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Who or what inspired you to take up conducting and make it your career?

Ward Swingle, of Swingle Singers fame, is an old family friend, and it was he who suggested, on the evidence of my childhood piano playing, that I pursue conducting. At the time I took it as a compliment but with hindsight imagine it had more to do with the inadequacies of my pianistic technique. Put more politely, he made me realise I was more interested in music, than in playing it.

 

Who or what were the most important influences on your musical life and career?

George Hurst taught me everything I like about my conducting as well as everything I don’t like. I came under his spell at a dangerously young age.

 

What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?

Knowing when to say yes and when to say no.

 

Which performance/recordings are you most proud of?

I can count on the fingers of one hand the performances I remember with unequivocal pride but given that I’m hopefully not yet half way through my career, I don’t think that’s a bad proportion! One should always want to do better. I’m pleased with the Shostakovich Symphony cycle I’ve recorded, though I have to confess I’ve never listened to the CDs once they’ve been released. Perhaps I’m worried that doing so will make me less proud.

 

Do you have a favourite concert venue to perform in?

The first professional orchestra I ever conducted was in Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw. As such, I always feel inspired by the memories of that excitement. And despite its questionable acoustics, I smile every time I walk into the Sydney Opera House.

 

Favourite pieces to perform/conduct? Listen to?

Wagner is the pinnacle for me. His music is a constant search for the perfect equilibrium between heart, mind, and soul. Realising it is a very special feeling. His music essentially invented the need for conductors and the flexible physicality he requires is a joy to express. Listening is another matter and I tend not to listen to music I conduct. Chamber music is where I’m freer to respond without judgement, listen without an opinion, and love without experience.

 

Who are your favourite musicians?

One tends not to know individual musicians in orchestras that well, but there are many, many I admire enormously. And the singers and soloists who hear music collaboratively are the soloists I enjoy the most. Stephen Hough and John Tomlinson spring to mind as prime examples.

 

What is your most memorable concert experience?

Conducting Mahler’s sixth symphony with the Dutch National Youth Orchestra at a performance in Haarlem and hearing Simon Rattle perform Mahler’s Second Symphony with the CBSO at the Brighton Dome. You don’t need glamorous venues!

 

What do you consider to be the most important ideas and concepts to impart to aspiring musicians?

Sincerity, Respect, Confidence, Passion, Thought, Time.

Born in Sussex, England, Mark Wigglesworth studied music at Manchester University and conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Whilst still a student, he formed The Premiere Ensemble, an orchestra committed to playing a new piece in every programme. A few weeks after leaving the Academy, he won the Kondrashin International Conducting Competition in The Netherlands, and since then has worked with many of the leading orchestras and opera companies of the world.

In 1992 he became Associate Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and further appointments included Principal Guest Conductor of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Highlights of his time with the BBCNOW included several visits to the BBC Proms, a performance of Mahler’s Tenth Symphony at the prestigious Amsterdam Mahler Festival in 1995, and a six-part television series for the BBC entitled ‘Everything To Play For’.

In addition to concerts with most of the UK’s orchestras, Mark Wigglesworth has guest conducted many of Europe’s finest ensembles, including the Berlin Philharmonic; Amsterdam Concertgebouw; La Scala Filarmonica, Milan; Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Rome; Stockholm Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, Helsinki Radio Symphony, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra, Salzburg Camerata and the Budapest Festival Orchestra.

Mark Wigglesworth’s full biography
(picture: Intermusica)

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From September, London-based trio Metier Ensemble, will be bringing together a refreshing variety of repertoire for a series of three, early-evening concerts at The Forge, Camden. Eclectic Collections celebrates a diverse array of 20th-century duos and trios for flute, cello and piano.

The series is themed geographically and opens with a French programme on September 8th. Damase’s neo-baroque trio sets the tone for the series, with a grand opening, wide range of moods and playful style.  At the heart of the concert are two much-admired duo sonatas by Poulenc and Debussy.  The concert closes with a trio of impressionistic watercolours by Gaubert, full of supple melodies, shifting harmonies and rippling accompaniments.

The second concert focuses on British music for flute and piano, including an ensemble commission – Trapeze by Joseph Atkins – and Orange Dawn by Ian Clarke. And the final concert is a striking collection of music from Eastern Europe. The concerts feature popular repertoire, such as sonatas by Poulenc and Debussy, alongside works by lesser-known composers, such as York Bowen and Fikret Amirov.

