Last year Baritone William Berger achieved critical acclaim for his debut album Insomnia: a Nocturnal Voyage in Song, which was selected by Guardian critics as one of the best classical albums of the year.  2012 also saw William make his debut in the title role of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo with La Nuova Musica and tour Scotland with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. In 2013, William will be releasing his new album with the SCO featuring arias by Mozart, Haydn and Cimarosa. He will also be performing a number of concerts throughout Europe.

On 19^th July, William will be singing at the Paxton Music Festival in Berwickshire, Scotland. This festival was formed in 2006 to present high quality performances of chamber music at Paxton House. Since then, the Festival has grown from a weekend of concerts to a ten-day event, bringing international artists to the Scottish Borders such as Joanna MacGregor; Steven Osborne; as well as the Doric, St Petersburg, Edinburgh and Heath Quartets. William will be performing a mixed programme including Gypsy Songs by Dvorak, Dover Beach by Barber and Death and the Maiden by Schubert. Shortly after he will perform Bach’s B Minor Mass in Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh accompanied by Ludus Baroque, a baroque chamber orchestra founded in 1997 by Richard Neville-Towle.

Every September since 2006, the American Military Cemetery in Margraten, Netherlands holds an open-air concert to remember and honour the Allied soldiers who gave their lives for our freedom in World War II and to celebrate the liberation of The Netherlands.  On the 8^th September William will perform Mozart’s Requiem at this concert alongside Philharmonie Zuid-Nederland, conducted by Roberto Rizzi Brignoli.

Later in the year, William will head back to England to perform Bach’s Magnificat and Handel’s Dettingen Te Deum at St John’s Smith Square, London with the City of London Choir, and “Music For a While”, conducted by Hilary Davan Wetton on 14^th November.

Along with these concerts, William will also be performing The Kingdom by Elgar at Guildford Catherdral with the Surrey Festival Choir and Orchestra on 6^th July, Dixit Dominus and Apollo e Dafne by Handel at the Haddo Arts Festival in Aberdeen on 5^th October, and Weihnachts Oratorium by Bach in Edinburgh with Ludus Baroque on 3^rd December, and Handel’s Messiah at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast on 13^th and 14^th December.  William will perform Messiah once again at Santiago de Campostela in Spain with the Real Filharmonia Galicia, conducted by Paul Daniel.

(Written on June 18, 2013 )

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 Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel is pleased to announce a Gala Concert on 17^th January 2013, at Brussels’ leading concert hall. The young musicians of the Chapel will perform alongside highly acclaimed cellist, and master in residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, Gary Hoffman, as well as British conductor Christopher Warren-Green, the National Orchestra of Belgium and the Octopus Symphonic Choir. The Music Chapel boats an outstanding roster, including first prize winner of the Honens International Piano Competition in Canada, Pavel Kolesnikov; along with mezzo-soprano Kinga Borowska, sopranos Diana Gouglina and Anneke Luyten, who all study or have studied under the guidance of José van Dam; as well as tenors Yu Shao and Giovanni Trstacci and bass Charles Dekeyser. The young musicians at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, as part of their exceptional artistic training and musical guidance, perform in an extensive programme of concerts and recitals alongside professional performing musicians.

The Gala Concert will present music from Romantic and Post-Romantic composers; from Schubert’s Mass No.1 in F major to Liszt’s Piano Concerto No.1, with works from Bloch. The versatility and technique of the young musicians’ talent will be presented at the Gala Concert, through works by some of the world’s greatest composers, in one of Belgium’s greatest concert venues.

For more information and to purchase tickets for the concert, visit the Bozar website here.

Find the Chapel on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter.

The Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel

(Written on December 5, 2012 )

As summer approaches (very slowly, through all these grey clouds), an air of excitement surrounds the world of classical music: the festival season is here!  Whether at home in the UK or elsewhere in Europe and beyond, there is so much choice for great classical music this summer. In Olympic spirit, London is celebrating itself at the ‘City of London Festival’ from the 24th June to the 27th July, featuring the LSO and acclaimed guitarist John Williams. Also gloriously British, is the ‘Longborough Festival Opera’, which features the famous ‘Sweeney Todd’ performed by the festival’s Young Artist Production; the festival is on now, until the 29th of July.

