Podcasts about Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

Chillout Classic #47 "Kobieta" 1. J.S. Bach - Wariacje Goldbergowskie, aria, 7,8,9 wariacja, Klara Würtz. 2. Jej portret - Włodzimierz Nahorny/Jerzy Kofta, Amelia & Smooth Jazz Trio. 3. Saint Saens - Łabędź, Jacquline de Pres. 4. Nadia Boulanger - Miniatura na wiolonczele i fortepian es-moll , Emile Naoumoff, Roland Pidoux. 5. Lilii Boulanger - D'un vieux jardin, D'un jarden clair - Emile Naoumoff. 6. Grażyna Bacewicz - Koncert na orkiestrę smyczkową: cz. II Andante, Primuz Chamber Orchestra, Łukasz Błaszczyk. 7. Clara Shumann - Koncert a- moll op. 7: cz II Romance. Andante non troppo, Isata Kanneh-Mason, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. 8. Krystyna Stańko - Zmierzch. 9. Barbara Streisand - Woman in Love.

Jack Pepper is a composer, broadcaster and writer. He is one of the UK's youngest commissioned composers and in 2019, aged 19, he became the UK's youngest-ever national radio presenter when he joined Scala Radio. Jack writes classical orchestral works, music and lyrics for musical theatre and pop songs, and composed for the likes of the Royal Opera House, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra whilst still a teenager. Last year, Jack devised and led a new UK music education campaign with Music For Youth, 'A Thank You Note' #ThankYourMusicTeacher, which culminated in two concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, and saw 3000 young people come together to perform music written by Jack in tribute to his piano tutor. As a writer, he has written for many national and industry publications, and is a contributor to Gramophone Magazine. His debut book (published by Templar/Bonnier books), 'Raising The Roof: The Colourful Characters Of Classical Music', with illustrations by Michele Bruttomesso, will be available from June 6th 2024. In this episode, Jack talks about how he balances a portfolio career, his one week at Oxford University, and how to avoid burnout. He also offers brilliant advice for young people either starting out or feeling stuck in their careers, perhaps because of a lack of contacts or lack of resources.This episode was recorded in September 2023.-------------------Pre-order Jack's book HERE-------------------Jack's links:WebsiteInstagramX (formerly Twitter)Facebook-------------------Follow The Classical Circuit on InstagramDid you enjoy this episode? If so, ratings and follows help a lot with visibility, if you have a spare moment... *bats eyelashes*No offence taken if not.--------------------This podcast is also available to listen to via The Violin Channel--------------------Music: François Couperin - Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou Les MaillotinsPerformed by Daniel Lebhardt--------------------The Classical Circuit is made by Ella Lee (producer by trade, pianist at heart). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Georgina Aasgaard Cellist and Music and Health Practitioner   Georgina Aasgaard is a Liverpool based Cellist and Music and Health practitioner who has a passion for bringing Music from the concert platform to challenging and more intimate environments. She has 20 years of experience delivering music interventions in a broad range of health and social settings such as hospitals, mental health units, prisons, homes for the elderly as well as community centres for refugees and the homeless. Her practice includes 15-year partnerships with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, Alder Hey NHS Foundation Trust and Live Music Now. She has also aworked for 10 years with DadaFest and Drake Music, engaging with people with disabilities through music making and technology . As a musician in residence, she has led innovative and groundbreaking programmes which include both one to one interaction on intensive care units and group work in mental health units. She has co-created recovery courses, co-produced performances, exploring skills such as improvisation, composition, songwriting, music technology, and including employability opportunities. Her activities have been measured through co-evaluation methods and continuous contact with patients and service users.  These collaborations have enabled her to draw on her experiences to create context specific training and mentoring programmes. She is currently developing a toolkit for musicians working in healthcare, informed by her collaborative work over the years and her research activities. Georgina was awarded a Pre-doctoral Local Authority Fellowship by the NIHR, as a  Director of Training and Development Research for Live Music Now, working in partnership with the University of Liverpool to investigate the influence of non-clinical music interventions on mental health.   She currently works in close collaboration with The Liverpool Centre for Health, Art, Society and Environment (CHASE) at the University of Liverpool aiming to foster critical inquiry, dialogue and creativity to build new knowledge about enabling creative communities through music collaboration and cross-sector partnerships. As part of this collaboration, she has been granted a new Community Innovation Practitioner (CIP) award funded by the AHRC to investigate how collaborations between academics and partners from across different sectors can work to benefit health and wellbeing.   Awards and Honorary Fellowship ·         05/07/2022: Festival of Learning Awards: Winner of the President's Award. Music and Mental Health Programme at the Life Rooms, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Lead musician ·         01/02/2021: Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards: Winner of the Impact Award on Health and Wellbeing Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Lead Musician ·         01/05/2019: Winner of the Merseyside Woman of the Year in the category of Arts, Culture and Media ·         01/03/2016: NHS Award in Health and Care - Certificate of Recognition for Commitment to learning in Health and Care ·         01/09/2011: University of Liverpool Honorary Fellowship, Music and Wellbeing ·         01/09/2010: NHS Positive achievement Award in Mental Health    

The South African soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha talks to Front Row ahead of returning to the Proms this Saturday to sing Strauss's Four Last Songs with the National Youth Orchestra. Critics Sharlene Teo and Max Liu review Joy Ride, the feature film debut of Adele Lim, who also wrote Crazy Rich Asians - and also Ann Patchett's new novel Tom Lake, a story about how we tell the story of our lives – and how we fill the inevitable gaps. And the composer and conductor Carl Davis has died. His film and television successes include the themes for the BBC's 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, ITV's landmark history series the The World At War, and the TV adaptation of Far Pavilions. He wrote part of the Liverpool Oratorio with Paul McCartney to mark the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic's 150th anniversary. The composer and author Neil Brand joins us to celebrate the work of Carl Davis. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Paul Waters

One thing that becomes clear the more accomplished we get in any area of writing (or of anything else): the kind of writing somebody else is doing still looks to us more like "real" writing... Dr Mike Jones is a rock lyricist (notably for Latin Quarter, including their Top 20 hit Radio Africa), reader and lecturer in music at Liverpool University. His work includes an MA programmes in partnership with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and another in the Beatles: Music Industry and Heritage. He wrote, directed and produced 'Where Light Falls', an exploration of the career of Joni Mitchell, performed in Sheffield and Liverpool; he also wrote, directed and produced 'George Harrison and Indian Music', performed at Liverpool Philharmonic. Mike talks to Rachel Knightley about the relationship of political and personal influences on his lyrics and career in writing, and how his journey through the music industry and academia are moving him towards a deeper interest in another kind of writing...  

