“I didn’t know the recorder could sound like that!” Barbara Law and friends present an entertaining and enlightening programme of innovative and exciting recorder music . A highly regarded performer and teacher, Barbara Law is a professor at the Royal Academy of Music and the Purcell School. Here she is joined by fellow recorder player Evelyn Nallen and percussionist Derek Scurll as well as some of the young rising stars of the recorder world. Be prepared to throw aside your…

Beethoven, Debussy & Kreisler Recent winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society Anderson Prize, Amarins Wierdsma was born in Utrecht and after studying in the Hague completed her musical education at the Guildhall School in London. An internationally active soloist and chamber musician, Amarins is also co-founder of the Barbican String Quartet which regularly performs at festivals and venues including Barbican Hall and St James’s Piccadilly. Mihai Ritivoiu was born in Bucharest and studied in Bucharest and London. Following successes at…

Mussorgsky & R. Strauss “...but the revelation is the Irishman Alan Ewing. He has a masterly technique.” Hugh Canning / The Sunday Times Alan Ewing has sung for the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, ENO, WNO, Netherlands Opera, Berlin Staatsoper, Zurich, Karlsruhe, Strasbourg, Opera National de Lorraine Nancy, Lille, Nantes, Opera Colorado and at the Festivals of Salzburg, Lucerne, Aldeburgh, Maggio Musicale and New Zealand. In 2015, he created the role of King John in Toads on a Tapestry with Faversham…

Bach & Adrian Sutton “...Humphreys’s utter absorption and delight shines forth at every turn” Gramophone magazine With playing described in the press as ‘alluring’, ‘unforgettable’ and ‘a wonder’, violinist Fenella Humphreys enjoys a busy career combining chamber music and solo work. Performances have taken her around the world to venues including the Wigmore Hall, the South Bank Centre, and the new Helsinki Music Centre. She has released several CDs combining newly commissioned works alongside the solo violin music of Bach…

Bach, Bartók, Kodaly & McGuire “...The two of them are superb players...enthralling versatility and intensity...power, panache and a remarkable intimacy ” Two of the most sought-after young instrumentalists in the UK, Rachel Spencer and Duncan Strachan are no strangers to working together in a vast array of mediums. The couple met whilst students at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and quickly came to prominence after winning all the major solo and chamber music prizes there. They have since gone on…

Handel, Mozart, Elgar & Ibert “...a wonderful breath of fresh air” Formed over fifteen years ago, the Thorne Trio is a versatile and virtuosic wind group whose performances have delighted audiences throughout the UK and abroad. They bring a fresh and direct approach to their concerts and have performed at venues ranging from the Wigmore Hall to the Lichtenstein Palace, Prague. As individuals the players regularly perform with the UK’s leading orchestras and as a trio have recorded two CDs…

Bach, Schubert, Rachmaninov & Kreisler Maya Irgalina was electric, fusing her pieces with a dark, emotive energy that could be felt with every key that was struck. Maya Irgalina from Belarus is a prize-winning pianist who has burst on the scene over the last few years performing throughout the UK, Italy, France, Austria, China, Poland, Georgia, Russia and Belarus with highlights including performances at Wigmore Hall and Barbican. She is equally at home with the elegant clarity of Bach and…

Telemann Fantasia nos.1, 2 & 12 Colin Matthews Meditation after Telemann: 12. Fantasie Bach Flute Sonata Alastair Penman Mirrored Lines Handel ‘Sorge nel Petto’ & ‘Fa pur Guerra’ Described by Classic FM as challenging perceptions of the instrument, Tabea is constantly exploring the horizons of music for recorder and has performed widely in Europe, Asia and the USA. As a soloist Tabea has appeared with the English Chamber Orchestra, WDR Rundfunkchor at the Funkhaus in Cologne and with Camerata Zurich…

Bach Prelude and Fugue in E-flat minor Beethoven Sonata No.26 in E-flat major ‘Les adieux’ Debussy Images book 1 Chopin Ballade 1 Ben-San Lau presents an historical survey of music by some of the master composers for the keyboard. The music ranges from the rigorous counterpoint of Bach to Beethoven’s enigmatic and passionate ‘Les Adieux’ Sonata, from the extraordinary impressionist timbres of Debussy’s Images to the romantic fantasy of Chopin’s Ballade. Ben San Lau has a flourishing career as a…

Debussy Syrinx Debussy Sonate for flute, viola & harp Leclair Trio Sonata in D major op. 2 no.8 Ravel Prelude Ravel Jeux d’eau Ravel Sonatine An all-French programme features Debussy’s masterwork for this unusual instrumental combination alongside music by his contemporary Ravel.   The elegance of eighteenth century France is represented by music from the violinist and composer Jean-Marie Leclair. The award-winning Pelléas Ensemble was formed while its members were students at the Guildhall School of Music. The group has a…

Erwazen A Philharmonic Fanfare Verhelst A Song for Japan Bohme Prelude and Fugue in E flat Mozart Divertimento Haydn Piano Trio Ibert Cinq Pièces Buck Brass Trio bring an eclectic mix of music from across the centuries ranging from original music for brass to wonderful arrangements. Buck Brass Trio is one of the leading young brass ensembles in the UK, and was formed in 2012 by graduates from the Royal Academy of Music. The Trio has pioneered a large amount…

Beethoven Sonata no. 30 in E major Bernstein Touches Chopin Ballade no. 4 Franck Prélude, Chorale et Fugue Beethoven’s late fantasy sonata contrasts with the exquisitely melodic barcarolle of Chopin’s 4th Ballade but shares the idea of theme and variations with Bernstein’s competition test piece whose inscription reads “ Written for my first love, the keyboard”. Franck’s eloquent and mighty work concludes the programme. Ryan Drucker is a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music and winner of many…

Bates Toccata Mists of the Mountains Bernstein Overture to ‘Candide’ Golland Peace Grainger Molly on the Shore Doss Moskito Bruckner Locus Iste Arban Carnival of Venice Join A4 Brass on a whistle-stop tour! From Bate’s music inspired by the sounds of the Far East, to Bernstein’s Broadway operetta and from the Irish reels of Grainger’s ‘Molly on the Shore’ to the dazzling virtuosity of ‘Carnival of Venice’. The Quartet has performed widely throughout the UK appearing at major venues and…

Scarlatti Sonatas K. 87, 155 & 124 Schubert Four Impromptus op. 90 H. Karstens Tanz der Masken No two composers represent delicate, intricate and concise writing for the piano more readily than Scarlatti and Schubert. The latter’s ever-popular Impromptus demonstrate the beautiful lyricism crossed with the idea of piano studies. The more recent work on the programme is the work of the grandfather of the pianist – a fantasy piece not often performed in the UK. Niklas Oldemeier was born…