Further details about the concert series, venue and tickets here

My review of Metier Ensemble at The Forge (November 2012)

Meet the Artist interview with pianist Elspeth Wyllie

The Metier Ensemble is a chamber group of flute, cello and piano. Claire Overbury and Elspeth Wyllie began performing together five years ago as the Southbank Duo, and were shortlisted for the Park Lane Group Series 2011.

They were joined by cellist Sophie Rivlin in 2010, giving several several recitals which were well-received – they have return invitations to all the venues from their 2011-12 season.

The trio originally met while studying at the Royal Academy of Music and Oxford University, and are all recipients of various prizes and awards for chamber music.

They have performed abroad and throughout the UK, including at the Purcell Room, St John’s Smith Square, St James’ Piccadilly and St Martin-in-the-Fields.

www.metierensemble.co.uk

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Who or what inspired you to take up the piano, and make it your career? 

When I was five, I saw my older cousin on stage, playing the piano. She wore a glamorous dress and looked gorgeous on stage. It didn’t take a minute for me to decide that I wanted to be like her. However, I was utterly disappointed after the first few lessons. I had thought it was going to be easy! Nonetheless, I spent the first year with a cardboard keyboard as my parents weren’t able to afford a real piano yet. It was good training as I still “practise” on tables and in my mind.

Who or what were the most important influences on your playing? 

Meeting my teacher John Perry changed my perception of music completely. He “allowed” me to play beautifully. This was a new concept at the time. Until then, I was made to believe music is only hard work, stress, exhaustion and careful planning. His tone was magical; he was able to draw the most mesmerising sounds from the keyboard.

What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far? 

Career and personal life always interfere with each other. Making certain choices is inevitable and one always wonders whether one has made the right decision. Having my son four years ago has lead to my moving back to Bulgaria and placing performing lower in the priorities list. However, I used the time to create Modo with its numerous classical music projects. I feel this work was extremely valuable to me as a musician and as a human being. Furthermore, I believe it had enriched my understanding of music enormously and the result is audible in my playing.

Which performances/recordings are you most proud of? 

Interestingly enough, my best performances are preceded by extreme stress. One of my best recitals in Los Angeles was after I had a car accident on my way to the concert venue, a curious detail was the other driver’s name – Jesus. In another instant, during the Beethoven Hradec competition I was seven months pregnant. It seemed so impossible to even reach the finals, that I didn’t bother bringing a suitable dress. Well, I won the First Prize and had to buy one that would fit for the gala concert!

Do you have a favourite concert venue to perform in? 

Several of Modo’s signature’s projects have taken place in the open air, near lakes, in parks and gardens. I believe a very natural setting for making music is indeed in the nature. It makes me feel like a painter who is able to take his easel to wherever he wants.  A very rare and special feeling for pianists!

Favourite pieces to perform? Listen to? 

I’m deeply connected to Schubert’s music. Playing any of his pieces feels absolutely effortless and deeply emotional to me. Same is applied to listening. His Lieder is, of course, a real treat.

Who are your favourite musicians? 

Answering with specific names would require a classification. I’m trying to distance myself from the competition model as it is hardly suitable for the arts. Still, the names that immediately pop up in my mind are those of Schubert singers – Fisher-Dieskau, Alain Buet, Matthias Goerne.

What is your most memorable concert experience? 

Just recently I had a very interesting experience during a Pillow Concert – one of Modo’s projects for families with small children. During a completely unknown Hungarian piece for clarinet and piano, the audience impulsively decided to participate with clapping. The piece changes pace in every two bars but the 150 people in the hall were extremely attentive and managed to really stay with us in not just time but also in articulation and character. The unification with the audience, half of which consisted of babies and toddlers, was a truly overwhelming moment. I thought my heart would explode.

What do you consider to be the most important ideas and concepts to impart to aspiring musicians? 

Who you are in life is who you are on the stage.

What are you working on at the moment? 

A programme with a violin which includes Beethoven’s “Spring” Sonata, Ysaye’s Chant d’hiver and Piazzolla’s Verano Porteno. Also, Schubert’s Moments Musicaux and G Major Sonata for my upcoming recital in St. James Piccadilly.

What do you enjoy doing most? 

Making music with similar minded musicians, experimenting in the kitchen for my friends.

Veneta will be performing at St James’s Piccadilly on Wednesday 21st August 2013 in a lunchtime recital beginning at 1:10pm. The programme will include works by Chopin and Rachmaninoff.

