The Bridgewater Hall ICS 15|16

Welcome to the 2015|16 International Concert Series at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, which offers a lively mix of top musical stars, great orchestras and ensembles, as well as opportunities to learn and discover. The Hall’s reputation as one of the world’s finest music venues has never been higher. The world’s most acclaimed performers are eager to perform here.

Lang Lang, perhaps the most famous musician on the planet, gives a recital. American superstar violinist Joshua Bell performs with British cellist Steven Isserlis, while Murray Perahia returns; a pianist who has graced the concert stage for over forty years.

The season’s debut performers include choral composer John Rutter, who celebrates his 70th birthday conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Argentinian cellist Sol Gabetta plays Elgar with the Dresden Philharmonic. Conductor Vasily Petrenko, familiar to many as conductor of the Liverpool Phil, brings his other orchestra, the Oslo Philharmonic, to Manchester performing Mahler’s all-embracing Fifth Symphony.

Our Associate Artists continue to provide us with familiar faces.

John Lill and Emma Johnson play Brahms in autumnal mood, while Wayne Marshall dazzles with his virtuosity and invention, improvising Gershwin on the Hall’s magnificent Marcussen organ. The Sixteen bring two programmes; a stunning Handel extravaganza and a meditative sequence of works by William Byrd and Arvo Pärt. Meanwhile The Tallis Scholars pay tribute to composer Sir John Tavener, who died in 2013 and whose music continues to mesmerise listeners through its sincere and simple spirituality. Newcomers, La Serenissima, perform Vivaldi’s masterpiece, The Four Seasons, in an edition taken from Manchester Central Library’s own original copy of the score.

The centrepiece of the 15|16 season is a collaboration between our resident groups called Echoes of a Mountain Song; a series running from February to April 2016, exploring the relationship between music, literature and landscape. It encompasses orchestral concerts, recitals, poetry, live folk music and community-based projects. The Bridgewater Hall opens its doors to everyone, and we hope you will find within this season’s programme many, many things to enjoy!

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International Concert Series 15|16 Season at a Glance Visiting Orchestras

Period Instrument & Choral

Dresden Philharmonic Michael Sanderling conductor Sol Gabetta cello Wednesday 14 October 2015

The Sixteen Choir & Orchestra Harry Christophers conductor Friday 30 October 2015

John Rutter’s Christmas Festival Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Saturday 5 December 2015 The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Joshua Bell violin/music director Steven Isserlis cello Friday 8 January 2016 Oslo Philharmonic Vasily Petrenko conductor Simon Trpceski piano Monday 7 March 2016

Recitals Emma Johnson clarinet John Lill piano Tuesday 10 November 2015 Lang Lang piano Sunday 29 November 2015 Wayne Marshall organ Tuesday 17 May 2015 Murray Perahia piano Wednesday 15 June 2016

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The Tallis Scholars Peter Philips conductor Friday 22 January 2016 La Serenissima Adrian Chandler violin/director Peter Whelan bassoon Friday 19 February 2016 The Sixteen’s Choral Pilgrimage 2016 Harry Christophers conductor Thursday 23 June 2016

Echoes of a Mountain Song February to April 2016 Introductory Lecture Em Marshall-Luck Saturday 6 February 2016

Northern Bards – Poetry event Simon Armitage & Josephine Dickinson Saturday 23 April 2016

Manchester Camerata Gabor Takács-Nagy conductor Jennifer Pike violin Saturday 6 February 2016

Unquiet Earth Words & music about Emily Brontë Saturday 23 April 2016

The Hallé & The Hallé Choir Sir Mark Elder conductor Saturday 27 February 2016

Shakespeare 400 BBC Philharmonic Saturday 23 April 2016

Manchester Mid-day Concert RNCM Brass Band Thursday 10 March 2016

Folk Opera to mark the mass trespass on Kinder Scout Sunday 24 April 2016

Sir Thomas Allen baritone Joseph Middleton piano Wednesday 30 March 2016

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Dresden Philharmonic Michael Sanderling conductor Sol Gabetta cello Wednesday 14 October 2015 7.30pm Wagner Overture, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg 11’ Elgar Cello Concerto 30’ Beethoven Symphony No.3 ‘Eroica’ 50’ The season opens with one of Germany’s finest orchestras, under a maestro from a distinguished conducting dynasty, performing works which portray the artist as hero. Wagner’s Meistersinger Overture celebrates creative originality, while Beethoven’s Third Symphony hails the visionary power of the genius. Argentinian cellist Sol Gabetta makes her Manchester debut, playing music of deep sadness by an English hero, Elgar, who ponders lost love and mortality.

