Focus on contemporary music: interview with Eva Böcker, cellist at the Ensemble Modern

We catch up with Zimbabwean-American conductor Vimbayi Kaziboni as he visits Manchester to conduct the BBC Philharmonic – in a project exploring interactions between the orchestra and artificial intelligence.

The Austrian conductor reflects on his seven year tenure with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, work and life, returning to old scores, and why a musical ensemble is like a giant human body.

The Hong Kong-born conductor talks about her entry into music, her love of big Russian repertoire, her “Cinderella moment” winning the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition and her ambition to “go against the grind”. 

The Royal College of Music offers an enviable nurturing ground for the next generation of operatic talent. Audrey Hyland, head of the Vocal and Opera faculty, talks about what makes the department special. 

As the Franz Schubert Filharmonia celebrates its 20th anniversary, conductor Tomàs Grau tells the story of the ensemble, reflects on the importance of local music institutions, and gives a glimpse of the road ahead.

Renowned harpsichordist Jean Rondeau presents a new view of Bach’s Goldberg Variations at this year’s Bachfest Schaffhausen, including in arrangement for Baroque ensemble, and as a new composition for piano, percussion and electronics inspired by the cycle.