The National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain (NCO) is thrilled to announce its season highlights for 2019.
During the year, NCO will collaborate with saxophonist and BBC Young Musician of the Year finalist Jess Gillam as Artist in Residence, internationally acclaimed conductors including Etienne Abelin, Jonathan Bloxham, Dominic Wheeler and Ben Gernon as well as Creative Producers Tom Redmond and Sarah Freestone. The year also sees partnership projects with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, with ongoing support from media partner Classic FM and supporter ABRSM.
The upcoming spring season of concerts aims to delight and engage our young musicians and audiences in new ways.
Scene to Be Believed: Orchestral and Operatic music inspired by folk tales, takes place on Sunday 14 April at The Anvil, Basingstoke. Conducted by Dominic Wheeler, Director of Opera at Guildhall School, the NCO Main Orchestra will perform alongside Guildhall School singers Carmen Artaza (Mezzo) and Samantha Clarke (Soprano), who will help bring a selection of these beautiful scenes to life. Works include excerpts from Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, Rossini’s Cinderella story, La Cenerentola and Dvořák’s Rusalka followed by Rimsky Korsakov’s epic symphonic suite, Scheherazade.
Seamlessly fusing together the sounds of ballet, Broadway and the ballrooms of Latin America, the Under 13 Orchestra will perform Music for Movement on Sunday 21 April at Lighthouse, Poole.
The programme includes Marquez’s Conga del Fuego Nuevo, favourites from Bernstein’s West Side Story and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite No. 1. This concert will be presented in collaboration with Music:Eyes, a software tool offering NCO musicians the opportunity to create a digital installation based on the repertoire they are performing during rehearsals and operated by them in the performance.
The repertoire themes continue throughout the spring and summer, with other highlights including magic, space – marking the 50th anniversary of the moon landing – and dreams. Summer highlights include Mahler Symphony No. 1 and Jess Gillam performing John Williams’ Escapades from Catch Me if You Can with the Main Orchestra at Bridgewater Hall on Saturday 10 August. Meanwhile the Under 13 Orchestra will be taking on a selection from Holst’s masterpiece, The Planets, under the baton of the exuberant Venezuelan conductor Natalia Luis-Bassa.
Behind the scenes, NCO’s young musicians will be supported by over 80 specialist music tutors drawn from across the UK’s professional orchestras and music education sector. NCO players will create their own music and small scale performances with Creative Producers Tom Redmond and Sarah Freestone and will be assisted in developing a positive approach towards physical wellbeing by Sarah Upjohn from the Purcell School and Tom Taffinder from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Later in the year, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra will be hosting young musicians from the Under 13 Orchestra for a side-by-side day, conducted by Ben Gernon. Tapping into our curriculum, a key focus of the day will be for children to work on refining their ensemble and listening skills, musical characterisation, physicality and overall musical communication.
Managing Director, Sophie Lewis says: “Our 2019 programme demonstrates NCO’s new commitment to developing artistic collaborations, partnerships and fresh approaches alongside encouraging child creativity and wellbeing. With over 700 children aged 7 to 14 years old in membership this year, 2019 will be a busy and rewarding year for everyone”.
Dates for your diary
SCENE TO BE BELIEVED by Main Orchestra
Sunday 14 April (3pm) at The Anvil, Basingstoke
Tickets on sale now
MUSIC FOR MOVEMENT by Under 13 Orchestra
Sunday 21 April (3pm) at Lighthouse, Poole
Tickets on sale now
NCO MAIN ORCHESTRA WITH JESS GILLAM
Saturday 10 August at Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
Tickets on sale soon
ONE GIANT LEAP by Under 13 Orchestra
Saturday 17 August at Portsmouth Guildhall
Tickets on sale soon
DREAMS, FANTASY, NIGHTMARES by Under 12 Orchestra
Sunday 18 August at Town Hall, Birmingham
Tickets on sale soon
NCO WINTER CONCERT by Main Orchestra
Sunday 8 December (3pm) at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London
Tickets on sale now
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