The Loughborough Endowed Schools (LES) Music School Chamber Choir
Orchestra of the Swan (OOTS) is to launch its first-ever series of concerts in Loughborough with a performance that will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.
The leading chamber orchestra will be joined by cellists Julian Lloyd Webber and his wife Jiaxin Cheng on Monday, October 17 at Loughborough Town Hall, where they will be performing the Vivaldi Double Concerto for the opening concert of its Loughborough season, which can be heard on Radio 3 Live in Concert.
The evening concert, to be preceded by a launch party for the new season with free pre-show refreshments for all audience members, will also include Handel’s Arrival of the Queen of Sheba and Alex Roth’s Departure of the Queen of Sheba, Haydn’s Cello Concerto no1 and Haydn’s Symphony no45 in F sharp minor ‘Farewell’.
Loughborough Town Hall Manager Nigel Strong said: “We are absolutely delighted that the launch of this exciting and prestigious new season of classical music has attracted the attention of BBC Radio 3. We are so proud to be able to present musicians of such high calibre as Julian Lloyd Webber and Orchestra of the Swan to our audiences.”
Supported by Orchestras Live, the national development agency for orchestral music, the opening concert is part of a new four-concert series for OOTS at the venue. The second concert is a special Mozart evening on November 3 featuring the Violin Concerto in A ‘Turkish’ performed by soloist David le Page, the Divertimento K136 and the Symphony no29. The evening also includes Schnittke’s Moz-art a la Haydn.
David Curtis, OOTS Artistic Director, added: “Our first-ever Loughborough series demonstrates our commitment to bringing live
David Curtis, Artistic Director, Orchestra of the Swan
classical music to the widest possible audiences and we look forward to developing strong links with the town’s schools.
“I am delighted that the opening performance will be a live broadcast for BBC Radio 3, an excellent opportunity for a nationwide audience to enjoy the investment made by Orchestras Live and Loughborough Town Hall.”
OOTS will be working in partnership with the Loughborough Endowed Schools (LES) Music School in two of the concerts as part of its community and education programme – Explorchestra® which will include a master class by Julian Lloyd Webber for the school’s cello students and other talented cellists from the local community and beyond, as well as joint performances with the school.
LES Music School’s Chamber Choir will be performing Vivaldi’s Gloria with the orchestra on March 9 in a programme that will also feature Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and Roxanna Panufnik’s Tibetan Winter.
Music School students will join OOTS in a performance of Vaughan Williams’ Concerto Grosso on May 11 and the evening programme will include the Finzi Clarinet Concerto played by Sarah Williamson, whose recording of the work with OOTS has been voted Classic FM CD of the Week.
LES Music School has also appointed Orchestra of the Swan’s David Curtis as a Visiting Fellow in Music. His duties will include rehearsing and guest conducting the music school’s symphony orchestra.
Alex Osiatynski, LES Director of Music, said: “We are thrilled to have such an outstanding orchestra as Orchestra of the Swan as our associate ensemble and our students are looking forward to performing with them at the Town Hall.
“We are also delighted to welcome David Curtis as a Visiting Fellow. Having hosted a workshop for us in Stratford a few years ago, David’s great rapport with musicians and audiences and his boundless enthusiasm are sure to be inspirational.”
Tickets are available, priced at £12 for the concerts on November 3, March 9 and May 11 and £15 (including free pre-show refreshments) for the concert on October 17 by clicking online at www.loughboroughtownhall.co.uk (box office: 01509 231914).