Synopsis On today's date in 1939, the King and Queen of England were in New York City. Despite the perilous situation back home in Europe, their royal majesties George and Elizabeth Windsor crossed the Atlantic to attend the 1939 World's Fair, and sample exotic native delights such as a hot dog picnic with President Franklin Roosevelt. That same evening at Carnegie Hall, another visiting Brit, conductor Adrian Boult, led the New York Philharmonic in premiere performances of three brand-new works by leading British composers of the day, including the world premiere of the Seventh Symphony of Arnold Bax, a work commissioned by the British Council and dedicated to the American people. Also premiered that night was a virtuoso Piano Concerto by Arthur Bliss and Ralph Vaughan Williams' set of variations for strings and harp on the old English carol, “Dives and Lazarus.” The music critic for The New Yorker, covering the premieres, wrote: “The symphony wandered, as Bax symphonies seem to do, yet wandered into many characteristic eloquences. The variations were soundly charming, and the piano concerto was a roaring triumph.” There seems to be no documentation on the quality of the hot dogs served to their royal majesties, but we're willing to bet they, too, were top-notch. Music Played in Today's Program Sir Arthur Bliss (1891 - 1975) –Piano Concerto (Philip Fowke, piano; Royal Liverpool Philharmonic; David Atherton, cond.) Unicorn 2029 Sir Arnold Bax (1883 - 1953) –Symphony No. 7 (London Philharmonic; Raymond Leppard, cond.) Lyrita 232

Synopsis On today's date in 2009, Hilary Hahn premiered a new violin concerto by the American composer Jennifer Higdon, a work tailor-made for the violinist, according to Higdon: “She's got gorgeous tone in the top register, but also down really low, so I tried to utilize her entire range, her lyrical gift, her ability to play super fast and negotiate through complex meter changes.” When asked if it wasn't intimidating writing a violin concerto in the 21st century, considering the incredible legacy of great violin concertos already written, Higdon said a little intimidation is a good thing: “There's nothing like fear to get the imagination running. Starting a piece is the worst,” says Higdon, “and that can stretch from one day to three weeks of agony. The cats run and hide.” Higdon's Violin Concerto for Hilary Hahn won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Music, and the composer said she found that out in a very 21st century fashion, when she noticed her cell phone was suddenly flooded with dozens and dozens of messages. “I jumped up and down a little,” confesses Higdon – and that probably scared her cats, too. The cats' names, for the record, are Beau and Squeak. Music Played in Today's Program Jennifer Higdon (b. 1962) — Violin Concerto (Hilary Hahn, vn; Royal Liverpool Philharmonic; Vasily Petrenko, cond.) DG 146980-2

Synopsis Today we celebrate the birthday of one of Dvorak's composition pupils: one Julius Fucik, who was born in Prague on today's date in 1872. Fucik studied with Dvorak at the Prague Conservatory, where he also took lessons in violin and bassoon – and perhaps only a bassoonist could have conceived of a work with a prominent bassoon part entitled “The Old Bear with a Sore Head.” In 1897 he was appointed bandmaster of the 86th Austro-Hungarian Regiment and started writing works for wind band. Fucik's first appointment with the Regiment took him to Sarajevo, and in 1910 he became bandmaster of the 92nd Regiment stationed at Theresienstadt, or Terezin as the town is now called. Now, in the years before World War I, “Sarajevo” and “Theresienstadt” did not have the ominous connotations of political assassination, concentration camps, and ethnic cleansing that they do for us today.Fucik retired from the military in 1913 and died in Berlin in 1916. But speaking of connotations, even if you've never heard of Julius Fuick, chances are you've heard his “Entry of the Gladiators,”, since it was taken up by American circus bands as the unofficial anthem of life under the big top. Music Played in Today's Program Julius Fucik (1872 - 1916): The Old Bear with a Sore Head (Alan Pendlebury, bassoon; Royal Liverpool Philharmonic; Libor Pesek, cond.) Virgin 59285 Julius Fucik (1872 - 1916): Entry of the Gladiators (Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra; Frederick Fennell, cond.) Brain 7503

Jane is an awarded Creative Strategist with a background in Creative Direction, she describes herself as being a problem solver at her core. With experience in design, UX and Strategy as well as conceptual thinking, she works to find the right solution that balances all of these elements perfectly. Jane has spent the last 5 years at Facebook where she is the Entertainment and Autos Creative Lead for the UK, her passion lies in finding ways to engage and delight users with innovative uses of Facebooks Platforms that answer the business needs of her clients. Vanessa graduated in 2001 from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) with a First-Class Degree in Performing Arts (Management of Music, Entertainment, Theatre and Events). She then moved to London to an internship at M&C Saatchi. Then onto EMAP (now Bauer Media) where she worked across Music and Lifestyle press including Q, Mojo, Arena, Kerrang!, Smash Hits, The Face and Empire Magazine, and led commercial partnerships with major and indie record labels, film studios and music retailers such as HMV and Virgin. Vanessa also partnered with Glastonbury to lead the sponsorship and production of the Q Glastonbury Paper Guide each year. In 2007, Vanessa moved to Google just post-listing of the company on the Stock Exchange, where she started to build out their specialist Entertainment Team, leading global partnerships with film studios, gaming and music. She then continued to YouTube in 2008 when Google acquired the platform. In 2011, Vanessa joined Facebook Inc. prior to its listing on the Stock Exchange to lead Retail Sector partnerships, and in 2012, setting up the first Entertainment Vertical team where she continues to drive fundamental evolution and change as a Global Client Partner in how film and music industries globally market their releases and events on Facebook via the explosion of video consumption on mobile across Facebook and Instagram. Vanessa is now in the Music Week Roll of Honour as a 2020 Women in Music award winner Vanessa is on the Board of Trustees for The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. Vanessa is also on the Liverpool City Region Digital and Arts Board as of 2020 Vanessa founded ‘The Wed Network' (Women in Entertainment and Digital), a supportive network of 1500 women in arts and entertainment sectors. Named one of the Alternative Power 100 Music List with She Said So - https://www.shesaid.so/alternative-power-100-music-list Named one of top 200 women redefining the Creative Industry in the UK for International Women's Day 2018 by The Dots - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/meet-200-women-redefining-creative-industry-iwd2018-pip-jamieson/ She has a huge passion for music, film, education, and community and bringing all those things together where she can for good. A regular guest lecturer – recent lecturers have included the Universal of Central Lancashire, Leeds Conservatoire, Wrexham Glyndŵr University and LIPA. Host: Jamie Neale @jamienealejn Discussing rituals and habitual patterns in personal and work life. We ask questions about how to become more aware of one self and the world around us, how do we become 360 with ourselves? Host Instagram: @jamienealejn Podcast Instagram: @360_yourself Music from Electric Fruit Produced by Tom Dalby Composed by Toby Wright

