Music Stand - Summer 2022 by City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

SUMMER 2022

Principal Funders

MIDSUMMER MUSIC IN BIRMINGHAM Music to your ears

YOU SHALL GO TO THE PROMS! P.4

Two pairs of tickets to be won!

SOUNDS GOOD TO US P.5

CBSO players and staff give us their top picks for the 2022-23 Season

P.12

WELCOME

CONTENTS MIDSUMMER MUSIC IN BIRMINGHAM

Music to your ears featuring Kazuki Yamada, Ed Gardner and more

Stephen Maddock

concerts to audiences in seven different countries. Planning tours in the age of Brexit (and still some Covid restrictions) requires a lot more investment in cash, time, people and paperwork, but we are delighted to be back playing to international audiences.

Welcome to the Summer Edition of Music Stand. After a very busy first half of the year, it is great to be able to catch a breath and reflect on all that the CBSO family has been able to achieve – with your support – over the past six months. After two years of stop-start and necessarily downsized activity, it was a particular thrill to be able to enjoy two packed performances of Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony at the climax of our 2021-22 season. The sight and sound of more than 250 musicians playing and singing their hearts out was made so much more moving by the fact that a couple of years ago lots of people were wondering whether this would ever again be possible. As well as rebuilding all our activities in Birmingham – including a remarkable amount of activity for children and young people (see p.16 for details) – the Orchestra has been back on the road again. Across two European tours with Mirga in March and May, we gave 23

YOU SHALL GO TO THE PROMS!

Exclusive competition for Music Stand readers

UP CLOSE WITH KAZUKI YAMADA

The consistent message from across Europe as well as from arts organisations all over the UK is that there is still a lot of work to be done on rebuilding audiences in the wake of the Covid pandemic. We are making lots of progress – and advance sales for next Season are encouraging – but it’s also crucial that we accelerate our efforts to attract new audiences to replace those people who may never return to regular concert-going for whatever reason. This is why we extended our £5 tickets for students and £10 tickets for under 30s – to be joined next Season by our Starter for £10 scheme to encourage first-time attenders.

We caught up with Kazuki ahead of a very special debut....

MAKING A DIFFERENCE Help share the gift of music with a legacy to the CBSO

LOVE TO SING?

Hit the right notes with the CBSO Chorus

SHIRELAND CBSO ACADEMY

Applications to open soon for our exciting new school

Across the pages that follow you will be able to read about lots of next Season’s programmes, with recommendations from CBSO musicians and staff. You will also meet some new members of staff, and read why Kazuki Yamada is so excited to be making his debut at the Proms this summer.

SOUNDS GOOD TO US What are our players and staff listening out for in the 2022/23 Season?

LEARNING & ENGAGEMENT ROUND UP

Here’s to a great summer ahead – with Birmingham in an international spotlight as we host the Commonwealth Games – and a musical autumn!

Beyond the Hall there’s music for all

OUR CHORUSES

Live singing is back with a passion

THE SOUND OF THE FUTURE

Our campaign for musical life in the West Midlands

MEET THE NEW DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Stephen Maddock OBE CBSO Chief Executive

Who’s who in the new Development crew

MEMBERS’ NEWS/ CONCERTS BY COACH

Letters to the Editor If you’d like to write to us about anything CBSO-related, please send your letters to:

An update especially for Members

Letters to the Editor Music Stand, CBSO Centre, Berkley Street, Birmingham, B1 2LF or email info@cbso.co.uk

CBSO PEOPLE Joiners and leavers

Patron: HRH The Earl of Wessex KG GCVO | Osborn Music Director: Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla | Chief Executive: Stephen Maddock OBE | Chair: David Burbidge CBE DL Registered in England and Wales no. 1262018 | Registered charity no. 506276 Articles commissioned by the CBSO for this publication represent the personal views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the CBSO. All information correct at time of going to print. Subject to change, subject to availability.

Book online at cbso.co.uk

facebook.com/thecbso

twitter.com/thecbso

instagram.com/thecbso

MIDSUMMER MUSIC IN BIRMINGHAM Whilst it’s certainly true that the bulk of the CBSO Season kicks off with a fine fanfare in autumn to carry us through the winter months, there are still plenty of opportunities to catch musical gems for all ages and tastes as the days stretch out and summer finally arrives.

SIMPLY SCHUBERT Town Hall, Birmingham Thursday 14 July, 7.00pm

We begin with a summer shower of Schubert. It’s always a delight to welcome back conductor Edward Gardner and this time we’ll be joining him for a short jaunt to Town Hall on July 14 to perform three of Schubert’s works. Beginning with the overture from his rarely performed deeply Romantic opera, Fierrabras, this is followed by his first Symphony (famously composed when he was just 16) and we end with his fourth, a dramatic stormy work influenced by Mozart. We return to Town Hall just a few days later on July 17 for a rather special birthday

celebration as our community choir, SO Vocal, turns ten. A truly vibrant group, this will doubtlessly be an uplifting evening of eclectic and exhilarating music. The singer’s smiles will be tinged with sadness though, as this celebratory concert will also mark the last one conducted by Ula Weber. Come and celebrate, sing along and say goodbye. Next up, we continue our summer mini tour of Birmingham venues with a trip to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and a Saturday matinee performance by Birmingham’s’ finest young musicians, the CBSO Youth Orchestra Academy. Their programme is brought to us by the number five, including Mozart’s Violin Concerto No.5 with soloist Irène Duval and Beethoven’s immortal Symphony No.5 with CBSO regular Michael Seal at the podium.

Town Hall, Birmingham Sunday 17 July, 6.00pm

Symphony Hall, Birmingham Sunday 24 July, 2.00pm

Concerto by Dame Ethel Smyth and with soloists Ben Goldscheider and Elena Urioste, you can expect big emotions and even bigger tunes. These two performances will be particularly meaningful for Kazuki as he both prepares for and then makes his Proms debut.

CBSO YOUTH ORCHESTRA ACADEMY: A FIST FULL OF FIVES Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Saturday 23 July, 3pm

CBSO SO VOCAL 10 YEAR CELEBRATION

KAZUKI YAMADA CONDUCTS RACHMANINOFF SYMPHONY NO.2

Then it’s a big CBSO hello (again) to Kazuki Yamada who returns to conduct our unofficial Proms preview on July 24 at Symphony Hall and, of course, our actual performance at this year’s Proms at the Royal Albert Hall on July 25. We’ll be performing works by Glinka, Smyth and Rachmaninoff and, as it happens, Rachmaninoff’s romantic Second Symphony is one of Kazuki’s personal favourites, so doubtlessly he will be giving full reign to its soaring melodies. There’s passion too in the beautiful Double

THE CBSO AT THE BBC PROMS Royal Albert Hall Monday 25 July, 7.30pm This year the CBSO will once again be running a coach to and from The Proms. See p21 for details.

As ever, full performance details and links to buy tickets can be found at cbso.co.uk and in your Season brochure or you can call the B:Music box office on 0121 780 3333.

