Welsh pianist, Llŷr Williams, recently talked to music journalist and broadcaster Edward Seckerson about his career and current immersion in the music of Beethoven, particularly the complete sonatas which he will perform in an epic two-week season at Greyfriars Kirk as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this summer.
Listen to the podcast: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/features/independent-classical-podcast-llyr-williams-2315743.html
Llŷr Williams has recorded a disc of cello sonatas by Brahms, Schubert and Beethoven with Thomas Carroll. Click here for more information about the disc, released on 1 May 2011 on the Orchid Classics label.
‘The big F major second of Brahms’s two sonatas is given a sumptuous, sweeping, intense, intelligent reading. Schubert’s A minor ‘Arpeggione’ sonata follows, its sublime adagio a little slice of perfection; and the account of Beethoven’s dramatic A major sonata, Op.69, is equally penetrating and invigorating.’
The Sunday Times, 24 April 2011, Paul Driver
Philippe Bach
Philippe Bach has been appointed Principal Conductor of the Berner Kammerorchester. His contract begins at the start of the 2012/13 season, and continues for 3 years.
Antonello Manacorda
It has recently been announced that in the 2011/12 season, Anotonello Manacorda will begin a three year tenure as Principal Conductor at Het Gelders Orkest.
Joseph Swensen
A new CD has just been released on the Signum label. The CD features the first recording of Joseph Swensen’s orchestration of Brahms’ Trio Op8 (original version from 1853), entitled ‘Sinfonia in B’. Joseph Swensen conducts the Malmö Opera Orchestra in this recording, which also features him playing the violin in some other arrrangements of music by Clara and Robert Schumann, and Brahms. Please visit www.signumrecords.com to find out more.
Mitsuko Uchida
Mitsuko Uchida will be artist-in-residence at this year’s Mozartwoche festival in Salzburg, to take place in January/February 2012. http://mozarteum.at/konzerte/mozartwoche.html
Polina Leschenko
Polina Leschenko’s 2012 starts with an extensive tour of Australia, with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Richard Tognetti. This will be her second tour with the orchestra, and sees her perform Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.1 and Gorecki’s Piano Concerto. They will also record Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Piano and Violin for the Bis label.