Synopsis Today we celebrate the birthday of one of Dvorak's composition pupils: one Julius Fucik, who was born in Prague on today's date in 1872. Fucik studied with Dvorak at the Prague Conservatory, where he also took lessons in violin and bassoon – and perhaps only a bassoonist could have conceived of a work with a prominent bassoon part entitled “The Old Bear with a Sore Head.” In 1897 he was appointed bandmaster of the 86th Austro-Hungarian Regiment and started writing works for wind band. Fucik's first appointment with the Regiment took him to Sarajevo, and in 1910 he became bandmaster of the 92nd Regiment stationed at Theresienstadt, or Terezin as the town is now called. Now, in the years before World War I, “Sarajevo” and “Theresienstadt” did not have the ominous connotations of political assassination, concentration camps, and ethnic cleansing that they do for us today.Fucik retired from the military in 1913 and died in Berlin in 1916. But speaking of connotations, even if you've never heard of Julius Fuick, chances are you've heard his “Entry of the Gladiators,”, since it was taken up by American circus bands as the unofficial anthem of life under the big top. Music Played in Today's Program Julius Fucik (1872 - 1916): The Old Bear with a Sore Head (Alan Pendlebury, bassoon; Royal Liverpool Philharmonic; Libor Pesek, cond.) Virgin 59285 Julius Fucik (1872 - 1916): Entry of the Gladiators (Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra; Frederick Fennell, cond.) Brain 7503

Harpist Eira Lynn Jones joins us to chat about her work with the Juniper Project, a flute and harp duo that performs and records not only the most virtuosic repertoire, but also the approachable repertoire that they enjoy coaching. We speak about Eira's work as a composer of chamber music, as well as her connection to the Music in Hospitals program. Eira shares some of her background as someone who “did everything backwards”, having gone from a full-time orchestral position to a freelancer's career. Welsh harpist EIRA LYNN JONES is a versatile musician, who has a passion for creativity and originality. Her eclectic career ranges from orchestral work, recordings and commissions to chamber music collaborations. She is known equally for her committed, dynamic playing and her innovative, dedicated teaching. While a student at the Royal Northern College of Music, Eira won numerous awards, including a Guinness Foundation Scholarship and an I.S.M. Performer Award, resulting in her BBC Radio 3 debut on the ‘Young Musicians' series. Further studies with Kathleen Bride at the Manhattan School of Music in New York led to a Masters Degree. Invited to join the Manhattan Contemporary Music Ensemble, she premiered new works for harp, which ignited her interest in researching unusual and varied repertoire. She did indeed take her harp to the party; to Carnegie Hall, the Aspen Music Festival, Banff Centre of Performing Arts and Creativity, and even to the top of the Empire State Building! On returning to the UK she was appointed Principal Harp with Northern Ballet Theatre. She now regularly freelances with the UK's leading orchestras, including Hallé, BBC Philharmonic, Opera North, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the Royal Northern Sinfonia. As soloist, she has performed Debussy Danses with Manchester Camerata and Ravel's Introduction and Allegro with Northern Chamber Orchestra. Eira is also widely recognised as one of the UK's leading harp teachers. As Head of Harp at the RNCM she loves inspiring young musicians, receiving many invitations to run workshops worldwide, including USA, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Sweden and Iceland. She achieved notable success with her solo album ‘... from within', which is a mix of classical and folk pieces on both pedal harp and clarsach: "I love the album ... a diversity of music, a very accomplished technique, and your heart coming through" (Alan Stivell). From performing at the Hollywood Bowl to under the much loved “Dippy” dinosaur at the Natural History Museum; from appearing in Coronation Street to playing for HRH Prince of Wales in Spain; from recording with the heavy metal band “Venom” to accompanying Kiri te Kanawa; from directing the music of John Cage for 20 harps to leading the RNCM Young Harps Project, Eira approaches each project with passion, and is a true ambassador for this most magical of instruments. The transcript for this episode can be found here. For more information about Eira Lynn Jones, please visit her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