Veneta Neynska began her musical career in her native Bulgaria at the National School of Music before graduating with the highest honors and moving to the United States of America to study with renowned pianist John Perry at USC Thorton School of Music. Veneta was then offered a prestigious scholarship to attend Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she had the opportunity to study with Joan Havill, as well as perform in master-classes with internationally acclaimed pianists, including Imogen Cooper, Alexei Nasedkin, Jerome Lowenthal and Dominique Merlet. Veneta has won numerous prizes and competitions across the globe, and performed alongside some of the world’s greatest musicians.

Veneta Neynska’s website

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Ben Parry, composer, conductor, arranger, singer and producer

Who or what inspired you to take up composing and singing, and make it your career?

I guess my dad was my biggest inspiration – he was a church organist all his working life (he had a stroke 6 years ago and can’t play any more) and I immersed myself in church choral music from a very early age. All my brothers and sisters sang in the choir, as did many other local families, and I fondly remember great choral evensongs at the end of each month, including music by Stanford, Parry, Howells, Britten and so on.

Who or what were the most important influences on your composing? 

The British choral tradition – and, most importantly, Benjamin Britten. I was born and brought up in Suffolk – and have recently returned to live here (in fact I direct Aldeburgh Voices, the resident choir at Snape Maltings). I attended concerts at the Aldeburgh Festival and met Britten once in his sports car! The harmonic language of my own music is also tinged with my love of a cappella close harmony – the Great American Songbook, Latin styles and so on.

What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far? 

My managerial and administrative roles as a director of music at St Paul’s School and Junior Academy in London have been challenging, as well as character-building! Having to make strategic decisions, which are sometimes unpopular, is difficult but often necessary, and sometimes I wish I could just get on with the music-making.

Which performances/compositions/recordings are you most proud of?  

I conducted a production of Menotti’s opera Amahl and the Night Visitors in Scotland – and Menotti staged it for us. I’d met him at a concert in Haddington by my vocal group Dunedin Consort (which I co-founded – something else I’m proud of) and he promised to work on it with me. My choral pieces Flame and Three Angels are special to me – Flame was my Proms debut last year, and Three Angels was sung by King’s College Choir on the TV last Christmas.

Do you have a favourite concert venue to perform in? 

I’ve performed in many, many venues – New York, Los Angeles,Tokyo, Berlin, Paris, Barcelona, – but Snape Maltings Concert Hall takes some beating, as does King’s College Chapel for sacred music.

Favourite pieces to perform? Listen to? 

I love performing Stockhausen’s Stimmung! It becomes other-worldly after a while, and quite trance-like. I’m not sure the audience feels the same way. I love listening to Beatles songs, which are timeless and so inventive. The Sergeant Pepper album is genius.

Who are your favourite musicians?

Who would I pay money to hear?!

Classical – Tenebrae Choir

Jazz/Contemporary – The Real Group (5 part Swedish a cappella group)

What is your most memorable concert experience? 

Take Six at the Barbican in 1991, or The Rolling Stones at Wembley 1982.

What do you consider to be the most important ideas and concepts to impart to aspiring musicians? 

Practice, of course, but love what you do, and always remember to learn from your experiences.

What are you working on at the moment? 

A piece for choir and orchestra, and strategic planning in my new role as Director of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain. Plus all the other stuff!

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

A good work/life balance – but is it ever achievable?

Ben Parry has made over sixty CD recordings and his music is published by Peters Edition and Faber Music. He works regularly with young musicians as a director of the Eton Choral Courses and as Director of Junior Academy at the Royal Academy of Music. He has just been appointed the new Director of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain.

Ben is co-Director of the professional choir London Voices, and worked with Sir Paul McCartney on his classic choral work, ‘Ecce Cor Meum’, as well as conducting and singing on many major film soundtracks. He regularly collaborates with writer Garth Bardsley, and their choral piece, ‘Flame’ was performed at the 2012 BBC Proms. He is also Music Director of the Aldeburgh Voices.

As a singer Ben has worked with Taverner Consort, Gabrieli Consort and Tenebrae and was a singer and music director with The Swingle Singers. As a conductor he has worked with the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Ensemble, National Youth Orchestra, Royal Symphony Orchestra of Seville, Vancouver Youth Symphony, Cumbria Youth Orchestra, London Philharmonic Choir and Philharmonia Voices.

www.benparry.org