Six concerts from October to March
in the Cowdray Hall, Schoolhill at 7.30
In January 2004 the Wihan Quartet from Prague made their first visit to Aberdeen and gave a memorable performance in the Cowdray Hall. We are delighted that they are going to open our 09/10 season, the 75th season of concerts promoted by the ACMC. One of the major string quartets to have emerged from the great school of Czech playing, the quartet was formed in 1985 and won the first prize and the Audience prize in the 1991 London International Quartet Competition. They travel the world giving recitals, have produced many outstanding recordings and spend time tutoring young quartet players in the UK. In 2008 their concert series of the complete Beethoven quartets took place, first in Prague and then in London. You’ll find them at www.wihanquartet.net where you can watch and listen to them on a short video. Jamie Walton joins the quartet to play one of the masterpieces of the chamber music repertoire, Schubert’s Quintet in C. Jamie is a young British cellist with a rising international reputation. His teacher William Pleeth wrote of him: “A cellist of outstanding ability, and a musician of great integrity”. He has already recorded the Schubert with the Wihan Quartet. Find out more about him on www.jamiewalton.com.
Something really special, and a bit different from our usual programming, is the welcome return of two outstanding singers of the Dunedin Consort, Susan Hamilton and Eamonn Dougan this time with a chamber group of fine players conducted by John Butt. They will perform a beautiful work which the Dunedin commissioned from composer, pianist and singer, Errollyn Wallen, using words from the Song of Songs, “Comfort me with Apples”. Unusually for a contemporary piece, it is written for a baroque style instrumental group accompanying the two voices. The programme will also include a Bach Cantata, music by Schütz (also based on the Song of Songs) and some instrumental pieces. More on the websites: www.dunedin-consort.org.uk and www.errollynwallen.com.
This quartet, formed by students at the Royal Northern College, is one of the current Tunnell Trust award winners. The award provides an opportunity for young musicians to travel and perform in various venues in Scotland, and will help to set the Finzi towards their goal of becoming a top class quartet, as have previous winners such as the Emperor and Belcea quartets. The quartet love the music of Gerald Finzi, and are supported by the Finzi Trust. They now regularly study in Madrid with members of the Alban Berg Quartet. While still at college the Finzi won the Nossek Quartet Prize, and this April they will be performing in the semi-finals of the London International Quartet Competition, one of only two British Quartets to have reached this stage in the competition - a great achievement at this stage of their careers. We are indebted to the Trust for this opportunity to hear this already successful young group with a very promising future. (www.finziquartet.com)
Steven Osborne hardly needs introduction, as he is so well established as the world-renowned Scottish pianist, who plays with the world’s greatest symphony orchestras. We are delighted to welcome him to Aberdeen as part of this special 75th season, in a different role, with his wife clarinettist Jean Johnson. The programme will include works for both piano solo (Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit) and solo clarinet, as well as Schumann’s Romanzen and the Saint Saens Sonata for the two instruments. Steven’s website is www.stevenosborne.co.uk.
Many of you may remember the lovely evening of piano quintets given by the Carducci Quartet with the pianist Nicola Eimer in January 2007. This time the quartet returns alone, with a programme including Haydn and Dvorak, and an unusual chance to hear a quartet by Philip Glass. Having already taken many prizes in prestigious competitions, in 2007 they won the Concert Artists Guild International Competition in the US, where they were chosen from over 350 groups. Their 2008 US concert tour was part of their prize, and on 31st March 2009, at their debut concert at the Carnegie Hall, NY, they will perform the world premiere of a quartet by the Chinese American composer, Huang Ruo. In fact the quartet will play four world premieres in 2009, a tribute to their championing of contemporary chamber music. They run festivals both in the UK and in France, and have current residencies at Cardiff University and Trinity College, London. More at www.carducciquartet.co.uk.
On this visit to Scotland, the Ensemble will bring us piano quartets by Schumann and Fauré, and a new work by Anthony Powers, Nightsongs (2007), based on a madrigal by Monteverdi. Formed 25 years ago, the Schubert Ensemble has built a deserved reputation as leading exponents of music for piano and strings, having performed in over 40 countries, and having commissioned over 30 works. The group is committed to combining education and new music initiatives and has commissioned 50 short pieces suitable for young and amateur musicians, which they use in their workshops around the country. The Ensemble has recorded many highly acclaimed CDs, and their contribution to the musical life of Britain was recognised by the Royal Philharmonic Society with the “Best Chamber Ensemble” award in 1998. See the website at: www.schubertensemble.com.