Following an active and engaging programme in January, the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel has many more exciting upcoming events in the next couple of months.

The Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel holds a very close relationship with the Bozar, Belgium’s finest music hall. Young musicians of the Music Chapel will perform in the venue’s series Bozar Sundays on 17th February at 11am. Cellist Wojciech Fudala, pianists Ashot Khachatourian and Philippe Riga, tenor Giovanni Tristacci, accompanied by Dana Protopopescu. The following month, pianists Polina Bogdanova, Christia Hudziy and Adriaan Jacobs will perform with violinist Liya Petrova and bassist Charles Dekeyser. The morning concert will include works by Saint-Saëns, Schubert, Schumann, Beethoven and Kreutzer. On 16th March, violinist Yossif Ivanov and pianist Itamar Golan will perform in an evening concert at 8pm.

On 19th February, pianist Mertol Demirelli and cellist Pau Codina Masferrer will perform at the Danieli Museum as part of the Maison de la Musique concert series. The young artists both study and train at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, and will be joined on stage by piano coach, Dana Protopopescu. They will perform Sonatas by Beethoven, Schubert and Brahms, alongside works by Chopin and Bach. The following concert in this series will be on the 28th February, highlighting the talents of pianist Christia Hudziy, cellist Deborah Pae, violinist Floris Willem, accompanied by Dana Protopopescu. The young musicians of the Music Chapel will perform music from Paganini, Schumann, Saint-Saëns and a Concerto for Violin by Mozart. The Maison de la Musique series will continue through March and April.

One of the highlights of the upcoming events, showcasing the talent of the young musicians, is the Mozart Prelude on 7th March at the Flagey venue in Brussels. Celebrated conductor Augustin Dumay will lead the Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, pianist Ashot Khachatourian, cellist Wojciech Fudala with renowned French violist Gérard Caussé and violinist Liya Petrova. The highly anticipated evening will include works by Mozart along with Haydn’s Concerto No. 2 in D Major for cello and orchestra. Before the concert, Gérard Caussé will be giving a master-class to the young string players of the Music Chapel.

Keep up-to-date with news at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel through their website, Facebook, Twitter and regular posts from WildKat PR.

Photos of the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel and the Flagey venue.

(Written on February 6, 2013 )

The Guardian

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Classic FM

Beethoven best for fitness workouts

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Deceptive Cadence, NPR 

Obama’s ‘Hope And Virtue’ Distilled In A Song

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Just in: Vienna will live stream Holocaust opera premiere

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Limelight

John Rutter: An agnostic speaks out on writing sacred music

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(Written on January 22, 2013 )

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La Scala cancels ballet season opening performance following strike action

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The results: Best and Worst Orchestras of 2012

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Venu Dhupa steps down from Creative Scotland after year to forget

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Classical music’s ‘all in the mind’

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Guardian

Tristan und Isolde – Wagner’s love supreme

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(Written on December 21, 2012 )

Gramophone

James Ehnes to work with Wells Cathedral School students

Celebrated violinist will give an afternoon of open masterclasses with six students

Classic FM

André Rieu records with Jermaine Jackson?

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Robots play Beethoven’s ‘Für Elise’

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The Guardian

An opera for my resistance fighter aunt

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Classical Music Magazine

ENO could sell naming rights to London Coliseum

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Grant to study community impact of Liverpool’s In Harmony

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Slipped Disc

Nearly 40,000 sign petition for kidnapped conductor

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A tenor reports on the bomb that went off near the Israel Opera

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Classic FM

(Written on November 22, 2012 )

This week and last, BBC Radio 3′s In Tune has welcomed world-class musicians who will be performing at the International Wimbledon Music Festival. Last week, Mikhail Rudy provided listeners with a glimpse of ‘Petrushka’, which was performed the following night at St. John’s, along with works by Prokofiev. The New Zealand String Quartet appeared on the show yesterday, to discuss the festival and perform a selection of the music they will be performing this evening. Along with the works by Mendelssohn and New Zealand composer, Jack Body, the quartet will play Beethoven’s Quartet in C Sharp Minor at the concert at St. John’s, Spencer Hill.

