan Herr Frank Mark Duff Gabriel von Eisenstein Thomas Eaglen Dr Falke Caroline MacPhie Adele Emma Morwood Rosalinda John Pierce Alfred Helen Sherman Prince Orlovsky Mistaken identities, flirtations at a masked ball, elegant frivolities and confusions of all kinds provide a hilarious vehicle for some of the most intoxicatingly melodious and exuberant music ever written. Composed non-stop in 42 ‘nights of veritable rapture’, this is the younger Strauss’ most celebrated and popular operetta, here presented in a concert version. Tickets £15

JULY

Concessions available www.altrincham-choral.co.uk Promoted by Altrincham Choral Society

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Franz Schubert Rosamunde Overture Ralph Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending Antonín Dvorˇák Symphony No 9 in E minor Op 95 ‘From the New World’ Wigan Youth Orchestra with musicians from Manchester Camerata Keith Orrell conductor Sophie Mather violin This concert marks the culmination of Wigan Youth Orchestra’s most challenging project to date. With an average age of just 14, members have worked throughout the Summer term with musicians from Manchester Camerata to prepare this demanding programme, which also features Camerata violinist Sophie Mather as the soloist in Vaughan Williams’ evocative The Lark Ascending. Tickets £5 Concessions available Promoted by Wigan Music Service

6.45pm RNCM Concert Hall

Music groups from across Stockport come together to perform varied programmes of music that feature a variety of genres, ensembles and ages. Tickets £9 Concessions available Promoted by Stockport Music Service

Tuesday 17 July

Wednesday 18 July

Thursday 19 July

Manchester Jazz Festival

Stan Sulzmann saxophones Henry Lowther, Freddie Gavita, Tom Walsh, George Hogg trumpet Mark Nightingale, Mark Bassey, Robbie Harvey, Sarah Williams trombone Martin Hathaway, James Allsopp, Mike Chillingworth, Josh Arcoleo, Pete Hurt saxophone Lewis Wright vibraphone Alex Munk guitar Nikki Iles piano Dave Whitford double bass Tim Giles drums Pete Churchill conductor

John Surman saxophones, bass clarinet, electronics

Stan Sulzmann Big Band

Tonight, in this special mjf performance, Stan Sulzmann presents a ‘Best of British’ selection of pieces by jazz musicians with whom he has developed musical relationships over the years. As well as a few of his own originals, the concert will feature arrangements of music by John Taylor, John Parricelli, Nikki Iles, Mike Walker, Iain Ballamy, Kate Williams, Gwilym Simcock, Jim Hart and Kenny Wheeler. Sulzmann is without question one of the most highly respected musicians in the UK today, admired for his instantly recognisable sound, and boundless creative imagination. His career stretches back to the 60s and he has played with John Taylor, Kenny Wheeler, Gil Evans and Michael Brecker to name just a few.

george king

Tickets £17 £14 Concessions available www.manchesterjazz.com

RNCM

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

John Surman

Composer and multi-instrumentalist John Surman is a key figure in a generation of European jazz musicians who have crucially expanded the international horizons of jazz over the past 40 years or so. A stalwart of the ECM record label, he is currently at the height of his considerable powers, and long acknowledged as a world-class improviser and a composer of a body of work that extends far beyond the perceived boundaries of the jazz repertoire. His unique solo performances reflect the special blend of acoustic and electronic music as featured on recordings such as The Road To St Ives. Mesmerising rhythmic patterns are set up as a landscape over which his improvisations gradually unfold, voiced through his lyrical soprano, the earthy ruggedness of the baritone, and an approach to the bass clarinet that captures both its mischief and its melancholy. Tickets £17 £14 Concessions available www.manchesterjazz.com RNCM in association with

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

George King: Songs of the Caged Bird (world première) Doreen Edwards voice George King piano Manchester Camerata Strings Songs of the Caged Bird is a new project by Manchester composer-pianist George King, written for arguably Manchester’s finest jazz diva, Doreen Edwards and the chamber strings of Manchester Camerata. It sets poems, speeches and historic sermons connected to the civil rights period in African-American culture in the form of a song-cycle. This exciting new collaboration between mjf and Manchester Camerata is an mjf originals commission. A song-cycle for jazz singer is an unusual format and one which George has been determined to realise; the subject matter is threaded throughout recent history, and although focussed geographically on a part of the world from which the origins of jazz sprung, it still has resonances within the UK and contemporary culture. The libretto includes work by Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, and a re-setting of the lyrics to Strange Fruit. The music plays to Doreen’s strengths as vocalist and communicator, complemented by the improvisatory piano accompaniment and shimmering strings, and interspersed with original speech samples from the civil rights period. Tickets £17 £14 Concessions available www.manchesterjazz.com Supported by in association with RNCM

There will be a post-show discussion with George King in the Theatre following the performance, free to ticket-holders.