YOU SHALL GO TO THE PROMS! WIN TICKETS FOR THIS YEAR’S CBSO PROMS PERFORMANCE

Start your summer in style and join us for a musical stroll along the prom prom Proms at the world’s most famous classical music festival in the iconic setting of London’s Royal Albert Hall. This year, the CBSO will be performing works by Glinka, Smyth and Rachmaninoff and are delighted that acclaimed violinist Elena Urioste and horn player Ben Goldscheider will be joining us. Our next Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor Kazuki Yamada conducts and this will be a particularly special occasion as it will mark Kazuki’s debut at the Proms. There are two pairs of tickets to be won and the prize includes return transfer from Birmingham by coach (see below for further details of the travel arrangements). To be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets simply answer this question: Q. Who will be conducting this year’s CBSO BBC Proms performance? facebook.com/thecbso

twitter.com/thecbso

instagram.com/thecbso

Answers should be emailed to: marketing@cbso.co.uk with ‘Proms Competition’ in the subject line. Alternatively, entries can be posted to: Proms Competition, CBSO Marketing Department, CBSO Centre, Berkley Street, Birmingham B1 2LF. Please include your name, address and a contact number. The closing date for entries is Friday 15 July and the lucky winners will be notified week commencing 18 July. Good luck! Coach travel details The coach will leave Birmingham at 9.00am from the small roundabout on Cambridge Street (at the back of the REP Theatre). Once we arrive in London at approximately 12pm there will be two drop-offs –one at Marble Arch, one at the Royal Albert Hall, giving you an afternoon of leisure in the capital city. The Proms concert begins at 7.30pm and should end at approximately 9.30pm. After the concert, the coach will collect us from the Royal Albert Hall and we will arrive back in Birmingham at around midnight.

UP CLOSE WITH KAZUKI YAMADA It’s certainly not every day that you make your BBC Proms debut, so ahead of rehearsals, we asked Kazuki to talk to us about how he’s feeling about the Proms and why there’s such a special connection there for him. “Such an extremely exciting thing. When I heard that I received the offer of the job of the Chief Conductor I didn’t realise, at first… that this would mean conducting the CBSO at the Proms. But, after a week I thought ‘…Maybe I can go to the Proms!?’ so I called my manager and asked, ‘Can I go to the Proms?’ and they said ‘Yes. Of course’. It was such a shock – a good shock, I was so happy. It’s such a special place for me as, when I was very young, I went to the Proms. I was around 24 years old, and there was a long line to wait for tickets and finally, I bought one. It was very cheap, just £5, I think, and it was a standing ticket which was very near the stage in the second row and I enjoyed it so much. Such an atmosphere, I couldn’t believe it. So… now it’s…. amazing, unbelievable almost, for me to be going back there to conduct.” We also asked him to tell us a little about the music he’ll be conducting in Birmingham and at the Proms. “It’s a very unique programme as Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No.2 is so famous and to combine this with the Smyth (Concerto for Violin and Horn) which actually, I didn’t know, but it’s such lovely music that when I heard it for the first time I said ‘Yes, I’d like to conduct this piece.’ And there are so many colours and warmth to this music that I’m sure both the concerts in Birmingham and London will be great and I can picture us playing these so clearly, I can just imagine it perfectly.”

“I ASKED, ‘CAN I GO TO THE PROMS?’ AND THEY SAID ‘YES. OF COURSE’.”

Photo © Benjamin Ealovega 6 6

Book Book online online at at cbso.co.uk cbso.co.uk

COME ALONG AND LISTEN... Tuesday 20 September 2022, 7.30pm Symphony Hall, Birmingham

A New World: Kazuki Yamada and Nicola Benedetti Kazuki Yamada – Conductor Nicola Benedetti – Violin CBSO Chorus Dvořák Carnival Overture Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Grigorjeva In Paradisum Dvořák Symphony No.9 (New World) A burst of joy: Dvořák’s Carnival Overture is one of those pieces that makes the whole orchestra seem to tingle. Kazuki Yamada launches a concert filled with celebration – from the poetry of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, played by our good friend Nicola Benedetti, to the heartfelt melodies of the New World Symphony. And the CBSO Chorus shares a moment of reflection from Ukraine, at the very start of our new Season.

Wednesday 1 February 2023, 7.30pm & Thursday 2 February 2023, 2.15pm Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Kazuki conducts The Planets Kazuki Yamada – Conductor Alexandre Kantorow – Piano CBSO Youth Chorus Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.2 Holst The Planets Mars, Venus, Jupiter… everyone has their favourite bit of The Planets. But there’s more to Holst’s masterpiece than just good melodies, and in the hands of Kazuki Yamada this great British classic will become a journey to the outer limits of the imagination itself. Plus, if you like Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto, you’ll be bowled over by his Second – performed by the phenomenal Alexandre Kantorow. facebook.com/thecbso facebook.com/thecbso

twitter.com/thecbso twitter.com/thecbso

instagram.com/thecbso instagram.com/thecbso

7 7

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

LEAVING A GIFT IN YOUR WILL Earlier this year the CBSO announced a renewed partnership with local legal experts Nicholls Brimble Bhol Solicitors to help promote the importance of making a Will. Memberships and Appeals Manager Eve Vines shares what legacy giving means to the CBSO and how you could benefit from this new partnership.

I see the act of leaving a legacy gift as the ultimate compliment a supporter could give to a charity. The fact that someone has chosen, amongst friends and family who were dearest to them, one or more charities to leave their hard-earned assets to, regardless of the value is, to me, humbling and inspiring. When the charity chosen is the CBSO, of course, it’s even more special. The motivations behind someone’s decision to leave a gift to the CBSO in their Will are vast, but in my experience most people are wanting to achieve two things – to thank the Orchestra for the joy they’ve had during their lifetime and to play their part in ensuring that joy remains for generations to come.

“For many years, the CBSO has been an important part of my social life, bringing me not only a breadth of music, familiar and unknown, but also an opportunity to meet like-minded people who share an appreciation of music and recognition of its value. By bequeathing a legacy in my Will, I wished to thank the musicians, present and future, for the great pleasure they have brought me and to contribute to the continuation of the orchestra in years to come so that others who follow me will likewise enjoy the music of the CBSO. Incidentally, donating to a charity also affects inheritance tax – in a good way.”

For the CBSO, legacy giving is a vital part of our fundraising mix. On average each year, legacies contribute around 10% of our overall fundraised income. Of course, we can’t rely on a steady income of legacies, and we very much hope that our audiences are living, breathing and enjoying life (and concerts) for as long as humanly possible! However, when we receive news of a gift left to us in someone’s Will, it is heartwarming and uplifting and feels like a special surprise that we carefully invest in the future of the CBSO. It’s often the case that we don’t know during someone’s lifetime that they’re planning to do this exceptional thing. But when we do, we’re able to say thank you – and that’s so important to us. Each year we host two legacy donor receptions to help us do just

“Attending a CBSO Concert at Symphony Hall is always a special occasion. Speaking with others, reveals this to be a common experience. I think many of us realised what we were missing when the pandemic happened, and we could no longer enjoy being together in Symphony Hall. I feel it is a privilege to have the opportunity to support the Orchestra with a legacy, thus ensuring that others have opportunities to enjoy live classical music of such a high standard. The CBSO has recently celebrated its Centenary and should be financially facilitated to continue for another 100 years, at least!”

For more information about leaving a gift in your Will for the CBSO please visit cbso.co.uk/legacies or call Eve Vines on 0121 616 6541. Becoming a CBSO Legacy Donor we’ll keep you updated on our work and plans for the future, introduce you to our musicians at our annual thank you receptions and – if you wish – acknowledge your generosity in our concert programmes and online. Legacy Donor Receptions in the 2022/23 Season will take place on Thursday 10 November from 6.45pm and Wednesday 3 May from 1.30pm.

