LSO St Luke's Autumn 2012 Guide

London Symphony Orchestra

Autumn 2012Community music. World music. Classical music. Everybody’s music.

LSO St Luke’s

2 Barbican Box Office 020 7638 8891 Book online lso.co.ukPhotos © Kevin Leighton

Barbican Box Office 020 7638 8891 Book online lso.co.uk

Welcome to LSO St Luke’s! UBS & LSO Music Education CentreWith an exciting summer of Olympic sporting triumphs now behind us, it’s time to stretch our minds and participate in music. There’s plenty to pique your curiosity at LSO St Luke’s this autumn.

There’s an great mix of evening concerts to enjoy with friends and family: great jazz from Susanna Wallumrød, Jason Yarde and Andrew McCormack in UBS Soundscapes: Eclectica; a ‘Klezmahler’ concert pairing the sound of Jewish klezmer with Mahler’s First Symphony by the Aurora Orchestra, and two intimate concerts of ecstatic, hypnotic and just plain psychedelic music in the Barbican’s Transcender Weekend. BBC Radio 3 returns with a Thursday lunchtime concert series of Imogen Cooper and Friends on 4 October, and Rachel Leach continues her series of free LSO Discovery Friday Lunchtimes where you can come along and ask all the questions you’ve ever wanted answered about music.

As London’s only orchestral music education centre there are unique opportunities to sit in on masterclasses with the LSO’s Principal Conductor, the great Russian maestro Valery Gergiev, and with international violinists Janine Jansen, Leonidas Kavakos and the LSO’s very own leader of the Second Violins, David Alberman. There’s a plethora of world class British singers in the building too. Sarah Connolly, John Mark Ainsley, Ailish Tynan and Roderick Williams are singing Schumann song cycles, and tenor Ian Bostridge gives a masterclass on 8 October.

There’s a new emphasis on singing at the LSO. Our choirs will be showcased in two very different concerts in the same week: the LSO Community Choir in an all-American concert on 19 November, and the London Symphony Chorus introduces new LSO Choral Director, Simon Halsey, on 22 November. And if singing’s not your thing, you can participate in LSO Discovery workshops exploring Digital Technology, Community Gamelan, story-telling concerts for under-5s or First Monday Club for adults with learning difficulties. There’s something for everyone.

Karen Cardy, LSO St Luke’s Centre Director

‘It took place in the atmospheric setting of LSO St Luke’s, a lovely space illuminated by diffuse late evening sunshine filtering through surrounding trees.’Dalston Sound blogdalstonsound.wordpress.com

3

Booking Information(except where stated) Barbican Box Office 020 7638 8891 (bkg fee)

Book online lso.co.uk/lsostlukes (reduced bkg fee)

Events promoted by LSO Productions Ltd except where stated

4 Barbican Box Office 020 7638 8891 Book online lso.co.uk/lsostlukes (except where stated)

SeptemberSun 2 Sep 7.30pmJerwood Hall

Retorica English Duos

David Matthews Eight Duos William Croft Sonata for Two Violins Alan Rawsthorne Theme and Variations John McCabe Spielend E J Moeran Sonata for Two Violins Jim Aitchison Syruw

Philippa Mo violin Harriet Mackenzie violin

The unique violin duo Retorica will perform an exciting programme celebrating their debut CD launch with major British duos by Ernest John Moeran and Alan Rawsthorne to contemporary works written for Retorica. Given two identical instruments, the composers are challenged to vary colour and texture. They succeed with rhythmic energy, harmonic sophistication, beauty and wit, whilst also responding to the English Pastoral tradition.

Tickets £12, £15 (£8 students)

Promoted by LOE Ltd

Supported by NMC Recordings,

The RVW Trust, The Rawsthorne Trust and

The John Ireland Charity Trust

6.45pm pre-concert talk with John McCabe, David Matthews and Jim Aitchison

Fri 14 Sep 12.30–1.15pmJerwood Hall

LSO Discovery Friday Lunchtime ConcertSuitable for all ages over 5

Rachel Leach presenter

This autumn, presenter Rachel Leach will focus on the Brass Section. Featuring LSO Principals and talented students from this summer’s LSO Brass Academy.

Free entry Just turn up on the day!

For more information or to book a group, call Helen Innes on 020 7382 2512 or email [email protected]

Supported by Coutts Charitable Trust,

LSO Friends, Rothschild Charities Committee

and the Vandervell Foundation

LSO Discovery Friday Lunchtime Concerts continue on Fri 5 Oct, 26 Oct and 16 Nov

‘They were a perfect pair in their performance; sometimes it was like an intimate dialogue between two sisters and at times like two warriors in battle’. Beijing NCPA

LSO Brass Players © Alberto Venzago

‘Her performance was a tour de force not only of technical prowess, but of a highly stimulated and fiery imagination.’

The Times on Janine Jansen, November 2011

5

Fri 21 Sep 6–6.45pmGamelan Room

Centre for Orchestra Artist Conversation: Janine JansenFor all ages over 12

Join Dutch violinist Janine Jansen in a conversation about her inspirational career, ahead of her performance with the LSO and Valery Gergiev at the Barbican (Saturday 22 September).

Free entry, booking essential (limited availability)

Discover more with Centre for Orchestra and LINK AllianceThe London Symphony Orchestra, Guildhall School and Barbican have joined forces to form the world’s leading cultural quarter for performance, training and education in the arts.

Now entering its fourth year, Centre for Orchestra is the ground- breaking LINK Alliance’s programme to train Guildhall School musicians, prepare them for orchestral careers and support professional development for established players. Participants are offered unparalleled access to a world-class orchestra and international arts centre to ensure they can become the great orchestral musicians of tomorrow.

Centre for Orchestra is supported by

the Higher Education Funding Council

for England

Janine Jansen © Felix Broede

6 Barbican Box Office 020 7638 8891

September

Sun 23 Sep 10am–5.30pm10am–1pm Barbican Hall 2.30–5.30pm Jerwood Hall

LSO Discovery Day: Karol Szymanowski

Valery Gergiev conductor Adrian Thomas presenter David Worswick violin Rhys Watkins violin Robert Turner viola Amanda Truelove cello

Join the LSO and Principal Conductor Valery Gergiev on Sunday 23 September as they rehearse symphonies by Szymanowski and Brahms. In the afternoon, Adrian Thomas, Emeritus Professor of Music at Cardiff University and specialist in Polish music, will present a lecture on the life and work of Karol Szymanowski, followed by a performance of Szymanowski’s String Quartet No 2 by LSO players.

