RNCM Live Autumn 2014 by Tizer Studio

COMING SOON...

THE BRAND NEW RNCM CONCERT HALL

STATE-OFTHE-ART FACILITIES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

WORLD-CLASS MUSIC IN THE HEART OF MANCHESTER

A VIBRANT SPACE FOR A THRIVING CITY

DOORS OPEN 6 NOVEMBER

COME AND JOIN US!

Autumn 2014 is an historic time for the RNCM as we open the doors to a brand new Concert Hall for the first time in over 40 years. For four decades thousands of talented students and professional musicians have graced the stage of this special venue and now, as the transformation nears completion, our new season is set to continue this tradition with a quality programme full of diversity. Officially opening on Thursday 6 November with a celebratory concert by world-renowned baritone Sir Thomas Allen, the RNCM Concert Hall hosts an array of unique events. Our new season takes in international competitions and exciting music from across the breadth of musical genres. From a series marking the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth to specialist masterclasses, classical favourites, contemporary music, jazz, folk and pop; our programme explores music that intrigues and delights in equal measure. Complementing the RNCM’s Theatre, Studio, and Carole Nash Recital Room, the Concert Hall will enhance Manchester’s thriving cultural scene, so please do take a look through this brochure and join us as we embark on a new phase in our history. We look forward to welcoming you.

Dr Michelle Castelletti – Artistic Director

The redevelopment of the RNCM Concert Hall has been an incredible 12 month process that incorporated new flooring and seating, a balcony, state-of-the-art technical facilities, and improved backstage areas.

Take Your Seat

There are still many ways that you can get involved and make a lasting impression on what promises to be one of Manchester’s most vibrant performance venues.

Lower Hall £600 (or 12 monthly payments of £50)

Naming a seat in a venue you enjoy can be the perfect way to make a personal contribution. You can Take Your Seat in our transformed Concert Hall for yourself, as a gift, to celebrate a special occasion, or in memory of a loved one Seats are available at the following prices*:

Upper Hall £450 (or 12 monthly payments of £37.50) Balcony £300 (or 12 monthly payments of £25) To Take Your Seat please contact the Development team on 0161 907 5394 or email development@rncm.ac.uk. Alternatively, visit www.rncm.ac.uk/yourrncm/nameaseat for more information. * Take Your Seat before Friday 31 October and receive an invitation to see our spectacular new Concert Hall at a behind-the-scenes special event ahead of our opening concert with Sir Thomas Allen on Thursday 6 November.

James Rhodes

Friday 29 August

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

The Fairey Band and the Youth Brass Band of Upper Austria with Steven Mead The Youth Brass Band of Upper Austria team up with one of the UK’s finest brass bands in a concert featuring euphonium virtuoso Steven Mead and culminating in a special massed finale with up to 85 musicians including players from local youth brass bands. Tickets £8 Concessions available Promoted by Steven Mead

Wednesday 10 September

Doors 7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Gruff Rhys Through nine albums with Super Furry Animals, two with Neon Neon and a handful of solo LPs, Gruff Rhys has distinctively documented the lives of others. His new album American Interior is an interconnected collection of songs documenting the true story of a Welsh explorer’s fantastical journey across the heart of the unmapped American continent in the late 18th century.

Gruff Rhys

Tickets £15 No concessions Promoted by Now Wave

Saturday 20 September 7.30pm RNCM Theatre

James Rhodes Music to include: Franz Schubert Piano Sonata in A major D 664 Frédéric Chopin Ballade No 3 Op 47; Fantasie in F minor Op 49; Scherzo No 2 Op 31 Felix Blumenfeld Étude pour la main gauche seule Op 36 Tickets £18 Concessions available Promoted by Glynis Henderson Productions Ltd

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Claire Martin with the Montpellier Cello Quartet

Claire Martin

Sunday 21 September

Claire Martin brings her wealth of experience as a jazz vocalist into a brand new arena with the Brighton-based Montpellier Cello Quartet. This exciting new venture combines her love of The Great American Songbook and popular classics with brand new arrangements especially commissioned for this project by internationally renowned composers including Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, Mark-Anthony Turnage and Django Bates.

Thursday 25 September 7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Madame X A New Opera by Tim Benjamin Masetto and Zerlina – a young immigrant couple – are impoverished, cold and starving. Masetto, a brilliant portrait artist, is being ripped off by his unscrupulous agent, and circling art collectors will not take ‘no’ for an answer. Shivering in a shabby loft, struggling to make ends meet and exploited by the wealthy and powerful collectors Lady Brannoch and Mr Wilmore, Masetto lives for his art, protected only by his muse and love, Zerlina. Their plight becomes increasingly perilous, desperate and deadly, until at last: revenge.

Saturday 27 September

Doors 7pm RNCM Theatre

Ian Hunter and The Rant Band plus special guests Federal Charm As leader of 70s British rock legends Mott the Hoople and a hugely influential solo artist, Ian Hunter is widely revered as one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most compelling performers, as well as one of its most articulate songwriters. Tickets £25 No concessions Promoted by The Gig Cartel

Madame X

Tickets £20 Concessions available Promoted by Senbla

Madame X is a new opera by Tim Benjamin, inspired by the Italian operas of Handel and by Jacobean revenge drama. This dark, passionate and obsessive tale is peppered with black humour and explores the potent combination of money and power in the world of art. For more information see madame-x.co.uk/trailer Tickets £12 Concessions available Supported by Arts Council England Promoted by RNCM

Monday 29 September

Thursday 2 – Saturday 4 October

1.15pm Carole Nash Recital Room

7.30pm RNCM Studio Theatre

Monday Recital Series

Opera Seria

Jean-Michel Damase Berceuse Op 19 Robert Schumann Adagio and Allegro Op 70

Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci

Franz Schubert Ganymed Robert Schumann Nachtlied Hugo Wolf Der Jäger; Ganymed Timothy Langston tenor James Hendry piano Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Monday 29 September 7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Kathryn Stott and Martin Roscoe

Local company Opera Seria present an explosive double-bill. Jealousy and betrayal are the central themes in these two compelling and dramatic short operas. Tickets £16 Concessions available Promoted by Opera Seria

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies

Eleanor Hey horn Thomas Hicks piano

Manchester Chamber Concerts Society Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Sonata in D major K 448 Sergei Rachmaninov Suite No 2 Op 17 Claude Debussy Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune Percy Grainger Fantasy on Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess Tickets £25 £12.50 Concessions available www.chamberconcerts.org Promoted by MCCS

6.30pm RNCM Theatre Pre-concert talk: The artists discuss their musical lives Free admission to ticket holders

Thursday 2 October

1.15pm RNCM Theatre

RNCM String Orchestra Henry Purcell Fantasias No 11 in G major Z 742 and No 6 in F major Z 737 Alessandro Marcello Oboe Concerto in D minor Antonio Vivaldi Concerto for four violins in B minor Op 3 No 10 Levon Chilingirian director Helen Clinton oboe Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Friday 3 October

5.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Workshop with Sir Peter Maxwell Davies RNCM students perform one of the iconic Naxos Quartets in an open workshop with composer and Master of the Queen’s Music, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. You can also join Sir Peter Maxwell Davies for a special 80th birthday concert on Saturday 4 October performed by Manchester’s premier new music group, Psappha. Please visit www. psappha.com/diary for full details. Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers

Sunday 5 October

Tuesday 7 October

Çiğdem Aslan

Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers

Making Tracks

Thundering rhythms on huge taiko drums, mysterious masked choreography with inventive lighting, muscular synchronisation timed to perfection, post-apocalyptic martial imagery and infectious belly laugh humour – all in a spellbinding display of sheer athleticism. Feel the energy and experience the power of this unique performance.

7.30pm RNCM Studio Theatre

Çiğdem Aslan (pronounced ‘Cheedem’) is a rising star in the revival of rebetiko, the bitter-sweet, devil-may-care songs of an exiled underclass, sung in hash dens and café aman music houses of Athens, Piraeus and Istanbul of the turbulent 1920s. A culture shared by Greeks and Turks, developed with musical roots on both sides of the Aegean, rebetiko was famously outlawed in both countries as a music of the underground, the alternative, free-thinking and freedom-loving people; just as timely then as it is now. Tickets £14 Concessions available www.makingtrackslive.org.uk Promoted by RNCM

Monday 6 October

1.15pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Monday Recital Series Benjamin Britten A Charm of Lullabies Michael Head A Green Cornfield Jessica Eccleston mezzo-soprano Dominic Degavino piano Manuel de Falla (arr K Ragossnig) Suite populaire espagnole Inés Mota cello James Girling guitar

8pm RNCM Theatre

As the most successful touring taiko drum group on this continent, Mugenkyo have developed a spectacular passionate style with music for the soul, fusing the traditional spirit with a contemporary look and sound, creating a modern stage performance that has captivated audiences everywhere. Tickets £20 Concessions available www.taiko.co.uk Promoted by RNCM

Thursday 9 October

1.15pm RNCM Theatre

RNCM Wind Ensemble Richard Strauss Serenade Op 7* Adam Gorb Symphony No 1 in C major Mark Heron, Thiago Santos* conductors Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Thursday 9 October

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Brand New Orchestra An opportunity to hear new works for symphony orchestra by RNCM composition students in this workshop performance. Piero Lombardi Iglesias, Steffan Morris, Daniel Parkinson conductors Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Clint Mansell

6.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room Spotlight: The NZ/UK Connection – Electroacoustic music for clarinet Free admission, no ticket required

Sunday 12, Tuesday 14 and Thursday 16 October

The Chamber Music of Russia

Moscow Rachmaninov Trio and Yair Kless Celebrating the UK-Russia Year of Culture in 2014, we are delighted to host some of the finest chamber musicians from Russia to perform three concerts featuring works by the most prominent Russian composers from the 19th and 20th centuries, with two programmes devoted entirely to the music of Rachmaninov and Shostakovich. The Moscow Rachmaninov Trio come together with the RNCM International Chair in Violin, Yair Kless, to perform Shostakovich’s Violin Sonata in the final concert of this gloriously rich and diverse series of chamber music.