JULY

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Saturday 21 July 2pm Sunday 22 July 2pm and 7pm RNCM Theatre

Centre Pointe Summer Showcase Centre Pointe’s talented students perform an entertaining showcase of dance and vocal pieces to include Alice in Wonderland, Edward Scissorhands and Legally Blonde. Tickets £12 Concessions available Promoted by Centre Pointe Limited

Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 July

2.30pm and 7.30pm RNCM Studio Theatre

Wednesday 22 August 7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Adult Amateur Piano Competition Finals Chetham’s International Summer School and Festival Pianist magazine, Yamaha and Chetham’s International Summer School and Festival for Pianists have joined forces to promote the 2012 Adult Amateur Piano Competition, judges for which include Noriko Ogawa, Michael Roll, Jason Rebello, Nikki Iles, Murray McLachlan and Erica Worth. Tickets £10 Concessions available Promoted by Pianist magazine, Yamaha and Chetham’s School of Music

One Off Productions Jason Robert Brown The Last Five Years Shaun Chambers artistic director James Platt musical director Danny Watkins Jamie Danni Britch Cathy This single-act musical ingeniously chronicles the life of a marriage, from meeting to breakup… or from break-up to meeting, depending on your perspective. A beautifully eclectic score evokes a range of emotions as we follow each character’s five year journey. Tickets £13

JULY

No concessions Promoted by One Off Productions

Friday 24 August 8pm RNCM Concert Hall

Paul Kelly and special guests Chronicling life around him for over 30 years, the songs of this Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonica player embrace a wide range of musical styles from folk and rock to bluegrass and dub reggae. Described by David Fricke from Rolling Stone as ‘one of the finest songwriters I have ever heard, Australian or otherwise’, Kelly’s performances offer a playful, honest and insightful reflection on both the big and the little things in life. Tickets £12.50 No concessions Promoted by DHP Group

paul kelly

The Last Five Years

LUNCHTIME CONCERTS

Thursday 10 May

Thursday 26 April

RNCM Percussion Ensemble

RNCM Concert Orchestra

1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall

Jean Sibelius Symphony No 7 in C major NORTH Op 105 N

Matthew Coorey conductor

along with regular pianist Mark McKenzie, are joined by three of the talented musicians from the College’s Foundation Degree in Popular Music Practice.

Thursday 21 June

Damien Harron Okavango NORTH Andy Scott Bright Sparks Stephen Whibley Espiritu Libre Jonathan Taylor Crystalline CarillonsNORTH (world première) Kenneth Hesketh after Aphex Twin Polygon Window: Perpetuo Immobile

We are delighted to be joined at this lunchtime concert by guests from Henshaws Society for Blind People, which is celebrating 175 years of working on behalf of visually impaired people.

Elgar Howarth The Bandsman’s Tale Elgar Howarth Tombeau Edward Gregson Rococo Variations

Simone Rebello director

Thursday 14 June

1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall

NORTH

After the formal experiments of his Fifth Symphony, Sibelius finally went the whole hog and created this one movement symphony that contains all the traditional four movement symphony’s characteristics of contrast and development. It is possibly the greatest of all his works: extraordinarily fluid, expressive and even epic in character.

Thursday 3 May

1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall

RNCM Guitar Ensemble Paul Hindemith Rondo Klaus Wusthoff Samba Quica Antonio Carrillo Como Llora una Estrella Astor Piazzolla Café 1930 from Histoire du Tango; Invierno Porteno Edith Piaf arr Roland Dyens L’Hymne a l’amour Roland Dyens Rhythmaginaires Craig Ogden director RNCM alumnus Craig Ogden directs this lunchtime guitar extravaganza which features an Astor Piazzolla double-bill. Café 1930 is the second movement of the composer’s exploration of the musical evolution of the Argentine national dance. Inspired by Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Invierno Porteno is the second of Piazzolla’s The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, written over a period of six years in the 1960s.

