Live Concert: Spotlight on… Isata

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London Mozart Players
Isata Kanneh-Mason piano
Simon Blendis leader
Stephanie Childress conductor

Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No.1 in G minor, Op.25
Beethoven Symphony No.2 in D major, Op.36

Charismatic young pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason, the eldest of the Kanneh-Mason siblings, and acclaimed conductor Stephanie Childress, join LMP for a concert programme that fizzes with life-affirming exuberance.

Beethoven’s majestic Symphony No.2 takes the orchestra on a journey of expression and invention from its opening through to the ravishing finale – complete with a magnificent coda that ends the work with a flourish of timpani- and trumpet-laden triumph.

But the spotlight is on our soloist Isata Kanneh-Mason, who performs Mendelssohn’s first piano concerto, a showcase of captivating melodies and glittering passagework that will highlight the prodigious talent of our virtuoso performer. A BBC Young Musician finalist, four-time winner of the Royal Academy Iris Dyer Piano Prize (among many other prizes) and multi-scholarship winner, Isata is much in demand in concert halls around the UK and abroad, and LMP musicians are hugely looking forward to performing alongside her.

‘She is a pianist who makes lines sing beautifully and virtuosic passages dance, finding intimacy and eloquence at telling moments…’ – BBC Music Magazine.

There will be two concerts on the same day to accommodate social distancing. This concert will be filmed for later release on the LMP website. 

As part of LMP’s 100k Challenge (to reach 100,000 children and young people through music in 2021) we are working with schools and music hubs across the UK to make our Spotlight concert films available to schools for a limited time, for free, along with specially curated ‘listening guides’ for different age groups.

If you would like your schools to be part of this initiative, please contact Tegan Eldridge for more information.

Live Concert: Spotlight on… Sheku

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Mendelssohn The Hebrides ‘Fingal’s Cave’, Op.26
Dvořák Cello Concerto in B minor, Op.104

London Mozart Players
Sheku Kanneh-Mason cello
Jaime Martin conductor
Ruth Rogers leader

London Mozart Players, under the baton of Jaime Martin, bring a duet of musical masterpieces to Fairfield Halls in June, with the solo spotlight shining on acclaimed cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who will perform the pinnacle of the repertoire, Dvorak’s stirring and poignant cello concerto. Since its premiere in 1896, this concerto has become one of the most performed and most recorded pieces for the instrument. Epic and symphonic in scope, it is full of memorable themes, and resonates with a lyricism that’s bound to stir the emotions, particularly in the hands of our talented soloist, Sheku. LMP is delighted to be performing again alongside this remarkable young musician in this touching, powerful work.

The concert opens with Mendelssohn’s Hebrides overture, a painterly tone poem that evokes memories of a trip to Scotland, particularly the dramatic sight of Fingal’s Cave on the Isles of Staffa.

These two socially-distanced concerts will be the first concerts at Fairfield Halls when it reopens after lockdown.

This concert will also be filmed for a limited release on the LMP website in June 2021.

As part of LMP’s 100k Challenge (to reach 100,000 children and young people through music in 2021) we are working with schools and music hubs across the UK to make our Spotlight concert films available to schools for a limited time, for free, along with specially curated ‘listening guides’ for different age groups.

If you would like your schools to be part of this initiative, please contact Tegan Eldridge for more information.

Live Concert: Seaford Music Society

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Programme
Haydn Baryton Trio in G Major, HXI:124,
Beethoven String Trio Number 5 in C Minor, Opus 9, Number 3
Dohnányi Serenade in C Major for String Trio, Opus 10

London Mozart Players String Trio
Ruth Rogers violin
Judith Busbridge viola
Sebastian Comberti cello

The London Mozart Players Chamber Ensemble presents a feast of delights from a trio of wonderful composers. The music will take you on a journey from the mid-1700s to the beginning of the 20th century. The appetizer is one of 126 trios written by Haydn for a Baryton, an extraordinary stringed instrument that Haydn’s patron Prince Nikolas of Esterhazy was a great exponent. This is followed by a passionate, energetic and stormy trio, opus 9 in C minor, written when Beethoven was 28 and a delightful Serenade written by Erno Dohnanyi in 1902 will round off the recital. A banquet to please all palates!

Live Concert: Howard Shelley and the London Mozart Players at St Paul’s Knightsbridge

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Programme
Mozart Divertimento in D major, K136
Beethoven Piano Concerto No 3 in C minor, Op 37.

