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Home , Echo Klassik, Kullervo (Sibelius), London Symphony Chorus, Ray Chen, Riccardo Chailly, Robert Kajanus

Thursday 17 May 2018 7.30–9.30pm Barbican Hall

LSO SEASON CONCERT

Sibelius Violin Concerto Interval SIBELIUS Sibelius No 6 Sibelius Symphony No 7

Michael Tilson Thomas conductor Ray Chen violin

Recommended by Classic FM

Welcome LSO News Online

I hope that you enjoy the performance ‘THIS IS RATTLE’ WINS RPS AWARD LIVE STREAMS and that you are able to join us again soon. On Sunday, Michael Tilson Thomas conducts The LSO has been awarded the Royal The LSO’s concert on Sunday 24 June a cast of renowned singers and the London Philharmonic Society’s Music Award in the will be streamed live for free by Medici.tv Symphony Chorus in Beethoven’s choral epic, Concert Series and Festivals category for at 7pm, as Gianandrea Noseda conducts the Missa Solemnis. After that, the Orchestra September’s ‘This is Rattle’ celebrations – Shostakovich’s Symphony No 10. tours with Michael Tilson Thomas to Baden ten days of concerts, live streams, films, Baden, , Cologne and Stuttgart exhibitions, and performances by our Watch on the LSO’s YouTube channel at at the end of May, before returning to community and education groups. youtube.com/lso London for concerts with the LSO’s Principal Guest Conductor Gianandrea Noseda in June. Welcome to this evening’s LSO concert at the THE LSO ON MELODY VR PANUFNIK COMMISSIONS ANNOUNCED Barbican. We are delighted to be joined by long-time friend of the Orchestra, LSO The LSO is now available on Melody VR, the Every year the LSO Panufnik Composers Conductor Laureate Michael Tilson Thomas. world’s first dedicated virtual reality music Scheme commissions two of its six In the first of two concerts with the Orchestra, platform. Join Gianandrea Noseda on the participating composers to create short he conducts an all-Sibelius programme Kathryn McDowell CBE DL Barbican stage for music by Debussy, Haydn works for performance in the LSO’s main featuring the composer’s lyrical Violin Managing Director and Shostakovich, and get a unique view Barbican season. We are delighted to Concerto alongside the Sixth and Seventh as you watch from inside the Orchestra. announce that James Hoyle and Sophya . In the Violin Concerto we are Visit melodyvr.com to find out more. Polevaya receive five- and ten-minute joined by Ray Chen, who steps in at short commissions respectively. Their pieces will notice for to make his LSO be performed in the LSO’s 2019/20 season. debut. We look forward to his performance WELCOME TO TONIGHT’S GROUPS Visit lso.co.uk/news for more information. tonight, and to his appearance in the BBC Radio 3 Concert series ‘Alice Sara Ott This evening we are delighted to welcome & Friends’ at LSO St Luke’s in May 2019. Hertford U3A Read our news, watch videos and more • lso.co.uk/news I would like to take this opportunity to • youtube.com/lso thank our media partner Classic FM, • lso.co.uk/blog which has recommended tonight’s concert to its listeners.

