Bartholdy String Quartet & Catarina Passos
Marisol Lee and Tessa Ho (violins), Ricardo Gaspar (viola), Catarina Passos (flute)
The Bartholdy Quartet, unfortunately without their cellist, who had injured her wrist, spent a week at Brel in the colder time of the year – so the concert was given in the salon of the house – but were fortunately joined by Catarina Passos, giving us the opportunity to hear a varied recital. Formed at the Royal Academy of Music in September 2012 by four postgraduates from South Korea, Australia, Portugal, and Iceland, the Bartholdy quartet has performed frequently at the Academy and outside, including works by Dvorak, Mendelssohn, Haydn, and Schumann.
Catarina Passos is a Portuguese flautist, also at the Academy, who joins members of the quartet today. The quartet is currently working on works by Shostakovich, and will be appearing at the Norwich Festival in May.
Concert Sunday 3 March 2013
Ludwig van Beethoven: Serenade for flute, violin, and viola op 25
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:1st movement from Duo in G for violin and viola
Franz Anton Hoffmeister: Duo for flute and viola
Antonin Dvorak (1841 - 1904): Terzetto for two violins and viola
Academy of French Song and Opera
Course leaders: Florence Daguerre de Hureaux, Caroline Dowdle, Jean Paul Pruna
A new venture, founded by Florence Daguerre de Hureaux and Caroline Dowdle and dedicated to helping young singers with specifically French repertoire, with an emphasis on the correct singing of the French language held their first course at Brel 10-17 August 2013. Six singers from around the world attended. Public masterclasses took place on Wednesday 14 August as well as the concert on 16 August.
Carolyn Dobbin, a mezzo soprano from Carrickfergus, studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. She has appeared in operas across the UK and Europe. Future engagements include Tisbe (Cenerentola), Bradamante (Alcina) and the title role of Carmen, all in Switzerland.
Joanna Foote (soprano) graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles. She has appeared recently at Garsington Opera, Le Chatelet in Paris, the Liceu in Barcelona and with the BBC concert orchestra. She performed in Seattle Opera’s Young Artist production of Ariadne auf Naxos (Strauss). Joanna is a Samling scholar.
Clara Lisle (soprano) grew up in California. She studied music at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, London, where she graduated with first class honours. She has appeared with such companies as Classical Opera, Opera de Baugé and Aylesbury Opera Group. Future plans include Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915
Marika Machitidze (soprano) studied in Kutaisi and Tbilisi Conservatories, and in the Georgia Rodolfo Celletti Academy of Bel Canto in Italy. Marika is a soloist with the Tbilisi National Opera and Ballet House. She is a winner of the 4th National Music Competition of and the Lado Ataneli Competition.
Annie Rago (mezzo soprano) studied at the Royal Academy of Music, before graduating Bachelor of Music, (Vocal Repertoire & Languages) from Northwestern University. Recently, she appeared in Spitalfields Music Festival and the world-premier of Kommilitonen! (Young Blood) by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.
Kate Valentine (soprano) studied at the RSAMD and National Opera Studio. She is currently an English National Opera Harewood Artist. Forthcoming engagements include Last Night of the Proms (Glasgow), Female Chorus (Rape of Lucretia - Glyndebourne) and Fiordiligi (Cosi fan tutte - ENO)
Concert Friday 16 August 2013
This concert is dedicated to the memory of Wendy Ferguson, who died yesterday. Her son, Marc Bowditch, painted the three watercolours in the Music Barn.
Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante (Carmen, Bizet) Kate Valentine
Deh’ vieni, non tardar (Le nozze di Figaro, Mozart) Clara Lisle
El paño moruno (Falla) Annie Rago
Séguedille (Carmen, Bizet) Carolyn Dobbin
Regnava nel silenzio (Lucia di Lammermoor, Donizetti) Marika Machitidze
Rusalka’s Song to the Moon (Rusalka, Dvorak) Kate Valentine
Sull’ aria (Le nozze di Figaro, Mozart) Kate Valentine and Joanna Foote
Pantomime & Apparition (Debussy) Joanna Foote
Chanson d’Automne & Tous Deux (Hahn) Annie Rago
Clair de lune (Fauré) Clara Lisle
L’air des cartes (Carmen, Bizet) Carolyn Dobbin
If I loved you (Carousel, Rodgers and Hammerstein) Joanna Foote
Gavotte (Manon, Massenet) Marika Machitidz
Jubilee Quartet
Tereza Privratska (violin), Alanna Tonetti-Tieppo (violin), Stephanie Edmundson (viola), Lauren Steel (violoncello)
The Jubilee Quartet came to stay with us 1-8 September 2013 before their participation in the Trondheim International Competition. Formed in 2006 at the Royal Academy of Music, the Jubilee Quartet has performed extensively in the UK and abroad. They held a Leverhulme Chamber Music Fellowship at the Academy from 2012/13, and have been awarded the Richard Carne Junior Fellowship for String Quartet at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance for 2013/14.
Future engagements include concerts around the UK and Italy, and recitals in the Purcell room in January 2014, and the Wigmore Hall in November 2013 and July 2014. The quartet currently play on fine instruments kindly on loan from the Royal Academy of Music.
Concert, Saturday 7 September 2013
Ludwig Van Beethoven: String Quartet in C Minor Op 18 No 4 (1801)
Trygve Brøske:The old song that got stuck in my head - variations on the tune Leirfivellandet (2013)
Felix Mendelssohn: String quartet in F Minor Op 80 (1847)