The curtain rises on St Paul’s winter concert series with a celebration of Beethoven’s 250th anniversary. The exceptional pianist, communicator and Conductor Laureate of the London Mozart Players (LMP) Howard Shelley directs a performance of Beethoven’s sublime Piano Concerto No. 3. The concert opens with Mozart’s well known Divertimento K 136.

Howard Shelley has enjoyed a distinguished career since his acclaimed London debut in 1971. He has a special relationship with the LMP with whom he has worked closely for 45 years. They have given hundreds of concerts and made many recordings and overseas tours together. An Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Music, he was awarded an OBE for his services to classical music in 2009.

Notes

  • The concert will last one hour. There will be no interval.
  • There will be no reserved seating in the pews – please maintain suitable social distancing during your time in the building.
  • There is a wheelchair ramp to access the building, but no accessible WC for those in wheelchairs.

Standard COVID rules apply

  • Please do not come to the church if you are feeling unwell, or have any COVID symptoms
  • Hand sanitizer will be available as you enter the church.
  • Unless you are exempt by law, we ask that you wear a face covering and maintain appropriate social distancing during your time in the building.

Live Concert: Christmas Comfort and Joy

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Programme includes:

Corelli Christmas Concerto
Vivaldi ‘Winter’ from The Four Seasons
Anderson Sleigh Ride
Anderson The Typewriter
Christmas songs including ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ performed by special guest Daniel Todd, chorister with Trinity Boys Choir

2020 has been quite a year, and London Mozart Players is determined to see it out bringing joy and comfort to all, with four Christmas concerts packed with seasonal favourites and winter warmers. Our festive programme brings together the music we all love at Christmas, from traditional carols, to yuletide songs and classical favourites: Vivaldi’s ‘Winter’ from The Four Seasons will have your teeth chattering while Irving Berlin’s ‘White Christmas’ and Rossetti’s ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ will conjure up the magic and memories of all our best Christmases. There’s something for everyone, including, of course, traditional mulled wine and mince pies. Do join us as we reconnect one last time this year, sharing the joys of live music and bringing a little slice of Christmas cheer.

COVID-restrictions and safeguarding

In accordance with government guidelines, social distancing measures will be in place at the venue to ensure everyone’s safety.

You will be seated in a bubble the size of which corresponds to the number of tickets you have booked, with 2m between bubbles. Please note that you can only share a seating bubble with members of your household or support bubble. If you are coming with a friend who is not part of your household or support bubble, please book your tickets separately as you need to be given two separate bubbles.

Tickets need to be bought online. Due to current COVID safeguarding measures, there are no ticket sales on the door.

Live Concert: Christmas Comfort and Joy

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Programme includes:

Corelli Christmas Concerto
Vivaldi ‘Winter’ from The Four Seasons
Anderson Sleigh Ride
Anderson The Typewriter
Christmas songs including ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ performed by special guest Daniel Todd, chorister with Trinity Boys Choir

2020 has been quite a year, and London Mozart Players is determined to see it out bringing joy and comfort to all, with four Christmas concerts packed with seasonal favourites and winter warmers. Our festive programme brings together the music we all love at Christmas, from traditional carols, to yuletide songs and classical favourites: Vivaldi’s ‘Winter’ from The Four Seasons will have your teeth chattering while Irving Berlin’s ‘White Christmas’ and Rossetti’s ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ will conjure up the magic and memories of all our best Christmases. There’s something for everyone, and the St Mary’s café will be open for refreshments too. Do join us as we reconnect one last time this year, sharing the joys of live music and bringing a little slice of Christmas cheer.

COVID-restrictions and safeguarding

In accordance with government guidelines, social distancing measures will be in place at the venue to ensure everyone’s safety.

You will be seated in a bubble the size of which corresponds to the number of tickets you have booked, with 2m between bubbles. Please note that you can only share a seating bubble with members of your household or support bubble. If you are coming with a friend who is not part of your household or support bubble, please book your tickets separately as you need to be given two separate bubbles.

Tickets need to be bought online. Due to current COVID safeguarding measures, there are no ticket sales on the door.