Post-concert Divertimento £40 | £33 | £27 | £22 | £14 (incl £2 fee)

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‘Sol Gabetta commands her instrument so completely, and the quietest, most limpid passages are so effective that a sonorous forte feels like warm consolation.’ Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

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The Sixteen Choir & Orchestra Harry Christophers conductor Friday 30 October 2015 7.30pm Handel Arrival of the Queen of Sheba 3’ Handel Chandos Anthem No.11, ‘Let God Arise’ 12’ Handel Coronation Anthem, ‘Let thy hand be strengthened’ 8’ Handel Overture to Jephtha 5’ Handel Dixit Dominus 35’ Join Associate Artists, The Sixteen, for a festival of Handel, including his early work Dixit Dominus which is filled by exciting and original choral-writing. Handel became renowned as one of the great melodists of all time, and his later works are marked by bel canto refinement, as well as fizzing energy and vital rhythms.

Led by the inspirational Harry Christophers, he and his hand-picked ensemble bring fresh insight and lively enthusiasm to their performances, so that even familiar works can sound like new.

Preview performance 6.30pm Learn more about The Sixteen’s unique training programme for young singers, as Eamonn Dougan introduces and conducts Genesis Sixteen CD signing – Harry Christophers £40 | £33 | £27 | £22 | £14 (incl £2 fee)

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‘In the Dixit Dominus, the fugue in the thrilling “Gloria” was expertly handled

by Christophers, allowing the tension to build until it burst forth into a joyous conclusion, a veritable tour de force of contrapuntal, vocal and orchestral virtuosity.’ Bachtrack

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Emma Johnson clarinet John Lill piano Tuesday 10 November 2015 7.30pm Schumann Fantasy Pieces for Clarinet Op.73 Brahms Two Rhapsodies Op.79 (piano solo) Brahms Clarinet Sonata in F minor, Op.120 No.1 Schumann Romances for Clarinet Op.94 Brahms Three Intermezzi, Op.117 (piano solo) Brahms Clarinet Sonata in E-flat Op.120 No.2 Two of the nation’s best-loved artists join forces to play music they adore. The late works of Brahms possess a touching autumnal melancholy, none more so than his two Sonatas for the clarinet. His late piano pieces are also poignant miniatures. Brahms’s great friend Robert Schumann possessed a fertile, even feverish creative imagination – vividly evident in his Fantasy pieces and Romances.

CD signing – Emma Johnson & John Lill £27 | £22 | £17 (incl £2 fee)

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‘Brahms’s clarinet sonatas require a deep understanding…

The result is definitive; Johnson’s gorgeous tone evokes the reputed delicate, warm and unaffected sound of the sonatas’ original dedicatee.’

The Observer

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Lang Lang piano Sunday 29 November 2015 7.30pm J. S. Bach Italian Concerto in F BMV 971 Tchaikovsky The Seasons Op.37 Chopin Four Scherzos, Op.20, Op.31, Op.39 & Op.54

12’ 43’ 40’

He is both performing artist and one-man, world-wide brand, who these days needs no introduction, except to say that he continues to be superlative in all that he does and represents the hottest ticket in classical music. For all the showmanship and media hype, he remains a serious and dedicated musician able to display refined technique in Bach, inventive characterisation in Tchaikovsky and stormy brilliance in the music of Chopin. Buy early to book your seat at the biggest show of the year.

Book Tickets £65 | £55 | £45 | £31 (incl £2 fee) Concessions & Flexible Booking discounts not available

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John Rutter’s Christmas Festival Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Chetham’s Chamber Choir John Rutter CBE conductor Elin Manahan Thomas soprano Jonathan Scott organ Saturday 5 December 2015 7.30pm Programme includes: Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, Handel’s Messiah (excerpts), Bach’s Sinfonia from Cantata No.29 (solo organ). With carols composed and arranged by John Rutter such as Star Carol, Shepherd’s Pipe Carol and What Sweeter Music, as well as traditional carols for the audience to sing.

