July 2017 In this issue... • • • • • • •
2017–18 London Season RPO Resound Meet John Roberts St Paul’s Cathedral RPO CDs RPO on Tour News and moves
Welcome to the July 2017 edition of fortissimo – the newsletter for RPO friends. We are thrilled to update you with the Orchestra’s latest news and to enclose details of its 2017–18 London Season of concerts, featuring a host of sensational soloists and consummate conductors across some of the capital’s most exciting venues, for which RPO friends’ benefits apply. Please do remember to book all your tickets via the RPO office to obtain your exclusive discounts – we very much look forward to hearing from you and to seeing you at an RPO concert soon! With best wishes, Jo Thomson (Friends’ & Groups’ Manager) and the rest of the RPO marketing team: Alex, Chris, Doran, Izzie and Joseph!
Classical favourites at Cadogan Hall There’s so much to choose from during September 2017 to May 2018 at the RPO’s intimate and elegant orchestral residence, Cadogan Hall. This enthralling new series from the RPO showcases some of the youngest and most dynamic artists from the classical music world, including pianists Alexandra Dariescu and Dmitry Masleev, cellist Leonard Elschenbroich, and the Orchestra’s first ever Artist-in-Residence, violinist Esther Yoo (pictured). Plus, the RPO’s Principal Associate Conductor, Alexander Shelley (pictured), launches his captivating new collection of themed concerts, entitled Myths and Fairytales, which explores the magical landscapes portrayed in a variety of spellbinding works by Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Rimsky-Korsakov and more. Not to mention, a host of special events: an evening with composer and conductor Howard Blake (pictured), the ever-popular Christmas Cracker, a special Valentine’s evening concert celebrating songs from Hollywood musicals, with West End star Louise Dearman, as well as Haydn’s majestic Harmoniemesse performed by the incomparable City of London Choir. Tickets: £50–£15 (before discounts and booking fees). For full details, please see the enclosed brochure or visit rpo.co.uk/friends.
BOOK NOW!
www.rpo.co.uk/friends • 020 7608 8855
Supporting London’s most versatile orchestra!
Stars & showstoppers at the Royal Albert Hall The RPO proudly presents its highly anticipated autumn series at this one-of-a-kind, ‘destination’ venue. Featuring:
SYMPHONIC QUEEN – Fri 6 Oct, 7.30pm Queen's greatest hits, accompanied by a spectacular light show! (flyer enclosed).
SYMPHONIC STAR WARS – Sun 29 Oct, 3pm & 7.30pm Feel the Force with the saga’s iconic music from Episodes I-VII (flyer enclosed).
LET’S FACE THE MUSIC – Mon 20 Nov, 7.30pm West End stars perform enchanting songs from the golden era of musicals (flyer enclosed).
JOHN RUTTER’S CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION – Weds 6 Dec, 3pm & 7.30pm Sing-along carols, rousing fanfares and festive works – presented by national treasure and filling you with Christmas sparkle and Yuletide cheer. Featuring the virtuosic King’s Singers.
NEWSFLASH! FILM MUSIC GALA 2018 – Sun 22 April, 3pm & 7.30pm This fabulous film extravaganza is back! With two sensational shows and a tribute to the music of James Horner – one of the most prolific film composers of our time. Performed by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. Priority booking is now open to RPO friends! All tickets: £65–£20 (before discounts). Book at rpo.co.uk/friends or via the RPO office.
Maestros & masterpieces at the Royal Festival Hall The RPO’s world-class reputation entices a plethora of stellar artists for its February–June 2018 series. Featuring:
ILAN VOLKOV CONDUCTS MAHLER – Tues 6 Feb, 7.30pm A gripping concert, with Liszt’s From the Cradle to the Grave, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.4 – performed by Pavel Kolesnikov – and Mahler’s momentous Symphony No.1.