Book online at cbso.co.uk

that. See below for when these are planned in the 2022-23 Season. Income received from legacies enables us to plan with confidence. They help bring an element of financial stability and ensure the Orchestra can continue to flourish. It’s important to stress that leaving a gift in your Will isn’t for the super-rich – gifts of all sizes can, and do, help the CBSO in their entirety. Every single gift is important to us and will be invested and spent with care under the terms you express.

“The cuts in government funding and squeeze on local authority funding over recent years concentrated our minds about just how important the CBSO was to us. We started sponsoring a player and enjoyed becoming more involved generally. It made us even more convinced about how essential the Orchestra is to the city and the need to secure its future for the next hundred years. Birmingham’s Triennial Festivals attracted world famous composers and musicians to Birmingham in the 19th century, and the CBSO followed on with a glorious first century at the centre of British music. What better, than to carry on supporting it after we die, so we have also made a bequest in our Wills.”

As our musical ambition increases through the Sound of Future campaign, so does our determination to inspire more of our audience to give the ultimate gift so that, together, we can secure the CBSO’s longer-term future and make an even bigger contribution to cultural life in the West Midlands throughout our second century. We’re thrilled that local solicitors Nicholls Brimble Bhol are helping us in this mission. Through their renewed partnership, they have extended their support by becoming Silver Corporate Partners. In increasing their support for the Orchestra, they are offering CBSO audiences a free Will-writing

or amendment service*. Their independent and experienced team can guide you through making a Will, ensuring all your needs are catered for. Our combined hope is that more people will consider leaving a gift in their Will, strengthening our collective resolve to create a bright musical future.

Nicholls Brimble Bhol Solicitors offer a comprehensive service for individuals that want to amend or draft a Will and have offered CBSO audiences access to this service*. For a confidential conversation, contact Chris Nicholls at Nicholls Brimble Bhol on 0121 726 9999/info@nbblaw.co.uk. * The first 20 standard Wills are free of charge. Following that CBSO audiences will benefit from a 20% discount on the standard fees.

“Now that I am nicely embarked on middle age (a usefully elastic category which must span at least 30 years), I have finally got round to the practicality of making a Will. Whilst certainly not rich, I am comfortable but crucially, it’s much easier to be financially generous after death than before; I simply couldn’t sensibly afford to donate this much whilst still alive. It’s just a shame I won’t be around to see it! I came to Birmingham as a student in the late 1990s as a fan of all forms of music but with a particular love of live classical performances. When I discovered that student standby tickets could be had on the night for £3, I was hooked. I think the crux of my decision is that over the years I have got to know other orchestras and venues, and this has given me a new perspective on just how good the CBSO is. I want to be able to contribute to an orchestra which is world-class yet rooted in its community; a home for top talent, whilst continuing and expanding its outreach programmes; stellar, yet grounded. Perhaps I should stress that word “contribute”: obviously my bequest can’t begin to cover the CBSO’s running costs, but it is a small step in the right direction, and I stress to others reading this that any gift, no matter how modest, can only be a good thing. I have asked to remain anonymous because this is of course a deeply personal choice and I’m not particularly comfortable being in the spotlight on such matters. I’m not seeking to persuade anyone to leave a bequest; rather I am happy to simply explain my own reasons for doing so, and if they chime with anyone reading this, then so much the better. If I may be selfish, I have gained a great deal of contentment knowing that my affairs are in order should the proverbial bus flatten me tomorrow, and that in this small way I can help secure the orchestra of the future.” facebook.com/thecbso

twitter.com/thecbso

instagram.com/thecbso

LOVE TO SING?

THEN WHY NOT JOIN THE CBSO CHORUS? There are opportunities for all ages and voice parts so before too long, you could be on stage with the CBSO. Find out more at cbso.co.uk/sing

SHIRELAND CBSO ACADEMY

Shireland CBSO Academy is the result of an exciting partnership between Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust (S-CAT) and the CBSO and will open its doors to Year 7 and 12 students for the first time in September 2023. S-CAT was established in 2007 and founded by three-times Ofsted Outstanding Shireland Collegiate Academy. The Academy will be the first state school in Britain to be established in collaboration with

facebook.com/thecbso

twitter.com/thecbso

an orchestra, marking a radical new approach to music education, innovatively addressing the much-publicised decline in the position of the creative arts in many schools. Shireland CBSO Academy will deliver an outstanding education for its students built on a foundation of academic and musical excellence. Based in West Bromwich and serving Sandwell and the wider West Midlands, it will be a non-selective state school delivering a broad curriculum and

instagram.com/thecbso

welcoming children of all backgrounds who have a passion for music. Every student will receive instrumental or vocal lessons and this will be complemented by, for example, visits to the CBSO to see the orchestra perform and regular workshops with professional musicians. Applications for places in Year 7 in September 2023 open in July this year, with Year 12 applications opening in September. Please see the Academy’s website for further information: www.shirelandcbso.org.uk

SOUNDS GOOD TO US Jo Patton, Clarinet This year, with our new Head of Artistic planning, Anna Melville, in situ, it was with genuine curiosity & interest that I opened the new brochure. It’s a great new Season with something for everyone but I surprised myself by looking for the curious, challenging, maybe more unusual programmes – perhaps the desire to mix things up and create different experiences is the result of a different type of connection & creativity during the pandemic for me? I am really looking forward to our Street Music concert in December (Thursday 1 December, 7.30pm) – I love the idea of putting Ellington with Stravinsky! I also love the idea of pairing Vivaldi and Piazzolla in our Four Seasons concert at the Town Hall on 22 April. The Orchestral Qawwali Project (Saturday 6 May, 7.30pm) also looks amazing! It will be great to explore more South Asian music and it looks like it’ll be a really inclusive experience with poetry, dance, and song too – I’ll definitely be doing a bit of YouTubing before that concert! I am also delighted to see Alpesh make a return for Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony No.5 (Wednesday 7 December, 2.15pm), with our own amazing leader Eugene Tzikindelean playing the Nielsen concerto. The fabulous Fabian Gabel returns for a gorgeous programme of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, Ravel’s La Valse and one of my all-time favourites, the Suite from Der Rosenkavalier in January (Thursday 19 January, 7.30pm). Last, but by no means least, my good friend

& section leader Oli Janes plays the Mozart concerto in a brilliant programme conducted by another favourite, Ryan Bancroft in November (Wednesday 2 November, 2.15pm). Pauline Cuff, Receptionist As part of the reception team, I am in the privileged position of being able to listen to orchestra rehearsals happening literally behind me and I have a lot of contact with the players as they go about their business. As a romantic at heart, I choose Romeo & Juliet (Wednesday 15 March, 7.30pm) and to see Mirga lead the orchestra for this will be awesome. Graham Sibley, Tuba Every new Season is something to look forward to, and with the transition to a new Music Director and finally putting the long silences of Covid behind us, this coming Season has given that sense of anticipation even more zest than usual. From my perch up in the terraces I enjoy a privileged position to enjoy what looks to be a particularly exciting and varied experience in the rich acoustic of Symphony Hall; so, I thought it might be a bit different to share a tuba player’s view on what I’m eager to play among the perennial favourites and also, some of the perhaps less familiar works that you may have missed in the past.

