Elisabeth Leonskaja’s Barbican recital
Elisabeth Leonskaja In Recital Barbican Hall, London, 24.06.2026 Mozart Piano Sonata No. 18 in D, K 576 (1789) Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111 (1821/22) Schubert Piano Sonata No. 15 in […]
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Ask and ye shall receive. Orchestral works of Mel Bonis
That’s not necessarily a biblical quote coming from me (hardly!), but a phrase which is nonetheless apropos in this context. In my review of Trio Wanderer’s “Art Nouveau” collection of French chamber music, I loved […]
Giulio Cesare at the Grange: superb music performances compensate for David Alden’s scattershot approach to Handel’s masterpiece
Handel: Giulio Cesare – Zheng Jiang, Owen Willetts, Jess Dandy – The Grange Festival (Photo: Richard Hubert Smith) Handel: Giulio Cesare in Egitto; Tim Mead, Sarah Brady, Jess Dandy, Zheng Jiang, James Atkinson, director: David […]
Mysteria: pianist Svetlana Andreeva’s beautifully programmed disc
Ukrainian pianist Svetlana Andreeva (born Dzhankoy, a small town in Crimea) offers a beautiful programme of music, spellbindingly played. Age 15, Andreeva enrolled in the Central Music School of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, later studying […]
It’s all about the music: Opera Holland Park chorus & City of London Sinfonia on terrific form under Naomi Woo in powerful, celebratory Turandot
Puccini: Turandot – José de Eça – Opera Holland Park (Photo: Pablo Strong) Puccini: Turandot; Anne Sophie Duprels, José de Eça, Fflur Wyn, Jihoon Kim, Robert, Burt, Josef Jeongmeen Ahn, Joseph Buckmaster, Zwakele Tshabalala, director: Eleanor Burke, […]
René Benedetti’s miraculous Paganini
French virtuoso violinist René Benedetti was born in Toulon in 1901; the family moved to Paris when René’ father opened a music shop in Montmartre. Benedetti was something of a prodigy: he had lessons at […]
Handel’s Serse at Barbican
Most recently seen in March in a stunning Tamerlano at Shorreditch Town Hall as part of the 2026 London Handel Festival, Douglas Cummings and the Academy of Ancient Music gave us Serse of 1738 (premiered […]
As Ryan Wigglesworth steps down as chief conductor of BBC SSO, his replacement is announced as Antony Hermus, principal guest conductor of Opera North
Antony Hermus (Photo: Marco Borggreve) Next year, Ryan Wigglesworth completes a remarkable five seasons as chief conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra [see my recent interview with Ryan focusing on his being Featured Artist […]
Concertos for friends: Colin Currie in Tansy Davies, Tamsin Waley-Cohen in Freya Waley-Cohen with BBC National Orchestra of Wales & Kevin John Edusei at Aldeburgh Festival
Tansy Davies: Earthworks – Colin Currie, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Kevin John Edusei (Photo: Britten Pears Arts) John Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine, Tansy Davies: Earthworks, Shostakovich: Symphony No.10; Colin Currie percussion, […]
Allow yourself to be seduced: Tsinandali Festival features the Pan-Caucasian Youth Orchestra at historic estate in Georgia
Tsinandali Festival amphitheatre The current Foreign Office travel advice for Georgia is somewhat inconclusive, yet the country has long seduced European travellers. Friends of mine travelled to Tblisi last year and not only had a […]
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