This summer on the Mind Over Finger Podcast, I promise you a fantastic time with wonderful guests! Every month I'm having a live Q&A with amazing musicians in my Facebook group, the Mind Over Finger Tribe and, as to be expected, much wisdom is being shared! We start with pianist Konstantin Soukhovetski, we continue in May with violinist Callum Smart, in June you'll hear from trumpet player Christopher Still from Honesty Pill, July will bring violinist Esther Abrami, and we'll spend time with guitarist Brandon Jack Acker in August. I hope you can join us live for the upcoming sessions. All of the details are in the Mind Over Finger Tribe at facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe.   If you're enjoying today's content, take a screenshot as you're listening, share on social and tag me and my guest so we can thank you for tuning in!     Frustrated with your playing?  Unsatisfied with you career?  Ready for a change? Whatever your challenge, you don't have to go at it alone, and I can help.  Visit www. https://www.mindoverfinger.com/workwithme to learn more and book your call and let's discuss how to get you from where you are to where you want to be.   THE MUSIC MASTERY EXPERIENCE will be back in June 2021.  This is my LIFE CHANGING, highly personalized group coaching program where I show you how to implement mindful & effective practice techniques, how to make them habits, and how to get RESULTS. Save your spot at http://www.mindoverfinger.com/mme and get access to some really cool bonuses.     MORE ABOUT CALLUM SMART: Website: https://www.callumsmart.com/ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_ecn1-p8BqHqeliOh-_weg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/callumsmartviolin/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/callumsmartviolin/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CallumLSmart Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32598434&fan_landing=true   “…the sincerity of Smart's singing line is cause for celebration, and the recital is quite outstanding in its unique sequence and profile of a superb young player.” Andrew Parker, International Record Review Callum Smart is quickly developing an international reputation as one of Britain's finest young violinists. Playing with ‘an inherent nobility that speaks to the heart' (International Record Review), he is celebrated for combining ‘brilliant technique with the confidence to take risks' (Bachtrack) and his ‘utterly convincing' interpretations (BBC Music Magazine). Recognised as a rising star since winning the BBC Young Musician strings category and being the top European prize-winner at the Menuhin Competition in 2010, Smart now enjoys concert appearances with the UK's leading orchestras, including re-invitations to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the Philharmonia Orchestra. In 2020-21, Callum makes his debut with the Hallé Orchestra performing Korngold's Violin Concerto, and also a Boston debut with the Lexington Symphony Orchestra performing Elgar's Violin Concerto. Last season, he made his debut with the BBC Philharmonic performing Berg's Violin Concerto, and this season sees his return to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and debut with the Manchester Camerata. Previous season highlights include his North American debut with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as performances with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, European Union Chamber Orchestra, Orpheus Sinfonia and Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, covering a range of concerto repertoire from Mozart and Beethoven to Glazunov, Britten, Prokofiev, Elgar, Weill, and Korngold. As a recitalist, Smart performs at some of the world's most prestigious venues including London's Wigmore Hall, the Konzerthaus Berlin and the Auditorium du Louvre in Paris, and at a number of European festivals including the Cheltenham Festival, Dvorak Festival in Prague, Menuhin Festival, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Malmo International String Festival. Smart's partnership with Richard Uttley continues this season with recitals across the UK; they are also joined by horn player Ben Goldscheider for a series of concerts as The Ashwell Trio. Continuing his advocacy for new music, Smart worked with composer George Benjamin to perform his Three Pieces for solo violin at both the Wigmore Hall and the Royal Northern College of Music. He also performed Kaija Saariaho's Nocturne for solo violin at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. Now with two recital discs to his name, 2016 saw the release of Smart's second disc on the Orchid Classics Label with pianist Richard Uttley. ‘La Voix' – including works by Fauré, Poulenc and Ravel – featured as one of the Strad Magazine's recommended recordings of the month, and was accorded 4 star reviews both in the BBC Music Magazine and the Observer. Having returned to the UK following his Premier Young Artist scholarship at the Jacobs School of Music in the United States studying with Mauricio Fuks, Smart took up a place on the International Artist Diploma postgraduate course at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) studying with Ana Chumachenco and Noah Bendix-Bagley. Having made an immediate impact on his return, he was subsequently appointed as a violin tutor at the RNCM. Smart plays on a c.1730-35 violin by Carlo Bergonzi and is a Hattori Foundation Award Winner 2019.   Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe for access to my weekly live videos and to exchange with a community of like-minded musicians   Visit www.mindoverfinger.com and sign up for my newsletter to get your free guide to an exceptionally productive practice using the metronome.  This guide is the perfect entry point to help you bring more mindfulness and efficiency into your practice and it's filled with tips and tricks on how to use that wonderful tool to take your practicing and your playing to new heights.     THANK YOU: A HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly, who works really hard to make this podcast as pleasant to listen to as possible for you. Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme.  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Thank you to Susan Blackwell for the introduction.  You can find out more about Susan, her fantastic podcast The Spark File, and her work helping creatives of all backgrounds expand their impact by visiting https://www.susanblackwell.com/home.   MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

British composer and orchestrator Dani Howard shares her brilliant story of becoming a composer whilst describing what it's like to be a composer of New Music who is trying to reshape the genre and make it more accessible to audiences all around the world. Featured Piece: Coalescence Provided to the podcast by the composer. Recorded by BBC Radio 3 with Vasily Petrenko conducting the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. Other Music: Vino Encores - Clarinet and Trumpet Where to find Dani and her music: Website: https://danihoward.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD5-cIqfxWY SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/danihoward Become a member of The Composer Chronicles on Patreon to get ad-free versions of all the episodes, early access to those ad-free versions, access to the member-only podcast Unscripted, and other things podcast related! https://patreon.com/thecomposerchronicles Join me and an incredible, growing community living healthier lifestyles in a body positive space with Roy Belzer Fitness: https://roybelzerfitness.com/signup and use offer code chronpodcast at checkout! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thecomposerchronicles/message

Paula Downes reads her Grandfather and Andrew Downes' father Frank's book, Around the Horn, which tells the story of the Classical Music Industry from the point of view of a professional Horn player. Born 1921, died 2005, his fascinating orchestral career spanned the demise of the silent cinema, municipal seaside orchestras, the RAF Central band during World War II, orchestral playing in pre and post-war Britain, and the rise towards a Royal title for the Birmingham Conservatoire. Chapter 6 tells of funny mishaps during RAF parades; touring south Wales and meeting his brother in Cardiff where he was performing with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic as the Lead Violist; and most importantly of his engagement to his wife Iris, and the lovely time they spent in Colchester, where she was working for the Fire Service. At the end of the episode, the first movement of Andrew Downes' 3rd Symphony is played since it is a work Iris loved. The recording comes from the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra's recording of all of Andrew's Symphonies. The full work can be heard at andrewdownes.com.

Christian Lindberg was voted “THE GREATEST BRASS PLAYER IN HISTORY" by the world's biggest classical radio station CLASSICFM.  Christian has premiered over 300 works for the trombone (over 90 major concertos), recorded over 70 solo CDs, has an international solo competition created in his name, and been voted brass player of the 20th century side by side with Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong. On top of his unrivaled career as a trombonist Lindberg has now also embarked on a highly successful conducting career, and the near future includes major conducting engagements in Musikverein, Suntory Hall, at Beethovenfest, in Salzburg Festspielhaus, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Meistersingerhalle, Nürnberg and National Centre for the Performing Arts (The Giant Egg) in Beijing with orchestras such as Nippon Yomiuri Symphony Orchestra, Beijing Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Royal Flemish Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, New Zealand Symphony, Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, Irish National Philharmonic and Ulster Orchestra to name a few.  Learn more about Christian Lindberg at https://www.tarrodi.se/cl/.