RODERICK WILLIAMS – VAUGHAN WILLIAMS AT 150: MYSTICAL SONGS Thurday 10 November 2022, 7.30pm

SIMON HÖFELE – STREET MUSIC Thurday 1 December 2022, 7.30pm

ALPESH CHAUHAN: SHOSTAKOVICH’S FIFTH SYMPHONY Wednesday 7 December 2022, 2.15pm

Book online at cbso.co.uk

We were delighted recently to be able to announce our first full Season in over four years, so we asked a selection of the musicians and admin team to share which concerts they’re most excited about in the coming year.

For me, it’s going to be a real pleasure to enjoy the Vaughan Williams at 150 celebrations and to share the opportunity to do so with our fantastic CBSO Chorus in the exultant Toward the Unknown Region. The chance to hear Roderick Williams in the Five Mystical Songs in the same concert as the serene Fifth Symphony conducted by Michael Seal (Thursday 10 November, 7.30pm) is an experience not to be missed. This Season offers the opportunity to see old friends, welcome familiar guests and experience new discoveries. As a brass player, my interest is really piqued by the return of Kevin John Edusei and debut trumpet soloist – Simon Höfele – in what will prove to be a refreshingly colourful concert of Stravinsky, Ellington & Rota and also an unfamiliar concerto by Zimmermann (Thursday 1 December, 7.30pm). In terms of the familiar, it’s going to be a particular pleasure to welcome back Alpesh Chauhan in what I’m sure will be a blistering account of Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony, coupled with our superb leader Eugene Tzikindelean in the Nielsen Violin Concerto (Wednesday 7 December, 2.15pm). I think that everyone will be clamouring for tickets to hear Holst’s The Planets conducted by Kazuki Yamada (Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 February) for sure as well. From a personal performing perspective, it's a pleasure to see Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony (Wednesday 25 January, 2.15pm) make a return this Season. Prokofiev's writing for the tuba is

ISATA KANNEH-MASON: PROKOFIEV & SIBELIUS Wednesday 22 February 2023, 7.30pm

facebook.com/thecbso

twitter.com/thecbso

unique as he uses the instrument so extensively as a solo bass voice within a sound world that is as individual as it is brilliantly colourful. It’s a real tuba workout! Close your eyes in the slow movement and imagine midnight amid the falling snow on a deserted Red Square in Moscow and it's exactly my experience there in 1991! It feels almost unfair to single out individual programmes and events as there is so much to whet the appetite this Season – but these represent just a snapshot of the exciting stuff going on that struck me at the moment. Get yourself down to Symphony Hall. The tram will be running and they should have stopped moving Brum three feet to the left by then!

Adam Nagel, Research Assistant When Violinist/conductor Pekka Kuusisto last appeared with us back in 2013, as well as the advertised programme of Bach, John Adams and Steve Reich, he announced from the stage that he would also play a selection of Finnish folk tunes while the stage was being reset for the advertised pieces. With a Pekka concert you never know quite what to expect. Whatever happens it will certainly be varied, entertaining and unusual – I can't wait for Birds of Paradise (Wednesday 23 November, 7.30pm). And what would be more perfect on a January night than Mahler’s First Symphony (Thursday 12 January 2023, 7.30pm)?

KAZUKI YAMADA CONDUCTS THE PLANETS Wednesday 1 February 2023, 7.30pm & Thursday 2 February 2023. 2.15pm PEKKA KUUSISTO: BIRDS OF PARADISE Wednesday 23 November 2022, 7.30pm

instagram.com/thecbso

All photographs by Benjamin Ealovega

SOUNDS GOOD TO US RANDALL GOOSBY – CBSO YOUTH ORCHESTRA Sunday 30 October 2022, 3pm

RYAN BANCROFT – MOZART’S CLARINET CONCERTO Wednesday 2 November 2022, 2.15pm

KAZUKI CONDUCTS CARMINA BURANA Thurday 27 April 2023, 7.30pm

Its wonderful magically atmospheric opening seems to evoke the gradual turning from winter to spring. Together with the rarely heard Blumine movement that Mahler rejected from his first symphony and the British premiere of the Third Symphony by Thomas Larcher – one of the most original contemporary voices to come out of Austria and a composer new to Birmingham audiences – this should be an interesting and stimulating evening. Matthew Hardy, Timpani Ryan Bancroft – I can’t imagine a better fit for Ryan’s energetic and rhythmic approach than The Chairman Dances and Symphonic Dances – two stunning pieces in their own right. (Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto Wednesday 2 November, 2.15pm) Sandwiched with our very own Oli playing Mozart, this will be a concert to remember. Kazuki conducts The Planets (Wednesday 1 February, 7.30pm and Thursday 2 February 2023, 2.15pm) A selfish pick this – but The Planets encapsulates the best of modern-day Timpani writing. Two players on two full sets of drums passing around bass lines and melodies. It’s a really satisfying part to play and who better to guide us than Kazuki? Mahler’s First Symphony (Thursday 12 January, 7.30pm) conducted by Gergely Madaras – I know a lot of my colleagues have played this work many, many, many times – but I’m a sucker for a tune, and Mahler 1 is one big cheese fest with a huge orchestra. What's not to love?

Family Concert: Film Favourites (Sunday 12 March 2023, 2.30pm). Some of the best and most nostalgic music presented in a relaxed setting. Tom Redmond the presenter is a story-telling genius and is guaranteed to bring these amazing scores to life for all ages. My kids will be coming! Hidden Gem – CBSO Youth Orchestra plays Bruch & Lutosławski (Sunday 30 October, 3.00pm). Often compared to Bartók’s namesake this piece is, in my opinion, far too often overlooked. Oozing with Polish Folk Melody it is a piece full of drama (and really interesting percussion writing!). Centre Stage – don’t miss our regular Centre Stage collaboration between the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Percussion Department and the CBSO Percussion Section (Friday 2 December, 2pm). These concerts are always an eclectic mix of the known and unknown - this year featuring Steve Reich and Chinese/American composer Tan Dun. Graham Irving, Assistant Accountant I’m particularly looking forward to Carmina Burana next April (Thursday 27 April, 7.30pm). I have always enjoyed it and sang it as part of a children’s chorus when I was young. My best friend since childhood was in the chorus with me, and it always reminds me of him. Plus, it is so dramatic!

Book online at cbso.co.uk

QUEEN SYMPHONIC: A ROCK ORCHESTRA EXPERIENCE Friday 26 May 2023, 7.30pm MIRGA GRAŽINYTĖ-TYLA – THE SEA Wednesday 28 September 2022, 2.15pm

EUGENE TZIKINDELEAN – FOUR SEASONS Saturday 22 April 2023, 7pm

Melanie Ryan, CRM & Insight Manager I’m looking forward to another performance of The Dream of Gerontius by the CBSO (Thursday 2 March, 7.30pm) in the city for which Elgar composed it. It’s profoundly moving (the last time I heard the CBSO perform it, the man next to me had tears streaming down his face) and I’m sure will be even more so with the backdrop of the pandemic, war and climate crisis. I’m not religious in the slightest, but this music speaks to me on a very human level, and there just might be tears in my eyes this time. Charlotte Wheeler, Development Events Officer I’m most looking forward to the CBSO & The Orchestral Qawwali Project (Saturday 6 May, 7.30pm) as it will be an amazing one to watch, Licence to Thrill: The Very Best of Bond (Friday 10 February, 7.30pm) will be a huge hit with our Corporate Sponsors, and Birds of Paradise (Wednesday 23 November, 7.30pm) sounds like a fantastic concert too! Susan Price, Finance Assistant I was delighted to see Queen Symphonic (Friday 26 May, 7.30pm) in the Season brochure. I’m a huge fan, but I think it shows the orchestra in a totally different way and it will be really enjoyable to hear the music played on different instruments. I will probably also give Licence to Thrill: The Very Best of Bond (Friday 10 February, 7.30pm) a go too to hear those iconic themes played live.