CHARLES DUTOIT CONDUCTS STRAUSS – Tues 27 Mar, 7.30pm The Orchestra’s Artistic Director and Principal Conductor takes the helm for Strauss’ Don Juan and also Don Quixote – with cellist Alban Gerhardt – plus, Mozart’s Symphony No.35.
STEVEN ISSERLIS PERFORMS ELGAR – Weds 4 Apr, 7.30pm Thomas Dausgaard conducts Britten’s Four Sea Interludes, Elgar’s popular Cello Concerto – with the renowned soloist Steven Isserlis – and Rachmaninov’s lively Symphonic Dances.
PINCHAS ZUKERMAN PERFORMS BRUCH – Thurs 26 Apr 7.30pm RPO Principal Guest Conductor is both conductor and soloist for Sibelius’ The Swan of Tuonela, Bruch’s Violin Concerto No.1, as well as Elgar’s Sospiri and ‘Enigma’ Variations.
CHARLES DUTOIT CONDUCTS STRAVINSKY – Weds 16 May, 7.30pm Maestro Dutoit returns for a showstopping end to the Orchestra’s sensational series at the Hall, conducting Stravinsky’s Scherzo Fantastique and the complete score for The Firebird. Tickets: £50–£10 (before discounts and fees). Visit rpo.co.uk/friends or contact RPO friends for full details and to book. A full series brochure will be posted out to you soon.
BOOK NOW!
www.rpo.co.uk/friends
•
020 7608 8855
RPO Resound 7UP CONTINUES TO INSPIRE YEAR 7 PUPILS Now in its third year, RPO Resound’s 7UP project has continued to revolutionise music in secondary schools in the London Borough of Brent. Working with the Brent Music Education Hub, RPO Resound has supported and enhanced the delivery of the Year 7 music curriculum in eleven local schools, by enabling over two thousand 11–12 year olds to access high quality, practical musicmaking and listening experiences, and music teachers to access inspiring, professional development resources. The 7UP project has stretched and challenged the pupils, raised their musical aspirations and established a strong network of local music teachers across Brent. Funded by the John Lyon’s Charity, this year’s project culminates with a concert featuring 200 students performing side-by-side with the RPO on Monday 17 July at Brent Civic Centre.
SOUND AROUND – YEAR ONE HIGHLIGHTS In April, the RPO performed the final concert in the first year of Sound Around – a large-scale touring programme aimed at engaging young people living in culturally underserved areas with orchestral music. Over five months, RPO Resound worked with young people in Northampton, Doncaster and Sunderland to devise original techniques for presenting orchestral concerts to new audiences. From ‘Mannequin Challenges’ (where the Orchestra and audience ‘freeze’ in interesting positions for the duration of one piece, inspired by the recent viral Internet video trend) to exploding cars, the ideas did not disappoint! Each area was given the opportunity of presenting two schools concerts, planned, produced and presented by the young people themselves, as well as a tailored and interactive family concert designed to be inclusive for everyone – especially those with additional needs or disabilities. Having already reached over eight thousand young people, teachers and families in its first year, the second year of Sound Around kicks off this November, taking in Reading, Lowestoft and Carlisle.
BOOK NOW!
Meet the players – John Roberts (Principal Oboe)
What is the best thing about being an RPO member? The spirit of it; the Orchestra's back-breaking schedule is notorious but this group has an extraordinarily positive attitude which means that we always manage to enjoy the concerts and have some fun along the way. What inspired you to become a musician as a child? My parents are musicians and so I was immersed in music from a young age. I learned oboe with a family friend and then I became good friends with like-minded youngsters, both locally and later nationally, and we all enthused each other. With whom have you enjoyed working the most? Pinchas Zukerman – he has such a deep understanding that playing music is a privilege and, in fact, rather fun; pressure, negativity and nerves just don't come into it! Tell us about a defining career moment for you... Playing Nights in the Gardens of Spain on a summer's evening in a courtyard of the Alhambra, Granada. What was the first recording you ever bought? I bought Nirvana’s In Utero when I was twelve. It's still my favourite album and I listen to it regularly in my spare time. What other instrument would you choose to learn? A French horn – no reeds and only three buttons!