Sunday 12 October

6pm Carole Nash Recital Room Mikhail Glinka Trio Pathétique in D minor Anton Arensky Piano Trio No 2 in F minor Op 73 Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Piano Trio in A minor Op 50

Tuesday 14 October

7.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Friday 10 October

Doors 7pm RNCM Theatre

Clint Mansell English musician Clint Mansell is an acclaimed performer and celebrated composer who has worked extensively in film scoring. Clint is a long-time collaborator with ground-breaking director Darren Aronofsky, for whom he has scored each of his major films, including Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler, and Pi. This live show includes music from his most loved scores, performed by Clint and a remarkable group of musicians. In addition there are bespoke visual projections created by independent film-makers and artists. Tickets £25 No concessions Promoted by DHP and Hey! Manchester

Sergei Rachmaninov Trio élégiaque No 1 in G minor Op post Sergei Rachmaninov Cello Sonata in G minor Op 19 Sergei Rachmaninov Trio élégiaque No 2 in D minor Op 9

Thursday 16 October

7.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room Dmitri Shostakovich Piano Trio No 1 in C minor Op 8 Dmitri Shostakovich Violin Sonata Op 134* Dmitri Shostakovich Piano Trio No 2 in E minor Op 67 Mikhail Tsinman violin Natalia Savinova cello Victor Yampolsky piano Yair Kless* violin Individual concerts £12 Series ticket £30 Concessions available (individual tickets only) Supported by Russian Ministry of Culture Promoted by RNCM

Monday 13 October

Thursday 16 October

Monday Recital Series

RNCM Brass Ensemble

Frédéric Chopin Berceuse Op 57 Maurice Ravel Sonatine

Under the Spell of Spain

1.15pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Iwan Owen piano Robert Schumann Three Romances Op 94 Qiran Chen clarinet Xingua Xu piano Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Monday 13, Tuesday 14, Thursday 16, Friday 17 and Saturday 18 October

1.15pm RNCM Theatre

Willem van Otterloo Serenade for brass and percussion Gaspar Sanz (arr D Powell) Los Canarios Jim Rattigan Juancar Ernesto Lecuona (arr S Malcolm) Malaguena John Miller, Adam Kornas conductors Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Saturday 18 October

7.30pm RNCM Studio Theatre

12.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Wednesday 15 October

Junior RNCM Formal Concert

8.45pm RNCM Studio Theatre

Little Shop of Horrors Little Shop is a rock horror musical about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood and flesh. Tickets £10 opening night only, £13 all other performances No concessions www.smaos.org.uk Promoted by South Manchester AOS

Wednesday 15 October 7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Ádám György Franz Liszt Piano Sonata in B minor S178; La Campanella S141; Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 S244/2 Frédéric Chopin Ballade in G minor Op 23 Giuseppe Verdi−Franz Liszt Rigoletto S434 Paraphrase

Neil Cowley Trio

Tickets £22.50 Concessions available Promoted by AGP Agency Inc. New York

A varied and exciting programme featuring students of the Junior RNCM. Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Saturday 18 October

8pm RNCM Theatre

Neil Cowley Trio In 2006, the Neil Cowley Trio burst onto the scene with a début that turned the concept of the piano trio on its head. Fizzing with energy, their rip-roaring riffs and hook laden tunes sat side by side, heart shattering musical whisperings, while their dynamic shows marked them as one of Britain’s most exciting live bands. Tonight, they present new material from their fifth studio album, Touch and Flee. Described by Cowley, as ‘our concert hall record’, expansive, elegant and exquisitely graceful movements meet with dark haunting passages and gentle surprise, casting a spotlight on the everincreasing brilliance of Cowley as a composer. Performing with long-time compatriots Evan Jenkins on drums and Rex Horan on bass, expect a showing of Cowley classics and a set that demands attention and, as always, delivers the most blissful of rides. Tickets £18 £15 Concessions available www.neilcowleytrio.com Promoted by RNCM

4Square

Monday 20 October

1.15pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Monday Recital Series Maurice Ravel Cinq mélodies populaires grecques Rachel Maby mezzo-soprano Philip Sharp piano Madeleine Dring Three Piece Suite Isabelle Orford oboe Hayley Parkes piano Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Tuesday 21 October

7.30pm RNCM Studio Theatre

Tuesday 21 October

4Square

RNCM Outreach Children’s Opera Project

4Square – described as Manchester’s ‘ferocious folk foursome’ – play their music with finesse, fire and maturity. The sight and sound of simultaneous fiddle and clog dancing and virtuosic mandolin stirs the senses and quickens the pulse, galvanized by an engine room of drive and percussion. By contrast, the listener is then softened by their mellow, melancholic threepart harmony singing. The band features RNCM alumnus Jim Molyneux (piano/accordion/ vocals), Nicola Lyons (fiddle/vocals/clog dancing), Michael Giverin (mandolin/guitar) and Dan Day (percussion/vocals).

2pm and 7pm RNCM Theatre

Before the Storm Kate Pearson composer Primary Schools from across the North West RNCM Students A beautiful undiscovered island, full of magical plants, secret places and strange creatures, lies in the middle of a vast ocean – far away from the bustle of modern life. For many years, a tribe of strange people, the Ariels, have lived there in peace and harmony, but all changes when visitors start to arrive – firstly, Sycorax and later, Prospero. Are they friends or enemies, and what will life be like on the island now? Based on The Tempest, this year’s Children’s Opera Project considers the pre-story to Shakespeare’s play, focusing on the power struggles and quest for freedom on this idyllic island. Free admission by ticket only Promoted by RNCM

Tickets £12 Concessions available www.4squaremusic.co.uk Promoted by RNCM

Tuesday 21 October

7pm Carole Nash Recital Room

The Stars of St Petersburg Showcase Artists to include: Evelina Petrova accordion, voice In-Temporalis Duet Vladimir Volkov Trio Furthering our links with Manchester’s twin city, the RNCM welcomes some of St Petersburg’s finest alternative musicians to perform in tonight’s showcase, including the pianopercussion duo ‘In-Temporalis’ featuring Cuban percussionist Yoel Gonzalez, and a trumpet, double bass, piano jazz trio led by Vladimir Volkov. Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

The trial

Philip Glass’

Thursday 23 October

1.15pm RNCM Theatre

RNCM Concert Orchestra Leonard Bernstein Candide Overture* Leonard Bernstein West Side Story: Symphonic Dances Clark Rundell, Jan Wierzba* conductors Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Thursday 23 October

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra Wednesday 22 October 7.30pm RNCM Theatre

The Trial Music Theatre Wales Music by Philip Glass Libretto by Christopher Hampton Michael Rafferty conductor Michael McCarthy director The meeting of two extraordinary minds – Philip Glass and Franz Kafka. Both are masters of their craft. Each has his own instantly recognisable style. Together, they are the perfect match. Kafka’s nightmarish tale of a man arrested and prosecuted for an unknown crime by a relentless and inaccessible authority has lost none of its chilling potency down the years. Now, Philip Glass brings his signature music and dramatic force to this literary classic. Working with Christopher Hampton as librettist, this new opera, coming to Manchester direct from the Royal Opera House, will wring every nuance of tension and paranoia from the story as Josef K seeks to confront the system that is set on destroying him.

Leonard Bernstein On the Waterfront: Symphonic Suite Sergei Prokofiev Violin Concerto No 2 in G minor Op 63 Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No 6 in B minor Op 74 ‘Pathetique’ Tickets £18 £14 Concessions available www.chethams.com Sponsored by Dewhurst Torevell Promoted by Chetham’s School of Music

Thursday 23 October

7.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

The Helen Porthouse Paganini Prize RNCM violinists and viola players compete for this prestigious annual prize, which tonight is adjudicated by violinist and RNCM alumna Sarah Brandwood-Spencer. Tickets £8 Concessions available Promoted by RNCM

And it’s not all darkness and despair. Glass and Kafka share an infectious sense of humour and the ability to delight in the absurd. Tickets £15 Concessions available www.musictheatrewales.org.uk Promoted by RNCM

6.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room Pre-concert talk: Michael McCarthy introduces The Trial Free admission, no ticket required

Saturday 25 – Sunday 26 October

Rawsthorne Trust Weekend The Rawsthorne Trust, set up to promote the music of the Lancashire-born composer Alan Rawsthorne, brings its celebratory weekend of performances to the RNCM, featuring works by Rawsthorne himself, as well as marking special birthdays of composers Gerard Schurmann, Peter Dickinson, Anthony Gilbert and John McCabe. The stage, film and television actress Eleanor Bron joins a distinguished line up of performers to narrate Rawsthorne’s take on T S Eliot’s Book of Practical Cats on Sunday morning. For full details, please visit www.rncm.ac.uk/rawsthorne

HIGHLIGHTS Saturday 25 October

7.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room Alan Rawsthorne String Quartet No 3; Quartet for clarinet and strings William Alwyn Rhapsody for piano quartet Patric Standford Quintet for recorder and strings (world première) John McCabe Snowfall in Winter for piano (Study No 9) Anthony Gilbert String Quartet No 3

Sunday 26 October

11am Carole Nash Recital Room Alan Rawsthorne Practical Cats; Tzu-Yeh Songs William Alwyn Clarinet Sonata Gerard Schurmann Moonbird for solo recorder; Six Blake Songs Joseph Phibbs Moonsongs for soprano, recorder and piano (world première of complete version) Edward Isaacs Moonlight for piano Op 8 No 1 Peter Dickinson Fantasy for clarinet and piano; Sonatina for solo bassoon (world première); Bach in Blue for recorder, clarinet and piano (world première of new version) Performers include: Eleanor Bron narrator Lesley-Jane Rogers soprano Linda Merrick clarinet Rosie Burton bassoon John Turner recorder Harvey Davies, Peter Lawson piano New World Ensemble All events are free admission, no ticket required Promoted by Rawsthorne Trust in association with RNCM