facebook.com/thecbso

twitter.com/thecbso

instagram.com/thecbso

Was also delighted to see Barber’s Adagio for Strings in the Classic FM Hall of Fame programme (Friday 20 January, 7.30pm), it’s one of my absolute favourites. Arthur Boutillier, Cello Anything with Kazuki conducting is a must for me, he is just a delight to watch and I’m really looking forward to The Planets (Wednesday 1 February, 7.30pm & Thursday 2 February, 2.15pm), as well as Shostakovich’s Fifth (Wednesday 7 December, 2.15pm) and of course Romeo and Juliet (Wednesday 15 March, 7.30pm). It's a very exciting new Season coming ahead! Lots of great classics such as La mer in September paired with the music of Britten, Adès and Weinberg! (Wednesday 28 September, 2.15pm) French Conductor Fabien Gabel is returning with the amazing Augustin Hadelich to perform one of my favourites, Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, paired with Ravel's electrified La Valse! (Thursday 19 January, 7.30pm) After a great week recently with the Kazui Yamada/ Daishin Kashimoto duo, they are returning in May – Kazuki conducts Scheherazade – and it's already promising to be another fantastic week of music making and fun (Wednesday 3 May, 2.15pm). Finally, I am particularly looking forward to the Four Seasons concert in April (Town Hall, Saturday 22 April, 7.00pm). Having a full symphony orchestra unconducted is so powerful, but even more when it is our own Leader Eugene Tzikindelean!

LEARNING & ENGAGEMENT ROUND UP The spring term saw the department return to levels of pre-pandemic activity both in and out of school. Between January – April we delivered:  82 workshops across 16 schools as part of our residency programmes engaging with 934 individual pupils  13 live or streamed schools’ concerts reaching almost 12,000 children and young people  6 concerts for early years and family audiences  13 community choir rehearsals  26 rehearsals and performances by young instrumentalists as part of CBSO Youth Orchestra and Project Remix

A big thank you to our individual, corporate and trust funders who have helped make these projects happen.

PROJECT REMIX

Project Remix once again brought together talented young instrumentalists from across the Midlands to the glittering lights of Symphony Hall. This year we celebrated Birmingham’s rich cultural and musical heritage mix in a showcase of Bollywood Hits. Participating instrumentalists were mentored through weekly rehearsals by a team of CBSO musicians in preparation for their showcase performance on 20 February with South Asian artists Tommy Khosla and Navin Kundra.

MYTHS AND LEGENDS Over the Spring term we launched a new mini residency project, using the theme of the February CBSO Family Concert – Myths and Legends as the impetus for the project. This project enabled 358 Key Stage 2 Pupils (aged 7-11) from eight primary schools across the region to; engage creatively with a team of CBSO musicians and visual artists to produce and perform their own music and art, participate in live trio visits in their school and attend the CBSO Family Concert – Myths and Legends, to watchthe full-scale symphony orchestra in the spectacular Symphony Hall. To listen to the final compositions for each school please visit cbso.co.uk/education/ primary-schools/myths-and-legends

YOUTH AMBASSADORS Having appointed a team of Youth Ambassadors to help advise the organisation on how to reinvent the concert experience for new audiences, and following a term of workshops to support them in programming and curating their concert, our audiences finally got to see the product of their hard work in March. Having given the Youth Ambassadors carte blanche to create their concert experience, they challenged and subverted expectations of what an orchestral concert could be.

Their response to the brief was to devise three ‘rooms’ for the audience to experience – think music reflecting the mood of your party rooms – no need to get up and move; each room comes to you in the Hall, with each being designed to showcase the CBSO in a different light. The concert was conducted by our own Youth Orchestra Alumnus Ben Gernon and featured music by Respighi, Dukas, Missy Mazzoli, Philip Glass and Gabriel Prokofiev’s Concerto for Turntables with four-times World DJ Champion, Mr Switch.

SCHOOLS’ CONCERTS At the beginning of February nearly 7,000 young people from across the Midlands and beyond attended one of our schools’ concerts at Symphony Hall or CBSO Centre, performed by the Orchestra. We presented a total of 12 schools’ concerts and for many in the audience, this was their first experience of hearing an orchestra perform live. We took the audience on a voyage of exploration – KS2 & KS3 pupils had the opportunity to delve into the natural world with presenter Tom Redmond, while our KS1 audiences joined Charlotte Skinner and Bryony Morrison to embark on an out of this world space adventure before Jane Wright, Ratty, Mole and Badger united with audiences for our relaxed concerts, inspired by Kenneth Grahame’s book The Wind in the Willows. Alongside our live relaxed concerts, we also streamed the performance for around 5,000 young people with additional needs, unable to attend in person.

Photo © River Rae

OUR CHORUSES The CBSO Chorus sprang back into live concert-giving over the 2021/22 Season, opening the Season with Poulenc’s Gloria and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. Also included were our CBSO Youth Chorus, performing Fauré’s Messe Basse, where we welcomed back a number of our Youth Chorus alumni who had been unable to perform their last ever Youth Chorus performance in 2020, due to the pandemic. For the CBSO Chorus, Fauré’s Requiem followed in November 2021, and just over a week later they were performing Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen – the first of their Czech pieces scheduled for the Season. Throughout Autumn and Winter, the Children’s Chorus and Youth Chorus were warming up their voices, ready for their first Christmas concerts since 2019. Repertoire included the funky Christmas on the Beach at Waikiki (complete with kazoos and choreography) for the Junior Children’s Chorus, Children’s Chorus, the hilarious The Twelve Days After Christmas by the Youth Chorus; in addition to a brand-new piece written especially for the CSBO Chorus, Christmas Bells by our very facebook.com/thecbso

twitter.com/thecbso

Photos © Andrew Fox

own chorus founder member, Phil Rawle. The CBSO Chorus also entertained at Birmingham Snow Hill offices, singing some well-known carols one lunchtime to workers in festive jumpers and Santa hats. The new year began with Debussy’s Sirens sung by the Youth Chorus and followed by a UK premiere of Nathaniel Dett’s The Ordering of Moses, sung by the CBSO Chorus, which was recorded by BBC Radio 3. The CBSO Chorus then ventured on their very first daytrip since 2020, to the Barbican Centre in London, giving a 5-star performance of Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass with the Czech Philharmonic led by Semyon Bychkov. The Junior Chorus and the Children’s Chorus each had their own opportunity to shine in a pre-concert performance at Symphony Hall. The Children’s Chorus wowed audience members before the Family Concert back in March, and the Junior Chorus captivated the crowd before one of the CBSO’s Friday Night Classics in April.