CANCELLED: Live Concert: A Christmas Carol (LMP Friends Lunchtime Special)

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A Christmas Carol

London Mozart Players String Trio
Nicoline Kraamwinkel violin
Sebastian Comberti cello
Julian Rolton piano

Tama Matheson narrator
Chorister Quartet from Trinity School Croydon

Festive seasons past, present and future combine in this seasonal treat as Charles Dickens gives a dramatic re-telling of his classic tale: ‘A Christmas Carol’. In this exciting adaptation, actor Tama Matheson breathes fresh life into Dickens who takes to the stage to tell his moving morality tale of Scrooge, Marley, Tiny Tim and all those Christmas ghosts, accompanied by an atmospheric soundscape of Christmas carols performed a string trio from the London Mozart Players and a quartet from Trinity School London.

By turns gloriously funny, sad, joyous and heart-rending, this evocative blend of carols and drama captures the wonder, pathos and sheer spookiness of this Christmas classic. It’s the perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit!

The musical backdrop to the story is provided by a piano trio made up of LMP players. Nicoline Kraamwinkel (violin), Sebastian Comberti (cello) and Julian Rolton (piano), and a quartet of choristers from Trinity School, who will set the scene for the play with some of the most loved Christmas Carols such as O Holy Night and Good King Wenceslas.

Tama Matheson and LMP were recently shortlisted for an RPS Award for Tama’s lyric-drama performance on Tchaikovsky, Bright Stars Shone for Us. Tama continues his brilliant storytelling in this performance of A Christmas Carol, which has had two years running of sell-out performances in the Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall, and in the Savvy Theatre at Fairfield Halls.

 

Tama Matheson is an award-winning writer, director, and actor with a passion for bringing together music and the spoken word. He has been writing and producing Lyric Dramas for several years in both England and Australia, where they have met with universal acclaim.  

Tama has written and performed seven plays, including Ben (about Benjamin Britten), Bright Stars Shone for Us  (about Tchaikovsky, and recently performed with the LMP at the Wimbledon Int. Music Festival in 2019), Panufnik – his Quest for Peace (to be performed with pianist Clare Hammond in 2021), and his own adaptations of A Christmas Carol and Christmas Fairy Tales. He has also recorded his Christmas Carol for 4MBS radio in Australia, where it is plays every year. Tama presents most of his lyric drama work, productions and collaborations under the name POESIS Production. 

Tama has received several awards as both director and actor (Matilda Awards, Green Room Awards, Del Arte Charts). As an opera director, Tama has worked all over the world, including the Sydney Opera House, Oper Graz, Houston Grand Opera, Melbourne and Perth and South Australian Opera. He has also worked at Covent Garden, The Mariinsky Theatre, Teatro Real, Madrid, and Baden Baden Opera. As a theatre director, he has worked extensively in Australia as well as in London. www.tamamatheson.com / www.poesis.co.uk

 

Tickets: £65 (includes the concert, a glass of prosecco and a two course Saturday-roast)
Lunch at 1:00pm, followed by the concert at 2:30

CANCELLED: Live Concert: A Christmas Carol

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A Christmas Carol

London Mozart Players String Trio
Nicoline Kraamwinkel violin
Sebastian Comberti cello
Julian Rolton piano

Tama Matheson narrator
Chorister Quartet from Trinity School Croydon

Festive seasons past, present and future combine in this seasonal treat as Charles Dickens gives a dramatic re-telling of his classic tale: ‘A Christmas Carol’. In this exciting adaptation, actor Tama Matheson breathes fresh life into Dickens who takes to the stage to tell his moving morality tale of Scrooge, Marley, Tiny Tim and all those Christmas ghosts, accompanied by an atmospheric soundscape of Christmas carols performed a string trio from the London Mozart Players and a quartet from Trinity School London.

By turns gloriously funny, sad, joyous and heart-rending, this evocative blend of carols and drama captures the wonder, pathos and sheer spookiness of this Christmas classic. It’s the perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit!

The musical backdrop to the story is provided by a piano trio made up of LMP players. Nicoline Kraamwinkel (violin), Sebastian Comberti (cello) and Julian Rolton (piano), and a quartet of choristers from Trinity School, who will set the scene for the play with some of the most loved Christmas Carols such as O Holy Night and Good King Wenceslas.

Tama Matheson and LMP were recently shortlisted for an RPS Award for Tama’s lyric-drama performance on Tchaikovsky, Bright Stars Shone for Us. Tama continues his brilliant storytelling in this performance of A Christmas Carol, which has had two years running of sell-out performances in the Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall, and in the Savvy Theatre at Fairfield Halls.