Monday 27 October

1.15pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Monday Recital Series J S Bach Cantata ‘Ich habe genug’ (excerpts) BWV 82 Steven Griffin baritone Jingle Lau piano J S Bach Allemande and Double from Partita No 1 in B minor BWV 1002 Anton Webern Four Pieces Op 7 Antonio Bazzini The Round of the Goblins Op 25 Adriana Cristea violin Liga Korne piano Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Monday 27 October

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Vienna Piano Trio Manchester Chamber Concerts Society Joseph Haydn Piano Trio in E flat major Hob XV:30 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Trio in G major K 496 Johannes Brahms Piano Trio in B major Op 8 (original version) Tickets £25 £12.50 Concessions available www.chamberconcerts.org Promoted by MCCS

Tuesday 28 – Wednesday 29 October

IN MEMORIAM HARVEY ‘He [Harvey] talks of the essential things that he thinks great music should express: “Freedom, light, and love.” He’s too modest to suggest that his own music radiates those qualities. Yet that’s exactly what it does.’ Tom Service, The Guardian, 2012 The RNCM commemorates the 75th anniversary of one of the UK’s most extraordinary composers, Jonathan Harvey, a composer who transformed the transcendental and the beyond into sound. This festival features an all day installation of his electronic works, a talk by Harvey expert Dr Michael Downes, and culminates in his epic work Bhakti – a mystical exploration of the Sanskrit Hymns of the Rig Veda for chamber ensemble and quadrophonic tape. For full details, please see www.rncm.ac.uk/harvey

HIGHLIGHTS Tuesday 28 October

Wednesday 29 October

1.15pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Lunchtime Concert Jonathan Harvey Three Sketches for solo cello Zakiya Leeming New work Jonathan Harvey The Riot for flute, bass clarinet and piano Jonathan Harvey Tombeau de Messiaen for solo piano Free admission, no ticket required

7.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

RNCM New Ensemble David Curington New work* Jonathan Harvey Bhakti for ensemble and electronics Clark Rundell, Carlos Agreda* conductors Tickets £12 Concessions available Promoted by RNCM

1.15pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Lunchtime Concert Jonathan Harvey ff for solo piano Jonathan Harvey Nataraja for flute and piano Lucy Pankhurst New work Jonathan Harvey Death of Light, Light of Death for five players Free admission, no ticket required

8pm RNCM Studio Theatre

Decontamination 1

Darkness & Light: Harvey, Haas and Curgenven Jonathan Harvey Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco Georg Friedrich Haas In iij. Noct (String Quartet No 3) Robert Curgenven Gran Coda Andante The brainchild of composer Larry Goves, this evening concert is the first of our new Decontamination series in which we’ll be exploring different and unusual settings for performances. The inclusion of this first performance within our In Memoriam Harvey festival was an obvious one, due to the spectral nature of tonight’s repertoire. Tickets £8 Concessions available

Nils Frahm

Thursday 30 October 8pm RNCM Theatre

The Fall of the House of Usher Combining elements of several Edgar Allan Poe short stories, Jean Epstein’s 1928 silent cinema classic is presented alongside a live performance of a new score for chamber orchestra by composer Charlie Barber, based on existing sketches by Claude Debussy.

Nils Frahm Berlin-based pianist Nils Frahm is known for his unconventional approach to an age-old instrument as well as his collaborations and production work for contemporaries such as Ólafur Arnalds, Peter Broderick and most recently Sarah Neufeld of Arcade Fire. His live performances showcase a unique combination of piano motifs on the upright, grand piano and Rhodes with heavy synthesiser sounds. Tickets £16 No concessions www.nilsfrahm.com Promoted by WOTGODFORGOT

Wednesday 29 October

Doors 7.30pm RNCM Theatre

ASIA A supergroup made up of some of the 70s most legendary progressive rock bands, Asia ruled the 80s with albums like the quadruple platinum Asia which Billboard magazine named 1982’s Album of the Year. Tickets £24.50 advance No concessions Promoted by The Gig Cartel

Barber’s new score has been composed especially for an ensemble of 16 musicians, taking as its starting point Debussy’s uncompleted opera La Chute de la Maison Usher, and adds further depth to the atmosphere of this cinematic tour de force. Tickets £12 Concessions available www.soundaffairs.co.uk Promoted by RNCM

The Fall of the House of Usher

Tuesday 28 October

Doors 7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Defined by atmospheric imagery and haunting interiors, The Fall of the House of Usher is considered a pioneering silent horror masterpiece, and Epstein’s best known work. So we’re delighted to be programming this gothic gem in the run up to Halloween…

The Full English

Friday 31 October

Saturday 1 November

RNCM Big Band with Julian Joseph

The Full English

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

The Atomic Mr Basie Mike Hall director Julian Joseph piano The first RNCM Big Band show of the Autumn season features one of the finest pianists to emerge this side of the Atlantic for over two decades – Julian Joseph. A towering figure in contemporary jazz, Julian is also a prodigious composer and arranger plus a respected band leader, broadcaster and educator. His ideas reflect the eclectic influence of all forms of music in the history of jazz: from classical to rock and pop, everything is relevant. Tonight he’ll open the show with a set of his own arrangements, followed by a performance of The Atomic Mr Basie presented as part of this year’s Manchester Science Festival.

Julian Joseph

Tickets £18 £15 Concessions available www.julianjoseph.com www.manchestersciencefestival.com Promoted by RNCM in association with Manchester Science Festival

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Last year, folk singer and scholar Fay Hield was invited to assemble a group of stellar musicians in order to record The Full English album, with material based on a new EFDSS digital archive of folk music and related materials. The line-up included Fay, traditional singer and fiddle player Nancy Kerr, boundary-crossing, award-winning singer/songwriter Seth Lakeman, internationally renowned guitarist Martin Simpson, double bassist of choice Ben Nicolls, and two of the most dazzling, in-demand multiinstrumentalists playing today, Rob Harbron and Sam Sweeney. The album was released in October 2013 and was followed by a sell-out UK tour. In February 2014, The Full English won a stunning double at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards; Best Group and Album of the Year, with Fay Hield also gaining a nomination for Folk Singer of the Year. Following the band’s performances at this year’s Hop Farm Festival and Cambridge Folk Festival, we’re delighted to welcome them to the RNCM as part of a short UK tour. You can read more about The Full English project at www.thefullenglishband.co.uk/the-project Tickets £21 Concessions available www.thefullenglishband.co.uk Promoted by RNCM

6.30pm RNCM Studio Theatre Spotlight: Project Jam Sandwich take on the Folk Song Free admission, no ticket required

Sunday 2 November

Monday 3 November

Barbara Robotham Celebration Concert

Spyro Gyra

3pm RNCM Theatre

Music to include: Benjamin Britten Abraham and Issac from The Canticles Jules Massenet Meditation from Thaïs Giuseppe Verdi Arias and Duets from La Traviata, Aida and Il Trovatore Richard Strauss Beim Schlafengehen from Four Last Songs Edward Elgar Sabbath Morning at Sea from Sea Pictures Artists to include: Jane Irwin, Nadine Livingston soprano Heather Lowe, Kathleen Wilkinson mezzosoprano Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts, Nicholas Sharratt tenor Roderick Barrand, Jonathan Fisher piano Steven Wilkie violin The RNCM is honoured to present an evening dedicated to the memory of the late Barbara Robotham. This internationally renowned performer and vocal teacher joined the RNCM in 1979 and made an incredible contribution to the College. Tonight’s concert features the music Barbara loved performed by some of the students she taught over the years. Proceeds from tonight’s event will be donated to the Barbara Robotham Fund, which supports students from the School of Vocal Studies and Opera. Tickets £15 Concessions available Promoted by RNCM

Monday 3 November

1.15pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Monday Recital Series John Dowland Lachrimae Pavane; Fantasia No 7; Melancholy Galliard and Allemande Sam Rodwell guitar Hannah Caldecott Ophelia’s Mad Song from Hamlet Nino Rota (arr H Caldecott) A Time for Us from Romeo and Juliet Samuel Barber (arr H Caldecott) Give me my Robe from Antony and Cleopatra Hannah Caldecott horn Jingle Lau piano

Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Doors 7pm RNCM Theatre

When this group first gathered in a club in Buffalo, New York to found what was to be known for a while as ‘Tuesday Night – Jazz Jam’, no one would have predicted their eventual success. Spyro Gyra would go on to release 30 albums of new material with sales of over 10 million copies while playing over 5000 shows over the course of this remarkable career. Tickets £25 Concessions available Promoted by Horizon Events Ltd

Tuesday 4 November

Doors 7pm RNCM Theatre

Joanne Shaw Taylor plus special guest Bernie Marsden British blues rock guitarist Joanne Shaw Taylor was originally discovered by Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart as a 16 year old guitar prodigy. She is now regarded as one of the hottest young names on the British Blues circuit and is admired and respected by many leading blues guitarists including Joe Bonamassa and John Mayall. Joanne was voted Best British Female Vocalist at the British Blues Awards in 2010 and 2011, and was invited as special guest to perform with Annie Lennox at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee concert in June 2012. This show also features former Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden as Joanne’s special guest. Tickets £17.50 advance (£50 VIP tickets also available) No concessions www.joanneshawtaylor.com www.facebook.com/joanneshawtaylor Promoted by The Gig Cartel

Thursday 6 November

7.30pm RNCM CONCERT HALL

Sir Thomas Allen Franz Schubert Winterreise Sir Thomas Allen baritone Joseph Middleton piano To celebrate the opening of our newly-refurbished Concert Hall, we’re delighted to welcome the British baritone Sir Thomas Allen to the RNCM to perform Schubert’s sublime song cycle, Winterreise. Sir Thomas is an established star of the great opera houses of the world. At the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, where this season he celebrates the 40th anniversary of his début with the company, he has sung no less than 50 roles. In 2006, he celebrated his 25th anniversary of his début at the Metropolitan Opera, New York. He has also sung for international companies including La Scala, the Vienna State Opera and at the Salzburg Festival. In Winterreise, Schubert creates a desolate landscape (both internal and external) as a solitary traveler, whose heart is frozen in grief, faces a savage winter. The 24 verses are based on the poetry of Wilhelm Müller but Schubert altered their order so that the occasional flashes of consolation offered by the poet in the original sequence are no longer visible. The protagonist, a rejected lover, seems on the verge of madness as we follow his lonely journey through a snowbound landscape. As his journey progresses, so his vision becomes all the more inward and the subjectivity of the songs all the more pronounced. Tonight’s recital is a very special event indeed, as it is the first performance to take place in our brand new, state-of-the-art Concert Hall following a year-long major refurbishment programme. We’re very grateful to everybody who has supported us over the last 12 months and enabled this wonderful resource to come to life.

