• 14 one-hour, socially-distanced concerts at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall from 1 October to 4 November
• Including two world premieres and one UK premiere
• Concerts will be available to purchase and watch online as part of the new Royal Liverpool Philharmonic On Demand offering

 

Announced today, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra is launching a programme of re-imagined concerts starting on 1 October 2020. These will include the welcomed return of Chief Conductor Vasily Petrenko and Domingo Hindoyan’s first appearance since being appointed Chief Conductor Designate. Principal Guest Conductor Andrew Manze and conductor Joshua Weilerstein will also lead the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. The varied repertoire will include two world premieres: Julian Joseph’s Othello 21 and 2019 Christopher Brooks Composition prize winner Athanasia Kontou’s, Antigone: Pure in her Crime. Also included is the UK premiere of Caroline Shaw’s Entr’acte alongside works by Beethoven, Britten, Mozart, Schubert and Stravinsky.

Performers include Liverpool Philharmonic’s new Artist in Residence baritone Roderick Williams and Young Artist in Residence pianist, Isata Kanneh-Mason in recital. Liverpool Philharmonic’s contemporary music group, Ensemble 10/10, conducted by Geoffrey Paterson and current Artist in Residence mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnston will also return to the stage. Amongst the popular returning soloists are two pianists playing Beethoven in his 250th year: Boris Giltburg playing Piano Concerto No. 4 and Stephen Hough performing Piano Concerto No. 5 ‘Emperor’. Violinist Tasmin Little plays Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending and Ravel’s Tzigane for Violin and Orchestra in her final orchestral concerts.

 

Michael Eakin, Chief Executive commented, “It gives me great pleasure to welcome back our musicians and associated ensembles. These concerts will give the Orchestra a chance to get back to what they do best, delighting audiences and bringing music back to Liverpool Philharmonic Hall which has been silent since March. The concerts will present new and exciting commissions as well as orchestral favourites, demonstrating the versatility and creativity of the Orchestra, conductors and musicians. I look forward to the first concert on 1 October.”

 

Each concert will last one hour with no interval. Seating will be limited to 240 people, with two-metre social distancing in place. The Orchestra will also be socially distanced on stage which means the works they will perform are for smaller orchestral forces (up to 30 players). November’s concerts will be announced in early October.

 

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic On Demand

The majority of these performances will also be streamed online from Wednesday 7 October in the new Royal Liverpool Philharmonic On Demand concerts. Audiences can purchase a ticket to watch at home and will get access to exclusive pre and post- performance Zoom conversations with Orchestra musicians, conductors and artists. These will be hosted by journalist, BBC Radio 3 presenter and classical music specialist Stephen Johnson.

 

Off stage update

Since May, our In Harmony programme has delivered 436 online 1:1 instrument lessons to 97 children across North Liverpool and produced 270 videos and digital resources for partner schools to distribute to children and families.

From September, Liverpool Philharmonic’s extensive music education and participation programme will re-start with a combination of face to face and digital activities including in-school and extra-curricular music tuition for hundreds of In Harmony students. Alongside this, Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Company resumes its programme of instrumental and vocal ensembles for young musicians. There will be opportunities for young composers through the sixth annual Christopher Brooks Composition prize and mentoring as part of the Rushworth Young Composers and Songwriters programme. Within the community, online music and mental health courses launch with our longstanding partner Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, as do higher education activities with the University of Liverpool.

 

Tickets for concerts at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall cost from £24 per person and will go on general sale on Thursday 10 September. Tickets can be purchased online liverpoolphil.com or by telephone: 0151 709 3789.

 

Tickets for Royal Liverpool Philharmonic On Demand concerts cost £10 and can be purchased at liverpoolphil.com/ondemand.  The first concert will be released Wednesday 7 October.

 

ENDS

 

Concerts at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall are as follows:

 

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Joshua Weilerstein conductor

Thursday 1 October 7.30pm and Sunday 4 October 2.30pm

Mozart Divertimento in D

Shaw Entr’acte for String Orchestra

Ives The Unanswered Question

Beethoven Symphony No. 4

 

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Andrew Manze conductor

Thursday 8 October 7.30pm and Sunday 11 October 2.30pm

Sibelius Suite, Mignonne

Beethoven Grosse Fuge

Schubert Symphony No. 5

 

Baritone Roderick Williams and Christopher Glynn, piano

Monday 12 October 7.30pm

Finzi Songs from Before and After Summer: ‘Childhood among the ferns’ and ‘Before and After Summer’

Ireland Summer Schemes, Great Things, The Self-Unseeing, Overlooking the River

Britten Proud Songsters (Thrushes, Finches and Nightingales)

Weir Written on Terrestrial Things

Bax The Market Girl

Venables A Kiss

Britten A Day-close in November, Epeisodia, Amabel, He Abjures Love

 

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Vasily Petrenko conductor

Boris Giltburg piano

Thursday 15 October 7.30pm and Sunday 18 October 2.30pm

Rossini Overture, The Silken Ladder

Stravinsky Octet

Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4

 

Ensemble 10/10

Geoffrey Paterson conductor

Jennifer Johnston mezzo soprano

Musicians from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Thursday 22 October 7.30pm

Kontou Antigone: Pure in her Crime (world premiere)

Tabakova Fantasy Homage to Schubert

Britten Phaedra: a dramatic cantata for mezzo-soprano and small orchestra

 

Liverpool Wind Collective

Helen Wilson flute

Ruth Davies oboe

Ausiàs Garrigós-Morant clarinet

Gareth Twigg bassoon

Stephen Nicholls horn

Saturday 24 October 7.30pm

Julian Joseph Othello 21 (world premiere)

Zemlinsky Humoreske

Barber Summer Music

Parker Mississippi Five

 

Liverpool Philharmonic Brass and Percussion Ensemble

John Iveson conductor

Sunday 25 October 2.30pm

Music by Gabrieli, Britten, Mowat and Dukas

 

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Domingo Hindoyan conductor

Stephen Hough piano

Thursday 29 October 7.30pm

Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 ‘Emperor’

Bartok Divertimento

 

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Domingo Hindoyan conductor

Tasmin Little violin

Saturday 31 October 7.30pm and Sunday 1 November 2.30pm

Williams The Lark Ascending

Ravel Tzigane for Violin and Orchestra

Mozart Symphony No 40

 

Isata Kanneh-Mason, piano

Wednesday 4 November 7.30pm

Beethoven Sonata in A major, Op. 2, No. 2
Chopin Nocturne No. 13 in C Minor, Op. 48 No. 1
Poulenc Nocturnes No. 5 (Phalènes) and No. 7 (Assez allant)
Barber Nocturne, Op. 33
Gershwin Three Preludes
Barber Piano Sonata in E-flat minor, Op. 26

 

 

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