Sinfonia Cymru 'Go Baroque' with Rachel Podger
Wales’s leading chamber orchestra Sinfonia Cymru will be teaming up with one of the UK’s foremost specialists in Baroque music for a tour to three venues across South Wales this month.
Guest Director and violinist Rachel Podger will join the orchestra for performances of music by Bach, Purcell, Vivaldi and Telemann at The Ffwrnes, Llanelli (Friday 29 May), The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (Saturday 30 May) and The Riverfront, Newport (Sunday 31 May).
The all-baroque programme is a new venture for the orchestra and as General Manager Sophie Lewis says, “we could not have asked for a better person to direct us through the music of the period than Rachel. The breadth and depth of her understanding is unrivalled and that is why working with her will be such an inspiration for our players.”
As well as establishing the hugely popular annual Brecon Baroque Festival, Rachel Podger has also garnered critical acclaim for her recordings of baroque masterpieces with particular praise for her interpretation of Bach’s Violin Concerto in A Minor and Suite No 3 in D Major. Rachel performs both pieces in May’s concerts alongside Concerto No 10 from Vivaldi’s L’Estro Armonico, subject and title of her recently released CD recording with Brecon Baroque.
Also included in the programme are works by Purcell, Fux and Telemann.
The all-baroque programme is a new venture for the orchestra and as General Manager Sophie Lewis says, “we could not have asked for a better person to direct us through the music of the period than Rachel. The breadth and depth of her understanding is unrivalled and that is why working with her will be such an inspiration for our players.”
As well as establishing the hugely popular annual Brecon Baroque Festival, Rachel Podger has also garnered critical acclaim for her recordings of baroque masterpieces with particular praise for her interpretation of Bach’s Violin Concerto in A Minor and Suite No 3 in D Major. Rachel performs both pieces in May’s concerts alongside Concerto No 10 from Vivaldi’s L’Estro Armonico, subject and title of her recently released CD recording with Brecon Baroque.
Also included in the programme are works by Purcell, Fux and Telemann.
“Whilst Bach and Vivaldi need little introduction to audiences today,” says Rachel, “it is actually the names of Purcell, Fux and Telemann who were probably better known during their lifetimes. Telemann and Purcell definitely enjoyed significant celebrity status back then!”
The full concert programme for the tour is Bach Suite No 3 in D Major, Purcell Suite from The Fairy Queen, Bach Violin Concerto in A Minor, Vivaldi Concerto No 10 from L’Estro Armonico, JJ Fux Ouverture in G Minor and Telemann Concerto in D major.
Concerts -
The full concert programme for the tour is Bach Suite No 3 in D Major, Purcell Suite from The Fairy Queen, Bach Violin Concerto in A Minor, Vivaldi Concerto No 10 from L’Estro Armonico, JJ Fux Ouverture in G Minor and Telemann Concerto in D major.
Concerts -
Friday 29 May, 7.30pm
Ffwrnes, Llanelli
Tickets: www.carmarthenshiretheatres.co.uk | 0845 226 3510
Saturday 30 May, 7.45pm
RWCMD, Cardiff
Tickets: www.rwcmd.ac.uk | 029 2039 1391
Sunday 31 May, 3.00pm
Riverfront, Newport
Tickets: www.newport.gov.uk/theriverfront | 01633 656757
For full tour details visit www.sinfoniacymru.co.uk
Photo: Jonas Sacks
Rachel Podger
Rachel Podger is one of the most creative talents to emerge in the field of period performance. Over the last two decades she has established herself as a leading interpreter of the music of the Baroque and Classical periods and holds numerous award-winning recordings to her name ranging from early seventeenth century music to Mozart and Haydn. She was educated in Germany and in England at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she studied with David Takeno and Micaela Comberti.
Future engagements include international tours with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and the European Union Baroque Orchestra. During 2014-15 she will also give recitals across the UK and Europe (including a series of performances of the Biber ‘Mystery’ Sonatas), as well as masterclasses and performances with Brecon Baroque.
