Dates for Your Diary

The London Bach Society

President: Sir David Tang and Artistic Director, Margaret Steinitz have announced a number of events in the coming months marking the centenary of the birth of the Society’s Founder Paul Steinitz (1909-1988), and the 200th anniversary of the first performance in Britain of a Bach choral work Jesu, meine Freude BWV 227 first performed in London's Hanover Square Rooms on June 3 1809

BachFest - Friday November 13 at 7.30pm
The Foundling Museum, 40 Brunswick Square, WC1 (Russell Square tube)

Inspired by the Friday evening meetings  of the Leipzig Collegium Musicum (the student's musical society) that Bach directed at Zimmermann's fashionable Coffee House from 1729-1742, the LBS launch The Bach Club for 18-30 year olds, with the Steinitz Bach Players directed by Anthony Robson with Philip Higham 'cello (winner of the 2008 Johann Sebastian Bach, Leipzig Competition – a YCAT Young Artist). Including JS Bach: Concerto for oboe and violin in C minor BWV 1060; Suite No 6 in D major BWV 1012 for unaccompanied 'cello; Handel: Concerto Grosso in D minor Opus 6 No 10.
To launch the new Club 50 tickets are available at £20 each and 50 free tickets are available for 18-30 year olds (proof of age required).
First come first served. Phone 01883 717372 by November 12.

Friday 20 November at 6.30pm 
National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin's Place, WC2  (Charing Cross, Leicester Square tubes)
Introducing Jola.... LBS Bach Singers' Prizewinner in 2008 - Jolanta Kowalska, soprano; Martin Knizia, harpsichord. A selection of Arias from Bach's treasury of cantatas and St. Matthew Passion. Admission Free - part of the Friday Music Series

Further details from: London Bach Society, 73 High Street, Old Oxted,  Surrey RH8 9LN
Telephone +44 (0) 1883 717372 E-mail lbs@lonbachsoc.demon.co.uk 

Murray Perahia at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

The Bridgewater Hall is delighted to welcome Murray Perahia back for a two concert showcase in this year's International Series. The Hall was designed with the acoustic for piano as a key focus, and it was Perahia who gave the first solo recital at the Hall after it first opened in 1996. After a break of nearly ten years, he returns. His first date in his mini-residency at the Hall this December 1 sees him direct his long-time collaborators The Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields in music by Bach and Mozart. A chamber ensemble presents J C Bach's rarely heard Concertante for two oboes, two horns and string quartet C40, followed by Mozart Piano Concerto No. 17 K453. J S Bach's Keyboard Concerto in D, BWV 1054 comes next, with Mozart’s Prague Symphony, No. 38.

In February Perahia returns for a recital, the repertoire for which has yet to be announced. Tickets for Murray Perahia's first date in this season's International Concert Series at The Bridgewater Hall on Tuesday December 1 cost from £10 to £36 and can be purchased online at www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk or by telephone at 0161 907 9000.

Brighton and Hove Sunday Morning Coffee Concerts

The 11th year of this very popular series promises to include some of the most accomplished and exciting talent ever featured The Old Market. Included among the November Sunday programmes are concerts on the 1st by the Endellion Quartet, preceded by a pre-concert talk b(from 10.15 – 10.40 am) by Jonathan Del Mar, discussing his new critical edition of Beethoven Quartets, and a visit by the Heath Quartet on the 29th. Further details from Artistic Director Caroline Brown: (01273) 740292.

Seventh Annual Berlioz Society Weekend - Interpreting Berlioz

The Berlioz Society’s principal annual London event – The Berlioz Weekend November 28/29 at The Artworkers Guild Hall, 6 Queen Square London WC1 – will focus this year on the topic of Interpreting Berlioz – with talks by eminent conductors, choirmasters, soloists, orchestral players, professors of music and music critics, headed by Sir Colin Davis CH, who is also the Society’s Patron; Dame Janet Baker CH; and David Cairns, the Society’s Chairman and international authority on the composer.