To mark John Rutter’s 70th birthday, the most popular living choral composer in the world and doyen of Christmas music, hosts and conducts a star-studded line-up in a concert to warm the heart. Rutter has written some of the best loved carols of our times, as well as making arrangements of many traditional carols now considered definitive by millions. He makes his Bridgewater Hall debut in this outstanding festival of Christmas favourites. £42 | £35 | £29 | £24 | £17 (incl £2 fee)

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John Rutter

‘I’ve never wanted to keep art for just a chosen few followers. I’ve always wanted to write music that can be shared.’ John Rutter, Sinfini Music

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The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Joshua Bell violin/music director Steven Isserlis cello Friday 8 January 2016 7.30pm Dvorák Silent Woods (cello & orchestra) 7’ Beethoven Symphony No.8 28’ Schumann Elegy (violin & orchestra) 7’ Brahms ‘Double Concerto’ (violin & cello) 30’ Founded by Sir Neville Marriner in 1958, The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields is led by their Music Director, virtuoso violinist Joshua Bell. Together they create inspirational and inventive performances rooted in outstanding musicianship.

In this concert, Joshua Bell works with his friend and musical collaborator, the British cellist Steven Isserlis, taking on the role of conductor, orchestral leader and soloist in a programme of romantic moods and classical poise.

Post-concert Divertimento £40 | £33 | £27 | £22 | £14 (incl £2 fee)

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Joshua Bell

‘The two soloists are interestingly different. Bell is more on-edge and brilliant, Isserlis more inward, but how well they dovetailed their musical personalities, and how beautifully the clean orchestral sound complemented them.’

The Telegraph

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The Tallis Scholars Peter Philips conductor Friday 22 January 2016 7.30pm Taverner Leroy Kyrie Tavener As one who has slept; Funeral Ikos Tallis Lamenations I Allegri Miserere Tavener The Lamb; Song for Athene Taverner Quemadmodum; Gaude plurimum The composer Sir John Tavener died in November 2013, robbing us of one the country’s most recognised musical figures. He reached a world-wide audience through choral pieces such as The Lamb, and his Song for Athene was sung at the funeral of Princess Diana. His music shows diverse influences, including the Greek Orthodox tradition (to which he converted) and Tudor polyphony by composers such as his almost namesake, John Taverner.

Preview 6.30pm Peter Philips discusses the life, work and his friendship with the late Sir John Tavener CD signing – Peter Philips £34 | £29 | £25 | £22 | £17 (incl £2 fee)

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‘He could bring an audience to a deep silence which is a very rare gift. He believed that music was for everybody and was a prayer.’

BBC Radio 3, John Rutter on Sir John Tavener

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Echoes of a Mountain Song The music & poetry of northern landscapes Saturday 6 February - Sunday 24 April 2016 Even from the busy streets of Manchester, we can still catch a glimpse of the brown brooding hills of the Peak and Pennines which creep into the fringes of the city’s sprawl. In the past, the Pennines and their fast flowing rivers made the Industrial Revolution possible, their animals fed and clothed us. Now, in an age of globalisation, such wilderness is important for reminding us of our roots and local identity, offering an escape from the 24/7 hi-tech contemporary urban lifestyle.

From February to April 2016, Echoes of a Mountain Song will, through a series of concerts, poetry events, workshops and lectures, explore how the northern landscape has inspired and nurtured a distinctive creativity in its people. It will present music and literature associated with and shaped by these beautiful places, revealing a rich living heritage which challenges the values and assumptions of our modern world.

Ladybower Reservoir Peak District National Park 11

Saturday 6 February 2016

Evocations 1.10pm Auditorium A chance to hear new works inspired by northern landscapes by students from the Royal Northern College of Music.

Free Ticketed Event

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Echoes of a Mountain Song Introductory Lecture 3.30-5.00pm Barbirolli Room Em Marshall-Luck, author of Music in the Landscape and founder of the English Music Festival introduces the series, exploring how the northern uplands have inspired and influenced many of our country’s finest composers. £5

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Over Owler Tor Peak District National Park 12

Manchester Camerata Gábor Takács-Nagy conductor Jennifer Pike violin Narrator (to be announced) Saturday 6 February 2016 7.30pm Patrick Hadley Kinder Scout 7’ Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending 14’ Delius A Walk to The Paradise Garden 11’ Mendelssohn Symphony No.3 – ‘The Scottish’ 40’ In a concert which includes poetry and readings, we hear the rarely performed orchestral sketch Kinder Scout by English composer Patrick Hadley (1899-1973) who found solace on the moors of the Peak District. A performer with local roots, Jennifer Pike, plays that matchless evocation of the moorland landscape, The Lark Ascending, based on George Meredith’s pastoral poem. Frederick Delius was born in Bradford and loved high wild places. A Walk to The Paradise Garden is a blissful interlude set amidst Alpine scenery. After the interval, Mendelssohn takes us on a tour of Scotland; a musical journey encompassing misty peaks, bagpipes and highland dancing.