2 Welcome 17 May 2018 Tonight’s Concert / by Stephen Johnson Coming Up

f ever there were a composer who In the Seventh Symphony Sibelius fuses Sunday 20 May 2018 7pm Thursday 5 July 2018 7.30pm taught us to welcome failure, a wide range of moods and tempos into Barbican Hall Barbican Hall it’s . When he was one single movement, as organic as the a student in , Sibelius’ teachers birth–growth–death life-cycles he observed MISSA SOLEMNIS LSO ON TRACK AT 10 prophesied a great future for him as a violin all around him. Although he didn’t know it virtuoso. But nerves got the better of him at the time, the Seventh was to be Sibelius’ Beethoven Missa Solemnis John Adams Short Ride in a Fast Machine and he gave it up, to his everlasting shame last symphony. It’s hard to imagine a more Kirsty Devaney Urban Nature (world premiere) and regret. Eventually he poured out his stirring, uplifting farewell. Michael Tilson Thomas conductor Beethoven Finale from Symphony No 7 grief over this loss in his Violin Concerto – Camilla Tilling soprano Márquez Danzón No 2 and the result was one of the glories of the Sasha Cooke mezzo-soprano James Moriarty Beat Goes On (world premiere) solo violin repertoire. It’s hard to believe that PROGRAMME NOTE WRITERS Toby Spence tenor Howard Moody the man who wrote this thrilling, hauntingly Luca Pisaroni bass-baritone Chaconne for Sydney Moxon (world premiere) atmospheric, heartbreakingly lyrical concerto Stephen Johnson is the author of Bruckner London Symphony Chorus could judge himself a failure, but he did, and Remembered. He contributes regularly to chorus director Elim Chan conductor he only got through composing it with the BBC Music Magazine and , Howard Moody conductor help of terrifying quantities of alcohol. and broadcasts for BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4 Rachel Leach presenter and the BBC World Service. Sunday 3 June 2018 7pm LSO On Track Young Musicians Some years later Sibelius tried to write a Barbican Hall East London Secondary School Second Violin Concerto: this time he failed young musicians completely, but out of the wreckage PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION Guildhall School Musicians came his Sixth and Seventh Symphonies. The Sixth, described in the sketches Ravel Rhapsodie espagnole Elim Chan’s appearance with the LSO is as ‘Winter’, is one of Sibelius’ most Beethoven No 3 generously supported by Reignwood exquisite and enigmatic evocations of Mussorgsky arr Ravel Nordic landscapes and moods. It has Pictures at an Exhibition been described as a landscape without human figures: if so, then what emerges is Gianandrea Noseda conductor astonishingly rich drama of natural forces: Yefim Bronfman piano LSO On Track is a partnership between the LSO and the play of eerie far-northern light on Barking & Dagenham Community Music Service; Bird College; Royal Greenwich Music Hub; Hackney Music Service; water, rocks and trees, and the elemental Recommended by Classic FM Havering Music School; Lewisham Music Service; Newham catastrophe of a great storm. Music; Redbridge Music Service; Tower Hamlets Arts and Music Education Service; and Waltham Forest Music Service.

Tonight’s Concert 3 Jean Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor Op 47 1904, rev 1905 / note by Stephen Johnson

1 Allegro moderato was marked by one of his worst periods of But the hand of Sibelius the great • SIBELIUS ON LSO LIVE 2 Adagio di molto alcoholism. The central slow movement symphonist, the master of organic logic, 3 Allegro, ma non tanto was apparently sketched out during an epic is always in evidence. And after the three-day hangover. Sibelius’ explanation emotionally probing first and second Ray Chen violin was simple: ‘When I am standing in front movements comes an energetic, resolute of a grand orchestra and have drunk a half- polonaise-like finale. The stormy but s a young man Sibelius had bottle of champagne, then I conduct like unambiguously major-key ending suggests dreamed of a career as a violin a young god. Otherwise I am nervous and inner darkness confronted and defied. virtuoso. His violin teacher at tremble, feel unsure of myself, and then For Sibelius the man, such self-mastery the Helsinki University, Mitrofan Vasiliev, everything is lost. The same is true of my may have been pure fantasy; but as art pronounced him a ‘genius’. But nerves visits to the bank manager’. it’s stirringly convincing. • seem to have got the better of him, and his technique suffered. For a while Sibelius Yet there is little evidence of ‘weakness’ Composer Profile onPage 6 thought of giving up music altogether, in the Violin Concerto. Nowhere is this the ‘and living the life of an idiot, for which kind of music one would describe as self- I’m well qualified’. But the urge to create indulgent or rambling. The violin writing music was too strong. Sibelius bowed to the is superb – an indication of how thoroughly Sibelius Symphonies Nos 1 to 7 inevitable – he was to be a composer, not a Sibelius understood his instrument. violinist – but not without lasting regret. Some of it is ferociously difficult, but on Sir conductor the whole it presents the kind of challenges London Symphony Orchestra Then, at the turn of the century, Sibelius that excite rather than intimidate virtuosos. London Symphony Chorus met the man who was to become one of his most important friends, Axel Carpelan. In fact the idea of mastery extends to Available to buy at LSO Live and Amazon, Carpelan was full of ideas: Sibelius every dimension of the Violin Concerto. or to stream on Spotify and Apple Music should seek creative renewal in Italy, he The musical framework is taut, the long should write more symphonies, music for lyrical paragraphs (like the floating, soaring lsolive.co.uk Interval – 20 minutes Shakespeare’s plays, a violin concerto … violin line at the very beginning) are always There are bars on all levels of the Sibelius did all of this; but one can imagine beautifully shaped. There are moments, concert hall; ice cream can be bought how mixed his feelings must have been such as the impassioned second theme of at the stands on Stalls and Circle level. when he came to the Violin Concerto. the first movement, or virtually the whole Visit the Barbican Shop on Level -1 to see Significantly, the time immediately before of the central Adagio di molto, where the our new range of Gifts and Accessories. and during Sibelius’ work on the Concerto mood is achingly nostalgic, even pained.