Works by five British composers together demonstrate the healthy state of British composition for percussion. Okavango is a powerful opening fanfare for djembe drums, sounding the way for the industrial, factory sounds of Bright Sparks. Espiritu Libre takes influences from Latin American music, whilst Polygon Window is a big, explosive powerhouse of a piece that has its roots in a track by Aphex Twin.

Thursday 17 May 1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall

RNCM Gospel Choir Music to include: Rick Founds Lord I lift your name Damita and Dietrick Haddon My soul says yes Kirk Franklin Joy; Awesome God Carliss Mood Lord, I’m available Dottie Rambo I go to the rock Audrey Mattis director Mark McKenzie piano RNCM Gospel Band Now in its sixth year, the RNCM Gospel Choir, under the inspiring leadership of Audrey Mattis, continues to go from strength to strength. In today’s concert the choir performs a mixture of Gospel standards and modern classics and,

www.henshaws.org.uk

1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall

RNCM Chamber Choir and Ensemble J S Bach Motet BWV 230, ‘Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden’ J S Bach Cantata No 48 BWV 48 ‘Ich elender Mensch’ Roger Hamilton director Victoria Barton soprano Heather Lowe alto Thomas Morss tenor Louis Hurst bass David Jones choir director Having directing Handel’s Xerxes for RNCM Opera this Spring, Roger Hamilton returns to work with the RNCM Chamber Choir and Ensemble on an all-Bach programme. Bach’s Cantata No 48 is one of a number that the composer wrote for the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity. The texts he sets tell the stories of Paul’s call to the Romans to live better lives and Jesus’ cure of a paralysed man, and each of the arias and choruses ably demonstrate Bach’s unsurpassed ability to bring to vivid life the often challenging messages of such texts through music whose moments of bold drama are only heightened by passages of real tenderness and beauty.

1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall

RNCM Brass Band

Nicholas Childs, Marco Bellasi conductors Erlend Aagaard-Nilsen trumpet An Elgar Howarth double-bill opens today’s concert. The programme also features Edward Gregson’s Rococo Variations. Although the work overall is dedicated to the composer’s brother, each of the six variations pays tribute to a different composer whose contribution to the brass band repertoire during the second half of the 20th century has been of great significance.

Thursday 28 June 1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall

RNCM Wind Orchestra Kenneth Hesketh Vranjanka Luis Serrano Alarcon Tramonto Adam Gorb Repercussions Timothy Reynish, Yibin Seow conductors Peggy Nolan cello Today’s programme opens with Kenneth Hesketh’s Vranjanka, based on a traditional Serbian folksong. Tramonto was composed as an homage to famous local painter Joseph Morea and is based on one of his paintings: one that evokes a melancholic evening in Italy. The programme ends with Adam Gorb’s Repercussions, described by the composer as a ‘history of the world in four chapters’.

COMING SOON Sunday 9*, Tuesday 11, Thursday 13 and Saturday 15 December 7pm RNCM Theatre 3pm* RNCM Theatre

Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria (The Return of Ulysses) Claudio Monteverdi Roger Hamilton conductor Stefan Janski director RNCM Opera Ensemble Monteverdi is hailed as the first composer of what we recognise today as opera, the creator of a number of inspired music-dramas that are remarkable for their melodic genius, their adventurous harmonies and featuring a pioneering use of what was to become known as leitmotiv, with plots packed full of startling dramatic possibilities. Written in 1640 and setting a text after Homer, The Return of Ulysses is typical of Monteverdi’s finest operas, with a moralising prologue, an almost super-human hero, a large cast that includes the gods, the mortals, and a number of comic characters, and a score packed with virtuosic writing, including recitative, arioso and aria that together flag key developments in the drama of the text. Watched by the gods, Penelope waits on the island of Ithaca for the return of her husband Ulysses from the Trojan Wars. Wooed on all sides by the men of the court, what she doesn’t know is that he’s already home, deposited in the dead of night on a beach by some friendly Phaeacians. Reunited by the gods with his son, Telemachus, the disguised pair makes their way to the Royal Palace. There, Penelope’s loyalty is tested by a trial that features a huge bow 38

and arrow, with husband and wife eventually reunited in complete, loving bliss. This new RNCM Opera production marks the first time the College has staged one of Monteverdi’s operas, using a new edition prepared and conducted by Roger Hamilton, fresh from his success with Xerxes earlier this year, and sung in Italian with English surtitles. Cast and full production details will be announced in the RNCM Autumn Events Guide in August 2012. Tickets £33 £27 £20 (weekdays) £35 £29 £22 (weekends) Concessions available