Full-day tickets £17 (£13.50 concessions) Afternoon only £12 (from 2.30pm at LSO St Luke’s)

For more information call Helen Innes on 020 7382 2512 or email [email protected]

The LSO Szymanowski Project is supported

by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute as part

of the Polska Music Grant Programme.

Sat 22 Sep & Thu 11 Oct 7.30pmBarbican Hall

First Symphonies

11 Oct part of UBS Soundscapes

Sun 23 Sep & Sat 13 Oct 7.30pmBarbican Hall

Second Symphonies

Tue 11 Dec & Tue 18 Dec 7.30pm Barbican Hall

Third Symphonies

18 Dec supported by LSO Friends

Wed 12 Dec & Wed 19 Dec 7.30pmBarbican Hall UBS Soundscapes: LSO Artist Portrait Leonidas Kavakos

Fourth Symphonies

Try something new – Discover Brahms and Szymanowski with the LSO and Valery Gergiev

LSO Principal Conductor Valery Gergiev commences his 2012/13 season with an ambitious project of contrasts – to perform the entire symphonies of German Romantic Johannes Brahms juxtaposed alongside the symphonies of Polish composer Karol Szymanowski, in the 75th anniversary year of his death. In Gergiev’s own words, placing these side-by-side will add that ‘little bit of spice’ to this bold exploration.


Thu 27 Sep 7.30pmJerwood Hall

Transcender: On The Banks Of The Tigris

Farida Mohammad Ali Maqam Yair Dalal composer, violin, oud Ahmed Mukhtar composer, oud

A celebration of Iraqi music and of the power that music has to unite people across religious boundaries and national borders. This concert brings together superb Iraqi musicians and their ensembles – the leading Maqam exponent Farida Mohammad Ali (now resident in Holland), composer, violinist and oud player Yair Dalal (an Iraqi Jew from Israel) and the London-based composer and oud soloist Ahmed Mukhtar.

Tickets £15 £20 £25

Part of Transcender

Produced by the Barbican

Please note that this concert

will be filmed

Sun 30 Sep 7.30pmJerwood Hall

Transcender: Reliquary House & special guests

Oneohtrix Point Never Nate Boyce

Originally created for The Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2011, Reliquary House is a multimedia performance by electronic musician Oneohtrix Point Never and visual artist Nate Boyce.

Oneohtrix Point Never and Boyce re-imagine the canon of modernist sculpture through hallucinatory reconstructions of works by David Smith, Jacob Epstein, Anthony Caro and more. Boyce uses computer-generated imagery to transform these sculptures into kinetic apparitions that inhabit incongruous and ‘impossible’ landscapes and architectural environments.

Tickets £15 £20

Part of Transcender

Produced by the Barbican

Farida Mohammad Ali

‘The Iraqi singer Farida Mohammad Ali truly is a one-off … it is Farida’s mission to ensure the style endures for future generations.’

The Guardian, July 2010

Barbican Transcender 17 to 30 Sep 2012

The Barbican’s acclaimed Transcender festival returns for its fourth year, presenting another global selection of ecstatic, hypnotic and just plain psychedelic music. Highlights include these two events at LSO St Luke’s, plus Sun Ra Arkestra featuring a 20-piece line-up at the Barbican.

Find out more at barbican.org.uk/transcender


OctoberBBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concerts Imogen Cooper & Friends

Schubert Piano Trios with Adrian Brendel & Henning Kraggerud 4 Oct

Solo Piano Recital Haydn, Brahms, Beethoven 18 Oct

Bach, Beethoven, Schubert with cellist Adrian Brendel 8 Nov

Solo Piano Recital Brahms, Schumann, Chopin 22 Nov

Pianist Imogen Cooper unites works she adores with musicians she admires to curate this series which spans Bach to Kurtág and pays special attention to Schubert, Brahms and Beethoven. Cooper is primarily a solo interpreter of the classics, Mozart and Schubert in particular. When asked what she loves most about the latter, Cooper laughs: ‘How much time have you got? First of all, his humanity, the way he manages to convey so much emotion through glorious melodies that range from the imaginatively dark to the devastatingly simple’. Chamber music, contemporary music and lieder have come later in Cooper’s career, as well as play/directing which she now undertakes regularly. She also currently enjoys the position of Humanitas Visiting Professor in Classical Music and Music Education at Oxford University.

Born in London, Cooper left home aged 12 to study at the Paris Conservatoire. She remained for six years before her next bold move: seeking out Alfred Brendel as a mentor. The pair later recorded the Mozart Double and Triple Concertos, cementing their musical affinity, in Cooper’s words, ‘forever after’. While Brendel has since retired from public performance, his son, cellist Adrian Brendel, and Cooper have gone on to forge a duo of their own. Imogen is a regular visitor at Adrian’s annual summer festival in Dorset, Music at Plush; concerts take place in an intimate church and rehearsals in Alfred Brendel’s home, a nearby manor house.

The other musical associate in Cooper’s series is Henning Kraggerud, a man who took up the violin to copy his brother and looked forward to lessons because they ended in eating cake and ice cream with his teacher before playing duets. The adult Kraggerud is a global star who gracefully articulates music’s unique poignancy: ‘[It] is the shortest way to get into contact with your own inner light. A novel can take hours, but hear one melody and you’re instantly in contact with something important’.

Fabienne Morris

Thu 4 Oct 1pmJerwood Hall

BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert: Imogen Cooper & Friends

Kurtág Hommage to Schubert for Solo Piano Schubert Notturno for Piano Trio Schubert Piano Trio in E-flat major

Imogen Cooper piano Henning Kraggerud violin Adrian Brendel cello

Kurtág’s piano miniature is a tribute to Schubert, a great inspiration to the Hungarian composer. The meditative aura of Schubert’s ‘Notturno’ arises through the piece’s slow unfolding of a single Adagio movement. The Piano Trio in E-flat major is more dramatic in scope, with striking contrasts and folk-inspired melodies.

