Llŷr Williams starts 2012 with a mixture of solo piano recitals, performances with both chamber and symphony orchestras as well as chamber music engagements. In February 2012 Williams will tour five major concert venues in Scotland with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No5 under the baton of Andrew Manze. Early March in 2012 will see Williams’ return to Wigmore Hall where he will perform a programme comprised of early German romantic composers and the composers belonging to the Second Viennese School.
Philippe Bach
Last year ended triumphantly for Philippe Bach who in early December 2011 premiered Wagner’s Das Liebesverbot at Meininger Theater. This production was highly acclaimed by both press and Meiningen’s audience and was broadcast by Deutschland Radio. Early January saw Bach’s return to the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in Manchester where he conducted music by Berg and Rachmaninoff. Other engagements in early 2012 will include further performances of Das Liebesverbot, a revival of Tannhäuser and concerts with the Zuger Sinfonietta and Sinfonie Orchester Biel.
Antonello Manacorda
Antonello Manacorda conducted Mahler 7 for his opening concert as Principal Conductor of Het Gelders Orkest in The Netherlands and the performances were well-reviewed in the Dutch press:
‘Manacorda conducts with strength but also gracefully and with natural balance. It was a true pleasure for the eyes. His incredible energy was absorbed by the musicians effortlessly. Every section of the orchestra demonstrated a high degree of focus and concentration. This was a top level performance characterised by an abundance of colours and general transparency. In some moments one had the impression of listening to a chamber music performance and the following moment one experienced a cathedral of copper sounds. ‘
De Gelderlander, 26 November 2011
A recording of Schubert Symphonies 3 and 7 with Kammerakademie Potsdam will be released in early Spring by Sony Deutschland. In February 2102 Manacorda returns to La Fenice to continue his cycle of da Ponti operas with Cosi fan tutte as well as giving two concerts with the Orchestra. In March he returns to the Orchestra della Svizzera Italia with Midori as his soloist and in April he conducts Beethoven 9 at Snape Maltings as part of Aldeburgh Music’s Easter celebrations.
Roman Rabinovich
US based pianist, Roman Rabinovich, started 2012 with a European presence, appearing at Paris’ magnificent Hotel de Ville in a New Year’s concert hosted by the mayor of Paris. On this occasion Rabinovich collaborated with Ensemble Orchestra de Paris and their Principal Guest Conductor and Artistic Advisor Joseph Swensen performing Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No1. Following this, Rabinovich performed in a chamber music concert at Vienna’s Musikverein where among other pieces he interpreted Dvorak’s Piano Quartet. Highly sought after in Israel, Rabinovich will spend several weeks there in early 2012 where his busy concert schedule will include both appearances with the Haifa Symphony Orchestra, when he will perform Benjamin Yusupov’s piano concerto as well as chamber music engagements.
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.