Join the RNCM Friends

Be inspired, enriched and enchanted. ‘ It is always an inspiration to visit the RNCM and have the privilege of enjoying the results of the very hard work of the students and staff.’ Guest events and opportunities to see behind the scenes of the RNCM are open exclusively to members of the RNCM Friends. Friends membership subscriptions and donations help with everything we do, especially in supporting our students with bursaries, travel grants and prizes. Booking is now open for this season’s events. Pick up a joining form in College or contact us (see below). The new membership scheme has something for everyone, and now is the perfect time to join. There are four levels of Friends membership and two Benefactor levels for those who would like to make a more personal donation. Membership also makes an ideal gift for musicloving friends or family. Membership starts from as little as £2.50 per month. We need your help now more than ever to support the music stars of the future. By joining the Friends, you will have access to exceptional events which will allow us to show you more of this unique place. For more information, contact the Friends Administrator on 0161 907 5338 or friends@rncm.ac.uk or visit our website at www.rncm.ac.uk/friends

THURSDAY 10 MAY

1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall 2pm Carole Nash Mezzanine

Friends Day with Simone Rebello RNCM Alumna and Director of Percussion Studies, Simone Rebello leads the RNCM Percussion Ensemble in what is sure to be a suite of explosive performances at this lunchtime concert. Friends will be thrilled to have the opportunity to see one of our past Lady Groves Award winners, Le Yu, perform once again as half of the Aurora Percussion Duo, alongside the talented Delia Stevens. Full programme details can be found on page 37. Tickets include reserved seating in the Concert Hall for the lunchtime concert; traditional afternoon tea to follow, featuring a selection of finger sandwiches and delectable cakes served on the Carole Nash Mezzanine; and an exclusive chance to chat with Simone and students afterwards over tea and cake. Book now for this exclusive package. Tickets £12.50, available from the RNCM Box Office 0161 907 5555

www.rncm.ac.uk

Supporting the RNCM A legacy for the future If you would like to make a lasting difference, then please consider leaving a legacy. Your solicitor will be able to advise you on how to leave a bequest to the RNCM and, because we are a registered charity, you may also find this to be a very tax-effective way of giving something back to the music which has given you so much pleasure.

Support a student Quite simply, many students would not be able to take up their places without support from those individuals, trusts and businesses who generously help ease the financial burden and hence allow our students to concentrate on their music and let their talents be nurtured. You could be one of those benefactors and enjoy a unique relationship with one of the music stars of the future.

Name a seat Are you a regular visitor to the RNCM? Do you have a favourite place in the Theatre or Concert Hall? Stuck for a gift for the musiclover who has everything? You can name a seat for yourself, for a friend or perhaps in memory of a loved one. For more information, contact the Development Office on 0161 907 5392 or development@rncm.ac.uk or visit www.rncm.ac.uk/supportus

RNCM Connecting with the Community RNCM Outreach

RNCM in the City

Looking for musicians?

The Outreach team engages with the RNCM’s wider community through a programme of exciting projects and events. We also design bespoke projects for a range of community groups and are always happy to discuss new ideas.

Didsbury Coffee Concerts

Are you seeking live musicians for a forthcoming event or concert?

Our Youth Perform musical theatre group runs on Wednesday evenings from 6 - 9pm and is a low-cost, non-audition group for all young people of secondary school age. Please contact the team to find out about getting involved in this and other projects. Events planned for the summer term include:

25 - 28 April RNCM Youth Perform: Guys and Dolls (see page 6) 27 April Musical Theatre Afternoon, including a ticket to Guys and Dolls 16 May Jazz Day, including a ticket to the RNCM Jazz Collective concert (see page 14) 29 May Sound Ideas Spotlight Concert (see page 18) For further details contact Fiona Stuart or Jennie McCusker on 0161 907 5281 or communityoutreach@rncm.ac.uk or visit www.rncm.ac.uk/communityoutreach. RNCM Outreach is grateful for the support of the Michael Tippett Musical Foundation and the Eric and Margaret Kinder Charitable Trust.