If you would like to find out more about our work and how you can help, please see pages 2-5 of this brochure or visit rncm.ac.uk/yourrncm Tickets £20 £18 Concessions available Promoted by RNCM

6.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room Spotlight: ‘Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks!’ – The Quays Quintet present King Lear Free admission, no ticket required

Friday 7 November

Friday Chamber Series

Oldham Choral Society

A performance by the A4 Brass Quartet, the most recent winners of the Christopher Rowland RNCM Chamber Ensemble of the Year Award.

A Centenary Commemoration of the Outbreak of the First World War

1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall

Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Friday 7 November

Doors 7.30pm RNCM Theatre

An Evening with Roger McGuinn Legendary former Byrds frontman and founding member, Roger McGuinn’s trademark Rickenbacker 12−string sound has influenced generations of musicians. The Byrds’ era defining songs like Eight Miles High, Mr Tambourine Man, Turn, Turn, Turn and All I Really Wanna Do became classics of the new folk rock sound. This show will draw from Roger’s huge back catalogue, including his Grammy-nominated project, Treasures From The Folk Den and his critically acclaimed 4 CD box set, The Folk Den Project.

Roger McGuinn

Tickets £32.50 No concessions Promoted by Chas Cole for CMP Entertainment

7.30pm RNCM CONCERT HALL

Joseph Haydn Missa in tempore belli (Mass in Time of War) in C major Hob XXII:9 ‘Paukenmesse’ Howard Goodall Eternal Light: A Requiem George Butterworth The Banks of the Green Willow Tickets £14 Concessions available Promoted by Oldham Choral Society

Saturday 8 November

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

RNCM Session Orchestra After they brought the house down at their April 2014 show, the RNCM Session Orchestra returns by popular demand for an eclectic evening concert including hits by Aloe Blacc, Tower of Power, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Earth, Wind and Fire, Snarky Puppy and Beyoncé. Tickets £10 Concessions available Promoted by RNCM

6.30pm RNCM Studio Theatre Spotlight: The James Vezer Trio – Everyday I Have the Blues Free admission, no ticket required

Saturday 8 November

7.30pm RNCM CONCERT HALL

Salford Choral Society Bob Chilcott Aesop’s Fables John Rutter Feel the Spirit Tickets £17 Concessions available Promoted by Salford Choral Society

Sunday 9 November

7.45pm RNCM Theatre

RNCM SAXOPHONE DAY

Concert 2: Big Idea

Returning for its 14th year, the UK’s leading saxophone event takes place two days after the 200th anniversary of the birth of Adolphe Sax, the Belgian musician and instrument designer who gave us the instrument we celebrate at the RNCM Saxophone Day. This is also the first RNCM festival to take place in our redeveloped Concert Hall. With these significant occasions in mind, this year’s Saxophone Day promises to be the best yet – with participatory classes for players of all saxes, a huge trade exhibition and the chance to hear some of the leading performers working today, this is truly an event for all saxophone enthusiasts. For full details, please see www.rncm.ac.uk/saxophoneday

HIGHLIGHTS 9.30am RNCM CONCERT HALL

Massed Saxophone Orchestra The Massed Saxophone Orchestra has become the traditional start to the day, where all participants come together to perform under the direction of festival Artistic Directors Rob Buckland and Andy Scott. This informal session is appropriate for performers of all saxophone instruments and all abilities.

Mark Lockheart The initial concept for this heavily saxophoneled music came when Mark Lockheart recorded his own music at home, improvised fragments/ short melodies and then layered and edited parts together on a computer. These small spontaneous ideas became the building blocks for the compositions that formed the album Moving Air. When faced with the challenge of playing the music live, Big Idea was formed to tour and promote the record. This special performance at the RNCM Saxophone Day is the first time this music has been performed since the 2006 tour. This special performance at the RNCM Saxophone Day brings together a stellar line-up from the cream of the UK’s jazz scene. ‘With a huge stylistic and emotional range, Lockheart’s music is contemporary and compelling’ Mojo Magazine Mark Lockheart, Steve Buckley, Rob Townsend, James Allsop saxophones, clarinets John Parricelli guitar Dudley Phillips bass Martin France drums Tickets £15 Concessions available Day Ticket £34 Promoted by RNCM

Admission for day ticket holders only

2pm RNCM CONCERT HALL

Philippe Geiss Teacher at the Strasbourg Conservatory and Superior Academy of Music and Arts in France, saxophonist, composer and improviser Philippe Geiss is also the Artistic Director of the World Saxophone Congress. This internationally regarded saxophonist and widely performed composer is one of the first musicians from the French saxophone school who has built his own crossover style between classical and improvised music and plays the entire saxophone family from sopranino to bass saxophone. As an active musician worldwide, Philippe has given concerts and masterclasses all over the world. Tickets £7 Concessions available

Monday 10 November

Tuesday 11 November

Monday Recital Series

Giovanni Sollima and Kathryn Stott

1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall

Johannes Brahms Violin Sonata in A major Op 100 Luke Coomber violin Simon Passmore piano Frédéric Chopin Ballade No 2 Op 38; Ballade No 3 Op 47 Ryan Drucker piano Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Monday 10 November

7.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

John McLeod 80th Birthday Concert John McLeod Three Protest Pieces; The Song of Phryne; Twelve Preludes; Piano Sonata No 1 John McLeod (arr Margaret Murray) Three Interludes from Another Time, Another Place (world première of new arrangement) John McLeod Piano Sonata No 5 Murray McLachlan, Philip Sharp, Iyad Sughair piano Linda Merrick clarinet Murray McLachlan performs John McLeod’s newly composed Piano Sonata No 5 in this special concert celebrating the Scottish composer’s 80th birthday, featuring Linda Merrick and pianists from the RNCM. Tickets £12 Concessions available Promoted by RNCM

6.30pm RNCM Lecture Theatre Pre-concert interview: David Horne in conversation with John McLeod Free admission, no ticket required

7.30pm RNCM CONCERT HALL

Claudio Monteverdi Lamento d’Arianna Ludwig van Beethoven Cello Sonata No 4 in C major Op 102 No 1 Alfredo Piatti Sonata No 2 in D major Op 29 Robert Schumann Fünf Stücke im Volkston Op 102 Giovanni Sollima Il Bell’Antonio Frédéric Chopin Cello Sonata in G minor Op 65 Tickets £17 Concessions available Promoted by Midgehole Productions

Thursday 13 November

1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall

RNCM First Year String and Wind Orchestras Felix Mendelssohn String Symphony No 10 in B minor Kenneth Hesketh Masque* Nigel Clarke Samurai Mark Heron, Matt Weites*, Chris Hoyle conductors Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Pascuala Ilabaca & Fauna

Friday 14 November

7.30pm RNCM CONCERT HALL

Friday 14 November

7.30pm RNCM Studio Theatre

RNCM Symphony Orchestra Pascuala Ilabaca & Fauna Hector Berlioz King Lear Overture Op 4* Sergei Prokofiev Piano Concerto No 3 in C major Op 26 Sergei Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet Clark Rundell, Piero Lombardi Iglesias* conductors Oliver She piano As well as being the first evening public performance by an RNCM student ensemble in our newly re-opened Concert Hall, tonight’s concert celebrates Shakespeare’s 450th anniversary in style. Berlioz was inspired to write his overture while reading King Lear during a holiday in Florence and it certainly conjures the play’s tragic atmosphere. Prokofiev’s music for the ballet Romeo and Juliet is one of his greatest achievements and it has been argued that no other composer has so perfectly interpreted Shakespeare’s greatest romance. Our Symphony Orchestra also performs the most popular of Prokofiev’s piano concertos, written as a virtuoso vehicle for the composer himself for its première by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1921. Tickets £17 £14 Concessions available Promoted by RNCM

Making Tracks Accordion-wielding Chilean songstress Pascuala Ilabaca is a true hidden gem. A favourite on the new scene of young Chilean singer-songwriters, her music is rooted in traditional sounds but effortlessly integrates shades of jazz, pop and rock, with influences gathered in such distant places as India or Mexico. Accompanied by her formidable band Fauna, her unique stage presence conjures up sweetness and empowerment at the same time, setting her songs alive with both fragility and verve. Tickets £14 Concessions available www.makingtrackslive.org.uk Promoted by RNCM

Saturday 15 November

7.30pm RNCM CONCERT HALL

Altrincham Choral Society Roger Shelmerdine The Poppies Blow (world première) Tickets £12.50 Concessions available Promoted by Altrincham Choral Society

6.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room Spotlight: The Sacred and Profane − Scenes from Ambroise Thomas’ Hamlet Free admission, no ticket required

Cara Dillon

Saturday 15 November

Sunday 16 November

Cara Dillon

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Cara Dillon returns to the RNCM to showcase her fifth solo album A Thousand Hearts – another small masterpiece of song and emotion, ethereal and radiant, beautifully honed and perfectly true. Cara has risen to become one of the finest exponents of traditional Irish song anywhere in the world. Together with her husband and musical partner Sam Lakeman, she has successfully steered an eclectic musical path, defying the typical pigeonholes that hinder most artists in her genre and picking up a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award and many other accolades along the way.

