Manchester Chamber Concerts Society has launched its 2019/2020 season of concerts at the Royal Northern College of Music. The season has a significant focus on young artists and the Society is delighted to feature an orchestral concert for the first time.
The Maxwell Quartet will open the season on 23rd September 2019 with a programme of works featuring Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 13 alongside a new work by Dutch composer Joey Roukens. In addition, they will showcase music of their hearts, as they perform an array of traditional Scottish folk music: “We believe folk music is the fundamental of classical music and our approach aims to marry the two together in a unique, free and meaningful way. For us, every melody is a song and every rhythm is a dance.”
On 7th October, James Campbell will join the Canadian Gryphon Trio in a performance of Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time. Hailed as one of the world’s most preeminent piano trio’s, The Gryphon Trio share the Society’s aim to inspire the next generation of classical audiences.
Cuarteto Quirogawill perform Brahms’ String Quartet in A Minor and Ginastera’s Hispanic Quartet on 4th November 2019. Recent winners of Spain’s National Music Prize, the ensemble are quartet in residence at Madrid’s Royal Palace.
The renowned Dutch reed quintet, Calefax, has been acclaimed around the world for their virtuosic playing, brilliant arrangements and innovative stage presentation. On 4th December 2019 they will present music by Bach, Mendelssohn, Messiaen, Alain, Duruflé and Franck.
BBC Young Musician of the Year, Lauren Zhang, will perform with as soloist in Mozart’s Piano Concert K271 with the European Union Chamber Orchestra on 27th January 2020. Zhang wowed audiences with her performance of Prokofiev’s Second Piano Concerto alongside Mark Wigglesworth and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in the final of the BBC competition last year. The orchestra will complete the programme with Holst’s St Paul’s Suite and Haydn’s Symphony No. 49 ‘La Passione’.
The Schumann Quartet performs works by Mozart, Shostakovich and Smetana on 17thFebruary. Renowned for their intimate and exceptional live performances, the Quartet believes: “a work only develops in a live performance. That is the real thing, because we ourselves never know what will happen. On stage, all imitation disappears and you can automatically become honest with yourself. Then you can create a bond with the audience and communicate through music.”
On 2nd March 2019, the Society will promote its second platform for emerging young artists from the RNCM. Thanks to an incredibly generous bequest by Charlotte Norton, three young ensembles from the Royal Northern College of Music will feature in the main season of the Manchester Chamber Concerts Society. Further programme details will be announced in due course.
The season concludes with Tre Voce, an ensemble featuring Ruby Hughes, Natalie Clein andJulius Drake. The famous trio will perform works by Janacek, Kodaly, Schubert, Brahms and Taverner.
For more information about the Society, please visit www.chamberconcerts.org.