1 Welcome to 2015 The newly refurbished RNCM at the RNCM Concert Hall These are exciting times for the RNCM, in an A special treat awaits our jazz audiences with environment which is at its most stimulating and artists including GoGo Penguin, Courtney motivating, when the artistic offer in Manchester Pine and Polar Bear and we are proud to be is currently changing the cultural landscape of welcoming the National Youth Jazz Orchestra the North West. with a programme that should bring the house down. Making Tracks continues with their Heralding the official opening of our new state- fabulous artists, and we also welcome Megson, of-the-art Concert Hall later on this Spring, the The Old Dance School and the London African season kicks off with the RNCM Chamber Music Gospel Choir. RNCM Youth Perform goes to Festival presenting three generations of the town with Bernstein’s fantastic score On the best in chamber music in the Czech Republic, Town and our Day of Song investigates Berlin represented by the Guarneri Trio Prague, the and the world of Cabaret. Talich Quartet and the Pavel Haas Quartet. Spring 2015 reaches its climax with The RNCM Collaborations and partnerships are Big Weekender, where we celebrate the strengthened as we co-curate a stunning four- diversity and breadth of our programming. day programme with FutureEverything, featuring Highlights include: Britten’s magical opera contemporary artists such as Ólafur Arnalds A Midsummer Night’s Dream, RNCM Big and an impressive sound sculpture (Nyloid). Band with Nikki Iles and Tina May, rock and New adventures ignite as Park Lane Group pop gigs in a nightclub setting in the Studio partners up with the RNCM to present a festival Theatre, and an exciting Family Day, this time of young artists and British contemporary music. based on the BBC Ten Pieces. In addition there The music of today becomes stronger still with are installations, interactive performances Sound and Music supporting ddmmyy featuring and alumni recitals, all culminating in the the music of Bryn Harrison, and Third Ear with performance of Mahler 2 (Resurrection), with Manifesto featuring vocalist Loré Lixenberg, Jane Irwin and Sarah Connolly, conducted by laptops and wax cylinders; our second season Jac van Steen in the now officially-launched of Decontamination, responding to Brian Concert Hall. Eno’s Music for Airports; a focus on the music of Gerald Barry, in partnership with the BBC Philharmonic, and the Ida Carroll Trust with Sir Harrison Birtwistle. There are exquisite classical gems throughout the season, including Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos with the RNCM Chamber Orchestra, Manchester Camerata perform Elgar’s poignant Cello Concerto, and we transform the RNCM into Vienna with our Strings Festival. Our Festival of Brass features the UK’s best brass bands and Dr Michelle Castelletti – Artistic Director their soloists; there is a stellar line-up for Day of Percussion; and a French Piano Recital Series launched with Pascal Rogé performing Debussy, Ravel and Poulenc. Photography Life Parr, Anthony by photography cover Front 2 3 Thursday 8 January HIGHLIGHTS 1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall Friday 9 January RNCM Concert Orchestra 7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall Bedřich Smetana Vltava and Šárka from Talich Quartet Má vlast with Jeremy Young Antonín Dvořák Slavonic Dance in G minor Bedřich Smetana String Quartet No 1 in Op 46 No 8* E minor ‘From my Life’ Matthew Wood, Thiago Santos* conductors Leoš Janáček String Quartet No 1 ‘Kreutzer Free admission, no ticket required Sonata’ Promoted by RNCM Antonín Dvořák Piano Quintet No 2 in A major Op 81 Tickets £17 Concessions available Friday 9 – Sunday 11 January RNCM Chamber Music Saturday 10 January Festival 7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall Má Vlast (My Country) Guarneri Trio Prague Featuring some of the finest Czech musicians Luboš Fišer Piano Trio performing today including the legendary Bedřich Smetana Piano Trio in G minor Op 15 Talich Quartet, the Guarneri Trio Prague, Antonín Dvořák Piano Trio No 3 in F minor Czech ambassadors for over 25 years, Op 65 and the Pavel Haas Quartet, one of the Tickets £17 finest quartets working anywhere in the Concessions available world today, the 2015 Festival celebrates the breadth of Czech chamber music from the 18th century through to the present day Sunday 11 January and, as always, will be brought to life by 7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall performances from students of the RNCM. Pavel Haas Quartet For full details, visit with Delia Stevens www.rncm.ac.uk/chamberfestival Bedřich Smetana String Quartet No 2 in Supported by the Albert and Eugenie Frost D minor Music Trust Leoš Janáček String Quartet No 2 ‘Intimate Letters’ Pavel Haas String Quartet No 2 ‘From the Monkey Mountains’ Tickets £17 Concessions available Full Festival Ticket £135 Friday Day Ticket £55 Saturday Day Ticket £55 Sunday Day Ticket £45 Promoted by RNCM 4 5 Megson Monday 12 January Thursday 15 January 1.15pm Carole Nash Recital Room 1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall Monday Recital Series RNCM Concert Orchestra Francis Poulenc Oboe Sonata FP 185 Edward Elgar Chanson du Matin Op 15 No 2* Robert Schumann Cello Concerto in A minor Amy Roberts oboe Op 129 Philip Sharp piano * Frédéric Chopin Nocturne in E flat major Clark Rundell, Carlos Agreda Arango conductors Op 55 No 2 cello Frédéric Chopin Fantasy in F minor Op 49 Elena Daunyte Free admission, no ticket required Ewa Tytman Csiba piano Promoted by RNCM Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM Monday 19 January 1.15pm Carole Nash Recital Room Wednesday 14 January 7.