Laurence Tompkins New work (world première) Larry Goves A glimpse of the sea in a fold of the hills Laurence Crane Octet

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Tickets £20 £18 Concessions available www.caradillon.co.uk Promoted by RNCM

6.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room Spotlight: The Art of Welsh Song – Music for Voice and Harp Free admission, no ticket required

7.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

ddmmyy is a new music concert series for Manchester, which focuses on new ways of exploring and presenting contemporary acoustic and electronic music. This first concert for 14/15 features Manchester composers Laurence Tompkins and Larry Goves, plus Laurence Crane’s Octet for an unconventional line-up featuring electric organ and accordion. Tickets £6 Concessions available www.ddmmyyseries.com Supported by Sound and Music Promoted by RNCM

Monday 17 November

Wednesday 19 November

Monday Recital Series

Sir John Barbirolli Cello Prize

1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall

Paul Hindemith Konzertstück Pierre Max Dubois Selection from Six Caprices Emily Burkhardt, Vykintas Civas saxophones Arthur Lipner Space Dancer Steve Reich Nagoya Marimbas Jan Bradley Super Sonic Peter Mitchell, Anthony Mann percussion

7.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Cello students from the RNCM compete for this prestigious prize. Tonight’s adjudicator is Stephen Threlfall, Director of Music at Chetham’s School of Music. Tickets £8 Concessions available Promoted by RNCM

Monday 17 November

7.30pm RNCM CONCERT HALL

Vertavo Quartet with Paul Lewis (piano)

Paul Lewis

Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Manchester Chamber Concerts Society Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto in A major K 414 Béla Bartók String Quartet No 6 Antonín Dvořák Piano Quintet in A major Op 81 Tickets £25 £12.50 Concessions available www.chamberconcerts.org Promoted by MCCS

6.30pm RNCM Lecture Theatre Pre-concert talk: David Horne on Bartók’s String Quartet No 6 Free admission to ticket holders

Thursday 20 November Monday 17 November

7.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Clarinet Masterclass with Andreas Ottensamer Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear the Principal clarinettist of the Berlin Philharmonic, who works with RNCM musicians and gives a short performance.

1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall

RNCM Concert Orchestra Carl Maria von Weber Oberon Overture* Franz Schubert Symphony No 8 in B minor D 759 ‘Unfinished’ Lancelot Fuhry, Steffan Morris* conductors Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Tickets £8 Concessions available www.andreasottensamer.com Promoted by RNCM

The King’s Singers

Thursday 20 November

7.30pm RNCM CONCERT HALL

The King’s Singers with RNCM Chamber Choir Thomas Morley Sing we and chant it Thomas Weelkes Thule, the period of Cosmography; The nightingale, the organ of delight; As Vesta was from Latmos Hill descending Johannes Brahms All meine Herzgedanken; Dein Herzlein mild; Abendstänchen Eric Whitacre Alone; The Stolen Child Paul Drayton A Rough Guide to the Royal Succession Bob Chilcott High flight Paul Patterson Timepiece Songs from The Great American Songbook One of the world’s most celebrated vocal ensembles, The King’s Singers are instantly recognisable for their spot-on intonation, impeccable vocal blend, flawless articulation of the text and incisive timing. They are also consummate entertainers – a class act with a delightfully British wit – and their global success has earned them a Grammy Award and an induction into the Gramophone Hall of Fame.

Tonight’s programme shows two very different sides to the group. They will begin with the sort of repertoire that has built their reputation, including madrigals by Thomas Morley and Thomas Weelkes, followed by a slice of humour with a comic exploration of the British monarchy. They also perform compositions by Paul Patterson, Eric Whitacre and Bob Chilcott, for which they will be joined by the RNCM Chamber Choir. To complete the programme, the evening also features more light-hearted material, including Irving Berlin’s Cheek to Cheek, Young and Heyman’s When I Fall in Love and Rodgers & Hart’s The Lady is a Tramp. Tickets £20 £18 Concessions available www.kingssingers.com Promoted by RNCM

+ 2pm RNCM CONCERT HALL Ahead of their evening performance, The King’s Singers will coach two RNCM vocal ensembles in a short masterclass. RNCM Friends are invited to join them as they share their experience and expertise with RNCM singers. Free admission, by ticket only. RNCM Friends can also book tickets for the 7.30pm performance from just £15.30. See p38 for further details.

Emma Kirkby

Saturday 22 November

7.30pm RNCM CONCERT HALL

Emma Kirkby and Jakob Lindberg Songs of the Golden Age Music to include: Alfonso Ferrabosco So Beauty on the Waters Stood John Dowland When Phoebus First did Daphne Love Robert Johnson Where the Bee Sucks; Full Fathom Five Thomas Morley It was a Lover and His Lass William Byrd Constant Penelope Henry Purcell Dear Pretty Youth; The Cares of Lovers; Ye Gentle Spirits of the Air; Thrice Happy Lovers

Friday 21 November

from 6.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Spotlight Triple-Bill RNCM students present another evening of free concerts. Tonight they explore guitar music with a Latin-American influence. 6.30pm Minerva Duo – A Postcard from Buenos Aires 7.10pm Romancero Gitano – Music for Choir and Guitar inspired by Federico García Lorca 7.50pm Juan Vassallo Tango Ensemble – Piazzolla’s Suite del Angel Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Emma Kirkby soprano Jakob Lindberg lute Continuing our Shakespeare-themed programming strand, we’re delighted to welcome soprano and world-renowned early music specialist Dame Emma Kirkby back to the RNCM, this time joined by lute player Jakob Lindberg. Tonight’s programme is a fascinating mixture of themed pieces by composers such as John Dowland, William Byrd and Henry Purcell plus examples of Shakespeare in song, including restoration re-imaginings that feature in The Tempest, Timon of Athens and The Fairy Queen. Tickets £18 £15 Concessions available www.emmakirkby.com Promoted by RNCM

Friday 21 November

Doors 7pm RNCM CONCERT HALL

Gareth Gates In 2002 Gareth was famously runner–up to Will Young in the UK’s first Pop Idol. Instead of disappearing into ‘Pop Oblivion’ he has since carved out a successful career with worldwide tours, chart success and TV appearances. Tickets £17.50 (advance) No concessions Promoted by Live Nation

Monday 24 – Saturday 29 November

RNCM JAMES MOTTRAM INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION 2014 Media Partner

from 10am RNCM CONCERT HALL

Public Masterclasses Competitors eliminated from the competition in Round 1 work with members of the international jury.

This major biennial event offers an all-round learning experience for young pianists from all over the world, mixing opportunities to perform on the concert platform with a series of masterclasses given by a distinguished international jury. Attend the early rounds and masterclasses for free throughout the week, before hearing the three finalists perform a concerto accompanied by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Chief Conductor, Vasily Petrenko.

Thursday 27 November

COMPETITION JURY Michael Lewin (USA) Piotr Paleczny (Poland) Matti Raekallio (Finland) Martin Roscoe (UK) Graham Scott (UK) chair Nelita True (USA) Dan-Wen Wei (PR China) Eleanor Wong (Hong Kong)

7.30pm RNCM CONCERT HALL

For full details, see www.rncm.ac.uk/jmipc. Please check the website for updates through the Competition.

Monday 24 November and Tuesday 25 November

from 10am RNCM CONCERT HALL

Round 1 From the hundreds of applications received, the selected final 30 competitors perform for the international jury.

Wednesday 26 and Friday 28 November

from 10am RNCM CONCERT HALL

Semi-finals At this stage of the competition, a maximum number of 12 competitors perform pieces by Claude Debussy and works of their own choice written before 1918.

Saturday 29 November

Concerto Final with Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Vasily Petrenko conductor The three finalists perform their chosen work from a shortlist of concertos by Beethoven, Chopin, Grieg, Liszt, Mozart and Schumann. Tickets £17 £14 Concessions available

Admission to all events is free, no ticket required, unless otherwise stated Supported by James Mottram Bequest Promoted by RNCM

7.30pm RNCM Studio Theatre

O’Hooley and Tidow The Hum

One of the most exciting acts on the contemporary folk scene today, Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow are accomplished interpreters of everything from Massive Attack to traditional Irish ballads, but it’s their own boundless songwriting and exquisite harmonies that truly shine. Their new album The Hum, produced by Mercury−nominated Gerry Diver, is receiving high praise from Radio 2, 6 Music and the national press. They have the originality and skill to invite comparison with the folk scene’s most celebrated North American harmony duos, from early Simon and Garfunkel to the iconic Kate and Anna McGarrigle. Lyrically and musically, Belinda and Heidi’s powerful, deeply moving, and at times spine-tingling performances are infused with an honesty and empathy that will disarm even the hardest of heart. Tickets £12 Concessions available www.ohooleyandtidow.com Promoted by RNCM

Thursday 27 November

9pm RNCM Studio Theatre

Decontamination 2

Melodies, harmonies, hymns, anthem and lament: John Cage and Bill Viola John Cage Six Melodies for violin and any keyboard instrument Bill Viola Anthem John Cage Apartment House 1777: 44 Harmonies (No 5) Bill Viola Angel’s Gates John Cage Apartment House 1777: 44 Harmonies (No 15, 21, 28 and 42) For the second of our new Decontamination concerts, two of Bill Viola’s extraordinary films Angel’s Gates and Anthem will be shown alongside a selection of Roger Zahab’s beautiful arrangements of the Harmonies from Apartment House 1777. Opening the concert is Cage’s early modularly constructed masterwork Six Melodies.