In this episode, we'll be hearing from Michael Seal, Associate Conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and now, podcaster. Michael has been creating a new podcast over the lockdown period called A Mic on the Podium. This is a series of fascinating conversations with his conductor colleagues, in which they openly discuss their journey into music, the art of conducting and their experiences of the profession. Check it out! We discuss the inspiration behind Michael's podcast and what he's been doing during this free time. We also learn about his background as a violinist and conductor, and hear some of his thoughts on the craft of conducting. Michael offers some really useful advice to young conductors towards the end of this discussion. Many thanks to Michael for talking especially for this podcast! Published 7th July 2020; interview recorded 12th June 2020. michaelseal.com amiconthepodium.podbean.com Michael Seal is the Associate Conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), a unique appointment which recognises his work as Assistant Conductor, and the special relationship he has built with the orchestra. His in-depth knowledge of orchestras from an insider's position (he was a violinist with the CBSO early in his career) gives him a unique perspective and he quickly builds rapport and trust with the orchestras he works with. His energy and enthusiasm are infectious and he has built a reputation for outstanding results, delivered with great charm and often on a typically British tight rehearsal schedule. Michael has worked with many of the UK's finest orchestras, frequently being invited as guest conductor with the BBC orchestras and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic orchestras, as well as the Academy of St.Martin in the Fields, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra and Ulster Orchestra. Internationally, he has conducted the Brussels Philharmonic, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, KBS Symphony Orchestra, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Odense Symphony Orchestra, Joensuu City Orchestra, Orquesta Académica del Instituto Superior de Arte del Teatro Colón, Orquesta Filarmónica de Buenos Aires and both RTÉ Concert and National Symphony Orchestras. Michael has a special bond with the CBSO Youth Orchestra, conducting them on numerous occasions, and being involved with them since their foundation. His love of opera led to critically acclaimed performances of Puccini’s Il Trittico at the Birmingham Conservatoire. He has also assisted both Sakari Oramo and Andris Nelsons in opera performances of Peter Grimes, Carmen, Der Rosenkavalier, Lohengrin, Tristan & Isolde and The Flying Dutchman. He recently made his debut with the Malaysian Philharmonic, Trondheim Symphony and WDR Funkhausorchester, as well as returning to RLPO, LPO, RSNO, Buenos Aires Philharmonic and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestras. He will also play an integral role in celebrating the 100th birthday of the CBSO in 2020/21.

In this third, and final, Orchestra of the Year Award podcast, James Jolly is joined once again by Rob Cowan to talk about the last quartet of orchestras competing for this prestigious award: Les Siècles, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, the Hong Kong Philharmonic and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. To listen to the contenders for the Orchestra of the Year Award, presented with Apple Music, go to our Awards page, sign up for a free three-month Apple Music trial subscription, listen to the playlists and cast your vote. The winner will be revealed at the Gramophone Classical Music Awards on October 16.

"Young teenagers will be having some of their most formative experiences at a big festival in a field somewhere in the UK. And they deserve to be able to see themselves on one of those stages, whichever gender, background or ethnicity they might come from" Since joining the Performing Rights Society's charitable foundation as Chief Executive in 2008, Vanessa Reed has repositioned the organisation as the UK's most pioneering and effective funder of new music and talent development, significantly increasing support available to diverse, talented UK songwriters and composers at critical stages in their careers. She has launched an array of transformational funding programmes including the Momentum Music Fund, Women Make Music and the New Music Biennial which help music creators of all backgrounds to realise their potential. Vanessa is also founder of the international Keychange initiative which invests in female talent and raises awareness of the gender gap in the UK and across the world. Vanessa is Chair of Sound UK Arts and on the Board of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic where she Chairs the organisation's diversity group. Before joining the Foundation, Vanessa worked in various funding, arts and music development roles in Amsterdam, Brussels and London. In 2016 Vanessa won the music category in the Hospital Club's 100 Awards for UK creative industry influencers. In 2017 Vanessa was awarded a Fellowship by Leeds College of Music and accepted Music Week's Outstanding Contribution to Charity Award on behalf of the Foundation's team and Board. In 2018, Vanessa was recognised on the BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Power List as the 3rd most influential woman in the global music industry after Beyonce and Taylor Swift. This interview is from a series of events, blogs and discussions exploring both The Future of Work and The Future of Gender - you can find loads more stuff added each week on these themes at www.thepossibilityclub.org. Richard recorded this conversation with Vanessa in February 2019, a few weeks before she announced that from August she will be leaving the UK to run New Music USA - further cementing her world-wide influence on the future of the music industry. They talk leadership, power, investment, creativity and why gender equality is so core to her mission in music. --- Useful links: Performing Right Society https://www.prsformusic.com/ PRS Foundation https://prsfoundation.com/ Woman's Hour Woman In Music Power List 2018 https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3WWSL8B88gS1sCRYrgC1ZTy/power-list-2018-top-40 Momentum Music Fund https://prsfoundation.com/funding-support/funding-music-creators/next-steps/momentum-music-fund/ Keychange https://keychange.eu/ and the Keychange manifesto (PDF link) https://keychange.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/1052-keychange-A5-v15-web.pdf Independent Venue Week (UK venues) https://www.independentvenueweek.com/official-venues/ --- What do you think? Do you agree with Vanessa's mission for the music industry? Come and join the debate by joining The Possibility Club for free, find a community of thinkers and find out about our monthly events. You can also find lots of commentary, expertise and other interviews on the theme of The Future Of Work - at www.thepossibilityclub.org