 

Tama Matheson is an award-winning writer, director, and actor with a passion for bringing together music and the spoken word. He has been writing and producing Lyric Dramas for several years in both England and Australia, where they have met with universal acclaim.  

Tama has written and performed seven plays, including Ben (about Benjamin Britten), Bright Stars Shone for Us  (about Tchaikovsky, and recently performed with the LMP at the Wimbledon Int. Music Festival in 2019), Panufnik – his Quest for Peace (to be performed with pianist Clare Hammond in 2021), and his own adaptations of A Christmas Carol and Christmas Fairy Tales. He has also recorded his Christmas Carol for 4MBS radio in Australia, where it is plays every year. Tama presents most of his lyric drama work, productions and collaborations under the name POESIS Production. 

Tama has received several awards as both director and actor (Matilda Awards, Green Room Awards, Del Arte Charts). As an opera director, Tama has worked all over the world, including the Sydney Opera House, Oper Graz, Houston Grand Opera, Melbourne and Perth and South Australian Opera. He has also worked at Covent Garden, The Mariinsky Theatre, Teatro Real, Madrid, and Baden Baden Opera. As a theatre director, he has worked extensively in Australia as well as in London. www.tamamatheson.com / www.poesis.co.uk

Tickets: £100 (includes the concert, a glass of prosecco and a three course dinner)

Live Concert: Piano Explored – Mozart and Moscheles

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Mozart Piano Concerto No.6 in B-flat major, K.238
Moscheles Piano Concerto 1 in F major, Op.45

London Mozart Players
Howard Shelley Piano

Directing from the piano, Howard Shelley introduces a two-concerto lunchtime concert that pairs a Mozart masterpiece with an unknown gem. Mozart’s beautifully expressive Piano Concerto No. 6, written when the composer was only 20, shows young Mozart at his finest and hints at the expressive intensity to come. Lively writing at the outset is followed by a refined and expressive slow movement reminiscent of the Andante of concerto no.21, before a finale packed with terpsichorean themes brings the concerto to an exuberant end. In the hands of the LMP and Howard Shelley, Mozart’s charming melodies will dance between the pillars of St John’s Smith Square’s stunning baroque interior. Moscheles may be a new name for many, but Mozart lovers will find much to admire in his 1819 piano concerto, which is packed with Mozartean grace and lyrical melody. Howard Shelley, an acclaimed exponent of repertoire which bridges the Classical and Romantic periods, will bring stylistic elegance and nimbleness to this delightful work, bringing the season to a lively end.

‘Shelley’s performances combine spirit and finesse’ Classic FM

This concert will also be livestreamed and available to view online until 25 November  – ONLINE tickets available here

Live Concert: Piano Explored – Saint-Saëns and Mendelssohn

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Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No.2 in G minor, Op.22
Mendelssohn Capriccio Brillant in B minor, Op.22

London Mozart Players
Simon Blendis leader
Howard Shelley piano

The seventh season of Piano Explored, postponed from October 2020 to February 2021, opens with Saint-Saëns much-admired second piano concerto – a tour de force for any pianist. By turns tempestuous, flighty and lyrical, this concerto breaks convention by having each succeeding movement faster than the last in a structured accelerando, ending with an exhilarating conclusion. Berlioz described Saint-Saëns as ‘an absolutely shattering master pianist’, and in Howard Shelley we have our own master at work. In this lunchtime concert, Saint-Saëns is paired with Mendelssohn’s a charming one-movement Capriccio Brillant, which reveals the best in sophisticated pianistic art. The gentle melancholy of the Andante and the contrasting dizzying arpeggios, chromatic runs and octave leaps of the Allegro will allow Howard Shelley to demonstrate his virtuosic skills and profound musicality. Howard’s entertaining and informative introduction will be followed by a performance of both works by the LMP with Howard directing from the piano.

‘[An] aristocratic command of the glittering keyboard pyrotechnics.’ Daily Telegraph

This concert will be filmed and released online on Thursday 18 February – tickets available here

Live Concert: Grayshott Concerts

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Corelli Christmas Concerto
Bach Violin concerto in E major
Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending
Holst St Pauls Suite

London Mozart Players
Tasmin Little violin
Ruth Rogers director

In one of her final concerts before retiring from the concert platform, Tasmin Little will perform Vaughan Williams’ stunningly beautiful The Lark Ascending with the LMP an orchestra she has performed alongside on many occasions in her glittering career. Also on the programme is Holst’s homage to the English folk song, his St Paul’s Suite and Bach’s delightful Bach E major Concerto. And to usher in Advent, LMP will also perform Corelli’s Christmas Concerto to get us in the mood for the impending festive season.

