RCM welcomes back Vladimir Ashkenazy for Autumn Season
Tuesday 8 August 2017
The Royal College of Music today announced its 2017 Autumn Season, which includes a concert at the Royal Festival Hall with Vladamir Ashkenazy on 26 October. The RCM Symphony Orchestra performs pieces by Rachmaninov and Shostakovich as part of the Philharmonia Orchestra’s series Voices of Revolution: Russia 1917.
The RCM Symphony Orchestra and Chorus are joined by the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge on 9 November to celebrate the life of Sir David Willcocks, Director of the RCM from 1974–84. They perform Mozart’s monumental Requiem and his hauntingly beautiful Ave verum corpus. Other distinguished visitors include Maxim Vengerov (Polonsky Visiting Professor of Violin), Visiting Professor of Piano Barry Douglas and Principal Horn of the Berlin Philharmonia Stefan Dohr, among many others.
On 5 October principal players from the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (COE) join the RCM Chamber Orchestra to perform Schumann’s uplifting Second Symphony. The COE’s passion for bringing together outstanding musicians from diverse backgrounds is shared by the RCM, where students from more than 60 countries study. The Harlem Quartet from New York continues its three-year residency with a vibrant concert on 4 December.
Janáĉek’s The Cunning Little Vixen is the RCM International Opera School’s autumn production, directed by the award-winning Daniel Slater. In this beguiling tragi-comic opera, Janáĉek explores the cycles of life through a dance, folk music and sensuous orchestral interludes. RCM singers also take part in the V&A’s landmark exhibition Opera: Passion, Power and Politics from September.
The RCM International Double Bass Festival on 5 November includes world premieres of works by David Heyes and John Alexander plus special guests Alberto Bocini, Petru Iuga and Simon Garcia. The RCM welcomes viola da gamba player Hille Perl for the 11th RCM International Festival of Viols on 27 November.
The 50th anniversary of the RCM Studios is celebrated this season with two special concerts. From the Soundhouse on 5 December features works by founder Tristram Cary, whilst Vienna Calling on 10 December sees musicians at the RCM in London and Vienna Conservatoire for the Performing Arts in Austria perform four world premieres together using the RCM Studios’ state-of-the-art live streaming software.
One of the RCM’s oldest and greatest treasures, Anne Boleyn’s Music Book, is celebrated on 24 September having been rebound and a facsimile published. Songs from the book are performed by the Alamire ensemble, accompanied by talks from experts in the field.
General booking for the Royal College of Music’s Autumn Season opens on 16 August 2017. For full event listings, please visit the What’s On section of the website or download our Events Guide.
The Harlem Quartet Residency is supported by Victoria, Lady Robey CBE.