Tickets £10 (£9 concessions, £5 under-16s)

Promoted by BBC Radio 3 and LSO

Imogen Cooper © Sussie Ahlburg

Thu 4 Oct 3.30–6pm Jerwood Hall

Centre for Orchestra Masterclass

David Alberman violin

Principal Second Violin of the London Symphony Orchestra, David Alberman leads this masterclass working with violinists from the Guildhall School.

Masterclasses form an essential part of any performing career, and offer a unique opportunity for the musicians of tomorrow to gain shared expertise and have their creative passions inspired by the leaders of today.

As well as being Principal Second Violin for the LSO since 1999, David has a particular passion for contemporary chamber music and working with young musicians.

Free entry, booking essential

9David Alberman © Alberto Venzago

Fri 5 Oct 12.30–1.15pmJerwood Hall









LSO Discovery Friday Lunchtime Concerts continue on Fri 26 Oct and 16 Nov

Sat 6 Oct 10am–12.30pmJerwood Hall

Music Explorers WorkshopsFor families with under-8s

Join our musical circus for the whole family for a chance to meet LSO musicians, try out instruments, take part in a Gamelan workshop and make your own props to use in the concert at the end of the morning.

Tickets £3 children, £5 adults (children under 12 months free, no ticket required)

If you have children over 7, why not try a family concert at the Barbican?

Sun 14 Oct 2.30pm Barbican Hall LSO Discovery Family Concert: Music for the Big Screen Join the LSO on a musical journey through the most magical, spine-tingling, treasure-finding, star-blazing scores for the big screen. Tickets £5 under-16s, £10 adults

Mon 8 Oct 10am–1pmJerwood Hall

Centre for Orchestra Masterclass: Ian Bostridge

Tenor Ian Bostridge will focus this masterclass for musicians from the Guildhall School on songs by Mahler, following his performance in Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn with the LSO and Sir Colin Davis at the Barbican (Thursday 4 October).

We welcome back the Guildhall musicians to the Mahler Discovery Day on Sunday 25 November (see page 23).


October

Ian Bostridge © Simon Fowler


‘Heart-stopping individual masterpieces of sonorous severity, electrifying diction.’

The Sunday Times on Ian Bostridge, October 2012

11

BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concerts Schumann Song Cycles

John Mark Ainsley 11 Oct

Roderick Williams 25 Oct

Ailish Tynan 1 Nov

Sarah Connolly 15 Nov

There can be few composers as associated with the outpouring of profound emotion through song as Robert Schumann. And yet as a young virtuoso pianist with high hopes of a glittering performance career, Schumann produced exclusively piano music for the first decade of his compositional life, even going so far as to label works for piano and voice as ‘inferior’.

1840 was the year that everything changed. After a clandestine and emotionally draining six-year courtship with Clara Wieck, daughter of Schumann’s piano teacher Friedrich, the pair finally ‘went public’ and married. In the same year, Schumann produced over 150 of his some 300 songs. So significant is this time in Schumann’s career that it has been dubbed the Liederjahr (year of song).

As the son of a publisher and novelist, Schumann’s childhood was steeped in literature, poetry and aesthetics. The unprecedented move to wed his two loves – words and music – in a torrent of lieder expressing ecstasy, agony and everything in between reflects the young couple’s newfound freedom as well as the hard face of reality brought by marriage. By this point, a hand injury Schumann had sustained in the 1830s (the exact cause of which remains a mystery) had well and truly scuppered his fantasy of becoming a concert pianist – besides, wife Clara had by far the superior technique and was proving a huge star. As well as the peaks and troughs of love, Schumann’s lieder tell of the despair of shattered dreams, of feeling misunderstood and alone.

This series teams five of Schumann’s most powerful song cycles with songs by those other champions of drama Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn and Mahler, not forgetting Schumann’s darling Clara, a brilliant composer in her own right. Breathing life into these intimate portraits of the soul are English singers John Mark Ainsley, Roderick Williams, Ailish Tynan and Sarah Connolly, accompanied by some of the finest pianists on today’s circuit.

Fabienne Morris

Barbican Box Office 020 7638 8891 Book online lso.co.uk/lsostlukes (except where stated)


BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert: Schumann Song Cycles

Beethoven An die ferne Geliebte Schumann Dichterliebe Beethoven Adelaide

John Mark Ainsley tenor Roger Vignoles piano

Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte (To the Distant Beloved) channels feelings of intense longing and fixation on the pain of separation. The earlier setting of poet Friedrich von Matthisson’s Adelaide similarly focusses on fervent desire and the unattainable. Schumann’s Dichterliebe, or ‘A Poet’s Love’, traces a poet’s increasing destitution as he yearns for his imagined love.



‘[He] sings with brilliant tone, rich musicality, crisp diction and athletic technique.’

The Independent on John Mark Ainsley, October 2008

OctoberFri 12 Oct 3–6pmJerwood Hall

Centre for Orchestra: Orchestral Masterclass with Valery Gergiev

As part of this season’s focus on Brahms and Szymanowski, join LSO Principal Conductor Valery Gergiev as he works with the Guildhall School Symphony Orchestra rehearsing Brahms Symphony No 2. He will also be coaching an emerging conductor from the Guildhall School.


See more young aspiring conductors in action …

Sun 30 Sep 7pm, Barbican Hall Final of the Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition This concert sees the culmination of the preliminary rounds held at LSO St Luke’s, in which the winner will be named as LSO Assistant Conductor for the forthcoming year. Tickets £10 £15 £19.50In partnership with Classic FM

Tue 16 Oct 8pmJerwood Hall

UBS Soundscapes: Eclectica Susanna – Original Norwegian Songstress

Susanna piano, vocals Helge Sten guitar Erland Dahlen drums

Heartbreaking, enchanting and utterly original, Susanna brings her trio to perform repertoire ranging from Susanna and the Magical Orchestra’s acclaimed cover versions (including Dolly Parton’s Jolene and Kiss’ Crazy, Crazy Nights) through to more recent recordings of her own songs, many of which can be found on her latest album Wild Dog. Spanning rock, jazz and classical, Susanna’s extraordinary voice is brought to bear on covers and originals alike.