The concerts will follow full Covid-19 guidelines.

Live Concert: Grayshott Concerts

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Vivaldi Four Seasons “Spring”, “Summer”
Karl Jenkins Enchantment (World Premiere)
Mozart Divertimento K.137 in B flat
Vivaldi Four Seasons “Autumn”, “Winter”

London Mozart Players
Shoshanah Sievers violin
Simon Blendis leader

This is going to be a very special occasion – the World Premiere of Karl Jenkins’ ‘Enchantment’, conducted by the composer himself: black tie optional! Local star violinist Shoshanah Sievers, for whom the work was commissioned by Grayshott Concerts, will perform the work, accompanied by London Mozart Players. Also on the programme is perennial favourite The Four Seasons by Vivaldi and Mozart’s enchanting Divertimento K.137 in B flat.

The concerts will follow full Covid-19 guidelines.

Live Concert: Petworth Festival

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Haydn arr Salomon Symphony no.94 “Surprise” (movement 1)
Beethoven arr. Lachner Piano Concerto no.3 

London Mozart Players
Howard Shelley piano
Simon Blendis leader

LMP and their Conductor Laureate Howard Shelley open this special online edition of the Petworth Festival with a celebration of Beethoven’s 250th anniversary. Exceptional Pianist Howard Shelley directs a performance of the sublime Piano Concerto No. 3, and concert opens with the opening Adagio-Allegro assai from Haydn’s 94th ‘Surprise’ Symphony. Howard has a special relationship with the LMP with whom he has worked closely for 45 years. Together we have given hundreds of concerts and made many recordings and overseas tours. An Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Music, Howard was awarded an OBE for his services to classical music in 2009.

Live Concert: Celebrating Beethoven

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Beethoven Coriolan Overture, Op.62
Beethoven Violin Concerto in D, Op.61

London Mozart Players
Jonian Ilias Kadesha violin

LMP is back, performing the best in classical music to a live audience! Due to the restrictions imposed by Covid-19 we are taking our Autumn 2020 concerts online as our ‘Classical Club’ which launches at the end of September. We’d love as many of you as possible to be in our socially-distanced audiences for the concert recordings; live music needs a live audience! Our third concert in the series where we can accommodate an audience will be recorded under Covid-19 restrictions at the beautiful baroque gem that is St John’s Smith Square, one of LMP’s favourite concert halls. And we have a terrific concert for you, with an exceptional soloist.

The musical celebrations to mark Beethoven’s 250th anniversary year were put on hold with the arrival of Covid-19, but we can all enjoy a late salute to the musical genius in November, when LMP performs Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture and his Violin Concerto. The Overture was inspired by Heinrich von Collin’s play Coriolan, rather than Shakespeare’s tragedy, and the music reflects the contrasting moods in the story – Coriolan’s aggression and his mother’s gentle pleading. Beethoven’s Violin Concerto is one of his most serene works, reflecting the composer’s relative personal happiness at the time. This revolutionary concerto takes us on a journey different from any violin concerto that preceded it: from a lyrical first movement, to a larghetto second movement and finally, a joyous rambunctious finale. It’s a hugely satisfying masterpiece that perfectly displays Beethoven’s genius. We welcome rising star and YCAT artist Jonian Ilias Kadesha as soloist for this final concert of the series. PLUS there may be one or two extra musical flourishes!

 

Ticket Info

To book your ticket, please click the red ‘Book’ button at the bottom of this page and follow the instruction on the screen.

Once you have booked your ticket, you will be emailed confirmation of your purchase and your Print at Home tickets, which we ask you to bring along to the concert. You can either print them off or show them on your phone.

 

Seating at St John’s Smith Square

In accordance with government guidelines, you will be seated in a bubble the size of which corresponds to the number of tickets you have booked, with 2m between bubbles. Due to a recent change in government guidelines, you can only share a seating bubble with members of your household or support bubble.

If you are coming with a friend who is not part of your household or support bubble, please book your tickets separately as you need to be given two separate bubbles. If you write us an email to let us know who you are coming to the concert with, we’ll try our best to allocate you to two bubbles next to each other.

Upon arrival at St John’s a member of staff will guide you to your seating bubble. It is not permitted to switch or re-arrange seating bubbles.