Whilst Glastonbury’s usual Rock and Roll tenants take a break this year, the ‘Orchestra in a Field’ at Glastonbury Abbey, Somerset, takes place this weekend (30^th June to 1^st July) providing ‘Tchaikovsky to Tubular Bells by way of Opera, Hip Hop and hand bells’ (Classical-music.com) as well as free tickets to those under the age of 13, a great, fun event to introduce children to classical music. Another great event this weekend takes place at the prestigious ‘Wigmore Hall’: you can hear and see the Leipzig String Quartet as well as soloists of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, providing exciting music from Brahms to Beethoven.

Finishing this week is the renowned ‘Istanbul Music Festival’, which has been running for the entire month of June. In its 40^th year, it has featured (a staggering) over 750 artists this year, including the Warsaw Philharmonic Choir and the Chamber Orchestra Vienna-Berlin. It has also commissioned works by the revered composers Giya Kancheli and Fazil Say, which were premiered at the festival.

Even further east is the ‘IV Gabala International Festival‘ of Azerbaijan, taking place from the 25^th of July to the 5^th of August, featuring traditional Chamber music, as well as Mugham – the folk compositions of Azerbaijan, which are now a UNESCO protected cultural heritage.

More centrally in Europe, Austria is hosting some of the world’s finest classical music festivals. The month-long, extraordinary ‘Bregenzer Festspiele‘ (18^th July to the 18^th August), in its breathtaking lake-side location features Opera on the Lake (with its stunning staging), an array of Chamber music, Theatre, and Music and Poetry: a highlight of which is Shostakovich’s ‘Ten Poems on Texts by Revolutionary Poets for mixed chorus op.88’. The renowned ‘Salzburger Festspiele‘ is one of THE summer events, from the 20^th July to the 2^nd September, featuring music and operas, from ‘Ariadne auf Naxos’, to ‘La Boheme’; Whilst August welcomes the ‘Innsbrucker Festwochen der alten Musik‘, from the 8^th to the 26^th, spanning all areas of classical music from Oriental Baroque to Slavonic Dances.

The beautiful landscapes of Italy host the ‘Incontri in Terra di Siena’ in lush Tuscany, where classical music is coupled with contemporary Jazz as well as Olive Oil and Wine tasting (definitely not one to miss!) A highlight is the Borromeo String Quartet playing Bach, Debussy and Schubert on the 22^nd of July. The entire festival is from the 20^th to the 29^th of July.

Whether travelling abroad or staying at home in this important 2012 summer, there are numerous great festivals not be missed, an abundance of which can be found on our ‘July Unmissables’ pinterest page here.

The Famous Staging at Bregenzer Festspiele

(Written on June 28, 2012 )

The Telegraph

David Munrow: Tragic genius who brought early music to the masses

The short but brilliant life of David Munrow blazed a trial for his passion.

Become part of the virtual Philharmonic Orchestra

An interactive digital installation allows visitors to step inside and become part of a virtual orchestra, taking on the role of a musician or even the conductor.

The Guardian

Leslie Baruch Brent on Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau: ‘He inspired my love for lieder, especially those of Schubert’

Like thousands of others, my lifelong love for lieder, especially those of Franz Schubert, was inspired by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau in the 1950s.

Andrew M Rosemarine on Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau: ‘The war helped him understand the transience of life’

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau was uncertain of his legacy. But he recognised the change in himself from his earliest years and the difficulties he had surmounted in adolescence during the Hitler years.

John Birch obituary

John Birch, who has died aged 82 after suffering a stroke, was interested in – but by no means limited to – every aspect of the organ and its world.

NY Times

Philadelphia Orchestra Submits Reorganization Plan

More than a year after resorting to bankruptcy court, the Philadelphia Orchestra laid out its plan to erase debt and cut costs on Wednesday.

Arts Journal – Slipped disc

Silly, superficial, true to life: a Baroque lion’s take on the Met’s Enchanted Island

The purist Baroque pioneer Joel Cohen has been watching the Met’s potpourri on a television relay. Expecting irritation, he found a certain truth.