“Michael Bublé isn’t the only person keeping the Sinatra Flame alive” so said the London Times of Gary Williams, star of the West End’s “Rat Pack” and soloist with leading big bands and concert orchestras including the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the Melbourne Symphony, the BBC Big Band, Ireland’s RTE and the Lahti Sinfonia Finland. Other work includes performing for The Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace, ‘That’s Entertainment’ a tribute to the MGM musicals with the John Wilson Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall, performing at Sinatra’s Palm Springs home for the LA Jazz Institute, Radio 2 with the BBC Concert Orchestra, ‘Winter Wonderland’ at the Royal Albert Hall, ‘A Swingin’ Session’ with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra in Los Angeles, ‘Big Band Wonderland’ at Ronnie Scott’s, ‘The Legend of Sinatra’ (UK tour), a tribute to the music of Fred Astaire presented by his daughter Ava, BBC Pebble Mill, Gloria Hunniford’s ‘Open House’ (with Donny Osmond and Burt Bacharach), the soundtrack for the Warner Bros’ motion picture ‘Mrs Ratcliffe’s Revolution’ and BBC1’s ‘Doctor Who Christmas Special’. As a headline act on the world’s luxury cruise liners he has visited over 60 countries. His latest two albums, a tribute to Sinatra and a “best of” his Abbey Road recordings, were recently released, prompting Oscar winning lyricist Don Black to say “In a world of Pop Idol mediocrity Gary Williams shines like a dazzling beacon.”Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Paul Philbert joins me on the Learning on Fire podcast and explores the most important learning and educational moments that shaped his life. Our guest – Paul Philbert (https://www.educationonfire.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Paul-A-Philbert-©Eric-Richmond-600x600.jpg) Paul Andrew Philbert was born in London. It was as a singer that his musical abilities were first noticed, and on the advice of his preparatory school music teacher he auditioned for the Purcell School, a specialist music school, where over the course of seven years, he studied piano, violin, clarinet and, albeit briefly, trumpet and trombone. At the age of 15, having never really settled with any of these instruments, he took up timpani and percussion. He has never looked back. He continued his studies with John Chimes & Kevin Nutty (both BBC Symphony Orchestra principal players) at Trinity College of Music, London, taking a one year break to assume the responsibility of President of the Colleges’ Students’ Union. Having completed his postgraduate studies he began working as a freelance musician in the UK and abroad. He has performed with many professional orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic, the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, the Philharmonia, the Hallé, BBC Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony, Birmingham Royal Ballet, English Chamber and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, to name but a few. Music has taken him to the USA, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Spain, Italy, Norway, Bulgaria and New Zealand before he accepted the position of Section Principal Timpani with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) in Kuala Lumpur. Since then he has toured Singapore, Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Australia, Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia with the MPO. Since his departure from the MPO in the latter half of 2012, Paul has continued to perform in both Asia, and Europe, and toured the USA, and South America. He was Principal Timpanist with the Orchestra of Opera North UK and is now the new Section Principal Timpanist with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Questions asked on the Learning on Fire Podcast Interview Who are you? What does your life look like now and how is it different from when you were growing up? What was valuable about your school experience? Which teachers do you remember and why? Who did you admire when you were young? What was it about that person that had such an impact? What was the best piece of advice you have ever been given and who gave it to you? What advice would you give your younger self? What does your future look like? What podcast, book, video, film, song or other resource has had the biggest impact on your life and why? Resources mentioned The Late Night Alternative with Iain Lee (https://talkradio.co.uk/late-night-alternative-iain-lee) Contact information  Royal Scottish National Orchestra (https://www.rsno.org.uk) Twitter  @philbertpauken (https://twitter.com/philbertpauken)   Show Sponsor (https://www.educationonfire.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/NAPE_2.2-1400.png) National Association for Primary Education (https://www.educationonfire.com/blog/national-association-for-primary-education-to-sponsor-the-education-on-fire-network/) Our aim is to achieve a higher priority for the education of children from birth to 13. High quality learning in the early years of life is vitally important to the creation of an educated society. Young children are not simply preparing for the future, they are living a never to be repeated time of life and the best way to learn is to live.  

Join William Sitwell as he welcomes Country File host and Smooth Classics DJ Margherita Taylor into the Classical Kitchen. Margherita and William discuss the hidden power of female composers, gatecrashing Italian weddings, and the classic beauty of cavolo nero cabbage, as they prepare and eat a Beautifully Simple winter warmer – Italian-style Beef & Mushroom Casserole. If you’ve been inspired by these conversations and want to get in touch or simply find out more go to https://campaign.classicfm.com/classical-kitchen. The recordings featured in this episode are: Vaughn Williams, The Lark Ascending. Tasmin Little violin, BBC Philharmonic, Sir Andrew Davis. Chandos. Aaron Copland, Fanfare for the Common Man. BBC Philharmonic, John Wilson. Chandos. Tchaikovsky, 1812 Overture. Royal Liverpool Philharmonic conducted by Vasily Petrenko. Samuel Barber, Adagio for Strings. Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi. Chandos.

Tom Service meets Christophe Rousset, the inspirational harpsichordist and conductor, founder of the period instrument ensemble Les Talens Lyriques. We visit the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic's 3rd Music Industry Careers Day to discover what young people want from a career in music today. We have an exclusive report on the state of music education in rural areas - the challenges and innovations, and we hear about the genre-breaking composer Julius Eastman, whose music is finally being published 28 years after his death. Image (c) Eric Larrayadieu.