CBSO at Symphony Hall, for the first time in their 49-year history! They will next be performing Mahler’s Symphony No.2, both in Birmingham and also at this year’s BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall – which will officially close the CBSO Chorus 2021/22 Season. You can still see them perform over the summer though as our Junior, Children’s and Youth Choruses have a performance in July with our community choir, SO Vocal, to perform an uplifting range of repertoire, celebrating SO Vocal’s 10-year anniversary at Birmingham Town Hall on 17 July. All choruses have been conducting auditions and re-auditions throughout the Season, and we have been grateful that so many of our members have stuck with us throughout our online rehearsals during the pandemic. Our membership alone has made the last nine months of singing possible, and we are keen for many more singers, of any age, to come and join us for the 2022/23 season. Find out more at cbso.co.uk/sing.

The CBSO Chorus debuted their version of Handel’s Messiah this June, with an intimate onstage performance with the instagram.com/thecbso

THE SOUND OF THE FUTURE

Photo © River Rae

OUR CAMPAIGN FOR MUSICAL LIFE IN THE WEST MIDLANDS The Sound of the Future campaign will reinvigorate the way we work, using music to connect communities, inspire participation and captivate audiences across the Midlands, the UK and the world. Our ambitious plans fall within four key priorities and we would love you to help us make them a reality:

OFFERING LIFE-ENRICHING ARTISTIC EXPERIENCES By investing in the most ambitious artistic projects performed by the very best musicians you could bring joy to concertgoers worldwide.

ENRICHING MORE LIVES IN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES You can help us bring inspirational musical experiences to even more people, regardless of background or bank balance.

NURTURING TALENT With your support we will give budding and brilliant musicians unrivalled opportunities to realise their potential right here in Birmingham.

WELCOMING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CONCERTGOERS Your support will enable us to innovate in order to introduce younger and more diverse audiences to music.

Get involved by becoming a member, making a donation, leaving a gift in your will, joining our corporate community or supporting through a charitable trust or foundation. For more information about the Sound of the Future Campaign and how you can support the future of music-making in the West Midlands, please visit cbso.co.uk/future or call us on 0121 616 6500. 18

Book online at cbso.co.uk

MEET THE NEW DEVELOPMENT TEAM As a family, we have a love of the outdoors and have just brought a static caravan in North Wales. I am looking forward to creating memories together as a family, escaping to the seaside and being outdoors. Finally to our audiences and supporters, I just wanted to say thank you for making me feel so welcome in the first couple of months. I’m really looking forward to meeting you all and thanking you personally for everything you do for the CBSO.

CHARLIE WHEELER Development Events Officer This is my first time working in the arts, having moved into this role from recruitment and my day-to-day conversation are already drastically different, in the best way possible. Working as the Events Officer is ideal for me as I love meeting people, having a chat and getting to know you and if there is a bar, I won’t be far away!

Photo © Hannah Fathers

From left to right: Charlie Wheeler, Meg Bradshaw, Claire Tilt, Rachel Cooper and Eve Vines

CLAIRE TILT Director of Development My love of music started at an early age, when I used to pretend to play the piano on an old wooden bureau in my parents’ house, so I was bought a piano. Fast forward 38 years and that same piano is now in our family home being plonked on again as my five-year-old daughter starts on her musical journey. Music has always been such a large part of my life, and after leaving school I studied at Trinity College of Music, and was lucky enough to be the first Student Union President of their (not so) new home in Greenwich. Having turned down an opportunity to study postgrad at Royal College of Music I came to a bit of a crossroads. What did I want to do, how could my skills as a performer be used in the workplace and what was I good at? Turns out I was quite good at talking to people and building relationships and so started off my career in fundraising and alumni relations at Trinity College of Music. Professional life took me from London to Leicester, to Wolverhampton and now to Birmingham, although I still live in Wolverhampton, and have always supported Wolverhampton Wanderers. So, for me being the Director of Development at the CBSO means so much facebook.com/thecbso

twitter.com/thecbso

more than just turning up to work every day. Its part of my DNA as a musician and with all the inspirational stories of how music enriches lives both in and out of Symphony Hall, in schools and in communities, it gives me a real chance to make a difference. Outside of work I still play, I lead (or should that be busk!) the 2nd violins of Wolverhampton Symphony Orchestra and I sing in Wolverhampton Chamber Choir. With two young girls, Hannah (5) and Sophie (3) practice definitely doesn’t make it very high up on the list of priorities!

RACHEL COOPER Development Administrator I’m Rachel, and I started as the Development Administrator in April. Part of my role is looking after our memberships, and so you may have heard from me already! It’s been such a pleasure to chat to so many lovely people who support us, and I look forward to getting to know you all even better in our exciting new Season. I grew up in Birmingham and throughout my education have always loved the arts, though a lot of my prior experience has been more theatre based. Before the CBSO

instagram.com/thecbso

An obvious, yet unexpected joy to this role is the exposure to the range of music and repertoire the CBSO performs. Orchestral and classical music can be daunting when you don’t know a lot about it and having the opportunity attend concerts, discuss the music with audiences and members and share the visceral experience of watching the orchestra live is unforgettable for me. I look forward to meeting more of you, and hopefully my knowledge will be slightly more up to scratch so I can drop some impressive one-liners in our next conversation!

I worked at Birmingham Repertory Theatre and volunteered at The Crescent Theatre for several years, before joining a local soft drinks manufacturer in the admin team. I am excited to be back working in the arts again and I can’t wait to learn more about the world of orchestral music! Outside of work, I enjoy illustration and so like filling up the house with artwork and doodles- I’m currently working on a children’s book to share with my toddler at bedtime. I also enjoy curling up with a good book and a cuppa or catching up on my favourite programmes – I could quite happily talk for hours about Inside No. 9 or Escape to the Chateau!

CBSO MEMBERS’ NEWS It’s been an exciting few months within the Development Team as we’ve welcomed Claire Tilt as our new Director of Development and two new members of the Development Team, Charlie Wheeler and Rachel Cooper (read more about them on page 19). We’ve celebrated the launch of our first full concert Season since before the pandemic and with that the return of a busy Members’ Events calendar. Before all of that we’re looking forward to returning to the Royal Albert Hall on Monday 25 July for our Proms performance with Kazuki Yamada, who features at the festival for the very first time. We still have spaces available on the coach for this day trip so if you’d like to join us, get in touch with Rachel – see below for contact details.

MEMBERS’ CONTACTS EVE VINES Memberships and Appeals Manager: 0121 616 6541 | evines@cbso.co.uk RACHEL COOPER Development Administrator: 0121 616 6510 | rcooper@cbso.co.uk CHARLIE WHEELER Development Events Officer: 0121 616 6500 | cwheeler@cbso.co.uk APHRA HISCOCK Marketing & Development Communications Officer: 0121 616 6514 | ahiscock@cbso.co.uk

REMEMBERING THELMA Thelma Justham, who died on 24 May at the age of 97, was a very long-standing supporter and much-loved member of the CBSO family. She was a regular and knowledgeable concert-goer, and always enjoyed meeting members of the orchestra at Members’ events. She had a particularly close connection with our Associate Conductor Michael Seal, whose position she supported for many years. Thelma’s family have been tremendously generous supporters of the CBSO, contributing to a number of our campaigns, and her son Jamie is active as a member of the Campaign Board for our Sound of the Future fundraising campaign, and is a former trustee of the CBSO Development Trust. The Justham Auditorium at CBSO Centre, where CBSO orchestra and chorus rehearsals take place, and the new Justham Family Room at Symphony Hall, are both named in honour of the family’s generosity.