Classical Music Magazine

The Listening Machine launches as part of The Space

The Britten Sinfonia has teamed up with composer and cellist Peter Gregson and technologist Daniel Jones to create The Listening Machine.

Gramophone

Winners of NCEM 2012 Composers Award announced

Composition to be performed by Tallis Scholars and broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

Cycling with the Olympianist

Joining Anthony Hewitt on (one of a bit) Land’s End to John O’Groats concert tour.

Wigmore Hall expands commissioning programme 

Up to 15 new chamber commissions per season from 2013.

(Written on May 24, 2012 )

Independent

From Under The Arches To Royal Opera House: Homeless Get Their Break

A mother and daughter folk duo, a hip-hop collective and a poetry group from Aldershot are to perform at the Royal Opera House in a show with a difference: every performer has lived rough on the streets.

New Yorker

The Future Of Concert Halls

Watch an audio slide show, narrated by Victoria Newhouse, that explains how radical, ambitious designs are altering and deepening the experience of attending live performances

Telegraph

Mostly Mozart Plans Take Wing

The Mostly Mozart Festival, in its persistent search for variety, usually finds other composers to highlight. This summer will be no different: a dozen concerts will include works by Schubert, festival officials said on Tuesday.

Lesley Garrett On Britain’s Finest Industrial Architecture

The soprano and broadcaster talks us through her favourite pieces of industrial architecture

MUSO

Don’t Miss: FutureEverything

With-it Manchester dwellers will have long been aware of the city’s annual festival of all things forward-thinking, FutureEverything, but this year’s music programme deserves special mention.

The Spectator

Spirit Of Schubert

Michael Henderson, who, every December, for the past decade, has laid a red rose on Schubert’s grave in Vienna’s southern cemetery, celebrates the great composer.

LA Times

Thomas Quasthoff Talks Retirement And His ‘Cripple Bonus’

German bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff recently walked away from a odds-defying career of his own when the thalidomide-damaged singer announced his retirement at 52.

Influences: Violinist Leila Josefowicz

Leila Josefowicz has played a large number of works over her 34 years, but the violinist has a special relationship to John Adams’ Violin Concerto, to which she returns this weekend.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2012/04/influences-violinist-leila-josefowicz.html

(Written on April 11, 2012 )

The Guardian

Tom Service On Schubert

Why I’m learning to bake Schubert strudel.

Guardian To Broadcast Six Operas From Glyndebourne This Summer

Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and Ravel double bill among works to be streamed live from Sussex festival after successful trial.

Why We Are Watching…Sam Brown

From Formby to Jakob Lenz: the opera director who is set to hit the highest notes

LA Times

Will North Korean Musicians Tour The US This Year?

Musicians from North Korea’s National Symphony Orchestra could travel to the U.S. as early as this year for a multiple-city tour organized by American promoters, according to reports.

BBC Music Magazine

BBC Music Magazine Launches An App!

Listen to music clips from almost 200 recordings in the new interactive app

The Spectator

Why Don’t Classical Music And Comedy Mix More Often?

Jessica Duchen wonders if classical music aficionados are masochists.

The Telegraph

The Opera Novice: The Barber Of Seville By Rossini

Not for nothing was the Italian composer Gioachino Rossini nicknamed Signor Crescendo.

Gramophone

BBC Performing Arts Fund Pledges New Awards

Grants totaling up to £450,000 for the music sector.

Anna Starushkevych Wins Handel Singing Competition

Ukrainian is the first mezzo-soprano to win the award.

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/anna-starushkevych-wins-handel-singing-competition

(Written on March 26, 2012 )

The Guardian

Portrait Of The Artist: James MacMillan

‘My high point? Writing a piece for Celtic FC: my heart filled with pride’.

Schubert: Ferocious, Tender, Sublime

Schubert’s short, prolific career changed history. As Radio 3 devotes a season to him, musicians and artists reveal the one work they can’t live without.

The Rest Is Noise

The Real Mitt Romney

A Presidential election year is again upon us, bringing with it more politically inflected speech-music videos.

BBC Music Magazine

English National Opera Dominates Opera Categories At The Oliver Awards

Composer Mark-Anthony Turnage also nominated for his opera Anna Nicole at the Royal Opera House

Gramophone

Classical Music Gets A Raw Deal At South By Southwest

The music festival in Austin, Texas, hosts its third nonclassical record label night – with mixed results.

