The programme included:
Dramatic Italian ‘Canzonas’ with recorder and epic synth pads…
Semi-improvised French harpsichord music played with other-worldly resonance…
A Handel gigue pairing the recorder with a rock-synth bassline …
An improvised Indian raga leading into an Albinoni adagio with lush piano and strings…
Works by Telemann recast as cool jazz and rustic village dance music…
Albeniz’s fiery Asturias with flamenco recorder and guitar…
A nostalgic Tango by Astor Piazzolla…
Bach’s famous Goldberg variations retold as a series of dramatic miniatures including a Celtic love duet, a chilled reggae beat, a bittersweet habanera, a majestic overture, a tribal kalimba dance and a wild fairground ride…
Comments from recent performances of Baroque Alchemy include “The most stunning live concert I think I’ve ever been to. Gorgeous, funny, innovative and fun. Blown away and speechless.” and “A refreshingly irreverent take on Baroque music featuring the world’s top recorder virtuoso Piers Adams and his uber-talented keyboard accomplice Lyndy Mayle. Dazzling playing, sophisticated arrangements and surprising sound effects were interspersed with witty introductions at Swaledale Festival, and the audience went away extremely happy. Highly recommended!”
Piers Adams is one of the greatest recorder players of our age, recognised for his “astonishing, all-out virtuosity” (New York Times), breadth of repertoire and uniquely compelling style, boldly transcending traditional limitations and presenting the recorder as a major-league instrument for the 21st century concert platform.
Assisted by the latest innovations in recorder-making – notably the massively powerful and expressive voice of the Eagle Recorder – Adams presents his craft through a wide range of concert and recording activities: his world renowned baroque quartet Red Priest, whose latest CD reached No. 1 in the UK classical charts, duos with keyboardist Lyndy Mayle and harpsichordist David Wright, concertos with orchestras across the globe, gala concerts for children and festival gigs with the Dodo Street Band.
It was a chance encounter with a group of Hungarian gypsy musicians, whilst taking part in an early music festival, which was to provide the inspiration for Adams in the years to follow: this was music performed with unbridled freedom, heart-on-sleeve emotion and sheer, joyous virtuosity – and these facets have now become the hallmarks of Adams’ own style.
In 1997 Adams founded his trailblazing baroque quartet Red Priest, which has since become the backbone of his performing career, and has brought the thrill of his music to audiences across the globe – with over 1000 concerts on four continents in some of the world’s most prestigious festivals. They were ecstatically received by the Peak Music audience in May 2021.
Baroque Alchemy is a genre crossing adventure with keyboardist Lyndy Mayle combining the drama of baroque music with the universe of sounds afforded by modern synth technology.
For more information about Baroque Alchemy visit Piers Adam’s website
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Named after Villiers Street in London, the Villiers Quartet encompasses the grand and iconic spirit of the extraordinary music tradition in Britain and has been praised for “exquisite ensemble playing” (Seen & Heard International), and their absolute “commitment and virtuosity” (The Sunday Times). The Villiers Quartet is the Quartet-in-Residence at the Jacqueline Du Pré Music Building at Oxford University.
Hailed as “Champions of British Music” (The Observer), the Villiers Quartet has become one of the most recognised quartets in the UK for the performance of British music. The VQ has released acclaimed recordings of works by Elgar, Delius, Peter Racine Fricker, William Sterndale Bennett, David Matthews, and most recently music by William Alwyn and Kuljit Bhamra, MBE. In 2020 they gave the world premiere of the complete 1888 Delius string quartet, featuring movements in their original versions uncovered by Professor Daniel Grimley from Oxford University
The Villiers Quartet has been broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 from the Leamington International Quartet Series, and on NPO Radio 4 live from the Concertgebouw. The VQ has been featured on BBC’s In Tune and also BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show with pianist Alexis Ffrench and double bassist Leon Bosch. The VQ was the featured quartet on the score to the BBC film Lady Chatterley’s Lover.
The Villiers Quartet has presented masterclasses in the UK and abroad at Oxford University, Duke University, Dartmouth College, University of Nottingham, Syracuse University, Cal State LA, Jacksonville University, and Indiana University South Bend.
The broad curiosity of the Villiers Quartet and its passion for teaching and performing have made the VQ a valuable resource for students and audiences alike. Inspiration comes from the heart of the Villiers Quartet’s philosophy: to believe in the art of string quartet. They last played for Peak Music in April 2018.
For more information about the Villiers Quartet visit their website
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The Pelléas Ensemble have made a name for themselves through their intimate, honest music-making and ambitious programming. They are regularly praised for their compelling performance and immediate connection with audiences. Playing with “verve and polish” (The Times), they have won awards from the Royal Philharmonic Society, the Royal Overseas League and the Tillett Trust, and performed extensively across the UK.
