40th anniversary of the Royal Northern College of Music

By Andrew H. King, 19 November 2012

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Reviewed at Royal Northern College of Music: Concert Hall, Manchester on 15 November 2012

Wagner, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Prelude to Act 1

Bliss, Music for Strings

Vaughan Williams, Symphony no. 2 “A London Symphony”

Royal Northern College of Music Symphony Orchestra

Carlos Del Cueto, Conductor

Clark Rundell, Conductor

RNCM Symphony Orchestra's monstrous Leningrad

Rohan Shotton, 27th June

Baldur Brönnimann conducted a storming performance of Shostakovich's “Leningrad” Symphony after a bold and original Tchaikovsky First Piano Concerto from Ryan Drucker.

****1

Sir Simon Rattle leads a jubilant reunion concert in Liverpool

Michelle Assay, 25th February

Sir Simon Rattle, Tim Reynish and Clark Rundell take the baton in turn, to celebrate the past and present of Liverpool’s Youth Orchestras.

*****

In Prague, Brad Mehldau offers a fresh take on Bach

Frank Kuznik, 15th October

Jazz pianist Brad Mehldau and the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra offer a different perspective on the Baroque master.

****1

A moving tribute in Charlie Parker’s Yardbird

Olivia Bell, 9th June

Lawrence Brownlee gives a compelling performance that truly does the groundbreaking saxophonist justice.

****1

Steve Reich at 80: cross-section of an iconic career

Phil Barrett, 5th November

From the ultimate process piece, to a recent video-opera, this central concert of the Barbican's 'Steve Reich at 80' weekend reminded us what the fuss has been all about.

****1

Plenty of surprises: Three world premières in Amsterdam

Kristen Huebner, 18th May

It was a surprising afternoon of world premières at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw this weekend. With promises of young talent, such as the rising Dutch recorder player Erik Bosgraaf, and daring new compositions by Peter Adriaansz and Louis Andriessen, the event shed some light on the state of modern music today.

***11

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Andrew H. King

Following training as a singer and conductor, Andrew is now completing a doctoral thesis on the life and songs of Sir Granville Bantock. Interests include English and American music, with an emphasis on opera, choral music and song. Andrew has been published in MUSO, Early Music, and by BBC Radio 3 and the BBC Proms.