Tickets £10 £15 £22

Promoted by LSO

UBS Soundscapes: Eclectica continues with saxophonist and composer Jason Yarde on Tue 27 Nov 8pm (see page 25)


‘Gergiev has only to flick a wrist, twitch a muscle to energise a performance so deep within this orchestra that it almost plays itself.’

The Times on Valery Gergiev, May 2012

Valery Gergiev © Kevin Leighton

Susanna Wallumrød

Despite her eclectic inspirations, which lead to performances encompassing everything from ABBA and Henry Purcell to genre-defying original songs, each note and phrase of Susanna Wallumrød’s music is unmistakably her own. Set against the hypnotic backdrop of piano, guitar and drums, her ethereal voice creates a haunting, intimate quality in both her own creations and covers, all of which are infused with a trademark blend of rock, jazz and classical.

The desire to knit together a rich fabric of styles and influences has been a feature of Susanna’s career from the very beginning. She grew up in a musical family (her brothers Christian and Frederik also became professional musicians) and spent her childhood immersed in Norwegian folk song, hymn tunes and American pop. She formed the duo Susanna and the Magical Orchestra with keyboardist Morten Qvenild in 2000, recording three albums, which combine atmospheric pop with electronic elements and a hint of jazz. Solo recordings followed, along with collaborations with indie-folk royalty Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and


recently, an experimental album of music by Purcell, Leonard Cohen and Nick Drake, in which Susanna’s vocals float above interweaving strings and harp.

For her appearance at LSO St Luke’s, Susanna will be backed by guitarist Helge Sten and drummer Erland Dahlen; together they will perform a selection of reflective songs drawn from Susanna’s most recent album, Wild Dog, along with her famous cover versions, stripped back and re-imagined in the singer’s own unique style.

Fiona Dinsdale

‘Her voice is extraordinary, effortlessly wedding mountain-stream purity to a deep soulfulness.’

Mojo Magazine

In profile

OctoberThu 18 Oct 1pmJerwood Hall

BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert: Imogen Cooper Solo Recital

Haydn Piano Sonata in C minor Brahms Three Intermezzi Beethoven Piano Sonata in D major

Imogen Cooper piano

The powerful influence of the Sturm und Drang movement on Haydn’s music is revealed in the Sonata in C minor’s forceful outbursts and unpredictable dynamics. Brahms described his Three Intermezzi as ‘lullabies to my sorrows’. Beethoven’s early Piano Sonata in D major spans both lively virtuosity and profound lyricism.





Brahms Es liebt sich so lieblich im Lenze In Waldeinsamkeit Der Gang zum Liebchen Sapphische Ode Ständchen Schumann Kernerlieder Op 35

Roderick Williams baritone Andrew West piano

Some of Brahms’ most romantic and melancholy lieder, such as ‘Ständchen’ (Serenade) with its themes of moonlight, fountains and sleeping maidens, and the impassioned weeping of ‘Sapphische Ode’, are set alongside Schumann’s Twelve Poems by Justinus Kerner (‘Kernerlieder’) which are drenched in feelings of world-weariness and isolation.




Imogen Cooper © Benjamin Ealovega

‘Cooper has always been a pianist who has put the music before technique, thus eluding the attention of those most attuned to virtuosity.’

The Guardian on Imogen Cooper, December 2009

‘LSO Discovery Friday Lunchtime Concerts are like an oasis in the middle of a busy life. And fun too!’

Suzanne Stephenson, Lunchtime concert-goer

15

Fri 26 Oct 12.30–1.15pmJerwood Hall









LSO Discovery Friday Lunchtime Concerts continue on Fri 16 Nov

Rachel Leach © Kevin Leighton

Ailish Tynan © Sussie Ahlburg

NovemberThu 1 Nov 1pmJerwood Hall


Schumann Liederkreis Mendelssohn Selected Songs Clara Schumann Selected Songs

Ailish Tynan soprano Iain Burnside piano

Written in the immediate frenzy of creativity following the end of a lengthy battle to marry his wife, Clara, Schumann’s Liederkreis plunges into dejected agony before at last emerging into a triumphant ecstasy as the singer wins his love: ‘She is yours! She is yours!’. This cycle is placed alongside a selection of songs by Schumann’s beloved wife Clara and their contemporary, Felix Mendelssohn.



Sun 4 Nov 10am–4.45pmJerwood Hall

Octandre Ensemble: Anglo-French Composers Forum

10–11.20am Workshop 1 Benoit Montambault & Elo Masing

11.50am–1.10pm Workshop 2 David Hudry & Christian Mason

2.10–3.30pm Workshop 3 Benjamin Attahir & Darren Bloom

4–4.45pm Final Concert

The Octandre Ensemble brings together six emerging composers based on either side of the channel, for an exploratory day of discussions, workshops and performances of specially commissioned works. For audience, composers and performers alike, the weekend offers wonderful opportunities for discovery, reflection and debate.

4pm Concert Tickets £5 Includes free access to workshops

Supported by Diaphonique and

The Holst Foundation

in association with LSO Soundhub

Promoted by Octandre

Thu 8 Nov 1pmJerwood Hall

BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert: Imogen Cooper & Adrian Brendel

Bach Partita No 2 in C minor Beethoven Variations on Mozart’s ‘Ein Madchen oder Weibchen’ Schubert Arpeggione Sonata

Imogen Cooper piano Adrian Brendel cello

For his Second Keyboard Partita, Bach gave the traditional series of dance movements from the French suite an individual twist through the addition of an opening Sinfonia and final Capriccio. Beethoven’s Variations take Papageno’s tuneful aria from Mozart’s The Magic Flute as a base. Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata was originally written for the bowed guitar-like instrument of the title.




‘Ailish Tynan … was a revelation: an accomplished student just a few years ago, her soprano is now a full-bodied, mature instrument with a silvery edge that carried with ease over the orchestra.’ Opera Magazine on Ailish Tynan, February 2012

‘A stellar performance by mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly … who virtually walks away with the show.’

Wall Street Journal, July 2011



Schumann Mary Stuart Songs Mahler Ich atmet einen Lindenduft Liebst du um Schönheit Rheinlegendchen Urlicht Schumann Frauenliebe und leben

Sarah Connolly mezzo-soprano Eugene Asti piano

Schumann’s Mary Stuart Songs form five vignettes from the life of Mary Stuart: her farewell to France, ascension to the Scottish throne, the birth of her son James, as a prisoner in England and finally the time of her execution. Mahler’s songs evoke images of fragrant lime trees and traditional German folk dances. Schumann’s Frauenliebe und leben follows the course of a woman’s love for her husband, from first meeting through to after his death.



