We celebrate the music of America this season in a series of concerts both orchestral and chamber. We explore works by a variety of composers ranging from Gershwin to Reich, Bernstein to Ellington, Florence Price to William Grant Still, and led by conductors including Wayne Marshall and Joana Carneiro.
We also have three concerts featuring Japanese composer Jō Kondō in his 75th birthday year, including his mesmerising and powerful work for orchestra In Summer.
We are joined for the first time by conductor Vasily Petrenko for a performance of Richard Strauss’ monumental tone poem, Also sprach Zarathustra, alongside Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto, and Grażyna Bacewicz’s energetic Overture for orchestra.
In contrast, members of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe return to lead a conductor-less ensemble in Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, and Jessica Cottis conducts two ravishing French works – Debussy’s Nocturnes and Ravel’s Suite from Daphnis et Chloé.
In a season of festivals, we feature music for four hands and more in our annual Keyboard Festival. The International Festival of Viols returns, along with a day dedicated to the highly influential pianist virtuoso, Adolf von Henselt, and our annual Chamber Music Festival.
We also celebrate the memory of two of our much-respected colleagues, pianist Andrew Ball and composer Joseph Horovitz – the latter including his witty songs and familiar theme tunes.
Other highlights include jazz with trumpeter Georgina Jackson; Bach Cantatas; an orchestral concerto masterclass with Visiting Professor of Violin Maxim Vengerov; talks on Music, Migration and Mobility; music in celebration of International Women’s Day; and our regular performances by the RCM Junior Department.
The season ends with two stunning fairytale operas – Ravel’s intriguing moral tale L'enfant et les sortilèges, and a rare performance of Respighi’s atmospheric Sleeping Beauty.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Royal College of Music.
Stephen Johns
Artistic Director