BBC Four To Broadcast Angelic Voices

Documentary examining the lives of Salisbury Cathedral choristers.

Composer Heiner Goebbels Receives 2012 Ibsen Award

Goebbels will speak at Birmingham’s Frontiers + festival.

LA Times

Esa-Pekka Salonen To Carry Olympic Torch For London Games

Esa-Pekka Salonen is pretty good at wielding a conductor’s baton, but how will he fare wielding an Olympic torch?

The 100 Cellos Of The Piatigorsky International Cello Festival

There goes the Disney Hall stage.

Jessica Duchen’s Classical Music Blog

Everyone’s Going To…Classical:NEXT

It’s the big news in the classical music world: a new trade fair for the industry, to be held at the Gasteig in Munich at the end of May, organised by the same team that does WOMEX.

The Telegraph

Katherine Jenkins Hasn’t Got The Voice Or Technique To Sing Opera – So Why Does She Pretend She Can?

Is it not ironic that the woman complaining in the tabloid press about being bullied via a fake Twitter account is, when all is said and done, essentially faking the art of singing opera? Steve Silverman writes

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture/stevesilverman/100061641/katherine-jenkins-hasnt-got-the-voice-or-the-technique-to-sing-opera-so-why-does-she-pretend-that-she-can/

(Written on March 21, 2012 )

New York Times

Eiko And Koma Talk About ‘Fragile’

A performance of relentless stillness, with live score.

Entartete Musik

Laurel Resting In Vienna.

Gavin Plumley on the Wiener Philharmoniker.

Classical Music Magazine

Edinburgh Festival Programme Announced.

Out of 185 performances in this year’s Edinburgh International Festival, 51 are concerts, almost 3,000 artists are involved and 47 nationalities will be represented on stage.

The Telegraph

New Face: Ross McInroy.

Ross McInroy is the Scottish Opera’s bass chosen for The Rake’s Progress and Tosca.

Another Bad Modern Opera At Covent Garden. Why Is The Royal Opera House Allowed To Throw Money Away?

You know how it is: you wait for one bad opera, then three come along at once, according to Igor Toronyi-Lalic.

Independent

Schubert: A Gloriously Unfinished Celebration.

BBC Radio 3 is devoting an entire week to Schubert. He’s just the composer for these tough times, says Jessica Duchen.

Women In Operas Can’t Resist A Rake.

Nice guys finish last in opera.

Opera Chic

American Ballet Theatre Goes Town And Country.

ABT discusses its sponsorship program in the April 2012 edition of Town & Country and profiles some deep-pocketed philanthropists who sponsor ABT dancers.

Arts Journal: Slipped Disc

Oldest English Song Is Subjected To Post-Punk Revival.

Word is out that the Futureheads, a post-punk band, have recorded a tribute version of the oldest known song in early English, Sumer Is Icumen In.

Guardian

Stephen Sondheim: Our Greatest Composer?

No one today has better mastered the art-form of marrying words and drama to music, and keeping that essentially operatic ideal alive in a broader public consciousness.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/tomserviceblog/2012/mar/16/sondheim-sweeney-todd-music-theatre

(Written on March 16, 2012 )

NY Times

Enduring Legacy of Encouragement

Establishing a career in opera has never been easy, and young singers need whatever help they can get. The great bass-baritone George London knew all about that.

The Telegraph

Schubert is needed now more than ever

The composer’s musical legacy contains more consolation for our loneliness than any other human creation.

LA Times

Getting ‘Moby-Dick’ opera up and sailing

Tenor Ben Heppner and composer Jake Heggie discuss the challenges of bringing Herman Melville’s American classic to San Diego’s Civic Theatre.

Gramophone 

A change of cellist for the Emerson Quartet

After 34 years, a new cellist joins the ensemble

BBC Music Magazine 

Peter Hill

The world-renowned Messiaen interpreter on why he’s branched out to Bach with his latest recording

Joyce DiDonato wins Grammy

Mezzo-soprano receives standing ovation at ceremony

http://www.classical-music.com/news/joyce-didonato-wins-grammy

(Written on February 14, 2012 )