17Sarah Connolly © Peter Warren

NovemberFri 16 Nov 12.30–1.15pmJerwood Hall









Sat 17 Nov 1pm & 7pmJerwood Hall

Junior Trinity Winter Concerts

1pm Concert Equal Voice Choir Intermediate Strings Fast Fiddlers Rhythm Runners Young Voices Ensemble

7pm Concert Big Band Junior Trinity Concertante Wind Orchestra Four Part Choir Symphony Orchestra

Junior Trinity is delighted to pay a return visit to LSO St Luke’s with two concerts featuring students aged 9–19 in choral and instrumental ensembles as well as Big Band and Symphony Orchestra performances. Junior Trinity is a department of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and a Centre for Advanced Training as part of the goverment’s Music and Dance Scheme. Over 300 gifted young musicians attend each Saturday in term time at the heritage site in the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich.

Tickets £5 for each concert Free for under-12s

Promoted by Trinity Laban Conservatoire

of Music and Dance

Sun 18 Nov 7pm

Jerwood Hall

Aurora Orchestra: New Moves Klezmahler

Programme to include: Mahler (arr Iain Farrington) Symphony No 1 plus Klezmer with special guests She’Koyokh

Nicholas Collon conductor She’Koyokh klezmer ensemble Aurora Orchestra

By turns elegiac, sorrowful and celebratory, the astonishingly rich tradition of European Jewish folk music might have been lost completely as a result of the Holocaust, but survived and came to flourish anew in the Jewish diaspora. This project pairs the sounds of klezmer with the first symphonic creation of Gustav Mahler, whose own fascination with traditional folk music is vividly evident in this work. Iain Farrington’s new chamber orchestra arrangement of the symphony follows in the footsteps of Schoenberg’s Mahler reductions of the 1920s, bringing intimacy and piercing clarity whilst stretching players to the furthest limits of virtuosity. With special guests She’Koyokh, recently hailed as ‘Britain’s best klezmer and Balkan music band’ (Songlines).

Tickets £12 £18 £25 (20% student discount)

Aurora’s New Moves series is supported

by Arts Council England and the

Jerwood Charitable Foundation.

Promoted by Aurora Orchestra in

association with LSO St Luke’s


INCLUDING

MAHLER (ARR. IAIN FARRINGTON) SYMPHONY NO. 1

PLUS KLEZMER, WITH SPECIAL GUESTS TO BE ANNOUNCED

LSO ST LUKE’S SUNDAY 18 NOV (7PM)

TICKETS: £12 / £18 / £25 WWW.LSO.CO.UK/LSOSTLUKES 020 7638 8891 161 OLD STREET, EC1V 9NG

sunday

18 november

Klezmer–Klezma–Klezmah–Klezmahler.By turns elegiac, sorrowful and celebratory, the astonishingly rich tradition of European Jewish folk music might have been lost completely as a result of the Holocaust, but survived and came to flourish anew in the Jewish diaspora. This project pairs the sounds of klezmer with the first symphonic creation of Gustav Mahler, whose own fascination with traditional folk music is vividly evident in this work. Iain Farrington’s new chamber orchestra arrangement of the symphony follows in the footsteps of Schoenberg’s Mahler reductions of the 1920s, bringing intimacy and piercing clarity whilst stretching players to the furthest limits of virtuosity.


As Britain’s most exciting and innovative ensemble of today, here’s what the Press have had to say about their recent concerts.

How many orchestras could field their principal viola player as a virtuoso break dancer? Probably only Aurora. There seems to be no end to what this young ensemble is willing, hungry and able to do.

Hilary Finch, The Times July 2012

No doubt about it: when it comes to eye-catching presentation, the Aurora Orchestra leaves everyone else standing … The players stood to perform, and conductor Nicholas Collon was an engaging host as well as a flamboyantly energised director.

Ivan Hewett, The Telegraph February 2012

Some startlingly good performances from Collon and the orchestra, fizzing with energy and enthusiasm.

Andrew Clements, The Guardian November 2011

A fabulous young chamber orchestra that in six years of existence has emerged as one of the most dynamic, innovative and open-minded groups of its kind.

Michael White, The Telegraph May 2011

The music was played with exhilarating verve and alertness. The sound of the orchestra had a properly ceremonial swagger

Richard Morrison, The Times January 2011

Under Collon, the playing was vividly exuberant, yet still thoughtful and stylish. The average age of the orchestra can’t be a day over 30, and the musicians play as if they have something to prove.

Erica Jeal, The Guardian January 2011

LSO Community Choir © Kevin Leighton


NovemberMon 19 Nov 7.30pmJerwood Hall

LSO Community Choir Concert: In Yonder Valley

David Knotts conductor

From spirituals to Shaker songs, experimental pioneers to theatrical types, join the LSO Community Choir on an epic American adventure. With music by Barber, Copland, Crabtree and Cowell.

Tickets £7 (£5 concessions)

Part of the LSO and LSC Choral

Development Programme which

is generously supported by the

J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust


BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert: Imogen Cooper Solo Recital

Brahms Variations from String Sextet No 1 Schumann Fantasiestücke Chopin Ballade in G minor

Imogen Cooper piano

Brahms’ arrangement of the slow movement from his First String Sextet, which evolves from solemnity to gentle lyricism, was dedicated to Clara Schumann. Schumann’s eight Fantasiestücke are animated by the two characters the composer felt summed up his personality: the bold, passionate Florestan and the introspective Eusebius.



Thu 22 Nov 7.30pmJerwood Hall

London Symphony Chorus

Dove The Passing of the Year Brahms German Requiem

Simon Halsey conductor Phillip Moll piano Holger Groschopp piano Sophie Klussmann soprano Konrad Jarnot baritone

London Symphony Chorus

The London Symphony Chorus celebrates the appointment of Simon Halsey as their new Chorus Director with this concert, which showcases the Chorus’ mastery of contemporary and classic works. The Passing of the Year was commissioned by the LSC and premiered in 2000. The unfamiliar sound of two pianos in place of an orchestra will make this performance of Brahms’ Requiem very special.