Iconic American conductor Gerard Schwarz offers his insights about music and conducting gained from an illustrious career at the pinnacle of the classical music world. Topics: Maestro Schwarz' musical beginnings, the American Brass Quintet, and the New York Philharmonic Four steps to success: Talent, Hard Work, Say Yes, Stay Positive Tips for conductors including thoughts about becoming more artistic, even with young ensembles and score preparation The importance of listening to learn styles and listening to your own old performances to gain insight on the music The All Star Orchestra and the Khan Academy Keep analyzing yourself and the perception of your career to keep improving. The conducting institute at the Eastern Music Festival Jerry's Experiences with conducting wind band, particularly the Marine Band Schwarz' new book Behind the Baton: An American Icon Talks Music The relevance of music in modern society and the importance of music in education  Links: Gerard Schwarz Eastern Music Festival All Star Orchestra Khan Academy Mahler: Symphony no. 8 Schwarz: Above and Beyond Behind the Baton: An American Icon Talks Music Biography: Internationally recognized for his moving performances, innovative programming and extensive catalog of recordings, American conductor Gerard Schwarz serves as Music Director of The All-Star Orchestra an ensemble of top musicians from America’s leading orchestras featured in twelve television programs that have aired throughout the United States on public television, worldwide by internet streaming and is the basis for their Khan Academy education platform that has already reached over 4 million students. As in baseball, Schwarz created an “all-star” team of top musical athletes to encourage a greater understanding and enjoyment of classical music. All programs are now released by Naxos on DVD and are awarded four Emmy Awards and ASCAP Award. Schwarz also serves as Music Director of the Eastern Music Festival in North Carolina and Conductor Laureate of the Seattle Symphony. His considerable discography of over 350 showcases his collaborations with some of the world’s greatest orchestras including Philadelphia Orchestra,  London Symphony,  Berlin Radio Symphony, Orchestre National de France, Tokyo Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, New York Chamber Symphony and Seattle Symphony among others. Schwarz began his professional career as co-principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic and has held leadership positions with Mostly Mozart Festival, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and New York Chamber Symphony. As a guest conductor of both opera and symphony, he has worked with many of the world’s finest orchestras and opera companies. Schwarz, a renowned interpreter of 19th century German, Austrian and Russian repertoire, in addition to his noted work with contemporary American composers, completed his final season as music director of the Seattle Symphony in 2011 after an acclaimed 26 years a period of dramatic artistic growth for the ensemble. In his nearly five decades as a respected classical musician and conductor, Schwarz has received hundreds of honors and accolades including Emmy Awards, GRAMMY nominations, ASCAP Awards and the Ditson Conductor’s Award. He was the first American named Conductor of the Year by Musical America and has received numerous honorary doctorates. The City of Seattle and named the street alongside the Benaroya Hall “Gerard Schwarz Place.

Matt Ford is an award-winning vocalist performing for big bands and orchestras like the Halle, the Philharmonia, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and John Wilson's fabulous orchestra as seen at The Proms.

Emily is an English composer based in Manchester. She has had works performed by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and the London Symphony Orchestra, and has been featured in such festivals as Wien Modern, New Music 20×12, and the BBC Proms. You can check out more of her music at www.emilyhoward.comIn our conversation we discuss her beginnings studying Maths and playing Chess, how and when she decides to take risks with orchestral music, and collaborations she has done with the acousmatic composer Sam Salem. The pieces played in this interview are Calculus of the Nervous System (a short excerpt) and Zugzwaenge.

The Guest List is coming from Liverpool this week . To celebrate the city being the European Capital of Culture Anne-Marie Minhall reports from Philharmonic Hall , the home of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic as they rehearsed in the hall under the direction of Sir Charles MacKerras.. On the show this week is the man behind this years celebrations, writer and producer of TV programmes like Grange Hill and Brookside, Phil Redmond , who tells Anne-Marie what he hopes the legacy of Liverpool ‘08 will mean for the city…. Anne-Marie also talks to world renowned pianist and Liverpudlian Stephen Hough about what Liverpool has meant to him over the years….

We’re wrapping up the interview with Pittsburgh Symphony Principal Bassist Jeff Turner that we began on episode 26 of the podcast, plus featuring music from U.K.-based bassist Leon Bosch’s new album titled The British Double Bass on this week’s episode of the podcast. About Jeff Turner: Principal Bass Jeffrey Turner joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 1987. He served as Principal Bass of the New American Chamber Orchestra from 1984 to 1986 and became a member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 1986. Mr. Turner, a native of South Carolina, holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester. His teachers include James VanDemark, Lawrence Hurst and Robert Gladstone. Mr. Turner serves on the faculties of Duquesne University and Carnegie Mellon University. He is the Artistic Director of the City Music Center’s Young Bassist Program, and gives annual seminars and master classes at universities and conservatories throughout the world. He has also served as Visiting Professor at the Eastman School of Music and Lecturer at the University of Maryland. Mr. Turner has been a resident artist for many annual festivals including the Pacific Music Festival in Japan and the Korsholm Festival in Finland. He has been featured as a presenter at the conventions of The International Society of Bassists, and has served on the faculty of The Asian Youth Orchestra (Hong Kong) under the direction of Lord Yehudi Menuhin. Mr. Turner is a faculty member of the National Orchestral Institute. As winner of the Y Music Society’s Passamaneck Award, Jeffrey Turner appeared in a critically acclaimed recital at Carnegie Music Hall in 1989. He was also a winner of the 1990 Pittsburgh Concert Society’s Artist Award. About Leon Bosch: Leon had to overcome many difficult circumstances in the early years of his career. He was arrested by members of the Cape Town special branch when he was just 15 years old for demonstrating against the Apartheid government outside of parliament. He faced a month’s detention and torture, only to be found not guilty on all charges. This experience fired up his ambition to become a lawyer, but this field of study was forbidden to him by the regime at the time. He then chose to study a subject that would be the least likely to mark him out as subversive – music. Had Bosch been able to pursue his prime aspiration to become a lawyer, the cello/double bass debate might never have occurred. Born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1961, Bosch was forbidden by the repressive regime of the time to study law, so applied to the University’s music faculty instead `as a light-hearted prank.’ The `prank’ soon turned more serious. Once enrolled at the University, Bosch studied with Zoltan Kovats, principal double bassist of the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra at that time. A single year into his studies, the young student was invited to play in the Symphony Orchestra’s bass section alongside his mentor. Only another 12 months passed before he was giving his first solo performance of Dittersdorf ’s concerto in E major. Completing his Batchelor of Music Performance degree at the University, he received the highest mark ever awarded there in a performance examination. Post-university, Bosch quickly realised that he would have to study abroad if he really wanted to further his performance career, but was thwarted once again by the apartheid laws which decreed that overseas scholarships could only be given to white performers. However, Bosch was undeterred. `I had a passionate commitment to the double bass and never enter- tained the idea that I would fail in my pursuit’, he asserts. Fortunately, a number of private individuals came forward to sponsor his travel to England where he was heard playing by Rodney Slatford, the former Head of School of Strings at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), who offered to teach him. Bosch enrolled at the RNCM following a successful interview with Eleanor Warren to study with Slatford and Duncan McTier. He describes his time at RNCM as `extremely fruitful’. Bosch’s prestigious record of achievements also continued there, as he received the College’s PPRNCM (Professional Performer of the RNCM) with distinction, the first such award to a double bassist in the College’s history. Studies completed, Bosch embarked on the varied professional orchestral and chamber career that continues to this day. His first assignment was with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, moving onto The Manchester Camerata as principal in 1985. His playing career has also taken in the BBC Philharmonic, Hall, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Opera North and Scottish Chamber orchestras, plus the Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, Brodsky Quartet and Goldberg Ensemble as a freelance performer, a career path that he chose to `give me greater variety in my playing.’ A decade after his first principal appointment, Bosch began his current association with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, touring with the orchestra’s founder, Sir Neville Marriner. `Chamber music represents the most enjoyable part of my musical life,’ he enthuses, explaining why he has focused on this area through most of his professional career – which has taken in almost all of the major chamber orchestras in the UK.