Website -
Sinfonia Cymru
Sinfonia Cymru is a progressive chamber orchestra from Wales. The orchestra is made up of professional musicians in the early stages of their careers and is the first and only orchestra of its kind to be revenue-funded by the Arts Council of Wales.
Sinfonia Cymru works in partnership with The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) through the Professional Pathway Bursary scheme and regular performances at The Dora Stoutzker Hall. Sinfonia Cymru is also resident orchestra at The Riverfront, Newport and performs in venues across Wales.
The orchestra works with Young Classical Artists Trust to create opportunities for the next generation of solo artists including the orchestra’s current Leader/Director Bartosz Woroch. Sinfonia Cymru has worked with a number of celebrated guest artists including Bryn Terfel, Catrin Finch, Llŷr Williams, Paul Watkins, Carlo Rizzi, and Alina Ibragimova.
2014 was arguably the orchestra’s biggest year, having worked with actor Richard Harrington (star of S4C Y Gwyll / Hinterland), with harpist Catrin Finch alongside young conductor Ben Gernon, Bryn Terfel, and on an experimental collaboration with Tom Morris (Original Director War Horse, Artistic Director Bristol Proms) at The Bristol Proms. The orchestra also played a major role in the ‘Emerging Classical Talent in the EU’ project; an International collaboration that brought together a number of European partners and culminated in Sinfonia Cymru’s Small Nations Big Sounds Festival, which it delivered in partnership with RWCMD and in collaboration with BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
In 2015, Sinfonia Cymru has performed across Wales with BBC Young Musician winning cellist Laura Van der Heijden in March and looks forward to its first all-baroque concert with period violinist Rachel Podger in May. The orchestra has helped deliver an education project for school children in Powys (in partnership with Mid Wales Music Trust and Arts Connection) and special outreach work in care homes and hospitals with Flintshire Music Service. The work forms part of its recently relaunched Education & Community Programme and continues throughout 2015.
Sinfonia Cymru is a progressive chamber orchestra from Wales. The orchestra is made up of professional musicians in the early stages of their careers and is the first and only orchestra of its kind to be revenue-funded by the Arts Council of Wales.
Sinfonia Cymru works in partnership with The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) through the Professional Pathway Bursary scheme and regular performances at The Dora Stoutzker Hall. Sinfonia Cymru is also resident orchestra at The Riverfront, Newport and performs in venues across Wales.
The orchestra works with Young Classical Artists Trust to create opportunities for the next generation of solo artists including the orchestra’s current Leader/Director Bartosz Woroch. Sinfonia Cymru has worked with a number of celebrated guest artists including Bryn Terfel, Catrin Finch, Llŷr Williams, Paul Watkins, Carlo Rizzi, and Alina Ibragimova.
2014 was arguably the orchestra’s biggest year, having worked with actor Richard Harrington (star of S4C Y Gwyll / Hinterland), with harpist Catrin Finch alongside young conductor Ben Gernon, Bryn Terfel, and on an experimental collaboration with Tom Morris (Original Director War Horse, Artistic Director Bristol Proms) at The Bristol Proms. The orchestra also played a major role in the ‘Emerging Classical Talent in the EU’ project; an International collaboration that brought together a number of European partners and culminated in Sinfonia Cymru’s Small Nations Big Sounds Festival, which it delivered in partnership with RWCMD and in collaboration with BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
In 2015, Sinfonia Cymru has performed across Wales with BBC Young Musician winning cellist Laura Van der Heijden in March and looks forward to its first all-baroque concert with period violinist Rachel Podger in May. The orchestra has helped deliver an education project for school children in Powys (in partnership with Mid Wales Music Trust and Arts Connection) and special outreach work in care homes and hospitals with Flintshire Music Service. The work forms part of its recently relaunched Education & Community Programme and continues throughout 2015.
Funders and supporters
Sinfonia Cymru acknowledges the financial support from the following organisations: Arts Council of Wales, Welsh Government, National Lottery, and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
Sinfonia Cymru acknowledges the financial support from the following organisations: Arts Council of Wales, Welsh Government, National Lottery, and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
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