O’Hooley and Tidow

Wednesday 26 November

Sunday 30 November

8pm RNCM CONCERT HALL

Magic Voices Featuring a live orchestra and 120 singers, Magic Voices amateur choir presents some of the hit songs and music from the last 50 years of West End shows. Tickets £20 No concessions Promoted by Magic Voices Ltd

Monday 1 December

1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall

Monday Recital Series Hugo Wolf Selection from Italienisches Liederbuch Sarah Elizabeth Gilford soprano Thomas Cameron baritone Hayley Parkes piano Frédéric Chopin Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise in E flat major Op 22 Lee Jae Phang piano Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Lyn Fletcher violin Benjamin Powell piano Tickets £8 Concessions available Promoted by RNCM

Monday 1 December

7.30pm RNCM CONCERT HALL

New Zealand String Quartet with Peter Cropper (viola) Manchester Chamber Concerts Society John Psathas Unbridled, Manos Breathes the Voice of Life into Kartsigar Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart String Quartet in B flat major K 589 Bela Bartók String Quartet No 3 Johannes Brahms String Quintet in G major Op 111 Tickets £25 £12.50 Concessions available www.chamberconcerts.org Promoted by MCCS

Tuesday 2 December

7.30pm RNCM CONCERT HALL

RNCM Brass Ensembles with Markus Stockhausen Launch of Philip Jones Centre for Brass John Miller director Markus Stockhausen trumpet RNCM Brass Ensembles The popularity of the brass ensemble of today stems from the pioneering work of the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble in Europe in the 1950s, and the American Brass Quintet in North America. This foundation influenced a luxuriant flowering of groups active until the end of the century and beyond. Philip Jones was active at the RNCM in the 1970s, when his group was in its heyday, and the RNCM’s new Philip Jones Centre for Brass carries on his vision. Tonight’s launch will be compèred by John Miller, Head of the School of Wind, Brass and Percussion, and will feature the brass ensembles of the RNCM, the richesse of their achievements. John will welcome Ursula Jones as well as Markus Stockhausen, one of the most visionary brass players of these times, who will perform two of his improvised works. Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Wednesday 3, Friday 5*, Tuesday 9*, Thursday 11 and Saturday 13* December 7.30pm RNCM Theatre

Sunday 7 December 3pm RNCM Theatre

The Merry Widow Franz Lehár Sarah Foubert, Isabella Gage* Hannah Benjamin Lewis, Timothy Langston* Danilo Philip Clieve, Rory Mulchrone* Zeta Jennifer Parker, Rosanna Harris* Valencienne Alexander Grainger, Adam Temple-Smith* Camille James Fisher, Richard Moore* Kromov Rachel Abbott, Joanna Harries* Praskovia Graham McCusker, Aaron O’Hare* Bogdanovitch Alexandra Lowe, Rebecca Starling* Sylvaine James Berry, Nathan Bellis* Pritchtich Emma Walton, Stephanie Stanway* Olga Alexander Banfield, Dominic Stewart* St Brioche Steven Griffin, Matt Mears* Cascada Nathan Jenkins Christopher Littlewood* Njegus Lara Harvey, Charlotte Trepess* Lolo Eleanor Sanderson-Nash, Katie Wood* Dodo Louisa Haggerty, Rachel Maby* Jou Jou Holly-Anne Bangham, Rebecca Barry* Frou Frou Sarah Gilford, Alice Gildea* Clo Clo Alexandra Downie, Josephine OrganJennings* Margot Wyn Davies conductor Piero Lombardi Iglesias assistant conductor Stefan Janski director Kate Ford set and costume designer Nick Ware lighting designer Kevin Thraves chorus master Bethan Rhys Wiliam choreographer RNCM Opera Orchestra RNCM Chorus An intoxicating whirl of elegant ladies, eligible bachelors, Maxim’s can-can dancers, and ever-flowing champagne, Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow has long delighted audiences with its effervescent tale of suitors seeking the coveted hand of wealthy widow Anna Glawari in fin-de-siècle Paris. Events unfold against the back story of the small, struggling Balkan state of Pontevedro whose entire GDP has ended up in the young widow’s jewellery drawer… This much-loved operetta has been a huge crowd pleaser since its 1905 première in Vienna and features many well-known arias, including Vilja, You’ll Find Me At Maxim’s, and The Merry Widow Waltz.

This production will be sung in English. Tickets £34 £28 £21 (weekdays) £36 £30 £23 (weekends) Concessions available Promoted by RNCM

Tuesday 9 December 6.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room Spotlight: A Night at the Theatre – A Musical Journey through the Opera Stage Free admission, no ticket required

Thursday 4 December

Friday 5 December

RNCM Concert Orchestra

Friday Chamber Series

Ralph Vaughan Williams The Wasps* Felix Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream (excerpts)

RNCM Cello Ensemble with Chris Hoyle

1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall

Matthew Coorey, Daniel Parkinson* conductors

J S Bach (arr A Gorb) Contrapunctus 9 from The Art of Fugue Heitor Villa Lobos Bachianas Brasileiras No 5

Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

RNCM Chamber Orchestra Carl Maria von Weber Der Freischütz Overture* Richard Wagner Wesendonck Lieder WWV91 Wim Henderickx Le visioni di paura Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No 7 in A major Op 92 Peter Manning, Harish Shankar* conductors Lauren Fielder soprano Following its performance at Manchester’s Holy Name Church in June, the RNCM Chamber Orchestra takes to the stage of the new Concert Hall under the baton of RNCM alumnus Peter Manning, Concert Master with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. The programme includes Beethoven’s energetic Symphony No 7 and Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder. This series of five love songs, composed to poems by Wagner’s muse Mathilde Wesendonck, will be performed by recent RNCM Gold Medal winner, soprano Lauren Fielder. It also includes Henderickx’s Visions of Fear, a poetic interpretation of fear, which sits excitingly between the Wagner and Beethoven, and is performed in the presence of the composer. Tickets £15 Concessions available Promoted by RNCM

6.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room Spotlight: Winter Images – Cantatas for soprano and baroque ensemble Free admission, no ticket required

Lauren Fielder

Thursday 4 December

7.30pm RNCM CONCERT HALL

ROOF St Petersburg Charity Concert

Bryony Williams

Friday 5 December

This concert showcases the talents of Manchester’s unique Kalinka Youth Balalaika Orchestra and guests in a programme of music, song and dance from both the British Isles and Russia. Tickets £6 Concessions available Promoted by One Education Music

Sunday 7 December

9.30am, 1.30pm and 5pm RNCM CONCERT HALL

Trafford Music Service Trafford Music Service presents three concerts showcasing the talents of some of the youth groups from across the district. Tickets £8.50 Concessions available Promoted by Trafford Music Service

Monday 8 December

Bryony Williams

Monday Recital Series

RNCM International Artist Diploma Vocal Recital

1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall

Maurice Ravel Violin Sonata No 2 in G major Lily Whitehurst violin Leif Kaner-Lidstrom piano Nino Rota Trombone Concerto in C major Nicholas Conn trombone Amy Frenzel piano Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

7.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room

Bryony Williams soprano Robin Humphreys piano Bryony Williams is one of New Zealand’s most promising emerging sopranos, and is currently a member of the Glyndebourne Chorus. She began studying at the RNCM in 2012 and was awarded the Lady Maria Fisher Opera Scholarship, enabling her to take up a place on the prestigious Opera and Voice Studio leading to the International Artist Diploma for 2013/4. During her postgraduate year at the RNCM, Bryony won the Frederic Cox Award for Singing and the Joyce and Michael Kennedy Award for the Singing of Strauss. She has also performed with the RNCM Chamber Orchestra as part of the College’s 40th anniversary celebrations and sang the role of Adina in RNCM Opera’s production of L’elisir d’amore. Tonight, Bryony sings a selection of Lieder, French song and opera arias. Tickets £10 Concessions available Promoted by RNCM

Northern Dance Orchestra

Wednesday 10 December

Thursday 11 December

RNCM Big Band

RNCM Concert Orchestra

The Music of the Northern Dance Orchestra

Johannes Brahms Piano Concerto No 1 in D minor Op 15

The (BBC) Northern Dance Orchestra was a much loved big band formed by the BBC in 1956 that featured the legendary sax player Johnny Roadhouse and Syd Lawrence. The band played in many BBC radio and TV programmes, doing both inside and outside broadcasts including regular slots at the Playhouse Theatre in Hulme. Fairly quickly, the radio show Make Way for the Music, introduced by Roger Moffat, made the NDO into a household name.

Mark Heron conductor Thomas Hicks piano

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

It’s now exactly 40 years since the band last performed and fortunately, some of the NDO’s unique music library has been preserved. So tonight, the RNCM Big Band will be playing a selection of their most popular and interesting numbers, recreating the spirit of a band that is still greatly missed. Tickets £18 £15 Concessions available Promoted by RNCM

+ 6.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room Pre-concert talk: A panel discusses the history of the NDO and its music, featuring Ian Reed (NDO archivist) and Dr Richard Witts (Edge Hill University) Free admission, no ticket required

1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall

Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Thursday 11 December

7.30pm RNCM CONCERT HALL

RNCM Christian Union Carol Service Hosted by the Christian Unions of Manchester, this first-ever joint carol service promises to be a joyous and thought−provoking event with well−loved carols led by RNCM musicians. Tickets £2 No concessions Promoted by RNCM Christian Union, University of Manchester Christian Union and Manchester Metropolitan Christian Union

Saturday 13 December

from 10.15am Various Venues

Junior RNCM Performance Day Performance Day profiles the work of the full range of Junior RNCM ensembles, from the Symphony Orchestra and Vocal Ensemble to the Foundation Section and Brass Band. For full details, contact the Junior RNCM on 0161 907 5264. Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM

Sunday 14 December

11am − 4pm Various Venues

RNCM CHRISTMAS FAMILY DAY A Stocking Full of Music!

Join us for the launch of a new series of Family Days at the RNCM, full of activities and musicmaking for all ages. You don’t need to be a musician to enjoy this day of fun workshops, storytelling and concerts. You can also have your face painted and tuck into some themed food to help you get creative! For full details, please visit www.rncm.ac.uk/christmasfamilyday Promoted by RNCM

7.30pm RNCM CONCERT HALL

Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments Nine Daies Wonder

Steven Player dancer, guitar, cittern Clare Salaman director, nyckelharpa, hurdy gurdy, Hardanger fiddle Jeremy Avis voice, percussion, cittern Alison McGillivray violone, viola bastarda Ian Harrison pipe and tabor, voice, cornett, whistle, pipes, percussion We think of the publicity stunt as peculiar to our age but the antics of Will Kemp − a shameless self-publicist and one of the leading actors in Shakespeare’s company − prove otherwise. In 1600 he danced his way from London to Norwich in nine days, entertaining an adoring public en route. The Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments, with dancer Steven Player, celebrate Will Kemp’s account of the journey, Nine Daies Wonder, with raucous dance tunes and more refined music of the Elizabethan age. They will breathe new life into this celebrated event, which remains awe-inspiring 400 years on, and still has the power to delight, baffle and amuse. Kemp was renowned for his ‘jigs’, which were light-hearted entertainments performed for the audience’s pleasure at the end of theatrical performances. The Society will collaborate with playwright and actor Simon Paisley Day, to present a brand new 21st century Elizabethan jig as part of Nine Daies Wonder. Tickets £18 £15 Concessions available www.strangeandancientinstruments.com Promoted by RNCM

Friday 19 and Saturday 20 December 7.15pm RNCM Studio Theatre

Musical Youth UK My Kind of Christmas: A Musical Revue Show My Kind of Christmas is Manchester Hub 1’s Christmas revue show following their huge success with Phantom of the Opera. Expect a festive medley of Christmas songs and musical theatre hits. Tickets £12.50 No concessions Promoted by MYUK

Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments

Tuesday 16 December

Saturday 20 December

7.30pm RNCM CONCERT HALL

Salford Choral Society Handel Messiah Tickets £17 Concessions available Promoted by Salford Choral Society

COMING SOON Friday 9 – Sunday 11 January

RNCM Chamber Music Festival Ma Vlast (My Country) A survey of the finest in Czech chamber music featuring three generations of Czech ensembles: Pavel Haas Quartet, Talich Quartet and Guarneri Trio Prague.

