Friday 14th November 2014
1.30-4.30PM RECITAL HALL
Horn Masterclass with Alessio Allegrini Belle Shenkman International Masterclass The Belle Shenkman International Masterclass series is supported by Dasha Shenkman in memory of her mother, Belle Shenkman, who was a great supporter of the RCM and music and the arts in general.
French horn virtuoso Alessio Allegrini is one of Europe’s most sought-after solo and orchestral performers. Born in Sabina on the outskirts of Rome, at 23 Alessio won the position of solo horn with La Scala under the direction of Riccardo Muti, where he served from 1995-2002. A prize winner of both the Munich Horn and Prague Spring competitions, he made his debut as solo horn with the Berlin Philharmonic under the baton of Claudio Abbado in 2000, and was subsequently invited as guest solo horn for an entire season. Esteemed for his solo horn performances of the symphonic repertoire, Alessio has worked with many of the world’s pre-eminent conductors, including Carlo Maria Giulini, Pierre Boulez, Daniel Barenboim, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Lorin Maazel, Marek Janowski, Myung-Whun Chung, Mariss Jansons, Valery Gergiev and Simon Rattle.
Alessio has performed Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings with Ian Bostridge, Brahm’s Horn Trio with Salvatore Accardo, and the Mozart horn concertos with Orchestra Mozart and Claudio Abbado. Performances of the concerto literature have included appearances with the Bayerischer Rundfunk Orchester, and the orchestras of La Scala, La Fenice, and Santa Cecilia in Rome, in addition to first horn engagements with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.
Alessio’s discography includes La Grande Fanfare: an album of chamber music with I Solisti della Scala Milano (Tudor Records), as well as DVD recordings of Mahler Symphonies 3, 6, and 7 with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra under Claudio Abbado. He appeared in the documentary L’altra voce della Musica following the travel of Claudia Abbado between Havana and Caracas, as well as in the movie Rhythm Is It, featuring the Berlin Philharmonic under Simon Rattle. His forthcoming collaboration with Orchestra Mozart under Abbado will culminate in the live recording of the complete Mozart horn concertos for Deutsche Grammophon, as well as a DVD of Bach’s second Brandenburg concerto.
Alessio studied with Professor Michael Holtzel at the Hochschule fur Musik in Detmold, Germany. He was awarded the top qualifying score in his appointment as Professor at the National Conservatory of Santa Cecilia. He also has a special bond with Japan, inspired by the longstanding friendship between his family and sociology professor Shizuo Matsumoto (formerly of Osaka University).
He has auditioned musicians in Japan and created an orchestra of young Japanese women, Amici della Sabina, whom he has conducted in concerts in Yamanouchi, Toyonaka, Nabari and in Osaka’s Symphony Hall. He also organized a performance by 88 Japanese horn players of all ages and levels of experience, and arranged for young Japanese musicians to perform with him in Italy. These activities are part of his efforts to enhance understanding and communication among people of diverse cultures through music.
Daniel Curzon horn Alison Procter piano
Dukas Villanelle
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Helena Jacklin horn Alison Procter piano
Mozart Concerto no 4 in Eb KV 495
Allegro maestoso
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Jonathan Maloney horn Alison Procter piano
Strauss Horn Concerto no 1 in E flat major op 11
Allegro
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Jerome Chalkley horn Alison Procter piano
Strauss Introduction, Theme and Variations op13