Tickets £10 £15 £22


Development Programme which

is generously supported by the

J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust

‘The weekend’s heroes were the chorus, prepared by Simon Halsey: precision, passion, pure, clear delivery.’ The Independent on Halsey and the CBSO Chorus


Simon Halsey – if you’re a singer, you’ll know the name. Widely regarded as one of the most esteemed choral conductors and educators in the world, it was with great excitement that we learnt that Simon had accepted the position of LSO Choral Director as of this August.

You could say that Simon was born to do his job. His father was the great choral trainer Louis Halsey and worked with Vaughan Williams, while his grandfather studied with Charles Stanford, the Victorian composer and teacher who, along with Hubert Parry (of Jerusalem fame), played a pivotal role in ending the drought in English compositional talent that had marred the country since Tudor times. As a boy, Simon was fortunate enough to attend some of the best choral schools England has to offer and sung in the illustrious choirs of New College, Oxford and King’s College, Cambridge, before specialising in conducting at the Royal College of Music.

Then came Simon’s baptism of fire – aged just 24 he was offered the position of Choral Director at the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus. ‘Growing up in the late 70s and early 80s, somehow everything was possible’, Simon recalls, ‘My great friend Simon Rattle was chief conductor of the CBSO at the age of 24, Thomas Trotter was the city organist at 23. Why we were given these jobs in Birmingham at this age, I have no idea! The city had the courage to employ us. We discovered how to do everything by mistake – somehow, by accident and energy, it all worked.’

Birmingham remains close to Simon’s heart – he still conducts the CBSO Chorus some 30 years on and lives near the city with his wife. As Chief Conductor of the Berlin Radio Choir and Artistic Director of the Berlin Philharmonic’s Youth Choral Scheme, he also spends a good deal of time jetting to and from Germany.

But 2012 looks to be the year that London finally gets a look-in from this fine choral communicator. As well as taking responsibility for all of the London Symphony Chorus’ projects, including around six concerts per season at the Barbican with the LSO,

Simon will lead choral strategy across the LSO’s performance and education programmes. As Director of the BBC Proms Youth Choir amongst many other education initiatives, Simon is more than qualified for the job. His appointment will enable the LSO to develop its choral activity, including the LSO Discovery Youth and Community Choirs at LSO St Luke’s, and instigate brand new ventures such as LSO Singing Days, which will offer the public the opportunity to take part like never before.

Simon confesses to harbouring a soft spot for the LSC: ‘It’s a group that I hold dear because they were encouraging to me as a student assistant to Richard Hickox in the early 1980s. To return as their director and take a new post created to bring choral work into the heart of the LSO and its Discovery programme is a dream come true’.

We can’t wait to see what stuff these dreams are made of.

Simon Halsey conducts his inaugural LSC concert at LSO St Luke’s on 22 November.

Fabienne Morris

Interview Simon Halsey

LSO ChoralDirector

NovemberFri 23 Nov (times below)Jerwood Hall

Concerts for Under-5s Story telling with Vanessa King

Join Vanessa King and LSO players as they re-tell a popular children’s story through music.

10.30–11.15am:Nurseries & Playgroups Tickets £2 per person Booking opens Tue 9 Oct, limited to 50 places per nursery / playgroup.

To book call Emily Murray on 020 7382 2556 or email [email protected]

12.30–1.15pm: FamiliesTickets £3 per person (under 12 months free, no ticket required)

Supported by AXA Investment Managers

Fri 23 Nov 7.30pmJerwood Hall

Balinese Gamelan Concert

The LSO St Luke’s Gamelan Group gives an exciting performance of traditional and contemporary Balinese music with special guests Lila Cita and Balinese dance group Lila Bhawa.

Tickets £7 (£5 concessions)

Sat 24 Nov 7.30pmJerwood Hall

Bloomsbury Music Group: Around the World in 80 Minutes

Shea Lolin conductor David Morris conductor

Bloomsbury Music Group is a woodwind orchestra encompassing two musical groups of 70 players: the Bloomsbury Woodwind Ensemble and BWE2 Flute and Clarinet Choir.

Around the World in 80 Minutes is a wide-ranging musical tour. Touching on many non-western musical styles, the programme will include music that is a source of spiritual inspiration, cultural expression and entertainment. Music from Bali to Brazil will be performed including the world premiere of Postcards by Jeffery Wilson.

Tickets £10 £15 (£8 £13 concessions)

Promoted by Bloomsbury Music Group


LSO St Luke’s Community Gamelan Group © Kevin Leighton


Sun 25 Nov 10am–5.30pm 10am–1pm Barbican Hall 2.30–5.30pm Jerwood Hall

LSO Discovery Day: Mahler

A day with the LSO as they focus on the works of Mahler. Following a full Orchestra rehearsal conducted by Semyon Bychkov, join us at LSO St Luke’s for a lecture by a visiting expert and chamber music performed by musicians from the Guildhall School, further to their Mahler masterclass with tenor Ian Bostridge (see page 10).

Full-day tickets £17 (£13.50 concessions) Afternoon only £12 (from 2.30pm at LSO St Luke’s)

For more information call Helen Innes on 020 7382 2512 or email [email protected]

Mon 26 & Wed 28 Nov6pm & 7.45pmJerwood Hall

LSO On Track: Take A Bow

Young musicians from East London perform alongside LSO string players in an exciting programme of repertoire for all abilities. Watch beginners and world-class professionals perform side-by-side!

Tickets £3 children, £5 adults (under 18 months free, no ticket required) On sale from Mon 1 Oct

Supported by UBS

LSO On Track young string players © Kevin Leighton

‘65 young musicians … kept the tunes and stomping energy … It was so zesty.’ The Times on LSO On Track, May 2012


How did your relationship with the LSO and LSO St Luke’s start? My compositional relationship started in 2006 with me being part of the Panufnik Young Composers Scheme. Composers are invited to write a piece for the Orchestra which is workshopped in front of an audience, having been mentored, in my case, by Colin Matthews along the way. This led to me scoring an original piece and a series of arrangements for Hugh Masekela when he was to make his LSO soloist debut. I'm currently working on a new commission for the Orchestra to perform in April 2013.