4 Programme Notes 17 May 2018 with Michael Tilson Thomas in 2018/19

Beethoven Violin Concerto with violin Thursday 30 May 2019

Beethoven Piano Concerto No 5 with Daniil Trifonov piano Sunday 2 June 2019

lso.co.uk/201819season 020 7638 8891 Jean Sibelius in Profile 1865–1957

1865 BORN 1898–99 FIRST SYMPHONY 1904 SIBELIUS BY ALBERT ENGSTRÖM Hämeenlinna, , then an At a time when Russia was attempting He completed the Violin Concerto and autonomous part of the Russian Empire. to restrict Finland’s power to self-govern, moved to Järvenpää in the same year. the nationalistic First Symphony brought Sibelius considerable acclaim. 1890–91 ABANDONS THE VIOLIN Sibelius later described the ‘painful awakening when I had 1901–02 to admit that I had begun my SECOND SYMPHONY training for the exacting career Sketched in Italy, of a virtuoso too late’. he described it as ‘a confession of the soul.’

ibelius was swiftly adopted by Finns as a symbol of national pride. He loved nature, and the sweeping Finnish landscape often served as 1892 MARRIES 1907–08 HEALTH PROBLEMS inspiration for his musical output. His most Marries Aino Järnefelt The effects of overindulgence, significant contributions are all orchestral in 1885–89 STUDIES (pictured right), heavy smoking and drinking had nature, including seven symphonies, a violin He initially studied law the daughter of a disastrous impact on Sibelius’ concerto and a large number of tone poems. before enrolling at the a Finnish general, health. He was forced to cancel Helsinki Music Institute on 10 June 1892. concerts, while Aino, suffering Throughout his life, he was plagued by (now the ) from exhaustion, was admitted to heavy drinking, illness, relentless self- as a violinist. a sanatorium. Sibelius resolved to criticism and financial problems, forcing his give up drinking and to concentrate early retirement from composition at the on his Third Symphony, which was age of 61. He was, however, honoured as a completed in 1907. He underwent great Finnish hero long after he stopped 1891–92 FIRST MAJOR WORK major surgery for throat cancer composing, and his principal works quickly His first major orchestral piece, in Berlin in 1908. became established as an essential part , eschewed traditional of the orchestral repertoire. • symphonic structure.

6 Composer Profile 17 May 2018 1919–20 RENEWED FORTUNES 1914 WORLD WAR I Despite the onset of a hand tremor, Sibelius’ prospects While travelling from the US, news reached improved. He made his first trips abroad since 1915, began Sibelius of the assassination of Archduke Franz his Sixth Symphony and received a donation of 3,000 Ferdinand in Sarajevo. Although far removed marks. He used most of the money to reduce his debts, from the fighting, the composer’s foreign but also spent a week celebrating in excess in Helsinki. royalties dried up, and he began to focus on smaller pieces for the Finnish audience. 1917 DRINKING AND DEBT 1927 DECLINE IN OUTPUT Sibelius’ wayward habits resurfaced, In the last 30 years of his life, Sibelius produced barely any new music. leading to significant arguments with There is considerable evidence that he worked on an Eighth Symphony, Aino. His debts increased, and his grand but no manuscript survives. He continued to live in the countryside piano was almost repossessed by bailiffs. and avoided talking publicly about his music.

