EARTHCYCLE Orchestra of the Swan An innovative and timely project from ever-inventive Orchestra of the Swan (OOTS), Earthcycle finds a compelling way to engage with the threat of climate change, and the human impact on the Earth’s environment and the disruption of its natural rhythms through music inspired by or evoking the natural world,…
Reinterpreting Brian Eno’s Music for Airports
ENO PIANO Bruce Brubaker, piano “Is it possible to play Music for Airports on the piano?” American pianist, Bruce Brubaker, asked himself this question when thinking about his new album, Eno Piano, a remarkable reinterpretation of Brian Eno’s ambient masterpiece Music for Airports (the album which defined “ambient music”), together with three of Brubaker’s own…
‘Every Tree Speaks To Me’ Peter Ash, conductor of the Odyssey Festival Orchestra, talks about his latest project
American-born conductor and composer, Peter Ash, has always embraced ambitious classical music projects. With the Odyssey Festival Orchestra, an orchestra he founded, he has built up a huge following, presenting classical music in new, exciting ways. Last year, he packed out the Cadogan Hall with Astonish Me – Sergei Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes. Karine Hetherington…
Voice recognition: Carolyn Sampson
As many of you will know, soprano Carolyn Sampson reached her 100th recording as a soloist with the release of ‘but I like to sing…’ in November. She celebrated this achievement online, with a series of short videos explaining some of the background to each recording. Full of relaxed charm – with an extra layer…
Up close with National Opera Studio’s Young Artists
It can be a rocky road for young artists in the opera world. Years of opera training and no guarantee of success. Still – there is help out there. Private patrons and mentors are part of the answer, providing much needed financial support and mentoring for cash-strapped singers. The National Opera Studio, NOS for short,…
Noriko Ogawa – soon to play at King’s Place, speaks to ArtMuseLondon
Pianist Noriko Ogawa is an internationally respected pianist and recording artist. She is one of the judges of the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition and is soon to play at King’s Place with the current winner of the 2023 Hamamatsu International Piano Competition, pianist, Can Çakmur, On 19th January 2024 you will be playing with Can at…
Photo synthesis: Hiroshi Sugimoto, Hayward Gallery, London
I came to this exhibition very late, so this is something of an ‘emergency’ post to encourage any of you with some time over the holiday season to catch it in its final fortnight. Sugimoto’s photography is always different; always the same. The subjects change but they are all viewed, literally, through the same lens….
The vast picture show: ‘The Big Screen’, Kulturforum, Berlin
Any cinema enthusiasts within visiting distance of Berlin should head to the Kulturforum (the city’s major arts complex located near Potsdamer Platz) before the end of February. Until then, it plays host to ‘The Big Screen’, a huge, wide-ranging exhibition chronicling the development of the film poster, alongside the evolution of cinema itself. A show…
Songs for Our Times: A unique collaboration to support classical music and composers
“Songs for our Times” is the result of a unique collaboration between two leading British contemporary classical music composers, Stuart MacRae and Bernard Hughes, and Nigerian-American poet/lyricist and medical doctor Chinwe D. John. I first encountered Chinwe’s writing in March 2022 when an EP of settings of some of her poems, “Within A Certain Time…
Vow of violence: ‘Jephtha’, Royal Opera House, London
‘Jephtha’ was Handel’s final oratorio. He was losing his sight during its composition – ironic, perhaps, that his zealot hero is undone by what he sees at a crucial moment. And, given the work’s power and torment, it is hard not to sense Handel raging against the literal dying of the light. For those unfamiliar…
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