How did you meet Andrew and what did you both first work on? Andrew and I met through Tomorrow’s Warriors, a young jazz workshop group spearheaded by Gary Crosby – we ran a monthly jam session at the Watermans Art Centre. I led the group and Andrew sat in with the band one night and then went on to do cover gigs eventually taking over the piano chair in the new lineup. We've since gone on to work on a great variety of projects together before establishing this duo more than ten years later.

What did it feel like the first time you picked up an instrument? I wish I could truly remember the first time I picked up an instrument! I see the sheer joy in my two-year-old son’s face when he plays any instrument and it’s been a great reminder of ‘how, what and why’ that I constantly try to draw from.

Your website has a great name, ‘Joy and Ears’. What does ‘Joy and Ears’ mean to you? In short, it represents two of the most important elements of music making and sharing for me. You have to listen, sometimes very intensively but it always has to have some level of enjoyment.

What was the thinking behind your new album with Andrew, Places and Other Spaces? Will we hear much from this album at the concert and do you have any favourites on there? All the music bar one piece is an original composition by either or both of us and after taking stock of the recordings we made out at Dartington it seemed most of the pieces were about people or places. To be honest we were favouring Faces and Places but it has been used to very good effect already! So although the ‘Places’ part is quite obvious, ‘Other Spaces’ firstly refers to a method of instant, joint composition we used for the record.The idea being with little discussion we produce music together that occupies ‘other’ sonic spaces that we might not otherwise arrive at. We will hopefully have time to demonstrate this at LSO St Luke's along with a good sprinkling of other tracks from the album. Anitbes and Hill Walking are favourites of ours and it seems audiences like them live, and on record, and I really like how Andrew and I combined on Holding Pattern but we tend not to play it live.

What are you most looking forward to about your concert at LSO St Luke’s? It's a beautiful space to play in especially for acoustic instruments – relatively large yet greatly intimate, so we are really able to hone in on the music. Besides material from our first two albums we will hopefully be unleashing some material from our third album to be released next April, potentially with some very special guests …

What would you say to someone who wasn’t sure whether to give the concert a go? If none of the above has convinced anybody … COME ON DOWN! It's a really exciting time for us as we get ready to develop material and record, and LSO St Luke's has got to be one of the best venues in town (if not the country) to witness Andrew and me on this particular journey.

In our back Yarde …

Isla Jeffrey caught up with jazz saxophonist Jason Yarde ahead of his and pianist Andrew McCormack’s UBS Soundscapes: Eclectica concert at LSO St Luke’s on 27 November.

Jaso

n Ya

rde

© K

evin

Lei

ghto

n

25

November

Barbican Box Office 020 7638 8891 Book online lso.co.uk/lsostlukes (except where stated)

Tue 27 Nov 8pmJerwood Hall

UBS Soundscapes: Eclectica Jason Yarde & Andrew McCormack

Jason Yarde saxophones Andrew McCormack piano

Jazz saxophonist Jason Yarde and pianist Andrew McCormack place classical music and progressive jazz influences into a melting pot of R&B, hip-hop, free improvisation, reggae and soul. Andrew and Jason have collaborated many times before, from jazz projects for Dune Music to commissions for the LSO through the Panufnik Young Composers Scheme. Their 2011 album Places and Other Spaces has been described by Jazzwise as the work of ‘two strong characters who are able to buttress their technical ingenuity with considerable emotional depth’.

Tickets £10 £15 £22

Promoted by LSO

Tue 11 Dec 6–8pmGuildhall School

Centre for Orchestra Masterclass: Leonidas Kavakos

Join the focus of this year’s LSO Artist Portrait, Leonidas Kavakos, as he coaches exceptionally talented musicians from the Guildhall School.

Free entry, just turn up!

Please note venue

Leonidas Kavakos UBS Soundscapes: LSO Artist Portrait at the BarbicanSun 25 Nov 7.30pmBarbican Hall

Osvaldo Golijov Violin Concerto (UK premiere) Mahler Symphony No 1 (‘Titan’)

Semyon Bychkov conductor

Fri 30 Nov 7.30pmBarbican Hall

Janácek Violin Sonata Brahms Violin Sonata No 1 Stravinsky Duo Concertante Respighi Violin Sonata in B minor

Solo recital with Nikolai Lugansky piano

Sun 9 Dec 7.30pmBarbican Hall

Sibelius Symphony No 6 Violin Concerto Symphony No 7

Sir Colin Davis conductor

Wed 12 & Wed 19 Dec 7.30pmBarbican Hall

Szymanowski Symphony No 4 (‘Symphonie Concertante’) Szymanowski Violin Concerto No 2 Brahms Symphony No 4

Valery Gergiev conductor Denis Matsuev piano Leonidas Kavakos violin

Leonidas Kavakos © Bill Robinson


LSO Discovery offers people their first encounter with an orchestra, adds an extra dimension to an LSO concert or simply brings people together to experience the power of music.

LSO Discovery is the London Symphony Orchestra’s music education programme, bringing over 60,000 people into contact with the LSO’s music and musicians every year. Whether in the Barbican, at schools, community centres, hospitals or in its home at LSO St Luke’s, the UBS and LSO Music Education Centre, LSO Discovery is for everyone.

lso.co.uk/lsodiscovery

LSO Discovery

First Monday Club For adults with learning difficulties

Participants and their carers get the chance to play new instruments and create and perform their own music alongside LSO players in these interactive workshops.

For more information contact [email protected] or phone 020 7382 2535

Supported by LSO Patrons, the Ann

and Frederick O’Brien Charitable Trust,

Coutts Charitable Trust, David Solomans

Charitable Trust, the Lionel Wigram

Memorial Trust, the Rothschild Charities

Committee and the Rix-Thompson-

Rothenburg Foundation

LSO Youth Choirs For children aged 7–18

The LSO Youth Choirs provide a fantastic opportunity for children aged 7–18 years to be part of a choir with opportunities to perform at top London venues with some of the world’s best musicians. Both junior and senior choirs are conducted by Lee Reynolds and rehearse on Monday afternoons during term time.

For more information call 020 7382 2556

Supported by the Slaughter & May

Charitable Trust.