CONCERTS BY COACH

TO FIND OUT MORE Visit cbso.co.uk/coaches Call 0121 616 6500 Email marketing@cbso.co.uk 20

We know that not everyone wants to drive or get public transport into Birmingham, so we will be running coaches for concerts from Cheltenham this Season. Coach tickets are £17.50 return and can be booked at the same time as your tickets, either online or by calling the B:Music Box Office on 0121 780 3333. You can find a full list of the coaches running this Season on our website at cbso.co/uk/coaches Book online at cbso.co.uk

MEMBERS’ EVENTS Our 2022-23 Season is full of engaging Members’ Events, offering you the opportunity to discuss our concert programmes with like-minded Members, CBSO players, and visiting artists. This Season there will be three Afternoon Teas, eight Members’ Receptions, and our usual extensive range of Open Rehearsals. Later in the summer we’ll be announcing a new event, exclusive to Members, which will be launching this season – look out for more information about that in our Members’ update emails and online!

MEMBERS’ RECEPTIONS Our Members’ Receptions are listed in the Season brochure and on the events booking form – please do join us pre-concert for a glass of wine or cup of tea, we love chatting to you at these receptions! Eligibility for Members’ Receptions is as follows:  Friends: 1 reception  Gold Friends, Patrons and Silver Patrons: 2 receptions  Gold Patrons: 4 receptions.

For more information on Members’ Events, and how to book, visit cbso.co.uk/membersevents or call Rachel using the details opposite.

AFTERNOON TEAS A particular highlight will be our Afternoon Tea on Wednesday 2 November, at which conductor Ryan Bancroft and Section Leader Clarinet Oliver Janes will join Members for what is sure to be a celebratory afternoon following Oliver’s performance of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. Photo © Hannah Fathers

We’ll feature a line-up of CBSO musicians at the tea on Wednesday 25 January, following their performance of Prokofiev Symphony No.5 and we’re also thrilled to be welcoming Kazuki Yamada and Daishin Kashimoto on Wednesday 3 May. Firm friends both on and off-stage, this is set to be a thoroughly entertaining event.

OPEN REHEARSALS A full season of Open Rehearsals at Symphony Hall returns from September. Join the Orchestra at their final rehearsal before the concert as they put the finishing touches to their preparations.

Rehearsals are free to attend, please show your membership card on arrival. You no longer need to notify us in advance of your intention to attend a rehearsal, but we do still advise you to call 0121 616 6533 the morning of the rehearsal to listen to a recorded message confirming the times, as the start times are liable to change from the times advertised. Please note, these are working rehearsals for the Orchestra, and we kindly ask for concert conditions from those watching so the musicians are not distracted.

facebook.com/thecbso

twitter.com/thecbso

Open Rehearsal dates and times:  Tues 20 September 2.30pm-4.30pm  Thurs 6 October 2.30pm-5.30pm  Weds 23 November 3pm-5.30pm  Weds 7 December 9.45am-12.45pm  Thurs 19 January 2023 3.30pm-5.30pm  Thurs 16 February 2023 10.15am-1.15pm  Weds 8 March 2023 2.30pm-5.30pm  Weds 19 April 2023 10.15am-1.15pm  Weds 10 May 2023 2.30pm-5.30pm  Weds 14 June 2023 Time tbc Photo © Hannah Fathers

instagram.com/thecbso

CBSO PEOPLE Since the last issue of Music Stand, we’ve been delighted to welcome lots of new faces and to also see some longer standing members of the admin team step into new roles as follows.

HELEN BENSON

RUTH BERTRAM Ruth joined the CBSO Casual Events team in 2016. She later moved to work in both our Learning & Engagement and Planning teams, helping with a range of projects. We are thrilled to have her on board as our Planning Officer on a fixed term contract.

RACHEL COOPER Rachel joined the Development team as Development Administrator in April, having previously worked for Purity Soft Drinks and Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Our new Principal Piccolo, Helen joined the CBSO on June 13 having lived and worked abroad for 17 years. Prior to joining the CBSO Helen was with Oslo Philharmonic and you can find out more about Helen on our website.

MADDI BELSEY-DAY Having spent six years in our Planning Team, first as our Concerts Administrator and later as our Assistant Planning Manager, Maddi recently became our Tours and Project Manager.

CHRIS GOODCHILD Our new Assistant Orchestra Manager started with us on 20 June and was previously with Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance as their Department Coordinator for Jazz and Strings.

ALAN JOHNSON Having joined the CBSO in 2019 as our Assistant Orchestra Manager, following several years working with our Centre and Platform teams, Alan is now changing posts and from 1 June 2022 is the CBSO Centre Manager.

SEAN KEENAGHAN Sean recently joined the CBSO on a permanent contract as Buildings and Facilities Coordinator, part of the team who ensure the smooth running of CBSO Centre. Sean has been a regular member of the casual Events and Platform Team since 2015.

TOM LEAVER Tom joined the Marketing and Communications team as Marketing and Development Data Officer, having previously worked as a personal trainer.

JONATHAN HOLLAND Jonathan, who was our Section Leader Trumpet, left on April 5 after almost 40 years with the Orchestra. Given the length of service from Jon, it felt only appropriate to invite his colleagues to share some of their thoughts and memories with us… Jon studied at the Royal College of Music and joined the CBSO in 1984, becoming Section Leader Trumpet in 1987. He played regularly with the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and has taught at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for over 30 years. Though he’s leaving the CBSO, we definitely hope to see him back as a freelancer in the near future.

 “Jon has been ‘leading the line’ for the CBSO since long before I arrived here in 1999. Through all the amazing variety of repertoire and concerts in that time – and all the different demands they make on a First Trumpet – Jon has been a fixed point of excellence, giving the whole orchestra and conductors whatever was needed: a rock-solid rhythmic presence, a gleam of brilliance, a soulful solo, or the self-confident swagger on those magical nights when the CBSO turns into a Big Band. Off the platform Jon has been a wonderful colleague to so many people, bringing to all his roles – Section Leader, Chair of the Players Committee, Pension Fund Trustee and many others – a seriousness and diligence alongside very good judgement. His presence both on stage and off will be greatly missed. Thank you Jon!” Stephen Maddock, Chief Executive, CBSO

 “Jon Holland is a superb orchestral musician. The reliability of his playing is the stuff of legend, yet he constantly pushes himself to the limits, seeking and achieving the whole range of musical expression, from tremendous excitement to great sensitivity. Through extraordinarily conscientious commitment he has sustained these qualities over a long career in a position in which the pressure is often intense. His contribution to the CBSO has been of huge significance. He is friendly, calm, fair and good-humoured and I will miss him personally as well as professionally. I wish him the very best for the future. Tony Howe, Principal Second Trombone

 “There are not many times you can truly use the word legend – but now is definitely one of them. I have known Jon since 1986 and right from the word go, I was stunned and overwhelmed to be sitting next to such

TOM SPURGIN Tom Joined the CBSO as Director of Learning & Engagement in May from the Philharmonia where he has been the cross-departmental lead for their Virtual Orchestra, a large-scale digital-led audience development initiative. He has also been the programme lead for the Philharmonia’s Artist in Residence scheme.

CLAIRE TILT Our new Director of Development Claire, joined the CBSO in late April having been Head of Alumni and Development at the University of Wolverhampton for ten years, following previous positions at De Montfort University and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

CHARLOTTE WHEELER Charlie joined the Development team in April as Events Officer and is new to the arts – she previously worked in recruitment.