John Roberts’ concert picks for the RPO’s 2017–18 London Season: • Symphonic Star Wars Sun 29 Oct, 3pm & 7.30pm – Royal Albert Hall John William’s iconic scores from the epic Star Wars® films, featuring: The Imperial March, Princess Leia’s Theme, and many more.
• Pinchas Zukerman performs Bruch Thurs 26 Apr, 7.30pm – Royal Festival Hall The virtuoso violinist performs Bruch’s fiendish Violin Concerto and conducts, amongst other works, Elgar’s quintessentially English ‘Enigma’ Variations.
www.rpo.co.uk/friends
•
020 7608 8855
John Rutter at St Paul’s Cathedral FAURÉ’S REQUIEM – Thurs 26 Oct, 7.30pm Don’t miss John Rutter conducting a rousing programme of Fauré’s glorious Requiem and Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, as well as two majestic works of his own – including the London premiere of Visions – all within the breathtaking setting of St Paul’s Cathedral. Tickets: £55–£12 (before discounts and fees). Book at rpo.co.uk/friends or via the RPO office.
RPO CDs GRZEGORZ NOWAK CONDUCTS KARLOWICZ A vibrant new interpretation of affecting works by the most celebrated Polish composer of his generation: Mieczysław Karłowicz. Conducted by the Orchestra’s Permanent Associate Conductor. RPO friends save up to 50% on CDs and downloads. Purchase at rpo.co.uk/shop or via the RPO office.
Players’ News A big RPO welcome to Triona Milne (Viola) and Nico Fluery (Principal Horn) who both join the Orchestra, and also to Andrew Storey (Principal Second Violin), whom we welcome back. A sad goodbye to Niall Keatley (Trumpet) and Chris West (Double Bass), whom we wish all the very best.
RPO on Tour In February, the Orchestra – alongside Pinchas Zukerman – toured Poland and Slovenia, taking in Katowice and Ljubljana; in April, it toured France and Germany under the baton of Charles Dutoit, performing Mendelssohn’s melodic Violin Concerto and Dvořák’s evergreen ‘New World’ Symphony – amongst other works – across Provence, Munich, Cologne and Essen (concert poster pictured). One particular highlight of this latter tour was closing the prestigious Aix-en-Provence Easter Festival alongside the Festival’s Artistic Director and renowned violinist, Renaud Capucon. The RPO looks forward to touring more of Europe with Maestro Dutoit this summer.
Office News A big welcome to Joseph Woods, our new Digital Marketing Manager, who joins us from The Institute of Art and Ideas and who takes over from Natasha Allery, who has left after three years with the RPO for pastures new at the City of London Sinfonia. Welcome back to Doran Crowhurst (Programme Editor), who returns after her maternity leave. A big thank you to Phoebe McFarlane (Marketing Intern), who provided fantastic support within the department; wishing her all the best in her new role at BBC Proms this summer. Congratulations to Alex Marks (Marketing Assistant), who has accepted a permanant position with the Orchestra and who many of you will be speaking to in the coming months on the RPO friends’ line! Two very sad goodbyes to Elsa Tatevossian (Recordings Manager), who leaves the RPO after an exceptionally loyal 18 years with the RPO, and also to Kieran Jones (Development Assistant) who leaves after two years to work at the Royal College of Music.
RPO friends benefits: • • • • •
Up to 50% off tickets and CDs FREE rehearsal passes Priority ticket allocation and dedicated booking line Exclusive special offers Complimentary tickets and concert programmes (Triple forte friends only) ... and more! Please be sure to contact the RPO office (rather than the venue) to obtain your RPO friends discounts.* *applicable to RPO ‘own-promotion’ concerts in London only.
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, 16 Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R 0QT Visit: www.rpo.co.uk/friends • Tel: 020 7608 8855 (Mon–Fri, 10am–6pm) • Email: friends@rpo.co.uk