Their critically acclaimed debut album, ‘Nature and the Imagination’, (Linn Records 2021), presents a rich and expressive collection of repertoire spanning three centuries, and demonstrates the versatility of the ensemble.
They are persuasive advocates for their unusual combination of instruments and are constantly exploring ways to expand the group’s repertoire. As well as arranging their own pieces, The Pelléas Ensemble have enjoyed many close collaborations with contemporary composers. These relationships have lead to various new commissions: Misha Mullov-Abbado’s ‘Three Meditation Songs’ was premiered at London’s Wigmore Hall in 2016, and the ensemble joined with the Park Lane Group to commission Benjamin Graves’ ‘Scherzo’, which features on their album. With each of these relationships, the ensemble have been closely involved in the compositional process throughout; they feel that creating an open dialogue between performers and composer leads to a very special and personal outcome.
Three dedicated teachers, the members of the Pelléas Ensemble are very interested in musical work outside the performance space. They have extensive experience giving workshops in schools, family concerts alongside animateurs, and have taken masterclasses at universities and music colleges around the UK. Connecting with young people and finding ways to inspire creative music making is of the utmost importance to this ensemble.
For more information about the Pelléas Ensemble visit their website
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Pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason is already captivating audiences with her “maturity in performance and interpretation” (Fraser). She recently made her BBC Proms debut performing the Florence Price Concerto and was heralded by the press as “demonstrating musical insight, technical acuity, and an engaging performing persona” (Music OMH). The piece was recorded with Chineke! and Leslie Suganandarajah, and released on Decca Classics in Summer 2023. The Guardian hailed her performance, stating that ‘Price could have no more persuasive an advocate’.
Jeneba starts her 23/24 season with a recital at London’s Bold Tendencies, where she presents a programme based on the theme ‘CRISIS’. An avid recital performer, Jeneba has performed in venues such as the Zurich Tonhalle, London Wigmore Hall, Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields, amongst others, as well as the Lenzburgiade, Rheingau, Cheltenham, Bradfield and Lamberhurst festivals.
Other recent and forthcoming highlights include an extensive UK tour with the Hungarian Radio Symphony and Riccardo Frizza, a European tour with Chineke!, debuts with the Detroit Symphony, Philharmonia, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Belgrade Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, and the Sinfonia Viva for the New Year Gala. She also recorded Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 6 with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and Howard Griffiths, which was released on Alpha.
Jeneba was a Keyboard Category Finalist in BBC Young Musician 2018, winner of the Murs du Son Prize at the Lagny-Sur-Marne International Piano Competition in France, 2014, and The Nottingham Young Musician 2013. She was also winner of the Iris Dyer Piano Prize at The Royal Academy of Music, Junior Academy, where she studied with Patsy Toh.
Jeneba was named one of Classic FM’s ‘Rising Stars’ and appeared on Julian Lloyd Webber’s radio series in 2021. She has also been featured on several television and radio programmes, including Radio 3, In Tune, The BAFTAs, The Royal Variety Performance, the documentary for BBC4, Young, Gifted and Classical, and the Imagine documentary for BBC1, This House is Full of Music. She has recorded for the album, Carnival, with Decca Classics. In April 2024, Sony Classical announced the exclusive signing of Jeneba for her first recital album, for release in spring 2025.
Jeneba holds the Victoria Robey Scholarship to The Royal College of Music, studying piano with Vanessa Latarche. She is grateful to Lady Robey, The Nottingham Soroptimist Trust and to The Nottingham Education Trust.
For more information about Jeneba Kanneh-Mason visit her website
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Lizzie Ball was named one of the most 50 inspirational women of 2018 by the Daily Mail. She is recognized increasingly for her refreshing and unique approach to classical music. Lizzie created Classical Kicks, who performed for Peak Music in September 2019, and is well known for her collaborations with artists such as violin icon Nigel Kennedy, rock/pop legends Jeff Beck and Brian Wilson, Liam Gallagher, Hugh Jackman, and more recently as lead violin for Ariana Grande in an all-female orchestra.
Award-winning Serbian born Milo Milivojevi ARAM has been described as a hurricane of imaginative invention by Hilary Finch of The Times. His versatility performing different genres solely on Pigini Accordions, including classical, tango and world music, has ensured he is in demand internationally. He has won many first prizes in International Accordion Competitions. He has also performed tango live in front of millions on Strictly Come Dancing.
For more information about the Lizzie Ball visit her website and for Miloš Milivojević visit his website
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