Please do not attend the performance if you or anyone in your household feels unwell on the day of the performance or in the days leading up to the performance.

 

COVID-restrictions and safeguarding

In accordance with government guidelines, social distancing measures will be in place at the venue to ensure everyone’s safety.

 

Live Concert: Bows and Oboes

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Strauss Concerto in D major for Oboe and Small Orchestra
Mendelssohn Symphony No.4 in A major, Op.90 ‘Italian’

London Mozart Players
Mateusz Moleda Conductor
Olivier Stankiewicz Oboe

LMP is back, performing the best in classical music to a live audience! Due to the restrictions imposed by Covid-19 we are taking our Autumn 2020 concerts online as our ‘Classical Club’ which launches at the end of September. We’d love as many of you as possible to be in our socially-distanced audiences for the concert recordings. Our second audience concert will be recorded under Covid-19 restrictions at Croydon’s Fairfield Halls, LMP’s residency for the past 30 years. We can’t wait to get back in the Phoenix Hall to perform for you, and it’s an exhilarating programme with an exceptional soloist!

A chance encounter at the end of World War Two between composer Richard Strauss and a young American solider, a professional oboist in civilian life, planted the seed of an idea that flourished into the finest oboe concerto written in the 20th century. Although seemingly light and playful, Strauss’ Oboe Concerto is exceptionally difficult to perform, with circular breathing a pre-requisite. We are delighted to showcase a young oboist who is destined for a great professional career, YCAT artist Olivier Stankiewicz, who performs the solo, under the baton of conductor Mateusz Moleda. The programme also includes Mendelssohn’s jaunty and optimistic Italian Symphony. We may have one or two other musical treats up our sleeves!

Tickets £25, by invite only (limited availability due to reduced audience size)
• No interval
• This concert is being recorded for broadcast.

Covid-19 compliance
In accordance with government guidelines, social distancing measures will be in place at the venue to ensure everyone’s safety.

Michael Collins: Clarinet at the Clock Tower

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Weber Clarinet Quintet in B♭ Major, Op.34
Mozart Clarinet Quintet in A Major, K.581

Michael Collins clarinet
London Mozart Players

7pm BST

In a treat for woodwind fans (and there have not been many woodwind outings this year, thanks to Covid-19), clarinet virtuoso Michael Collins joins LMP’s Classical Club for a sublime chamber concert direct from the lofty space in the Clock Tower above St Pancras Station. Two clarinet quintets are on the programme: Mozart’s glorious quintet with its melting second movement is one of the earliest and most beloved pieces for clarinet, written especially for his friend, the basset clarinettist Anton Stadler. The Weber quintet, graceful and exuberant by turn, is itself a little masterpiece, full of musical leaps and pirouettes. Michael Collins will bring all his dazzling virtuosity and sensitive musicianship to these delightful chamber works.

 

Tickets

You can buy individual tickets for concerts for £12 (€13/$15), children’s concerts £5 each (€6/$7), or an 8-concert ‘Season Pass’ for £60 (€72/$80). A Season Pass includes extra content such as interviews and behind-the-scenes films, plus free concert programmes.

BUY YOUR TICKET

 

Concert snippet

Get a taste of the concert with this short preview.

 

About Classical Club

Classical Club is a brand-new series of eight classical music concerts, in partnership with Scala Radio.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CLASSICAL CLUB

 

Further Information

Soloist: Michael Collins

 

Michael Collins MBE is a distinguished soloist, and has in recent years also become a highly regarded conductor. Michael performs worldwide as soloist and conductor, and pre-Covid engagements include tours in South Africa, Australia (with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra), Japan and Mexico (with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional). Michael is committed to expanding the repertoire of the clarinet and has premiered many new works, including by Adams, Carter and Turnage. Michael’s most recent recording is an extensive discography of concertante works by Richard Strauss, with Collins as conductor and soloist. Michael is in great demand as a chamber musician: during the 2019/20 season he was artist in residence at the Wigmore Hall, and performed one of the Hall’s many lunchtime recitals that were live streamed during lockdown. LMP is fortunate to collaborate with Michael on a regular basis, and our Clock Tower concert will be a real delight.

