Reading Time: 2 minutesAs I read the program, I was initially perplexed by the diverse set list put together by Manchester Collective. It was difficult for me to discern the connection between a Wood Thrush, trains, and artificial intelligence. However, by the end of the night, I came to realise that, just as there are infinite paths to take when travelling by train, the human experience knows no bounds.
Reading Time: 2 minutesBBC's penultimate Prom at the Royal Albert Hall saw the pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii take on Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3, with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra led by Domingo Hindoyan. The programme was ambitious and greatly impressive; the concerto was exciting and filled the space of the hall - aurally but also its layered and varied sound took up the auditorium tonally and emotionally. Nobuyuki Tsujii, born blind, gained international recognition when he won the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009. His talent and technique is undoubtedly captivating to watch and to listen to.
Reading Time: 2 minutesStepping into the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields is quite something. Located next to Trafalgar Square, its interior is spacious and on Thursday night, it was lit up beautifully, ready for the performance of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, a chamber orchestra, and the brilliant horn soloist Stephen Stirling. What followed was pretty special. The programme consisted of an interesting range of pieces, from a mixture of living and passed composers.
Reading Time: 3 minutesAurora Orchestra pairs a dramatisation of the composition of Stravinsky’s famously riot-inducing
work with a dizzyingly impactful performance of The Rite of Spring, without a score in sight.
Reading Time: 3 minutesFrom the get go, I had goosebumps. Opening with Prokofiev's terrific 'Dance of the Knights', the show continued with passion and astounding elegance. Not having adapted Shakespeare before, Matthew Bourne has done so with success in his reinterpretation of Romeo and Juliet, showing at Sadler's Wells now until 2nd September. Bourne reimagines the classic story and turns it into something utterly modern, compelling, and inventive.
Reading Time: 2 minutesHas Christmas really begun if you haven’t been blasted by Handel’s Christmas epic?
Reading Time: 3 minutesThe Royal Albert Hall is a beautiful venue that is awe inspiring even from the outside. This only increases as the audience ventures inside, greeted by gorgeous festive decorations and a sense of Christmas joy.
Reading Time: 2 minutesBarker's band is kookier than one might expect in a building as prestigious as the Royal Albert Hall. Guy Barker MBE is one of our foremost trumpet players (he backed up Wham!) and returns to RAH with his yearly festive concert, bringing an enormous band as well as a whole host of guests.
Reading Time: 2 minutesAnthony Gabriele (the most conductor-looking conductor ever) leads the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra through Thomas Newman's score, as a part of a series of concerts at the Royal Albert Hall celebrating 60 years of Bond.
Reading Time: 3 minutesTo celebrate 60 years of James Bond, the Royal Albert Hall hosted a charity concert in October showcasing the iconic music of Bond. To follow this up, they are giving a series of full in-concert screenings of recent Bond films, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.