Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Review of the Year 2017–2018 2
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Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Review of the Year 2017–2018 2 Patron Her Majesty The Queen President The Rt Hon the Earl of Derby DL Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Board of Directors Professor Nigel Weatherill DL, DSc, FREng, FRSA Chairman Jon Corner Michael Eakin Mel Grodner Dr Tony Harvey FRSA (retired 5 November 2017. Dr Harvey continues as Company Secretary) Alexander Holladay Susanna Jordan (appointed 5 November 2017) Baroness Estelle Morris of Yardley (appointed 4 December 2017) Dave Nicholls Vanessa Reed Martin Richardson (retired 5 November 2017) Councillor Wendy Simon Chief Executive Michael Eakin S Chief Conductor Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Board of Directors Vasily Petrenko 3 Foreword This Review covers 2017–2018, concluding with our performance at the BBC Proms in August. It has been a period in which the Royal Liverpool Liverpool ensembles; an adult learning programme of pre Philharmonic delivered a diverse programme of music which and post-concert talks, extended seminars, building tours had reach and impact locally, nationally and internationally, and rehearsal visits; and a diverse learning programme always seeking to take forward our mission of enhancing across the city working with young people, people living with and transforming lives through music. Royal Liverpool mental illness and many more. Philharmonic is a strong asset of international importance for our city, and plays a key role in making it an attractive We have delivered our activities whilst working hard to place to visit, study, work and invest in. maximise our earned and fundraised income, which now represents 70% of our annual turnover. We know we are We have enjoyed 12 remarkable years with Vasily Petrenko extremely fortunate too, to enjoy outstanding support from as our Chief Conductor; 12 years in which the Orchestra’s hundreds of individual donors as well as long-standing and reputation has reached, perhaps, an all-time high. Audiences loyal sponsors, and a wide range of charitable trusts and have grown significantly; recordings have won national and foundations. international awards; and the Orchestra has undertaken return visits to China and Japan, as well as their first Public investment remains a critical part of our overall tour to Italy and Slovenia. And, under Vasily’s artistic income. We are very grateful for the support of Liverpool leadership, we are not standing still, but continuing to strive City Council and Arts Council England, and their belief in for the highest possible artistic standards; to explore new and endorsement of the quality and wide reach of our work. repertoire, to commission and perform major new works; and to build on our extensive recording programme. We are determined to grow our impact across Liverpool City Region. We are also focussed on ensuring that we have Our musicians in the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic a sustainable business model during a period of financial Orchestra performed in a range of ensembles, including and political uncertainty as we prepare for our exit from the many performances in our smaller space, Music Room. European Union. The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir continued to be central to our concert seasons and we have welcomed major We are very grateful to our musicians in all our ensembles, international artists to Liverpool across all areas of our our staff and volunteers for their hard work and diligence artistic programme. in enabling to us to achieve so much; and to our Board of Directors, for their guidance and support. We completed a major tour with the Orchestra and Bootleg Beatles, marking the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ Liverpool Philharmonic means so much to so many people seminal album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. – audiences, participants, donors, funders, supporters – and we take our responsibility to them very seriously. We are We released a number of new recordings, including the immensely grateful for their commitment and their trust in second volume of Tchaikovsky’s symphonies with Vasily, us as we head into 2019 and beyond. and the first instalment with Vasily of a series of recordings of Stravinsky’s ballet music, beginning with the Rite of Spring. We completed the cycle of Vaughan Williams symphonies conducted by our newly announced Principal Guest Conductor Andrew Manze. Professor Nigel Weatherill DL, DSc, FREng, FRSA Our learning team delivered perhaps the most ambitious Chairman programme of work we have ever undertaken. Our annual Schools’ Concerts in 2017 and 2018 reached 18,000 children and young people from across the North West. We have a growing number of youth ensembles including Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Company, Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Youth Choir and Children’s Choirs, Michael Eakin Everton Children’s Orchestra and associated In Harmony Chief Executive 4 Award-Winning BBC Music Magazine Awards 2017 Vasily Petrenko Voted Gramophone Classical Music Awards Artist of the The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Chief Year 2017 Conductor Vasily Petrenko won two awards at the BBC Music Magazine Awards 2017 for their recording of Tchaikovsky’s Our Chief Conductor, Vasily Petrenko, who was the Symphonies Nos. 1, 2 and 5, released in 2016 on the Onyx Gramophone Classical Music Awards ‘Young Artist of the Year’ label. in 2007, was voted ‘Artist of the Year’ in the Gramophone Classical Music Awards - the Oscars of the classical music The recording took the BBC Music Magazine Awards’ most world. Gramophone paid particular tribute to Vasily Petrenko’s prestigious title, crowned ‘Recording of the Year’ as voted ‘extraordinary work’ with the Orchestra on their critically by the BBC Music Magazine Jury. The recording was also acclaimed recordings of Tchaikovsky and Elgar symphonies on ‘Orchestral Recording of the Year’. Onyx, which have met with universal acclaim. 5 T Members of Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the recording team receiving the BBC Music Magazine Awards’ ‘Recording of the Year’ and ‘Orchestral Recording of the Year’ ‘A triumphant celebration of ten years since Petrenko became the youngest ever principal conductor in the Liverpool ensemble’s history, and an affirmation of a brilliant musical partnership.’ T Vasily Petrenko receiving the Gramophone Classical Music Awards ‘Artist of the Year’ Award ‘When someone can take on two of the most performed symphonies in the repertoire (Tchaikovsky’s Nos 4 and 6, alongside the less- often encountered No 3) and make them sound entirely new – and astoundingly original – then it’s time to sit up. Vasily Petrenko, installed in Oslo as well as with his beloved Liverpool orchestra, is certainly on the ascent, and his way with Russian repertoire remains enormously compelling.’ 6 Congratulations…… To Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra violinist David Rimbault, who was awarded the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) Association of British Orchestras (ABO) Salomon Prize for orchestral musicians. At 37 years of age, he is one of the youngest recipients of the annual award, and was nominated by his colleagues in the Orchestra for his tireless commitment to the orchestra and its audiences. David is the first musician from the Orchestra to win this national prize. He was presented with the award on stage at the concert on 22 March, which was broadcast live on Radio 3. In their citation, the RPS and ABO said: ‘David Rimbault is the embodiment of what the Salomon Prize is all about – an adept and enthusiastic navigator of modern orchestral life, and a passionate advocate for the Orchestra to be as fair, inclusive, progressive and enjoyable a place to work as possible. ‘Friendly, sociable and popular, he is a great source of cohesion, morale and motivation across the organisation.’ To Emily Howard on winning a 2017 British Composer Award for Torus: Concerto for Orchestra. The work received its world premiere on 25 August 2016 at the BBC Proms with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Vasily Petrenko, and its Liverpool premiere in January 2017. The British Composer Awards are presented by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, and sponsored by PRS for Music, in association with Radio 3. Attitude is Everything Liverpool Philharmonic has been awarded Gold Status by Attitude is Everything, one of only nine music venues nationally, of which three are in the North, to have achieved this highest standard. Attitude is Everything is an organisation which aims to improve access to live music at venues and festivals for deaf and disabled people, so that they can be as independent as they want to be at live music events. They work in partnership with audiences, artists and the music industry to achieve this. ‘‘It is fantastic to see Liverpool In order to achieve Gold Status, Liverpool Philharmonic has Philharmonic make great strides implemented additional improvements to its facilities and in accessible and inclusive working practices including the introduction for the first time information provision, partnering in the Orchestra’s 2018-2019 concert season of Relaxed and Dementia-Friendly Concerts. An Access Scheme which customers with local disability organisations with access needs are encouraged to join to ensure a smoother to welcome diverse audiences. We booking process. This is complemented by a short film that look forward to seeing what they shows visitors what to expect when they arrive at Liverpool do next!’ Philharmonic Hall for a concert. Suzanne Bull MBE, Chief Executive Officer of Attitude is Everything 7 8 ‘Vasily Petrenko has quite