RLPO Announce 2010/11 Season

Vasily Petrenko leads a new season which includes the music of Mahler, Shostakovich and Rachmaninov, as well as a major series focussing on outstanding British artists and music in the run up to the 2012 Olympics.

Vasily Petrenko will lead the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards Ensemble of the Year in 18 concerts in Liverpool and additional concerts in other cities across the UK, covering a wide range of music including his signature repertoire. He continues his journey through the music of Shostakovich, Rachmaninov, Mahler and Elgar; as well conducting music by Tchaikovsky Sibelius, Beethoven, Prokofiev and Strauss.

International soloists joining Petrenko and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in concert include pianists Simon Trpčeski playing Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 4, Kirill Gerstein with Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Helene Grimaud playing Mozart’s Piano concerto No. 23 in A major K488. Violinists include Ilya Gringolts with Beethoven’s Violin Concerto and James Ehnes with Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto.

Themes and Celebrations

Marking Mahler’s anniversaries, Petrenko and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra continue their Mahler Edition, a two year journey, begun in January this year through Mahler’s orchestral works, his songs, and editions and arrangements he made of other composer’s works. The 2010/11 season reaches the central part of the composer’s canon with performances of Symphonies Nos. 4, 5, 6 and 7.

In the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games, Made in Britain is another major series focussing on outstanding British artists and music, and the UK’s role as a major exporter and source of musical innovation and talent.

The young British musician, Ryan Wigglesworth an artist who is conductor, pianist and composer rolled into one, opens the series in two concerts which include the world premiere of his own composition, Piece for Chamber Orchestra, works by Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Stravinsky and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 in G, K453.

In the same series, Guy Johnston plays Elgar’s Cello Concerto conducted by Alexander Shelley making his Liverpool debut, and James MacMillan conducts his own St. John Passion with bass Christopher Maltman and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir.

John Wilson, well known to Liverpool in other musical guises indulges his passion for British music in two concerts centred around Holst’s The Planets and including Walton’s Scapino Overture, John Ireland’s Piano Concerto and Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending.

 
Must-See Artists and Rising Stars

Distinguished visiting conductors include the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s Conductor Emeritus, Libor Pešek who opens the season with one of his signature works, Dvořák’s Symphony No.9 ‘From the New World’; and Conductor Laureate, Sir Charles Mackerras conducts music by Beethoven, Dvořák and Schumann. Vladimir Ashkenazy returns to Liverpool to contribute to the Mahler Edition series, conducting Mahler’s Blumine and music by Schumann and Strauss. 

Thomas Dausgaard, John Harle, Ottavio Dantone, Pablo Gonzalez, Andrew Litton, Claus Peter Flor, Paul McCreesh, Roland Boer and Liverpool regular Carl Davis all appear in the season. Brazilian Roberto Minczuk conducts a programme that includes music by Ginastera and Piazzolla’s Bandoneón Concerto ‘Aconcagua played by Per Arne Glorvigen.


Other star soloists include the pianist Artur Pizarro and cellist Alban Gerhardt; the violinists Alina Ibragimova, Pavel Šporcl and Isabelle Faust; and sopranos Susan Bullock, Sally Matthews, Carolyn Sampson, Désirée Rancatore (making her Liverpool debut) and Lesley Garrett who will present and sing in the much-loved  annual Carol Concerts. 

The extraordinary Chinese guitarist Xue Fei Yang returns to Liverpool in a concert of Spanish music and Pascal Rogé keeps it in the family playing Mozart’s Concerto for Two Pianos with his wife, Ami, conducted by Vasily Petrenko.


A third collaboration with the Liverpool-based European Opera Centre in a new, semi-staged version of Mendelssohn’s fizzing, full-length comic opera The Wedding of Comacho, conducted by Vasily Petrenko, is a wonderful showcase for some of the best young professional singers in Europe.

New Music

Two of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s principal players take the soloist spotlight during the season. Principal Oboe Jonathan Small will perform the UK premiere of Rodion Shchedrin’s Oboe Concerto. Principal Cello, Jonathan Aasgaard gives the world premiere performance of Carl Davis’ Ballade for Cello and Orchestra, conducted by the composer himself.


The Royal Philharmonic Society award-winning Ensemble 10/10, under the direction of Clark Rundell, presents a compelling season of contemporary music including two world premieres of works by Anthony Gilbert and Mark Simpson.

 

Chamber Music

The Rodewald Concert Series, performed in the beautiful setting of St. George’s Hall Concert Room, has established itself as one of the premier chamber music series in the UK. The 2010/11 season includes recitals by Paul Lewis, Jonathan Biss, Tasmin Little, Quatuor Ebène, the Simón Bolívar, Elias and Pavel Haas Quartets and the Liverpool-based guitar duo, The Katona Twins.

 

Family Concerts

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is delighted to welcome TalkTalk as the Family Partner to the Orchestra’s imaginative and sell-out series of family concerts which includes presenter Alasdair Malloy’s popular brand of themed concerts.  A screening of the 2008 Oscar-winning animation Peter and the Wolf LIVE with the film score played live by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, was a hugely popular event when first performed two seasons ago.


 

10th Anniversary in Partnership - Classic FM and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

In addition to the regular Classic FM Concert Series, a special concert (1st October) conducted by Vasily Petrenko, celebrates a partnership, established in 2001, that has successfully built new audiences for classical music in Liverpool and shared the music of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra with Classic FM’s six million listeners throughout the UK. 

For the anniversary season, Classic FM’s Creative Director, Tim Lihoreau will devise and present a new, informal Saturday morning series of talks, Discover the Classics, with musicians of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Classic FM/Royal Liverpool Philharmonic partnership was recognised with the Sustained Partnership Award in the Arts & Business North Awards 2010.