The Royal Welsh College welcomes in the new year with a packed programme full of some of the best music and theatre that Cardiff has to offer:
The College is delighted to welcome world-renowned percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie to the Dora Stoutzker Hall, joining Cardiff Sinfonietta and trombonist Matthew Gee. Llyr Williams returns to continue his acclaimed Schubert Recital series, and the legendary John Lill performs as part of the Steinway International Piano Series.
John Lill
In opera, Justina Gringyte (main picture), Royal Welsh College graduate and International Opera Awards Young Singer of the Year 2015, comes back to the College to perform a concert marking 100 years of independence for her home country of Lithuania. Karen Cargill, one of the finest dramatic mezzos of our time, performs a one-off recital, sharing a more intimate side of her artistry in a programme of French song.
The term ends with the College’s production of La Cenerentola, a semi-staged version of Rossini’s Comic Opera, directed by Hodge International Chair, Martin Constantine, who is also heading the David Seligman Opera School new directing course.
Markus Stockhausen, one of the leading trumpeters of our time, along with prize-winning pianist Florian Weber will be creating an inspirational mix of jazz, with classical influences and free intuitive playing. They’ll be performing alongside rising UK star Elliot Galvin in March.
The Albion Quartet, RWCMD’s String Quartet in Residence
This term also sees the first full evening recital in the Dora Stoutzker Hall by the Albion String Quartet, the college’s new String Quartet in Residence, and, earlier in the term, the Allegri Quartet, the longest-established chamber group in Britain, as well as one of its finest, will be performing in the Dora.
Tom Redmond presents Orchestradventure!
As part of the College’s Outreach programme, an ambitious new project, Orchestradventure!, led by presenter Tom Redmond, aims to inspire school children to engage with classical music, and will reach around 2500 5-18 year old school children across Wales over the next two years.
For further information download the new Spring What’s On. For press tickets please contact press@rwcmd.ac.uk
Dear Esther, Thursday 25 January 8pm
Post Show Q&A with the composer
With the play-through of the game on-screen accompanied by live narration and a live performance of BAFTA winning composer Jessica Curry’s powerful score, the story of the acclaimed videogame is brought to life as never before.
Originally released in 2012, Dear Esther, created by developers The Chinese Room, quickly gained critical acclaim for abandoning traditional gameplay in favour of atmosphere, rich storytelling and extraordinary art, proving videogames are capable of the same musical, narrative and artistic expression as film, visual art, literature and classical music.
Llyr Williams, Thursday 1 February 7.30pm
Among Schubert’s most charming piano pieces are his six Moments musicaux, written between 1823 and 1828, the year of his death. Schubert’s B-major Sonata, D 575, dates from 1817, when Schubert was only 20, but already an established composer. It was published posthumously. Liszt’s three transcriptions from Schwanengesang include the vocal line along with Schubert’s original piano accompaniment. The four Impromptus D 935 are among Schubert’s best-loved piano pieces.
Allegri Quartet , Friday 2 February 1.15pm
With a heritage that stretches back seven decades, the Allegri Quartet isn’t just Britain’s longest-established chamber group: it’s one of the world’s finest. “The Allegri play intensely, but also gracefully” says The Sunday Times – and with a programme that embraces Beethoven at his most elegant and Janaček at his most passionate, this concert will show them at the very top of their game.
Orchestradventure! Tuesday 13 February 1pm, St David’s Hall
Orchestradventure! has been specially devised to capture the imagination of young audiences through the power of a live symphony orchestra. The Royal Welsh College Symphony Orchestra and presenter Tom Redmond vividly bring to life some of the greatest stories ever told, having a lot of fun along the way introducing the instruments and inner workings of an orchestra.
Evelyn Glennie, Saturday 17 February 7.30pm
Cardiff Sinfonietta is thrilled to be joined by the world-renowned percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, and Trombonist, Matthew Gee for Christian Lindberg’s Liverpool Lullabies for Percussion and Trombone. The concert will also feature a performance of Mozart, Symphony no. 41 ‘Jupiter’.
Sasha Boldachev, Sunday 25 February 4pm
The harp always has a special place here at the Royal Welsh College, and as we approach the 2020 World Harp Congress in Cardiff, we’re thrilled to spend an afternoon with one of the 21st century harp’s most charismatic figures, Sasha Boldachev – soloist at Moscow’s legendary Bolshoi Theatre – in music ranging from Chopin to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
The Albion Quartet, Friday 9 March 7.30pm
They call chamber music “the music of friends”, and it’s never truer than with the RWCMD’s quartet in residence, the Albion Quartet. This full length concert finds them bringing all their youthful freshness and affection to music from 21st century England and 18th century Austria, before turning to Bohemia, and the best-loved quartet by the group’s favourite composer, Antonín Dvořák.
Justina Gringyte, Friday 9 March 1.15pm,
Soprano, and Royal Welsh College alumna, Justina Gringytė is a phenomenon. As the International Opera Awards’ Young Singer of the Year in 2015, critics have fallen over themselves to praise her “knockout technique” and magnetic, intensely dramatic stage presence. Thrillingly, she’s performing Berlioz’s La Mort de Cléopâtre– the piece that scandalised 19th century Paris with its depiction of the last moments of the legendary Egyptian queen. This concert marks 100 years of independence for Justina’s home country, Lithuania.
Karen Cargill Wednesday 14 March 7.30pm
Karen Cargill is one of the finest dramatic mezzos of our time, capable of commanding the stage in Wagner and soaring above the world’s great orchestras in concert. But tonight, in this one-off recital, she shares a more intimate side of her artistry as she joins pianist Simon Lepper in a programme of French song at its most searching – plus Wagner, of course! Book early.
Markus Stockhausen, Elliot Galvin
Friday 16 March 7.30pm
Markus Stockhausen, one of the leading trumpeters of our time, and pianist Florian Weber, prize winning star of the German jazz scene, create an inspirational mix of jazz, with classical influences and free intuitive playing.
Elliot Galvin is one of the rising stars of UK jazz. A superbly gifted composer and pianist with a maverick imagination and magpie like ability to blend a disparate world of influences into his own unique musical vision.
Sunday 18 March 11am
John Lill is the kind of pianist they don’t make any more – a true keyboard lion. But there’s also a depth and integrity to Lill’s playing that comes from a lifelong immersion in great music. Mozart, Prokofiev, Schumann and Chopin all demand very different aspects of Lill’s artistry, but his objective – as The Scotsman put it – “is always to serve the composer”.
Tuesday 27 – Thursday 29 March 7pm
Matinee Thursday 29 March 2pm
A semi-staged version of Rossini’s comic opera.
There might not be a glass slipper or a fairy godmother but Rossini’s take on the familiar Cinderella story is unmistakable.
Bullied by her half-sisters all her life, Angelina is about to get her own back! The Prince is in love with her but her wicked Step-father has forbidden her to go to the ball. With the help of a stranger, goodness conquers all, and Angelina WILL go to the ball! Directed by RWCMD Hodge International Chair, Martin Constantine.
All performances are in the Dora Stoutzker Hall unless otherwise stated.
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