Thursday 19, Saturday 21, Monday 23, Wednesday 25, Friday 27 and Sunday 29 March RNCM Theatre

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Benjamin Britten Our Spring Opera brings Britten’s masterwork based on Shakespeare’s comedy to the RNCM Theatre stage.

Sunday 22 March Friday 23 – Sunday 25 January

RNCM Festival of Brass Black Dyke, Fairey, Tredgar Town, Foden’s, Grimethorpe Colliery and Cory Bands return to the RNCM for a weekend of performances. Tuba soloist and conductor James Gourlay will be in residence.

Saturday 14 February

7.30pm RNCM Theatre

National Youth Jazz Orchestra My Funny Valentine NYJO present an evening of elegant, romantic and swinging love songs, classic and original for Valentine’s Day.

Tuesday 24 February

7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall

Alexandra Dariescu The RNCM alumna kicks off a four-part piano recital series, featuring the complete Preludes by Chopin and Dutilleux.

Wednesday 25 – Saturday 28 February

FutureEverything We are delighted to collaborate with FutureEverything once again to create a festival of sonic art.

5pm RNCM Concert Hall

RNCM Symphony Orchestra Gustav Mahler Symphony No 2 in C minor ‘Resurrection’ Jac van Steen conductor Jane Irwin soprano Sarah Connolly mezzo-soprano A weekend of celebrations culminates in this highly anticipated performance of Mahler’s gargantuan Symphony No 2.

RNCM on the Road

Wednesday 19 November

RNCM ensembles and soloists perform regularly throughout the UK, including concerts at prestigious venues and festivals. Over recent years, our musicians have performed at The Bridgewater Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Royal Festival Hall, St Martinin-the-Fields, Royal Albert Hall, and at festivals including Huddersfield, Deal, Buxton, Chester, Lichfield and Salisbury.

RNCM Brass Band

Highlights of our travels this Autumn:

Friday 26 September

7.30pm The Church of the Ascension, Torrisholme

RNCM String Orchestra Torrisholme Music Festival

Henry Purcell Fantasias No 11 (Z 742) and No 6 (Z 737) Georg Frideric Handel Organ Concertos Op 4 No 4 and Op 7 No 1 Tomaso Albinoni Adagio Alessandro Marcello Oboe Concerto in D minor Arcangelo Corelli Concerto Grosso Op 6 No 4 in D major Antonio Vivaldi Concerto for four violins in B minor Op 3 No 10 Levon Chilingirian director Jas Hutchinson-Bazely organ Helen Clinton oboe

7pm Peel Hall, University of Salford

The RNCM Brass Band conducted by John Miller joins the University of Salford Brass Band conducted by Howard Evans for a concert of repertoire from the 19th century and First World War era, featuring Roger Webster as guest cornet soloist.

Thursday 11 December

1.15pm The Bridgewater Hall

RNCM Jazz Collective

Manchester Midday Concert Series The RNCM Jazz Collective perform a selection of classic signature tunes from the heyday of big band swing and throw in a couple of seasonal medleys for good measure. The RNCM also provides musicians for regular concert series at Emmanuel Church in Didsbury and St Ann’s Church in Manchester City Centre.

Didsbury Coffee Concerts

Emmanuel Church, Didsbury Concerts take place on Saturday mornings at 11am

13, 27 September, 18, 25 October 8, 22, 29 November, 13 December

Tuesday 7 October

St Ann’s Piano Recital Series

Kathryn Williams flute James Vaughan piano

11 October, 1, 29 November

1pm St Martin-in-the-Fields, London

Georg Philipp Telemann Fantasia in A minor Carl Reinecke Sonata in E minor Op 167 ‘Undine’ Brian Ferneyhough Unity Capsule

Friday 10 October

7.30pm Town Hall, Deal

Duo Yoo and Kim Following the first concert launching a new partnership between RNCM and Deal Festival of Music and the Arts this July featuring the Pether Trio and Henry Clay, we are now going to Deal, Dover and Sandwich with more concerts throughout the year.

St Ann’s Church, Manchester Concerts take place on Saturday afternoons at 3pm

St Ann’s Chamber Music Series

St Ann’s Church, Manchester Concerts take place on Wednesday lunchtimes at 1pm

22 October, 12, 26 November

Looking for musicians? The RNCM’s Professional Engagements team co-ordinates a large number of engagements on behalf of music societies, clubs, companies and individuals throughout the year. Performances range from formal recitals, soloists for choral societies and for concertos, through to background music for weddings and events, and incorporate a wide range of styles from classical to jazz. Contact Abi Collins on 0161 907 5352 or abigail.collins@rncm.ac.uk for further details.

Support the RNCM RNCM Friends Events Thursday 25 September 5pm RNCM Theatre

Thursday 6 November 3.30pm – 6pm RNCM CONCERT HALL

The Concert Hall Re-Opens! RNCM Friends are invited to join Concert Hall donors for a private view of the RNCM Concert Hall before the venue re-opens to the public. The first RNCM Principal, Sir John Manduell will cut the ribbon in a ceremony introduced by current Principal Professor Linda Merrick. Guests are invited to tour the full scale of this £7.1 million transformation project in the company of the RNCM Estates staff and building contractors. Tours will include the Concert Hall, backstage areas, the new Student Learning Deck and the Lecture Theatre. If you are already an RNCM Friend, you will receive an invitation. If not, and you join before Friday 31 October, you will be invited to this special event. Email development@rncm.ac.uk or call 0161 907 5394 for more information.

Sponsor a Costume Be part of the RNCM’s production of Lehár’s The Merry Widow and help us dress the cast. ‘Putting on a costume is the completion of your characterisation. It can change the way you stand, walk and gesture. With a show like The Merry Widow the costumes will play a key role in adding the glitz and glamour of the time’ Timothy Langston, performing the role of Danilo in The Merry Widow Sponsors will receive great benefits including access to dress rehearsals, back stage tours and signed prints of the designs. Sponsoring a costume is the next best thing to being on stage yourself! Sponsorship starts at just £50 and is open to individual and corporate supporters. Further details are available at rncm.ac.uk/sponsoracostume, or alternatively contact the Development team on 0161 907 5394 or email development@rncm.ac.uk.

Meet the composer Madame X, a new opera by Tim Benjamin Inspired by the Italian operas of Handel and by Jacobean revenge drama, Madame X is a dark, passionate and obsessive tale, peppered with black humour and exploring the potent combination of money and power in the world of art. Join a host of RNCM alumni, including composer and director Tim Benjamin and members of the cast, for a tour of the set and an introduction to the new opera, followed by tea and coffee. Tickets £4 RNCM Friends can book tickets for the 7.30pm performance of Madame X for just £10.20

Thursday 20 November 2pm RNCM Concert Hall

Masterclass with The King’s Singers Ahead of their evening performance, The King’s Singers will coach two RNCM vocal ensembles in a short masterclass. RNCM Friends are invited to join them as they share their experience and expertise with RNCM singers. Free admission, by ticket only RNCM Friends can book tickets for the evening performance from just £15.30

Sunday 30 December 3pm (Franz cast) Tuesday 2 December 3pm (Lehár cast) RNCM Theatre

Opera Previews Join RNCM Staff, students and fellow RNCM Friends and be one of the first to see our new production of Lehár’s The Merry Widow. See page 31 to find out more about the production. Tickets: £12.50, free to Silver Members and above (restrictions apply)

Membership to the RNCM Friends starts at just £2.50 a month. Visit www.rncm.ac.uk/friends or contact the Development team on 0161 907 5394 or email development@rncm.ac.uk to find out more.

RNCM Outreach The Outreach team engages with the RNCM’s wider community through a year-round programme of events. In addition it also designs bespoke projects for a range of community groups and is always happy to discuss new ideas. The Youth Perform musical theatre group runs on Wednesday evenings and is a low-cost, non-audition group for all young people of secondary school age. To find out about any of our projects contact Jennie McCusker or Fiona Stuart 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 Eric and Margaret Kinder Charitable Trust.

Research Forums at the RNCM Come along for some refreshing mental stimulation, hopefully in an area of musical activity that you may not be that familiar with yet. Research Forums are FREE and open to the public; RNCM staff and guest speakers give presentations on an aspect of their work - whether it’s musicological, creative, educational, music-psychological or other kinds of research. The talks last about 45 minutes and then the floor is open for questions and discussion.

This Autumn, we’ll be exploring:

Wednesday 22 October

5.15pm RNCM Lecture Theatre

Steve Berry Liberate Your Ear (but not the Van Gogh Method…)

Wednesday 29 October

5.15pm RNCM Lecture Theatre

Garth Knox Stretching the String

Wednesday 5 November

5.15pm RNCM Lecture Theatre

Sarah Watts Spectral Immersions – Bass Clarinet Multiphonics

Wednesday 12 November

5.15pm RNCM Lecture Theatre

Professor Liza Lim Knots and Other Forms of Entanglement; a Discussion of Recent Compositions

Wednesday 19 November

5.15pm RNCM Lecture Theatre

Victoria Williamson Earworms - Tunes that get Stuck in the Head. Stories, Suspects and Solutions.