1915 1918 FINNISH CIVIL WAR, JANUARY TO MAY 1923–24 SEVENTH SYMPHONY 1957 DIES FIFTH SYMPHONY Sibelius supported the conservative ‘Whites’ (as opposed Following the premiere, Sibelius received Sibelius died of a Sibelius conducted to the communist ‘Reds’) and during the first weeks of the Knight Commander’s Cross of the Order brain haemorrhage the premiere at war several of his acquaintances were killed. Concerned of the Dannebrog. at his home aged 91. the Helsinki Stock for their safety, the composer negotiated Exchange, and revised safe passage for Sibelius and Aino to leave Red-occupied it in 1916 and 1919. Järvenpää for Helsinki.

1910–11 FOURTH SYMPHONY 1923 SIXTH SYMPHONY His successful surgery and moderated Sibelius conducted the premiere with indulgences brought renewal, as did the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra the success of his Fourth Symphony. on 19 February. He travelled widely and kept abreast Aionola (which translates to ‘Aino’s place’), of musical developments. Sibelius’ countryside home on Lake Tuusula

Composer Profile 7 Jean Sibelius Symphony No 6 in D minor Op 104 1923 / note by Stephen Johnson

1 Allegro molto moderato constantly singing. There is also a unique Formally too, the Sixth Symphony is unique. The third movement starts like a fairly 2 Allegretto moderato purity about the expression, which Sibelius Sibelius once said that a great symphony conventional scherzo – though once again, 3 Poco vivace summed up by remarking that, while other should be like a river, and this particular don’t expect it to proceed on conventional 4 Allegro molto composers offered the world rich cocktails, musical river follows its own course lines. Before long the dotted rhythm of the what he provided here was ‘the purest throughout. Familiar formal outlines opening seems to get stuck in a groove, ibelius’ Sixth Symphony has a spring water’. like sonata form and rondo can be found while flutes and harp pick out a folk-like strangely two-sided reputation. if one tries very hard, but they tell us little tune in imitation. The whole process is For many Sibelius devotees it Another feature that sets the Sixth of value about the musical thinking. repeated, then with a sudden dramatic is simply one of the most beautiful and Symphony apart is its extensive use of gesture Sibelius brings the music to an original things he ever wrote; and yet it has the old church Dorian Mode. If that means The spacious, ethereal polyphony of the abrupt close. More folk-like phrases set the never been anywhere near as popular as nothing, imagine a scale of D minor on the opening builds eventually to the brass- finale in motion, with groups of wind and its magnificent neighbours, the Fifth and piano using only the white notes – ie no B-flat enhanced climactic discord mentioned strings alternating like two separate . Seventh Symphonies. Perhaps the problem or C-sharp. Such ‘modal’ writing is also above. This is an important turning point: Eventually the music becomes stormy is that listeners have tended to approach common in Finnish folk music – as it is as the brass chord dies away, woodwind (in Sibelius’ sketches, one of these turbulent it with the wrong expectations. in many folk cultures – and Sibelius had with rustling strings and harp usher in a ideas is labelled ‘the pine tree spirit and the used folk-modal themes in his symphonies new, more active kind of music. Eventually wind’), but calm slowly returns after a brief In fact the Sixth Symphony doesn’t really before. But here the character of the mode this develops into a sustained instrumental reminiscence of the symphony’s opening on behave like any of the other symphonies. dominates the music. Sibelius would no doubt song, pressing forwards above busily violins. Finally, Sibelius introduces a rapt, The musical landscape is unmistakably have been thinking of one of his musical idols, repetitive string figures. But the end is hymn-like coda, this time led by a of Sibelian: luminous writing for the strings, the Renaissance church composer Palestrina, mysterious – and strangely inconclusive. strings with woodwind responses. At the woodwind birdcalls, rock-like brass chords. whose famous makes telling end, only violins, violas and hushed timpani But the language of heroism is absent: no use of the Dorian mode. But it appears he The second movement also begins are left, bringing the symphony to a peaceful epic striving, no soaring hymns of triumph, was also deeply impressed by some of the mysteriously, with a kind of slow waltz close in the minor key. • no confrontation with threatening inner composers of the English Tudor period, emerging gradually from quiet, plaintive forces. Despite the prevailing minor mode, whose use of modes sometimes results in woodwind chords. But this dance-like and the melancholy tone of some of its unusually piquant harmonies. It’s fascinating movement is suddenly cut off, and ideas, the Sixth Symphony ultimately to consider that the striking discord that we are transported to a hushed Nordic conveys a feeling of peace. True, there are formed at the first entry of the trumpets forest landscape, with whispering strings no easily identifiable ‘great tunes’ – like and trombones in the first movement of and snatches of birdsong on woodwind. the trombone theme in No 7, or the ‘Swan this symphony could have been inspired by At the end the waltz is fleetingly recalled, Hymn’ for horns and woodwind in the finale similar expressive clashes in the motets of and then the movement is over. of No 5 – but the music seems to be almost William Byrd or Thomas Tomkins.