Emmanuel Church in Didsbury is the setting for a series of Saturday morning recitals which regularly features RNCM performers. Starting at 11am, Summer dates are:

Saturday 28 April Saturday 26 May Saturday 23 June

Saturday 12 May Saturday 9 June Saturday 7 July

St Ann’s Recitals Take a break from the office and the shops by enjoying first class music from senior RNCM students in the peaceful surroundings of St Ann’s Church in Manchester city centre. Choose from piano recitals on Saturday afternoons at 3pm or chamber concerts on Wednesday lunchtimes at 1pm:

Saturday 5 May Saturday 19 May Saturday 9 June

Wednesday 23 May Wednesday 13 June Wednesday 27 June

RNCM musicians who have reached an exceptional level of performance regularly undertake professional engagements throughout the UK. The Professional Engagements team co-ordinates a large number of engagements for music clubs and societies as well as for individuals, companies and event organisers, matching performers to engagements and negotiating fees in line with current industry rates. We offer a wide range of ensembles and soloists, from string quartets for weddings to concert pianists for concertos, and repertoire that covers a wide range of styles from classical to jazz. To find out more, contact Abi Collins on abigail.collins@rncm.ac.uk or 0161 907 5352.

Looking for a venue? The RNCM is home to one of the largest theatres in Manchester, a stylish concert hall, a versatile studio theatre, the Carole Nash Recital Room, a lecture theatre, plus a variety of smaller spaces – and all are available for hire. As one of the North West’s leading performance venues, the RNCM is the perfect place to host your event. Whether you are organising a multi-day convention, a live broadcast, a one night concert or a small meeting, or even if you’d just like to have a look around, get in touch with Clare Preston-Pollitt on clare.preston-pollitt@rncm.ac.uk or 0161 907 5289 to find out more.

Eating and Drinking at the RNCM BRODSKY Brodsky is the restaurant, bar and grill at the RNCM serving morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea, all-day snacks, pre-concert dining and much more.

AFTERNOON TEA We offer traditional afternoon tea from 2pm - 4pm, Monday - Friday. Priced at £9.95 per head (add a glass of Champagne for £6.50), this is the perfect way to relax following a lunchtime concert. Booking is required in advance, so to reserve your table please call 0161 907 5353/5252.

PRE-CONCERT DINING For pre-concert dining, we are now offering an extended Brodsky menu. From 5pm we also offer a full service operation with our waiting staff taking drinks and food orders at your table. You can now book a table any day of the week (Monday - Saturday) for the Brodsky menu. To reserve your table please call 0161 907 5353/5252.

CAFÉ Open from 8am until the interval during evening performances, our Café serves freshly ground coffee, tea and soft drinks, alongside a selection of hand-made sandwiches, soups, jacket potatoes and cakes. We also offer a hot dish of the day selection from 12 noon - 2pm and 5pm 7pm (NB Opening times may vary during weekends and vacations).

CONCERT BAR The Concert Bar is open from Monday - Saturday from 6pm, during and after concerts. Interval drinks can be pre-ordered from the Concert Bar to beat the queues (NB Opening times may vary during weekends and vacations).

Wherever possible, the RNCM uses Fairtrade products

All food items and menus are subject to availability

Booking Information How to Book Post/In Person Box Office, 124 Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9RD Telephone 0161 907 5555 Fax 0161 907 5330 Email box.office@rncm.ac.uk Online www.rncm.ac.uk (except for Group Bookings and Flexible Series) Advance bookings can be made in person, online, by phone or fax including the day of performance up until 6pm. Tickets must be paid for within 4 working days of the booking. Reservations made within 4 days of the performance must be paid for at least 30 minutes before the start of the concert.

Box Office Opening Times

Monday - Saturday 11am - 6pm or until 8.30pm on performance nights, and Sunday one hour before performances, between September and June. Online booking is available 24 hours a day. During July and August only, opening hours are Monday – Friday 11am - 3pm and one hour before performances.

