Dates for the diary - September/October
Our pocket opera this year will be Don Pasquale. Graeme Danby who has produced the last two operas very successfully at Brel will not only be producing again but taking the lead role. We are also delighted to have pianist and conductor Stephen Higgins join the team this year as music director. Other members of the cast will be Fae Evelyn (Norina), Tom Asher (Dr Malatesta), Magnus.Walker (Ernesto) and Alice Johnston (Notary)
On Thursday 21 September there will be a recital “Songs of the Countryside” and on Friday 22 September and Saturday 23 September there will be two performances of Don Pasquale. Invitation will go out a week before.
We are also very pleased that pianist Joanna Goodale will be once again visiting us. This year her concert at Brel will be on Sunday 1 October. She will be presenting a brand new programme around the theme of birds featuring the work of French baroque composer Rameau and her own melodies inspired by the music of the Balkans and beyond.
2023 Residencies
Our first visitors to Brel this year was soprano Olivia Warburton and pianist Johan Banoin. They visited us in 2019 and this time they worked on material for a new series of recitals scheduled for the autumn including both English and French songs. They stayed with us from 16-22 May with a concert on Sunday 21 May.
JULY
Once again, Amanda Roocroft, soprano and Joseph Middleton, piano, led a week long course for young singers and accompanists. They were with us for the first week of July. Their stay included a masterclass and a concert on 6 July.
Later in July we welcomed the Vivo Trio which includes two musicians who have already visited Brel - pianist Maksim Stsura and violinist Michael Foyle - who play together as the Foyle Stsura Duo. They were joined by cellist Rafael Lang and worked on a programme including Schubert and Beethoven Trios which they played in Austria in late August.
AUGUST
In August saxophonist Huw Wiggin will be visiting with Spanish saxophonist Jose Banuls and they will be coaching a young saxophone quartet the Aurora Quartet from London’s Royal College of Music. More than 100 people came to their concert on 15 August despite the heat.
The Mikeleiz-Zucchi Duo visited us in August. Spanish accordion player Inigo Mikeleiz- Berrade and Canadian saxophonist David Zucchi play a huge range of music and their programme ranged from baroque to tango.