8 Programme Notes 17 May 2018 Jean Sibelius Symphony No 7 in C major Op 105 1924 / note by Stephen Johnson

Adagio – Vivacissimo – Adagio – approaching rapids, eventually boiling over ‘symphony’ at all? When the work first After this moment of vision, the music Allegro molto moderato – Vivace – into a thrilling accelerating scherzo. But it appeared in 1924, Sibelius cautiously surges on into an Allegro molto moderato. Presto – Adagio was with the Seventh Symphony (1924) that gave it another title, Fantasia Sinfonica. This seems steady enough for a while, this process of fusing separate ‘movements’ But the work’s success gave him courage, but then comes a pause, and a sudden ounds of nature pervade Sibelius’ into a single, organic unity was to reach its and he was soon referring to it as ‘the gear change (the only one in the entire orchestral works: the calls of ultimate expression. Seventh Symphony’. Symphony), leading to a long Presto swans and cranes, or wind rustling crescendo powered by driving string through leaves and screaming through The most immediately striking feature The Symphony’s originality becomes obvious figures and the rising scale that began the pine-tops. But Sibelius looked deeper, of the Seventh Symphony – apart from as soon as one tries to describe its form: Symphony (now on horns). Through these to the very processes of the natural world, its famous, noble trombone theme – is one could say that three Adagio sections – the trombone theme returns in full, this for inspiration. Rivers fascinated him: that it is in one continuous movement. each centred on the magnificent trombone time in the original sunlit C major. There is ‘I should like to compare the symphony to a Granted, Sibelius wasn’t the first composer theme mentioned above – merge into and an elemental climax, then the clouds vanish river’, he wrote in his diary in 1912. ‘It is born to attempt a symphonic structure in one emerge from two faster episodes. But even and high strings initiate a slow, chorale-like from various rivulets that seek each other movement. There was already a magnificent that is too simple. At the very beginning, winding down. A brief reminiscence of the and in this way the river proceeds wide and example in Schoenberg’s First Chamber after the expectant rising string scale that trombone theme leads to a moment of hush powerful toward the sea.’ ‘But where do Symphony (1906). In the Schoenberg, starts the process, the woodwind, horn and (woodwind and strings), before the music we get the water?’, he asks. Another entry however, it is easy to pick out sections that string phrases initially seem to be moving settles firmly in C major for the rock-like provides an answer: ‘The musical thoughts – resemble the traditional symphonic first at slightly different speeds – like objects final cadence. • the motives, that is – are the things that movement, scherzo, slow movement and born along on the different currents and must create the form and stabilise my path’. so on. Sibelius’ Seventh follows a different, eddies of a great river. After the trombone much more river-like course. The speed and theme makes its climactic appearance, In jottings like this, Sibelius was clearly character of the music change frequently, the initial Adagio gradually mutates into a trying to define something that he had but the different sections (if ‘sections’ is the rapid, scherzo-like Vivacissimo. But then already begun to notice in his own music. right word) are so skilfully dovetailed that the dancing string figures begin to move In the slow movement of his Fourth it is virtually impossible to say where one more smoothly, and the trombone theme is Symphony (1911) his ‘musical thoughts’ begins and another ends. heard again, now in the minor. The strings had led him to create a new kind of form – still seem to be moving quite fast, but one could call it ‘variations in search of Arriving at this radical new kind of the trombone theme retains its original a theme’. Then in the Fifth (1914–19) symphonic structure was a struggle. monumental grandeur; to borrow an image he arrived at a still more original idea: And when Sibelius had finished it, he was from Sibelius’ sketchbook, it is like seeing a moderately paced first movement suddenly overcome with doubt: had he the moon through swirling storm clouds. which builds up momentum like a river gone too far this time – was this really a