Other key participants include conductor Adrian Brown, Berlioz scholar and pupil of Sir Adrian Boult; David Alberman, Principal Second Violin of the London Symphony Orchestra; Alan Woodbridge, Chef des Choeurs at the Opera de Lyon; David Charlton, Emeritus Professor of Music, Royal Holloway College; Terry Barfoot, educator in music and publications consultant to the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra; and Melinda O’Neal, Professor of Music at Dartmouth College (Hanover, New Hampshire USA). A live Masterclass on singing Berlioz will be given by students of the National Opera Studio, led by its Director, the distinguished soprano Kathryn Harries. At the dinner on the Saturday evening at the nearby Grange White Hall Hotel, the Principal Guest and Speaker will be Michael Kennedy, the celebrated music critic.

Places at the whole Weekend, for non-Berlioz Society Members, including refreshments and buffet lunches are £140 pp and places at the dinner are £47.50 pp to include wine at table.

For further information regarding the Society Weekend please contact Society Administrator Harold Hughes, email: hwdh@msn.com. Also see the website at www.theberliozsociety.org.uk

Composers’ Competitions

1 – Presteigne Festival

The Presteigne Festival has for many years held an international reputation for the performance and promotion of contemporary music. It is also well-known for its support and nurturing of young composers and performing artists at the start of their careers, having been twice short-listed for the annual Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards for best festival or concert series. It seemed a natural progression for the Presteigne Festival to organise an annual competition for student and post-graduate composers which would stimulate the composition of contemporary classical music by young writers living in the United Kingdom. The competition is open to British-born composers between the ages of 20 and 29; the winner will be awarded a prize of £1,000 together with, more importantly, a performance at the 2010 Presteigne Festival by three outstanding young artists.

Thanks to a new association between the Presteigne Festival and the Birmingham Conservatoire, it is intended that a number of short-listed composers will have the opportunity to attend a workshop session led by Huw Watkins (one of the competition judges), George Vass (artistic director of the Presteigne Festival) and professional instrumentalists. During this workshop session, the short-listed compositions will be fine-tuned and recorded. The winning composition, a 5 – 7 minute piece of chamber music scored for clarinet, cello and piano will be awarded the first Alan Horne Prize for Composition, generously donated by Alan’s family in his memory.

The Presteigne Festival performance will be in August 2010 by Catriona Scott, clarinet; Marie Macleod, cello, and Tom Poster (piano). The closing date for entries is Friday, January 8 2010.

For an Application Pack please contact the Festival Administrator, Alison Porter alisonporter@presteignefestival.com or download from the Festival site www.presteignefestival.com

2 – Freeport Sixth International Musical Composition Contest

The Long Island Arts Council at Freeport is now sponsoring its Sixth International Musical Composition Contest, open to composers of all ages around the world.  The work, from 3 to 5 minutes in length, should be for an instrumental or voice student between the ages of 14 through 17, with piano accompaniment, both parts geared to the level of a student with five to seven years of experience.  Though contemporary, the work should be appealing to a young person.  The winning composition will be performed in the year 2010, at which time the composer will be awarded $500.  The deadline for submissions is a postmark no later than November 30, 2009.

 

Judging will take place in December.  Entrants should include a page containing their name, address, phone, e-mail address, a brief bio, and a check for $15 for each work submitted made payable to the Long Island Arts Council at Freeport.  A CD or audiotape is required.  If the material is to be returned, a self-addressed, stamped envelope should be included.  The Long Island Arts Council at Freeport cannot assume responsibility for loss or damage in transit.  The composer's real name should not appear anywhere on the score or recording. Please list a pseudonym instead.  Payment from overseas should be made by Western Union, made out to Marnie Katzman, Executive Director (please include confirmation number with the score) or through PayPal (visit the Arts Council’s website at www.liacfreeport.org andclick "Support Us" on the left side of the homepage).  For the return of foreign scores, please attach an international reply coupon to the return envelope.

 

Please send submissions to:
Composition Contest, Long Island Arts Council at Freeport, 130 East Merrick Road, Freeport, NY  11520.