 

Venue: St Pancras Clock Tower

Our second Classical Club concert will be streamed from the Tower Room in the iconic clock tower that soars over St Pancras Station. The tower in fact sits within St Pancras Chambers, formerly the Midland Grand Hotel. This famous railway terminus hotel was constructed at St Pancras by the Midland Railway Company between 1868 to 1876, with the hotel opening in 1873. The hotel’s architect was George Gilbert Scott, the great proponent of Gothic Revival, a Victorian style that redeployed gothic architectural elements of the Middle Ages. The 10-m-high Tower Room makes an incredible space for chamber recitals.

Back to Classical Club page.

Online Concert: Bows & Oboes

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Strauss Concerto in D major for Oboe and Small Orchestra, AV 144, TrV 292
Mendelssohn Symphony No.4 in A major, Op.90 ‘Italian’

Ruth Rogers leader
Olivier Stankiewicz oboe
London Mozart Players
Mateusz Moleda conductor

7pm GMT

A chance encounter at the end of World War Two between composer Richard Strauss and a young American solider, a professional oboist in civilian life, planted the seed of an idea that flourished into the finest oboe concerto written in the 20th century. Although seemingly light and playful, Strauss’ Oboe Concerto is exceptionally difficult to perform, with circular breathing a pre-requisite. We are delighted to showcase a young oboist who is destined for a great professional career, YCAT artist Olivier Stankiewicz, who performs the solo, under the baton of conductor Mateusz Moleda. The programme also includes Mendelssohn’s jaunty and optimistic Italian Symphony. This concert will be filmed before a socially-distancing audience at Fairfield Halls, Croydon, where the London Mozart Players have enjoyed a 30-year residency.

If you would like to be in the audience for this event, there is more information here.

 

Tickets

You can buy individual tickets for concerts for £12 (€13/$15), children’s concerts £5 each (€6/$7), or an 8-concert ‘Season Pass’ for £60 (€72/$80). A Season Pass includes extra content such as interviews and behind-the-scenes films, plus free concert programmes. 

 

BUY YOUR TICKET

About Classical Club

Classical Club is a brand-new series of eight classical music concerts, in partnership with Scala Radio.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CLASSICAL CLUB

 

Further Information

Soloist: Olivier Stankiewicz

Born in Nice, Olivier Stankiewicz studied oboe and theory at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris. He is currently principal oboe of the London Symphony Orchestra and Professor of Oboe at the Royal College of Music, and is sought after as a soloist, chamber musician and teacher. Olivier won 1st Prize at the Oboe Competition in Japan, the YCA auditions in Leipzig and New York, and in 2016 was a prize-winner at the YCAT International Auditions in London. Recent highlights include recitals at Wigmore Hall, Snape Maltings and the Louvre. In 2019 Olivier recorded the Mozart Oboe Concerto with the LSO, performed Attahir’s Concerto Nur with the Orchestre de Lille, and took part in the Aix-en-Provence Easter Festival. Olivier has appeared as guest principal with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, London Sinfonietta, Philadelphia Symphony and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestras among others.

 

About YCAT

Founded in 1984, the Young Classical Artists Trust is a specialist charity that identifies, nurtures and supports musicians early in their careers and enables them to become self-supporting. As COVID-19 impacts on the livelihood and future of musicians around the world, the need to adapt has become more crucial than ever, and YCAT is working to provide the resources, insight and advice that young musicians need during this time.

 

Mateusz Moleda

Mateusz Moleda is one of the most interesting and remarkable personalities among today’s young developing orchestra leaders. Born in Germany, Mateusz studied piano at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien in Hanover. As an accomplished concert pianist Mateusz performed in more than 25 countries, released several CD recordings and collaborated with some of the finest European orchestras. Now an aspiring conductor, Mateusz has been mentored by Marek Janowski, working with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Dresden Philharmonic and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. He has a wide symphonic and opera repertoire and has been engaged as guest conductor all around the world, working with Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin, the Carl Nielsen Academy Orchestra, the Odense Symphony Orchestra and the NFM Wroclaw Philharmonic among many others.

 

Venue: Fairfield Halls

The Fairfield Halls originally opened in November 1962, when the complex encompassed the Concert Hall (now the Phoenix Concert Hall), Ashcroft Theatre (now Ashcroft Playhouse) and Arnhem Gallery. The 1800-seater concert hall had the same acoustician as the Southbank’s Royal Festival Hall, Hope Bagenal, whose Southbank experience enabled him to create one of the best acoustics in the UK at Fairfield. The recent refurbishment has returned Fairfield to its 1962 splendour. It is now fully air conditioned, all electrical and mechanical engineering has been replaced, and sound baffles have been added in the hall to allow for a better acoustic when music is amplified. London Mozart Players have been resident at Fairfield Halls for 30 years, and celebrated the hall’s reopening with a sell-out gala concert in 2019.