Programme Notes 9 Michael Tilson Thomas conductor

ichael Tilson Thomas is Music mid-concert. He was later appointed worldwide. In 1991 Tilson Thomas and the Director of the San Francisco Principal Guest Conductor of the Boston orchestra appeared in a series of benefit Symphony, Founder and Artistic Symphony Orchestra where he remained concerts for UNICEF in the United States, Director of the New World Symphony until 1974. He was Music Director of the featuring Audrey Hepburn as narrator of and Conductor Laureate of the London Buffalo Philharmonic from 1971 to 1979 and a From the Diary of Anne Frank, composed Symphony Orchestra. Born in Los Angeles, Principal Guest Conductor of the Los Angeles by Tilson Thomas and commissioned by he is the third generation of his family to Philharmonic from 1981 to 1985. His guest UNICEF. This piece has since been translated follow an artistic career. His grandparents, includes appearances with the and performed in many languages worldwide. Boris and Bessie Thomashefsky, were major orchestras of Europe and the United founding members of the Yiddish Theater States. His recorded repertoire of more than As Principal Conductor of the London in America. His father, Ted Thomas, was a 120 discs includes works by Bach, Beethoven, Symphony Orchestra from 1988 to 1995, producer in the Mercury Theater Company Mahler, Prokofiev and Stravinsky, as well Tilson Thomas led the Orchestra regularly in New York before moving to Los Angeles as his pioneering work with the music of on tours in Europe, the United States and where he worked in films and television. Charles Ives, Carl Ruggles, Steve Reich, Japan, as well as at the . His mother, Roberta Thomas, was the head John Cage, Ingolf Dahl, Morton Feldman, In London he and the LSO have mounted of research for Columbia Pictures. George Gershwin, John McLaughlin and major festivals focusing on the music of Elvis Costello. He recently finished recording Steve Reich, George Gershwin, Johannes Tilson Thomas began his formal studies the complete orchestral works of Gustav Brahms, Tōru Takemitsu, Nikolai Rimsky- at the University of Southern California. Mahler with the San Francisco Symphony. Korsakov and the School of St Petersburg, At the age of 19 he was named Music Claude Debussy and . Director of the Young Musicians Foundation Tilson Thomas’ television work includes a As the LSO’s Conductor Laureate, he Debut Orchestra and worked with Stravinsky, series with the London Symphony Orchestra continues to lead the Orchestra in Boulez, Stockhausen and Copland on for the BBC, television broadcasts of the concerts in London and on tour. premieres of their compositions at New York Philharmonic's Young People’s Los Angeles’ Monday Evening Concerts. Concerts from 1971 to 1977, and numerous Tilson Thomas is a Chevalier dans l’ordre In 1969, after winning the Koussevitzky Prize productions on PBS Great Performances. des Arts et des Lettres of France and at Tanglewood, he was appointed Assistant has won eleven Grammy Awards for his Conductor of the Boston Symphony In February 1988 he inaugurated the New recordings. In 2010, President Obama Orchestra. That year he also made his World Symphony, an orchestral academy for awarded him with the National Medal of New York debut with the Boston Symphony graduates of prestigious music programmes. Arts, the highest award given to artists by and gained international recognition after New World Symphony graduates have the United States Government. • replacing Music Director William Steinberg gone on to major positions in orchestras

