As I come to the end of my year at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, this is to note my weakness as a blogger – there never seems to be time to write about what’s going on! So this is catch-up time and I expect there will be a number of posts
I am looking forward to playing Bach’s G minor Concerto with the Oxford Bach Ensemble tomorrow, 13 January at 7.30. Conducted by Edward Higginbottom in St Margaret’s Church (where I was a member of the choir all those years ago), the concert includes Part VI of the Christmas Oratorio, Jesu Meine Freude and Der Gerechte
Having recorded my contributions in August for BBC 4’s Soul Music on Bach’s Cantata, Ich habe genug, it was great to hear the programme as it came out this Wednesday. Congratulations to Rosie Boulton for putting together such a beautifully judged view of this great work. And thanks to all who made contact with appreciative
It was an honour to be asked to join the jury for the VII Tomassini International Oboe Competition in Petritoli, Italy from 30 November to 3 December. The jury were: Thomas Indermuhle (Chair), Jean-Louis Capezzali, George Caird, Marco Salvatori and Daniele Giulio Moles. There was an exceptionally high level amongst the contestants and after two
The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama collaborated with Welsh National Opera in a significant Opera Gala on 25 November to celebrate their association in creating the David Seligman International Opera School. Conducted by Carlo Rizzi and with the wonderful Welsh National Opera Orchestra, Opera Course students including Huw Ynyr Evans, Xi Jiang, Oscar
Thanks to Diethelm Jonas, I enjoyed two days this month (23 – 24 November) in the Hochschule fur Musik, Lübeck working with Celia Nicklin, Christopher Redgate, Michael Britton of Howarth’s and the Lübeck oboe class. After Chris Redgate’s lecture and recital featuring his 21st Century Oboe and some of the works written for it, I
It was a real pleasure to hear the RWCMD Symphony Orchestra and Chorus perform under the direction of David Jones in St David’s Hall on Sunday 19 November. The Chorus of 150 voices opened with a striking performance of Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms which also showed off some fine wind and brass playing. Nuno Lucas
On 15 October 2017 Mansfield College Oxford and the Caird family joined forces to present a centenary celebration for my father, former Principal of Mansfield and distinguished theologian, G.B. Caird. The wish to do something to celebrate this centenary coincided with Mansfield’s fundraising campaign to restore the beautiful Vowles organ in the chapel and so
I have now completed over a month in my new role as Principal of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and I am enjoying getting to know this wonderful institution. With its large and diverse student population, its very motivated and dynamic staff, with so many performances and events happening and with its
It was a great honour for Jane and me to be asked back to this summer’s Kammermusik Workshop in Santa Fe. We so enjoyed working with all participants and with Artistic Director Keith Bowen, coaches Stephen Redfield, Denise Reig Turner, Margaret Dyer Harris, Jacqueline Helin, Lori Lovato and Doug Dunston. Thanks to Will Buss and