On the Guest List this week Anne-Marie Minhall talks to rock legend Jon Lord who tells the Guest List about recreating a bit of musical history from 1969 when Malcolm Arnold conducted the world premiere of Lord’s Concerto For Group and Orchestra…The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will be doing a one-off performance of the work as part of the Second Arnold Festival in Northampton at the beginning of October…. Also on the show is Vasily Petrenko who is the principal conductor with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and tells Annie what the RPLO have lined up for 2008 to celebrate Liverpool being the European Capital of Culture…. we also chat to best selling crime author Mark Billingham about his new book ‘Death Message’..

Born in Aleppo, Syria into a musical family of six boys and three girls, François discovered the double bass at the age of thirteen when one of his brothers brought an instrument home and allowed him to experiment with it. When the family moved to Beirut, Lebanon he found an old copy of Edouard Nanny's Contrabass Method in a tailor shop and with some difficulty, since he read neither music nor French, began to teach himself. After nine years of work in Beirut, François saved enough money to move to Paris for a year. He was eager to go to the Paris Conservatory, meet with Monsieur Nanny and show him what he was able to do with the bass. When he applied at the Conservatory he was disappointed to learn that Nanny had died in 1947. He was also told that auditions were to be held in three days and that he would never have enough time to learn the required pieces. He asked for the music anyway and returned three days later to finish first among the applicants. However, his stay at the Conservatory was a brief one, since it didn't take very long to see that he was not only far ahead of the other students but of the professors as well! François Rabbath's uniqueness stems from his refusal to accept any traditional limitations. Whether performing his own fascinating compositions, the music of others or the classical repertoire, one is always moved by his profound musicianship and dazzling virtuosity. You quickly discover that he brings you such a sense of security that the most difficult passages sound effortless. The importance of François Rabbath to the development of double bass playing can be compared with that of Paganini to the violin. Since the early 1800s when Nicole Paganini established the violin as a virtuoso instrument, solo violinists have practiced the most brilliant of instrumental art. Meanwhile, the development of double bass playing had been seriously neglected. The great and popular 19th century composers did not consider the bass worth their attention and in turn the bass repertoire did not attract potential virtuoso performers with enough genius to change the situation. It demanded an artist with the unique qualities of François Rabbath to break this impasse. http://www.liben.com/FRBio.html Musical Guest - Leon Bosch You will be hearing the Bottesini Elegy and the Bottesini Gavotta from Leon Bosch’s recent solo album called Virtuoso Double Bass, which is available from Meridian Records. Leon’s website: http://www.leonbosch.co.uk Album information for Virtuoso Double Bass: http://www.leonbosch.co.uk/music.php Click here to order this great album from Leon Bosch: http://www.meridian-records.co.uk/acatalog/CDE84544a.html Meridian Records website: http://www.meridian-records.co.uk/ About Leon Bosch: (Visit his website for more information about this great artist’s career and the challenges he had to overcome during his early years in Apartheid South Africa.) From liner notes to his recent release as well as an interview with Lawrence Milner – published in the Summer 2003 edition of Double Bassist magazine: Leon had to overcome many difficult circumstances in the early years of his career. He was arrested by members of the Cape Town special branch when he was just 15 years old for demonstrating against the Apartheid government outside of parliament. He faced a month’s detention and torture, only to be found not guilty on all charges. This experience fired up his ambition to become a lawyer, but this field of study was forbidden to him by the regime at the time. He then chose to study a subject that would be the least likely to mark him out as subversive—music. Had Bosch been able to pursue his prime aspiration to become a lawyer, the cello/double bass debate might never have occurred. Born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1961, Bosch was forbidden by the repressive regime of the time to study law, so applied to the University's music faculty instead `as a light-hearted prank.' The `prank' soon turned more serious. Once enrolled at the University, Bosch studied with Zoltan Kovats, principal double bassist of the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra at that time. A single year into his studies, the young student was invited to play in the Symphony Orchestra's bass section alongside his mentor. Only another 12 months passed before he was giving his first solo performance of Dittersdorf 's concerto in E major. Completing his Batchelor of Music Performance degree at the University, he received the highest mark ever awarded there in a performance examination. Post-university, Bosch quickly realised that he would have to study abroad if he really wanted to further his performance career, but was thwarted once again by the apartheid laws which decreed that overseas scholarships could only be given to white performers. However, Bosch was undeterred. `I had a passionate commitment to the double bass and never enter- tained the idea that I would fail in my pursuit', he asserts. Fortunately, a number of private individuals came forward to sponsor his travel to England where he was heard playing by Rodney Slatford, the former Head of School of Strings at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), who offered to teach him. Bosch enrolled at the RNCM following a successful interview with Eleanor Warren to study with Slatford and Duncan McTier. He describes his time at RNCM as `extremely fruitful'. Bosch's prestigious record of achievements also continued there, as he received the College's PPRNCM (Professional Performer of the RNCM) with distinction, the first such award to a double bassist in the College's history. Studies completed, Bosch embarked on the varied professional orchestral and chamber career that continues to this day. His first assignment was with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, moving onto The Manchester Camerata as principal in 1985. His playing career has also taken in the BBC Philharmonic, Hallé, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Opera North and Scottish Chamber orchestras, plus the Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, Brodsky Quartet and Goldberg Ensemble as a freelance performer, a career path that he chose to `give me greater variety in my playing.' A decade after his first principal appointment, Bosch began his current association with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, touring with the orchestra's founder, Sir Neville Marriner. `Chamber music represents the most enjoyable part of my musical life,' he enthuses, explaining why he has focused on this area through most of his professional career ¬ which has taken in almost all of the major chamber orchestras in the UK.