10 Artist Biographies 17 May 2018 Ray Chen violin

ay Chen initially came to the Philharmonic, Filarmonica della Scala, Born in and raised in Australia, Ray public’s attention through the Orchestra Nazionale della Santa Cecilia and was accepted to the Curtis Institute of Music (2008) and Queen Orchestra. His at the age of 15, where he studied with Elisabeth (2009) Competitions. Since then, forthcoming debuts include performances and was supported by Young he has built his profile in Europe, Asia and with the SWR Symphony, San Francisco Concert Artists. He plays the 1715 ‘Joachim’ the US, as well as in his native Australia, Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Berlin Stradivarius violin, on loan from the Nippon through live performances and recordings. Radio Symphony and Bavarian Radio Music Foundation. This instrument was once Chen signed to Decca Classics in 2017, Chamber Orchestras. He has worked with owned by the famed Hungarian violinist and his forthcoming recording with the conductors including , Joseph Joachim (1831–1907). • London Philharmonic follows three critically Vladimir Jurowski, , Manfred acclaimed albums on Sony, the first of which, Honeck, , Kirill Petrenko, Virtuoso, received an Award. Krzysztof Urbański and Juraj Valcuha. From 2012 to 2015 he was resident at the Named as ‘one to watch’ by The Strad Dortmund Konzerthaus and featured as and Gramophone magazines, Ray Chen’s an ‘Artist Focus’ with the Berlin Radio profile continues to grow: he was featured Symphony during the 2017/18 season. on Forbes’ list of the 30 most influential Asians under 30; made a guest appearance Ray Chen has a strong presence on social on Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle TV media and is pioneering new means for series; and has a multi-year partnership artists to interact with their audience online. with Giorgio Armani (who designed the He was the first musician to be invited to write cover of his Mozart album with Christoph a lifestyle blog for the Italian publishing house Eschenbach). He has also performed at RCS Rizzoli (Corriere della Sera, Gazzetta major media events such as France’s Bastille dello Sport, Max). He has been featured Day (live to 800,000 people), the Nobel in Vogue magazine and is releasing his Prize Concert in Stockholm (telecast across own design of violin case for the industry Europe) and the BBC Proms. manufacturer GEWA. His commitment to music education is paramount, and he Ray has performed with the London inspires the younger generation of music Philharmonic Orchestra, the National students with his series of self-produced Symphony Orchestra (US), videos combining comedy and music. Gewandhausorchester, Munich

Artist Biographies 11 London Symphony Orchestra on stage tonight

Leader Second Violins Cellos Flutes Trumpets LSO String Experience Scheme Carmine Lauri David Alberman Rebecca Gilliver Gareth Davies Philip Cobb Since 1992, the LSO String Experience Scheme Thomas Norris Alastair Blayden Alex Jakeman Robin Totterdell has enabled young string players from the First Violins Sarah Quinn Jennifer Brown Niall Keatley London music conservatoires at the start Lennox Mackenzie Miya Väisänen Eve-Marie Caravassilis Piccolo of their professional careers to gain work Clare Duckworth Matthew Gardner Daniel Gardner Patricia Moynihan Trombones experience by playing in rehearsals and Ginette Decuyper Julian Gil Rodriguez Hilary Jones Dudley Bright concerts with the LSO. The musicians are Gerald Gregory Naoko Keatley Judit Berendschot Oboes Peter Moore treated as professional ‘extra’ players Maxine Kwok-Adams William Melvin Victoria Harrild Juliana Koch James Maynard (additional to LSO members) and receive fees Elizabeth Pigram Iwona Muszynska Steffan Morris Rosie Jenkins for their work in line with LSO section players. Claire Parfitt Paul Robson Hester Snell Bass Trombone Laurent Quénelle Hazel Mulligan Clarinets Paul Milner The Scheme is supported by: Harriet Rayfield Greta Mutlu Double Basses Andrew Marriner The Polonsky Foundation Colin Renwick Alain Petitclerc Colin Chi-Yu Mo Timpani Barbara Whatmore Charitable Trust Sylvain Vasseur Erzsebet Racz Patrick Laurence Nigel Thomas The Thistle Trust Rhys Watkins Matthew Gibson Bass Clarinet Idlewild Trust Morane Cohen- Violas Thomas Goodman Laurent Ben Slimane Harp Angus Allnatt Charitable Foundation Lamberger Edward Vanderspar Joe Melvin Bryn Lewis Derek Hill Foundation Lulu Fuller Gillianne Haddow Matthias Bensmana Bassoons Benjamin Roskams Anna Bastow Simo Väisänen Daniel Jemison German Clavijo Jim Vanderspar Christopher Gunia Lander Echevarria Editor Robert Turner Horns Edward Appleyard | [email protected] Stephanie Edmundson Timothy Jones Fiona Dinsdale | [email protected] Philip Hall Angela Barnes Editorial Photography Felicity Matthews Estefanía Beceiro Ranald Mackechnie, Chris Wahlberg, Cynthia Perrin Vazquez Julian Hargreaves Martin Schaefer Jonathan Lipton Print Cantate 020 3651 1690 Milena Simovic Anna Euen Advertising Cabbells Ltd 020 3603 7937

Details in this publication were correct at time of going to press.

12 The Orchestra 17 May 2018