Having become involved with Opera Rara this year as the company seeks to find a long-term home for its archive of 19th Century first editions, manuscripts, programmes, letters and other related documents, I was delighted to be able to see the production of Donizetti’s L’Ange de Nisida at the Royal Opera House on 18 July.
It’s now a year since I first received the phone call that led to my appointment as Interim Principal of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Now, one year on it is hard to believe that I am coming to the end of my time at the College. I have had a wonderful
The last few weeks has been extraordinary in living alongside the Schubert Ensemble as it completed its final year. Last Saturday’s final concert at the Barn on Doug Paterson’s farm brought together many close friends as the ensemble played Louise Farrenc, Fauré, Dvorak and Judith Weir before receiving yet another standing ovation from the assembled
It was a red-letter day at Mansfield College on 15 June when Helena Kennedy’s dream of an Institute for Human Rights in Oxford came to fruition with the opening of the Guy Hands building and the Bonavero Instutiute of Human Rights. Presided over by the Chancellor, Chris Patten, the building was opened by Kofi Annan
From 2 to 6 May, I was a jury member for the Tunbridge Wells International Music Compeition held at Mayfield School as part of the Mayfield Festival of Music and the Arts. With Levon Chilingirian, David Strange, Angela Malsbury, Benjamin Frith and Ian Fountain we enjoyed many excellent performances in our piano, wind and string
Recorded in March and broadcast on 3 May, my contribution to BBC Radio 3’s My Life in Music was The Silver Swan. Producer Rosie Boulton approached me to write about music that had had a profound influence on me in determining my life in music. It was quite hard to pinpoint a single work or
Helena Gaunt The process of appointing the new Principal for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama came to an triumphant conclusion on 9 April when the Board, chaired by John Derrick, confirmed the appointment of Professor Helena Gaunt from 1 September this year. Helena has been Vice-Principal and Director of Guildhall Innovation in
As President of the Bromsgrove International Music Competition, I attended the 2018 Final on 7 April in the Routh Concert Hall at Bromsgrove School. It was an amazing final with brilliant performances from Irena Radic (piano), Lewis Banks (saxophone), Luke Jones (piano) and Bartosz Glowacz (accordion). Adjudicators Meurig Bowen (Chair), Sarah Bruce and Roderick Williams
This year’s auditions for the Sir James Caird Travelling Scholarship Trust went off well with two good days in Glasgow on 4 and 5 April and a day at the Wigmore Hall on 6 April. It is heartening to see that the application numbers are increasing but these tend to be concentrated amongst singers and