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Online Concert: Celebrating Beethoven

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Beethoven Coriolan Overture, Op.62
Beethoven Violin Concerto in D, Op.61

Simon Blendis director
Jonian Ilias Kadesha violin
London Mozart Players

7pm GMT

The musical celebrations to mark Beethoven’s 250th anniversary year were put on hold with the arrival of Covid-19, but Classical Club members will be able to enjoy a late salute in November, when LMP performs Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture and his Violin Concerto. The Overture was inspired by Heinrich von Collin’s play Coriolan, rather than Shakespeare’s tragedy, and the music reflects the contrasting moods in the story – Coriolan’s aggression and his mother’s gentle pleading. Beethoven’s Violin Concerto is one of his most serene works, reflecting the composer’s relative personal happiness at the time. This revolutionary concerto takes us on a journey different from any violin concerto that preceded it: from a lyrical first movement, to a larghetto second movement and finally, a joyous rambunctious finale. It’s a hugely satisfying masterpiece that perfectly displays Beethoven’s genius. We welcome rising star and YCAT artist Jonian Ilias Kadesha as soloist for our final Classical Club concert of the series.

If you would like to be in the audience for this event, there is more information here.

 

Tickets

You can buy individual tickets for concerts for £12 (€13/$15), children’s concerts £5 each (€6/$7), or an 8-concert ‘Season Pass’ for £60 (€72/$80). A Season Pass includes extra content such as interviews and behind-the-scenes films, plus free concert programmes.

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About Classical Club

Classical Club is a brand-new series of eight classical music concerts, in partnership with Scala Radio.

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Further Information

Soloist: Jonian Ilias Kadesha

We are delighted to perform Beethoven alongside Jonian Ilias Kadesha, one of three soloists from the Young Classical Artists Trust who are joining us this season. Born in Athens of Albanian and Greek heritage, Jonian is currently completing his Masters at the Kronberg Academy with Antje Weithaas. In 2018 he was a prize-winner at the Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) International Auditions held at Wigmore Hall. Over the last year Jonian has appeared as soloist with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe at the Kronberg Festival, the Athens State Symphony at Megaron Hall and Scottish Chamber Orchestra at Tivoli Hall. He has given a recital at Wigmore Hall and made his debut at the Konzerthaus Berlin as soloist and artistic director of the Caerus Kammerensemble.  Solo highlights include appearances with Munich Radio, Lübeck Philharmonic, Neue Philharmonie Frankfurt, RTE Concert Orchestra, New Russian State Symphony, Greek Radio and Thessaloniki State Orchestras.

This season Jonian performs Shostakovich’s Concerto No.2 with the Athens State Symphony, and appears as soloist with the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra, Munich Chamber Orchestra and Meininger Hofkapelle.  He collaborates with Steven Isserlis at LSO St Luke’s (broadcast on BBC Radio 3), returns to Wigmore Hall with Trio Gaspard, and will be Artist in Residence at the Boswiler Sommer Festival.

 

About YCAT

Founded in 1984, the Young Classical Artists Trust is a specialist charity that identifies, nurtures and supports musicians early in their careers and enables them to become self-supporting. As COVID-19 impacts on the livelihood and future of musicians around the world, the need to adapt has become more crucial than ever, and YCAT is working to provide the resources, insight and advice that young musicians need during this time.

 

Venue: St John Smith’s Square

Just a stone’s throw from the Houses of Parliament, tucked away in a quiet square, stands the former church of St John the Evangelist, a baroque masterpiece that has survived fires, a lightning strike, subsidence, a direct hit during the Blitz, and threats of being turned into a carpark. Fortunately, the 1710 church was saved and turned into one of London’s finest concert halls, opening in 1969. It has seen premieres by Stockhausen, Birtwistle, Copland and Tippett to name but a few, and musicians of the calibre of Joan Sutherland, Pierre Boulez, Daniel Barenboim, Sir Adrian Boult, Harrison Birtwistle, Plácido Domingo, Philip Glass and many others perform and/or record here. St John’s Smith Square is one of the London Mozart Players regular concert halls, and we are thrilled to perform two of Beethoven’s most popular works here for Classical Club.

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