Payment

We accept VISA, MasterCard and Maestro credit/debit cards. If you are paying by credit/ debit card, don’t forget to include the expiry date or issue number where applicable and a daytime telephone number so we can contact you with any queries. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Royal Northern College of Music’. A 50p per ticket administration charge will be added to bookings made by telephone and email. Online bookings are subject to an 85p ticket booking fee which is charged to the RNCM by the supplier of this service. 42

Gift Vouchers

RNCM Gift Vouchers are available from the Box Office.

Ticket Exchange & Refunds

The RNCM does not operate a refund policy. Please check your tickets as soon as you receive them, as refunds are only made in the case of a cancelled performance. We can credit your account with the cost of the tickets if you are unable to attend. Tickets must be returned to the Box Office 24 hours in advance of the concert. Your credit minus a £1 administration fee per ticket can be used to purchase tickets for any other RNCM-promoted events within the next 12 months. This facility is not available for non-RNCM promoted events.

Concessions

For events marked with the RNCM logo, under 18s in full-time education, students and senior citizens can obtain 10% off each ticket on production of the appropriate identification. Claimants (in receipt of Job Seekers Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance) can purchase single tickets for just £6 on production of the appropriate identification. Disabled patrons are entitled to 50% off full price tickets for themselves and where disabled patrons are also eligible for other concessions, the greater concession will apply. We also offer 50% off full price tickets for an essential companion accompanying a disabled patron. For all other events please contact the Box Office for precise details of concessions as they do vary according to the event promoter. Please note all concessions are subject to availability and it is advisable to book well in advance to ensure the seats you require are available.

Sonic Card is a free scheme for students run by the BBC Philharmonic, Manchester Camerata, The Bridgewater Hall and the RNCM. It gives students the opportunity to buy tickets to a diverse range of concerts for just £3. Students can sign up at the Sonic Card desk before any featured concert or at www.soniccard.co.uk

Group Discounts

Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more (including school groups) for all events marked with the RNCM logo. For more details (and to book) call the Box Office on 0161 907 5555.

Flexible Series Discounts

Put together your own Flexible Series and save at least 15% on the cost of your tickets. Simply choose the concerts you’d like to attend (marked with the next to each event) and create your own tailor-made package.

Email & Mailing List

Keep in touch with events at the RNCM by joining our free mailing list or join our email list for regular monthly updates. Contact the Box Office or visit www.rncm.ac.uk Artists and programmes are correct at the time of going to press and we reserve the right to change artists and/ or programmes without notice if necessary. We aim to deliver a quality events programme with efficient and courteous service at all times. If you have any comments please contact Head of Marketing & Communications, RNCM, 124 Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9RD.

Access The RNCM offers a range of facilities to disabled patrons: P Please call Reception on 0161 907 5300 to reserve a disabled parking space.

Wheelchair access is available, via lifts, to all performing venues and public spaces. Low-level counters available at Box Office and Bar. Disabled toilet facilities on all levels.

Guide dogs are admitted. Please advise the Box Office when booking your ticket if you are bringing a guide dog.

The RNCM Concert Hall and RNCM Theatre are fitted with Sennheiser infra-red hearing assistance systems and receivers. These are available from Front of House staff on request. Receivers can be used in conjunction with a normal hearing aid (which should be switched to the ‘T’ position) or an earpiece available at the venue. The RNCM Studio Theatre, Carole Nash Recital Room and RNCM Lecture Theatre are fitted with induction loops (hearing aids should be switched to the ‘T’ position).

N Large print and audio versions of this brochure are available from the Box Office (also by email).

Please call the Box Office on 0161 907 5555 for all other detailed information for disabled visitors.

About the Venue

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The RNCM is located 1 mile south of Manchester City Centre, in the heart of the Education Quarter, on the corner of Oxford Road and Booth Street West. Oxford Road connects the RNCM by bus to the City Centre, and all of Oxford Road, Piccadilly and Victoria train stations. Oxford Road Station is an easy 8 minute walk away.

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Sponsors and Supporters The Eric and Margaret Kinder Charitable Trust

The Michael Tippett Musical Foundation

Event Partners Hey! Manchester

Jazz FM Regular Funders

Professional Partners

Victoria Baths