Roman Rabinovich
Hot off the press! Highly successful Wigmore debut Roman Rabinovich recently made his debut in the Wigmore Hall’s main piano series. He performed to an almost-full hall, and the audience was extremely appreciative, calling him back for several encores. You can read a detailed review of the concert in Seen and Heard International: please click here. It was a challenging and wide-ranging programme, featuring Couperin, Haydn and Ravel (Rabinovich’s own arrangements of movements from Daphnis and Chloe) in the first half, and Chopin’s Op.28 Préludes in the second half. Roman Rabinovich handled it with technical wizardry, exquisite articulation, beautiful tone, elegance and thoughtfulness, and undoubted musicality.
Praise for Roman Rabinovich’s debut solo CD Roman Rabinovich’s first solo CD appeared this March, on the Orchid Classics label.
4 stars in BBC Music Magazine “the enthusiasm of his joyful playing is infectious…. It is the broad palette of colours that is most impressive, especially in the more poetic moments” BBC Music Magazine, issue October 2013
“Listening to Rabinovich’s recording of these pieces is an immensely pleasurable experience. In my opinion, the artist is in his own element here.” Haaretz newspaper, Israel, August 2013
“Compelling, dynamic and with great sensitivity… The arrangements for piano are a wonderful addition to the orchestra variations…. ” Der Kurier newspaper, Austria, August 2013
You can find a taster on You Tube, featuring music from the disc, along with original artwork by Rabinovich himself. Orchid Classic’s facebook page also has lots of interesting coverage of the CD, including some of Rabinovich’s iPad art and an interview with him.
iPad art Take a look at some of Roman Rabinovich’s iPad art in BBC Music Magazine.
Itamar Zorman
We are delighted to announce that we have signed violinist, Itamar Zorman, for European management. Known as Der Violinen-Flüsterer, Zorman performs in the USA, Europe, Israel and Japan, and is becoming known for the emotional intensity of his performances, coupled with his technical virtuosity. Please look out for future news , and take a look at this page to find out more.
Christian Baldini
Fantastic reviews of recent concert with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Argentina, in Buenos Aires Visit this link to read the review (in Spanish), in one of Argentina’s major newspapers, La Nacion. Amongst much else, the critic wrote that, ‘The orchestra responded to the conductor’s demands with undeniable warmth. The hands of this still only young man from Mar del Plata injected animation and life. He didn’t force the tempi and showed himself to be faultless. His refinement did not clash with his professionalism, shown in the way he realised the dynamic progressions. The orchestra reached unexpected heights, in terms of their sound, and all the sections shone. Almost as soon as the concert began, everyone knew that there was a very accomplished conductor on the podium.’ There was also a review by one of Buenos Aires’ most influential critics, Pablo Bardin, which you can read here (in English).
In search of the new generation of conductors “¿Quiénes prometen hoy convertirse en los sucesores de esas renombradas batutas?” asks the Argentinian music critic and journalist for La Nación, Cecilia Scalisi. In a recent article, Scalisi counts Christian Baldini (“un argentino que sueña”) amongst the most promising young conductors of today ( in the national Argentinian newspaper, La Nación). Click to read the full article online or as a pdf.
Llyr Williams
Mozart and Janácek with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra Llyr Williams has been performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.23 K.488 and Janácek’s Concertino with the Scottish Chamber Orchesta and director Alexander Janiczek. The team have received an excellent review in The Scotsman!
Praise for Llyr Williams’ new residency in Glasgow: Beethoven Project Along with the Elias Quartet and bass-baritone Stephan Loges, Llyr Williams is immersing himself in Beethoven over the next three seasons, with the first installment having taken place in September 2013 and receiving high praise in The Herald newspaper. Together, the artists are exploring the sonatas, songs and string quartets, in an imaginative series of talks and concerts, exploring Beethoven’s early works right through to the late ones. Further details can be found here.
Antonello Manacorda
Manacorda in the Concertgebouw On Sunday 27 October, at 11:00, Antonello Manacorda conducted the Kammerakademie Potsadam in Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw. Their programme featured Beethoven’s 4th Piano Concerto, with Nino Gvetadze, and Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony. For more information, please visit the Concertgebouw’s website.
Great reviews from Manuel Brug in Die Welt and Richard Osborne in Gramophone magazine German critic, Manuel Brug, has given Antonello Manacorda’s latest CD with Kammerakademie Potsdam (Schubert Symphonies No.5 and No.6, on Sony Classical) glowing praise in Die Welt. Click here to read more. Richard Osborne was similarly complimentary in July’s Gramophone magazine in the UK.
Mitsuko Uchida
In Fono Forum magazine This month, Mitsuko Uchida features on the cover of Germany’s Fono Forum magazine, with a lengthy interview inside. To read it, in German, please click here.
Latest solo CD now released Just released is Mitsuko Uchida’s latest solo disc, featuring music written by Robert Schumann, towards the end of his life. The disc was recorded at the Reitstadl in Neumarkt earlier this year summer, using two of Uchida’s own pianos. To find out more and purchase this recording, please visit Decca’s website. Click here to listen to a few clips. The disc is already receiving critical acclaim, with journalists describing it as captivating, personal and new-minted. It was BBC Radio 3′s Disc of the Week on the 12th October CD Review programme.
Philippe Bach
Philippe Bach’s current plans include a production of Rigoletto at Das Meininger Theater , with the opening night on 18 October 2013. He will also be touring with the Kammerorchester Basel , harpist Xavier De Maistre and mezzo Lilia Tripodi at the end of November, with plans including a concert in Madrid.
Joseph Swensen
Success with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra Swensen recently conducted the première of Sally Beamish’s new work, Flodden, with soprano Shuna Scott Sendall and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Very complimentary reviews followed in The Guardian and The Scotsman. Further performances took place on 24 Oct 2013 in Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh and on 25 Oct 2013 in City Halls, Glasgow.
Hear Joseph Swensen play the Brahms Violin Concerto Joseph Swensen’s return to the violin, as a soloist, was marked by two performances of Brahms’ Violin Concerto with the London Mozart Players in February this year. Footage of one of the concerts, at St John Smith’s Square, is now available. Please go to our video page to watch and listen. Swensen also performed Ernst’s fiendishly difficult Last Rose of Summer as his encore: jaw-droppingly virtuosic! This footage is 100% live and unedited.