MOVING ON… We’ve also been very sorry to have to bid farewell to the following people...

SEV KUCUKOGULLARI Having spent the last five years splitting her time between being the friendly face of the CBSO reception desk and her art gallery TStreet, Sev has now left the CBSO to take on a new challenge as General Manager of the Coventry Biennial.

TOMO MATSUO Although Tomo left the CBSO Centre team in February 2022 to expand on his freelance technical portfolio, he is still a regular member of the CBSO Technical team, lending his expertise to our sound and lighting desk on a freelance basis.

HANNAH MUDDIMAN After four years at the CBSO, Hannah has moved on from her role as Tours and Planning Manager to join the Citizens Advice Bureau.

NIKI LONGHURST

FRANCESCA SPICKERNELL

After a remarkable 23 years of service, our Centre Manager Niki Longhurst has waved goodbye to the CBSO for a career change. Having kept a huge variety of projects at the Centre running smoothly for many years, she will now be putting her project management skills to good use as a Product Change Specialist for Cadbury/ Mondelez.

After just over two years with the CBSO as our Head of Philanthropy, Frankie has left to join the team at The Factory in Manchester.

BETHAN MCKNIGHT Bethan was the CBSO’s Development Administrator for five years and recently left to join architecture firm Donald Insall Associates as their Administration Assistant.

ANNMARIE WALLIS Our Director of Finance since 2009, Annmarie oversaw countless Board and committee meetings, budget sheets and forecasts to ensure that the CBSO was always in robust financial health. We are grateful for the very many hours she put in and wish her a very happy retirement.

MUSIC ... a phenomenal trumpet player. His sound, stamina, tuning, power, range and all round musicianship was both frightening to me but also truly inspiring. Jon has been the epitome of the perfect orchestral First Trumpet player, and it’s truly amazing that he has kept his level of performance so high for so long in such a pressured position. He has perfected the art of leading a trumpet section, but has also moulded the section stylistically and artistically. His level of accuracy is phenomenal – we used to comment amongst the section that he went for years (yes years!) without ever making a mistake or cracking a note! One performance in particular tells you the kind of person Jon is: we were performing in Paris and, after a morning rehearsal, we had lunch in a seafood restaurant. Later on Jon found out to his cost, that he was acutely allergic to shellfish and eventually was taken to a French hospital. We were all worried about

facebook.com/thecbso

twitter.com/thecbso

who was going to step in and play the First Trumpet part, but, truly remarkably, Jon appeared at the concert hall in time to play the show – and, of course, it was perfect! ” Jonathan Quirk, Principal Trumpet

 “We first met Jonathan in 2000 after we arranged what was then called a ‘Chair Endowment’ in memory of my father, who had died earlier that year and had been keen on brass band music. Because of this, we wanted to be linked to a brass player, and the CBSO suggested Jonathan Holland. It was a relatively new concept for individuals to endow a chair, and Jonathan was a good sport in taking on the role and meeting up with us regularly. We mutually decided that a pre-concert supper at a nearby restaurant would be an excellent way to get to know one another and have continued this intermittently over the years. Until then, we had never met an orchestral player; we had only ever enjoyed concerts

instagram.com/thecbso

from afar. From Jon, we gained an insight into how an orchestra works and all the behind the scenes effort that contributes to the final success of a concert. We also have a much better understanding of musicians and their instruments, all enhancing our concert-going. It has been a privilege to have an association with Jon over the past 22 years, and we wish him well.” Allan and Jennifer Buckle – Concerto Circle members and Jon’s player supporters.

 “Having the opportunity to work with Jon for the past three years, has been truly inspirational. He is an incredibly talented musician and performer, and it is through this ability, combined with amazing levels of dedication and commitment, that Jon has been able to maintain a level of performance that is almost unparalleled. I wish Jon all the best for the future.” Richard Watkin, Section Leader Trombone

THANK YOU EDUCATION PARTNERS

Partners in Orchestral Development

The support we receive from thousands of individual donors, public funders, businesses and private foundations allows us to present extraordinary performances and to create exciting activities in schools and communities. Your support makes such a difference and is much appreciated.

PRINCIPAL FUNDERS

CORPORATE PARTNERS

Supporter of Schoolsʼ Concerts

William King Ltd

IN-KIND SUPPORTERS

Globeflow

FUNDERS

www.prsformusicfoundation.com

For more information on how your organisation can engage with the CBSO, please contact contact Megan Bradshaw, Corporate Partnership and Events Manager, on 0121 616 6514 or mbradshaw@cbso.co.uk

TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust ABO Trust’s Sirens Programme Miss Albright Grimley Charity The Andor Charitable Trust The Lord Austin Trust The John Avins Trust Backstage Trust The Rachel Baker Memorial Charity Bite Size Pieces The Boshier-Hinton Foundation British Korean Society The Charles Brotherton Trust The Edward & Dorothy Cadbury Trust Edward Cadbury Charitable Trust The George Cadbury Fund The R V J Cadbury Charitable Trust CBSO Development Trust City of Birmingham Orchestral Endowment Fund The John S Cohen Foundation The Cole Charitable Trust The George Henry Collins Charity The Concertina Charitable Trust Baron Davenport’s Charity The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust Dunard Fund The W E Dunn Trust The W.G. Edwards Charitable Foundation John Ellerman Foundation The Eveson Charitable Trust The John Feeney Charitable Trust George Fentham Birmingham Charity Allan and Nesta Ferguson Charitable Settlement Fidelio Charitable Trust The Garrick Charitable Trust The Golsoncott Foundation Grantham Yorke Trust The Grey Court Trust The Grimmitt Trust LG Harris Trust The Derek Hill Foundation The Joseph Hopkins and Henry James Sayer Charities John Horniman’s Children’s Trust The Irving Memorial Trust

The JABBS Foundation Lillie Johnson Charitable Trust The Kobler Trust James Langley Memorial Trust The Leverhulme Trust LJC Fund Limoges Charitable Trust The S & D Lloyd Charity The Helen Rachael Mackaness Charitable Trust The MacRobert Trust The McLay Dementia Trust The James Frederick & Ethel Anne Measures Charity The Anthony and Elizabeth Mellows Charitable Trust MFPA Trust Fund for the Training of Handicapped Children in the Arts Millichope Foundation The David Morgan Music Trust The Oakley Charitable Trust The Patrick Trust The Misses C M Pearson & M V Williams Charitable Trust Perry Family Charitable Trust The Bernard Piggott Charitable Trust PRS Foundation’s The Open Fund for Organisations The Radcliffe Trust Rathbones Trust Company The Ratcliff Foundation The Rainbow Dickinson Trust Clive & Sylvia Richards Charity Rix-Thompson-Rothenberg Foundation The M K Rose Charitable Trust The Rowlands Trust RVW Trust The Saintbury Trust The E H Smith Charitable Trust F C Stokes Trust Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust C B & H H Taylor 1984 Trust G J W Turner Trust The Roger & Douglas Turner Charitable Trust Garfield Weston Foundation The Wolfson Foundation The Alan Woodfield Charitable Trust

Thank you also to our Major Donors, Benefactors, Circles Members, Patrons and Friends for their generous support. Cover photo of Jo Patton © Ella Carman

Music Stand - Summer 2022

Articles inside

CBSO players and staff give us their top picks for the 2022-23 Season

Two pairs of tickets to be won

Music to your ears