To listen again to The New Zealand Quartet on In Tune, click here.

For more information on tonight’s concert, and other events at the International Wimbledon Music Festival, visit the website here.

Tune in to Radio 3 at 4:30pm today, as Christine Brewer will be appearing on In Tune.

Image Credit: Maarten Holl

(Written on November 20, 2012 )

Today, the conductor, pianist and Music Director of the Staatsoper Berlin, Daniel Barenboim, will celebrate his 70th birthday. Accentus Music, in association with ZDF and Arte, will honour the esteemed musician with a two-part documentary and a live broadcast on Arte of his “birthday concert” with the Staatskapelle Berlin. In addition, Accentus Music is pleased to announce the DVD release of Bruckner’s Symphonies Nos. 4-9 performed by Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin.

This evening, the Staatskapelle Berlin and Daniel Barenboim will give a concert in aid of a music kindergarten in Berlin, which will also mark the conductor’s birthday. Under the direction of Daniel Barenboim’s long-time colleague, Zubin Mehta, a new piece by Elliott Carter: “Dialogues II” will be performed. The work for piano and orchestra is dedicated to Daniel Barenboim, who will perform the piano part, as well as Beethoven’s 3^rd Piano Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s 1^st Piano Concerto. Accentus Music will record the concert in co-production with ZDF and Unitel at the Berlin Philharmonie, which will be broadcast live from 20:15CET on Arte.

The two-part documentary; “Crossing Borders: Daniel Barenboim” by Paul Smaczny accompanies the artist in a search of the social significance of music and his tireless efforts for intercultural dialogue. The first part shows Barenboim working with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and follows him at sensational premiere concerts in Cairo and Gaza City. Part two highlights Barenboim’s efforts to overcome the Wagner taboo in Israel. Arte will broadcast the co-production of Accentus Music and ZDF tonight at 22:00 CET, following the special birthday concert broadcast.

Completing Accentus Music’s monumental celebration will be the release of a major symphonic series: Anton Bruckner’s “Mature Symphonies”. In 2010 Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin performed Bruckner’s Symphonies Nos. 4 to 9 in just eight days. Accentus Music and Unitel Classica recorded the six highly acclaimed concerts at the Berlin Philharmonie. In January 2013, Accentus Music will start with the release of Bruckner’s Symphony No 4.

Paul Smaczny, producer, director and founder of Accentus Music, has collaborated for over 20 years with Daniel Barenboim. In numerous concert recordings and publications, Smaczny documents the musical work of the Buenos Aires-born conductor and pianist. For his film, “Knowledge is the Beginning – Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra”, Smaczny won the 2006 International Emmy® Award for Arts Programming.

Broadcast date: Thursday, 15th November 2012, Arte

20.15: Daniel Barenboim Birthday Concert – Live from the Berlin Philharmonic

(A production of Accentus Music in coproduction with ZDF and Unitel, in collaboration with Arte.)

22.00: Crossing Borders: Daniel Barenboim (1/2): Music and Politics

23.00: Crossing Borders: Daniel Barenboim (2/2): Musical Approaches

N.B. Above times are CET.

(A production of Accentus Music in coproduction with ZDF, in collaboration with Arte)

For more information please visit the Arte website here, or the Accentus Music website here.

(Written on November 15, 2012 )

Classic FM

Personal Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Gershwin letters to be auctioned

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Classic FM launches new Baroque timeline

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Royal Philharmonic Society announces 200th birthday plans 

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Slipped Disc

The Royal Opera House gets into bed for a quickie with Murdoch’s Sun

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Sydney violin, stolen in Vienna, is returned to despairing owner

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The Independent

The Week In Radio: Radio 3 needs an audience beyond this tiny elite

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Gramophone

Vladimir Ashkenazy to appear on BBC Radio 4’s ‘One to One’ – hear an excerpt!

Pianist and conductor speaks to Olivia O’Leary about how aging affects his career

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