Development Programme which is

generously supported by the

J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust.

27Photos © Kevin Leighton 27

LSO St Luke’s Community Gamelan Group Creative music workshops for adults

A gamelan is a musical ensemble from Indonesia featuring gongs, metallophones, drums and bamboo flutes. The gamelan group offers sessions for beginners through to experienced players, so anyone can have a go.


Digital Technology Group Workshops for 12- to 18-year-olds

Learn how to develop your own musical ideas using computer software or record and sample your own voice, instrument or band using the latest studio technologies.


‘Stephen loved every minute and I could see his confidence growing. It was great to see him working so well with other people.’First Monday Club Carer


Your event

An impressive and stylish building in the heart of central London, LSO St Luke’s offers flexible contemporary spaces to hire for arts, corporate and private events.

• Awardceremonies• Banquets• Parties• Weddingreceptions• Civilpartnerships• Meetings• Conferences• Seminars• Training• Publicandprivateperformances• Rehearsals• Filming• Recording

There’s no better time to hire this unique heritage space and with our experienced team on hand you can organise the perfect event in no time at all.

Call our events team on 020 7566 2871 to find out how we can help turn your ideas into reality.

Jerwood Hall

The Jerwood Hall is a distinctive central space that can accommodate a broad spectrum of activity. The original interior has been retained and the acoustic banners that flank the walls and ceiling are designed to provide maximum versatility.

Environmentally friendly venue

LSO St Luke’s is a member of the Islington Climate Change Partnership, an organisation set up five years ago with a commitment to achieve a 15% reduction in carbon emissions across this busy London borough. We were delighted to receive second prize at a celebration in last year’s Carbon Reduction Awards, achieving a 21% reduction in emissions.

Hire LSO St Luke’s

Awards ceremony & dinner in Jerwood Hall © Kevin Leighton

29

LSO St Luke’s CaféLSO St Luke’s runs its own in-house Bar and Café service. Our Bar and Café Manager, Stuart Connery, and his team look forward to welcoming you.

A selection of hot and cold drinks including a well-stocked bar, sandwiches, snacks, cakes and pastries are available for the majority of public events, opening one hour before concerts begin and during the interval (unless otherwise advertised). Hot food is available before and after BBC Radio 3 Thursday Lunchtime Concerts.

To find out more come along to the Café on your next visit to LSO St Luke’s and look out for special deals!

LSO St Luke’s Café © Simon Weir

Get in touch

Join us on Facebook facebook.com/lsostlukes

Follow us on Twitter @lsostlukes

Subscribe to our YouTube channel youtube.com/lso

Join our E-list Go to lso.co.uk and click Join our E-list

Contact us Speak to one of the LSO St Luke’s events team on 020 7566 2871 or email [email protected]

lso.co.uk/lsostlukes

30

Your money, our mission

London Symphony Orchestra Ltd is a registered charity and for us to continue to thrive each year we seek support from companies, individuals and charitable trusts and foundations. Thanks to our funders, we can continue to offer many LSO Discovery activities at little or no cost to participants.

Through your support, we can continue to invest in music education and ensure that LSO St Luke’s, the UBS and LSO Music Education Centre, remains at the heart of the local community.

To find out more about how you can help, visit lso.co.uk/supportus

Shake, Rattle and Roll Workshop © Kevin Leighton

Ticket Booking Information lso.co.uk (reduced bkg fee)

Phone 020 7638 8891 (10am–8pm Mon–Sat, 12pm–8pm Sun, bkg fee)

In person at the Barbican Advance Box Office, Silk Street entrance (10am–9pm Mon–Sat, 12pm–9pm Sun and Bank Holidays)

Group Booking (10+) Call our dedicated group booking line on 020 7382 7211 or email [email protected] To find out more visit lso.co.uk/groups

LSO St Luke’s, the UBS and LSO Music Education Centre, is the home of LSO Discovery and a venue for a unique range of concerts and events. To find out more visit lso.co.uk/lsostlukes

To find out more about LSO Discovery visit: lso.co.uk/lsodiscovery

Latecomers are normally admitted during a suitable break in the performance. On occasion, this may not be possible once the performance has started.

Some performances are unsuitable for babies or young children. Customers are advised to check before booking. Children under 16 must be supervised by an adult.

Concession ticket prices apply to wheelchair users, disabled patrons, over-60s, students, under-16s and the unemployed.

All bookings and discounts are subject to availability.

You can get this guide in large print, audio and electronic format.

Call 020 7490 3939, email [email protected] or visit lso.co.uk

Access Hearing facility

We have personal receivers for use with or without a hearing aid in the Jerwood Hall and Clore Gamelan Room. Please call 020 7490 3939 in advance to reserve a personal receiver as numbers are limited.

Barbican Access Membership

Visitors who have joined the Barbican Access Membership scheme can inform us of their access requirements, receive information in alternative formats and may be eligible for reductions on tickets. Contact the Box Office or visit barbican.org.uk

32 Barbican Box Office 020 7638 8891 Book online lso.co.uk

How to find LSO St Luke’sLSO St Luke’s is situated on Old Street, EC1 in the heart of central London. It is easy to get to by public transport.

Underground Old Street (Northern Line). Take Exit 7 when leaving the station, walk straight ahead and the spire of LSO St Luke’s will become visible. LSO St Luke’s is on the right hand side of the street and the main entrance is on Helmet Row.

Buses Old Street – 55 & 243 City Road – 21, 43, 76, 141, 205, 214 & 271 Goswell Road – 4 & 153

National Rail Old Street, Liverpool Street, Moorgate & Farringdon stations

Car Parking The nearest NCP parking is at the Barbican Centre

lso.co.uk/yourvisit

LSO St Luke’s UBS and LSO Music Education Centre 161 Old Street London EC1V 9NG lso.co.uk/lsostlukes 020 7490 3939

LSO St Luke’s Principal Donors:

LSO is funded by Arts Council England in partnership with the City of London Corporation, which also provides the Orchestra’s permanent home at the Barbican

Artwork by Steam Print by Tradewinds LSO Charity Reg No 232391

LSO St Luke’s © Kevin Leighton

LSO St Luke's Autumn 2012 Guide

Documents

Transcript of LSO St Luke's Autumn 2012 Guide