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room Monday Recital Series Wednesday 21, Thursday 22, Wednesday 28 Thursday 22 January January and Tuesday 3 February 7.30pm RNCM Studio Theatre Franz Schubert Klavierstücke Nos 2 and 3 Alexander Panfilov 6pm RNCM Theatre RNCM International Artist D 946 Megson Sid Ramchander piano Diploma Piano Recital RNCM Opera Scenes Stu Hanna and Debbie Hanna are the husband J S Bach Partita No 1 in B flat major BWV 825 Dominick Argento Casa Guidi; The Italian RNCM singers perform a range of excerpts and wife duo Megson. Three times nominated Robert Schumann Etudes Symphoniques Cook and the English Maid; Manners at the drawn from a wide variety of operas by in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and double Op 13 Opera composers including Donizetti, Delibes, Mozart, winners of the 2011 Spiral Earth Awards they Modest Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition Jennifer Parker mezzo-soprano Gounod, Britten, Smetana and Offenbach. draw heavily on their Teesside heritage to create a unique brand of folk music. Their Alexander Panfilov performs the first of four solo James Hendry piano Free admission, no ticket required Promoted by RNCM infectious sound is a mix of heavenly vocals, recitals this term by students on our International Free admission, no ticket required lush harmonies and driving rhythmic guitars Artist Diploma (IAD) course. The Moscow-born Promoted by RNCM and mandolas. As fRoots magazine puts it ‘if pianist is the winner of many international you don’t like the music here then you have a competitions and prizes, including an RNCM Thursday 22 January problem…’ Gold Medal, as well as first place in the Taranto Monday 19 January 1.15pm RNCM Concert Hall Tickets £12 and Brant International Piano Competitions. 7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall He has also performed at many major venues Concessions available RNCM Wind Orchestra www.megsonmusic.co.uk across the globe, including Carnegie Hall, Danish String Quartet Promoted by RNCM Tonhalle Zürich and Wigmore Hall. Alexander Carl Nielsen Paraphrase on Nearer my God Manchester Chamber Concerts is generously supported by the Musicians’ Society to Thee Company Carnwath Scholarship and The Helen Jacob Ter Veldhuis (arr R Mark Rogers) Mackaness Award. Felix Mendelssohn Capriccio in E minor Tallahatchie Concerto Thursday 22 January Op 81 No 3 James MacMillan Sowetan Spring 7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall Tickets £10 String Quartet No 9 in Concessions available Dmitri Shostakovich Mark Heron, Matt Weites conductors RNCM Brand New Promoted by RNCM E flat major Op 117 Erin Royer saxophone Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet in Free admission, no ticket required Orchestra C sharp minor Op 131 No 14 Promoted by RNCM Adam Kornas, Thiago Santos, Tickets £25 £12.50 Concessions available Carlos Agreda Arango conductors www.chamberconcerts.org Hear newly composed music for symphony Promoted by MCCS orchestra, as RNCM composers unveil their + latest work. 6.30pm Forman Lecture Theatre Free admission, no ticket required Pre-concert talk: Professor Barry Cooper on Beethoven Promoted by RNCM Op 131 Free admission to ticket holders + 6.30pm Carole Nash Recital Room Spotlight: Get Lost! – Michael Finnissy’s Lost Lands Free admission, no ticket required 6 7 Friday 23 – Sunday 25 January Saturday 24 January Sunday 25 January 7.30pm RNCM Concert Hall 6pm RNCM Concert Hall RNCM Festival of Brass Spirit of Celebration Foden’s Band Grimethorpe Colliery Band The Spirit of Celebration will be manifest Bramwell Tovey Deo Gloria Gilbert Vinter Symphony of Marches throughout this year’s Festival. Some of the Bramwell Tovey Trumpet Concerto ‘Songs of Elgar Howarth Concerto for cornet and brass country’s finest brass bands and international the Paradise Saloon’ (UK première of brass band band soloists pay tribute to composers who have version) Percy Fletcher Epic Symphony made a significant contribution to the brass Andrew Baker Atrium Phase (world première) Imogen Holst The Unfortunate Traveller band medium; two of whom, Elgar Howarth Edward Gregson Connotations Elgar Howarth Cantabile (for John Fletcher) and Edward Gregson, celebrate important Eric Ball Song of Courage Edward Gregson Symphony in Two Movements anniversaries and are extensively featured Tovey, Gregson, Michael Ball, Howarth, Robert Childs conductor throughout the Festival programme.