Wednesday 1 October

Wednesday 26 November

Tim Rutherford-Johnson

Professor Roger Marsh

Not the End: Untangling Contemporary Music History

Ways of Telling Tales

Wednesday 8 October

5.15pm RNCM Lecture Theatre

Simone Rebello

Martial Hauntology

5.15pm RNCM Lecture Theatre

5.15pm RNCM Lecture Theatre Percussion in Brass Bands

Wednesday 15 October

5.15pm RNCM Lecture Theatre

Simon Clarke Derrida and Top Theory: Musical Semiotics Folded Back into Philosophy

5.15pm RNCM Lecture Theatre

Wednesday 3 December

Toby Heys Wednesday 10 December

5.15pm RNCM Lecture Theatre

Rob Buckland Just One Note: the What, When, Why and How of Musical Performance Open to all, free admission, no ticket required. You can read more about these sessions at www.rncm. ac.uk/research/research-events/forum

Booking Information

Group Discounts

Booking online

Flexible Series

Booking by phone

Save 15% or more on your tickets by creating your own flexible series. Simply choose at least three concerts you’d like to attend (marked with logo).

www.rncm.ac.uk/whats-on 0161 907 5555

Booking in person or by post Box Office, RNCM, 124 Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9RD

Booking Fees A booking fee of £1 per ticket applies to most transactions. No booking fee applies to tickets bought in person at the Box Office.

Payment Payment can be made by cash, Mastercard, Visa or Maestro.

Enquiries by email box.office@rncm.ac.uk

Box Office opening hours September – June 11am - 6pm Monday to Saturday (later on performance nights) Sunday 1 hour before performances (closed on non-performance Sundays) For full terms and conditions visit www.rncm. ac.uk/whats-on/terms or contact the Box Office.

Concessions Concessions are available for events where the RNCM is the promoter. For all other events please contact the Box Office for precise details of concessions as they vary according to the event promoter. All concessions are subject to availability and it is advisable to book well in advance to ensure the seats you require are available. Please note that proof of concession will be required. For further details please check with the Box Office or visit www.rncm.ac.uk/discounts

Ticket Exchange & Refunds Exchanges may only be made under current guidelines. Contact the Box Office or visit www.rncm.ac.uk/exchanges for full details. Refunds are only made in the case of a cancelled performance.

Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more for all events promoted by the RNCM. For more information contact the Box Office or visit www. rncm.ac.uk/groups

Sonic Manchester Sonic Manchester is a free scheme for students run by the RNCM, The Bridgewater Hall, BBC Philharmonic and Manchester Camerata. It gives students the opportunity to buy tickets to a diverse range of concerts from as little as £3. (NB Tickets are subject to availability and prices may vary depending on the event.) For more information and to sign up for the latest offers please visit www.facebook.com/sonicmanchester

Email & Mailing List Keep in touch with events at the RNCM by joining our free mailing list for regular updates. Sign up at www.rncm.ac.uk/mailinglist or contact the Box Office for details.

RNCM Historic Instrument Collection The RNCM Historic Instrument Collection is located in the basement of the Library part of the College building (to the left of the main entrance on Booth Street West). It can be accessed using the staircase behind the Box Office or by the lift situated opposite the RNCM Library. Autumn 2014 opening hours can be found at www.rncm.ac.uk/instrumentcollection 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. If you have any comments please contact Head of Marketing & Communications, RNCM, 124 Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9RD.

Artistic Proposals We are always interested to hear your suggestions for future programming. If you have an artistic proposal you would like us to consider, please email Richard Collins, Programming Manager, at richard.collins@rncm.ac.uk

Access

How to find us

All public spaces and facilities are accessible to wheelchair users (via lifts).

Large print and audio versions of this brochure are available from 0161 907 5555 or box.office@rncm.ac.uk Guide dogs are welcome, please inform the Box Office when booking your ticket. The RNCM Concert Hall and RNCM Theatre are fitted with hearing assistance systems and receivers (available from the Front of House team on request). Receivers can be used in all venues in conjunction with a standard hearing aid in the ‘T’ position or an earpiece provided. Free parking is available for disabled patrons, reserve your space with reception on 0161 907 5300. Please contact the Box Office or visit www.rncm.ac.uk/access for detailed access information.

RT PLATFORM

The RNCM is located on the corner of Oxford Road and Booth Street West. Oxford Road connects the RNCM by bus to the City Centre, Piccadilly and Victoria train stations. Oxford Road station is a 10 minute walk away. Go to www.tfgm.com for details of public transport in the Greater Manchester area.

Parking

(1) The RNCM car park is located next to the College in the basement of the Sir Charles Groves Hall of Residence, off Rosamund Street West. Open from 5pm weekday evenings and anytime over weekends and bank holidays, costing £3 (payable on entry). Closes at 11.30pm. (2) The University of Manchester Booth Street car park is situated off Booth Street West. Open 6am - midnight. (3) The Aquatics Centre car park is situated off Booth Street East. Open 6am - 11pm. For more information, please go to www.rncm.ac.uk/findus

PIT SEATS

RNCM Theatre plan

Lower Hall Upper Hall Balcony Oglesby Balcony

N1 M1

C1 B1 A1

CONCERT PLATFORM

D1 E1

New RNCM Concert Hall plan

F1 G1

A18

A11

D28

D17

E28

E16

F28

F15

Lower Hall

G29

G14

Upper Hall Balcony Oglesby Balcony

C24

C15 GG1

B21

B13

H17

I17

J17

K17

L27

Q1 R1 S1

P11 Q10 R9

P23 Q23 R23 S23

Looking for a venue? The RNCM has a wide selection of excellent purpose-built spaces to hire for every type of event, performance or conference. Following a £7.1 million refurbishment project to be completed in November 2014, our largest spaces have now been revitalised with excellent back of house facilities and the latest technical set−up including a new lighting rig and sound equipment.

Our venues: The RNCM CONCERT HALL has been completely refurbished with additional seating capacity, air conditioning, new interior and an updated technical fit out. The new space has a variety of flexible options for your event with layouts including 445 capacity seating on Level One, 610 capacity seating with our new Balcony and Oglesby Balcony open, or even up to 730 capacity seating with a reduced stage size for amplified bands and small ensembles (NB – please speak to our Events Manager for further details about the 730 layout). This unique octagonal performance space also contains a Hradetsky Four Manual Concert Organ, a variety of dressing room spaces suitable for very large ensembles and a private soloists’ room, a separate lighting box area, new discrete multicore runs and fly motors for ease of rigging equipment, all with easy access for a flat floor load−in and parking for buses and trucks. The RNCM Theatre boasts one of the largest black box stages in Manchester with ample wing space, orchestra pit, lighting box area and space for a sound desk in addition to the seated capacity. Along with these features, it also benefits from the newly refurbished backstage area including access to all the new dressing room spaces, technical equipment and loading area. There are 607 seats in the Theatre with an option to place additional audience seating over the orchestra pit, taking the total maximum capacity to 657 seats. The RNCM Studio Theatre is a flexible black box space which has an audience capacity of up to 140 seats. The space is equipped with projector, screen and a flexible lighting rig, suitable for a variety of events from theatre to talks to music performances. It has two private dressing rooms attached to the space and can be configured in a variety of set-ups from Theatre Style, Cabaret or even In The Round.

The Carole Nash Recital Room is a stunning shoebox venue which has up to 110 seats in a Theatre Style configuration. The room has a wonderful acoustic making it a great venue for small-scale performances as well as being a beautiful room for conferences and catering receptions. It is equipped with one private dressing room, projector, screen and a small lighting rig. The Lecture Theatre has a 150 capacity and has been completely updated following the refurbishment project. It comes equipped with projector, screen and is ideal for pre-concert talks, discussions and presentations. The RNCM also has a wide range of smaller spaces suitable for social functions, events, dinners, rehearsals or conferences. For dates and rates regarding performances, workshops and public events, please contact our Events Manager, Tom Besford on 0161 907 5289 or tom.besford@rncm.ac.uk For conference and catering enquiries, please contact our Conference and Catering Team on 0161 907 5353 or hospitality@rncm.ac.uk

Eating and Drinking at the RNCM There are refreshment facilities available at the RNCM with the Café, Brodsky Restaurant and Bar and the Concert Bar offering a range of fresh, home cooked and locally sourced food from just a coffee and a pastry to a three course meal. During term time, Monday to Friday, the Café is open from 8am until the interval on performance nights; Brodsky is open from 11am with last food orders at 7.30pm and the Concert Bar is open from 5pm until 11pm. On Junior School days during term time the Café is open from 8am until 3.30pm or until the interval of the evening performance. At other times the Café is open one hour prior to the performance time until the interval for events in the Concert Hall or Theatre.

Brodsky In conjunction with the opening of the refurbished Concert Hall, Brodsky is delighted to be launching a new menu with vibrant new dishes sitting alongside firm favourites. To reserve your table in Brodsky please call 0161 907 5353 or 5252.

Afternoon Tea Having enjoyed a lunchtime concert, why not treat yourself to afternoon tea in Brodsky? Priced at £9.95 per person, afternoon tea is available Monday – Friday and must be pre-booked. Please call 0161 907 5353 or 5252.

Hospitality at the RNCM The RNCM can also provide catering for social functions, events, dinners, training events, meetings and conferences in our venues. Please contact our Conference and Catering Team on 0161 907 5353 or hospitality@rncm.ac.uk for further details

During the vacation the Concert Bar opens one hour prior to the performance time. Outside term time and at weekends opening hours are dependent upon the performance programme. Please call 0161 907 5353 or 5252 for full details of menus and opening hours. Brodsky and the Concert Bar are Cask Marque accredited. All food items and menus are subject to availability.

/RNCMLIVE /RNCMVOICE

WWW.RNCM.AC.UK BOX OFFICE 0161 907 5555

Sponsors and Supporters Backstage Trust

Eric and Margaret Kinder Charitable Trust

Event Partners