Preview in the Auditorium 6.30pm Em Marshall-Luck talks to Peter Davison about the evening’s programme Foyer Folkslot Live folk music with a Scottish theme in Stalls Bar before and after the main concert £40 | £33 | £27 | £22 | £14 (incl £2 fee)

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The Hallé & The Hallé Choir Sir Mark Elder conductor Saturday 27 February 2016 7.30pm Stravinsky Four Norwegian Moods Delius The Song of the High Hills Rachmaninov Three Russian Songs Tchaikovsky Francesca da Rimini

12’ 28’ 15’ 25’

Bradford-born Frederick Delius sought a mystical relationship with Nature and, in this concert, The Song of the High Hills receives a rare performance. Delius described the piece as an attempt to ‘express the joy and rapture felt in the High Mountains and to depict the lonely melancholy of the highest altitudes of the wide expanses.’ £41 | £35 | £30 | £25.50 | £20 | £13 (incl £2 fee) Hallé concessions apply

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Manchester Mid-day Concerts Society RNCM Brass Band Tba conductor Thursday 10 March 2016 1.10pm Programme to include: Holst Moorside Suite John McCabe Cloudcatcher Fells Arthur Butterworth Three Impressions The Brass Band is synonymous with the culture of the Pennines. Moorland and mountain landscapes have inspired many works for these iconic ensembles. John McCabe’s Cloudcatcher Fells depicts the Lake District, while Pennine composer Arthur Butterworth, who died in 2014, captures three scenes from 19th century Northumberland in his atmospheric suite. £11.50 | £9.50 concession | £7 student (incl £2 fee)

The Pennine Way Teesdale, Durham 14

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Singing the Mountain Song Folk workshop and lecture Thursday 10 March 2016 3.00-4.30pm Barbirolli Room Cumbria-based folk-singer, musician and animateur, Bill Lloyd, explores the traditional culture and music of the North Country in a mix of live performance, lucid commentary and instruction. Music includes the songs The Queen among the Heather, Bentham Fair and Gathering Rushes, as well as the tunes Through the Glen, Flintergill and The Old Drove Road. Volunteers from the audience may join in parts of the presentation. £5

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Sir Thomas Allen baritone Joseph Middleton piano

Wednesday 30 March 2016 7.30pm Vaughan Williams Songs of Travel, Tired, Linden Lea George Butterworth Six songs from ‘A Shropshire Lad’ Traditional songs Gan ti the Kye, O I hae seen the roses blaw, Rap er te bank, Elsie Marley, Dance ti the Daddy Songs by Edward Purcell, Arthur Penn and Eric Coates Sir Thomas Allen is one of the most admired singers of our times. Born in Seaham, County Durham, some consider him a possible model for Lee Hall’s Billy Elliot, retaining a strong connection with the Northeast. He performs Vaughan Williams’ sublime account of the outdoor life, Songs of Travel and Butterworth’s touching settings of A.E. Houseman, alongside items from Allen’s CD anthology Songs my father taught me. He comments ‘there’s no academia behind this, just my very simple need to recapture memories I have of amateur singers coming through our house to practice these songs and others.’

Foyer Folkslot Live folk music with a Northumbrian theme in Stalls Bar before and after the main concert £27 | £22 |£17 (incl £2 fee)

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Saturday 23 – Sunday 24 April 2016 Echoes of a Mountain Song culminates in a weekend of events exploring the creative freedom found in northern landscapes. It also marks the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare on 23 April, who is rumoured to have spent a period of ‘lost years’ serving wealthy Catholic families in Lancashire.

That provides the ideal excuse to open the weekend with a celebration of northern poetry, written by two living Pennine poets and one of the first literary figures to hail from those hills, Emily Brontë. The series reaches its climax with a specially commissioned folk opera marking the infamous mass trespass on Kinder Scout in 1932; an event which proved a turning-point in the campaign for the right to roam.

Shakespeare 400

Saturday 23 April 2016

Northern Bards Simon Armitage & Josephine Dickinson Saturday 23 April 2016 11.00-12.30pm Barbirolli Room Yorkshire poet Simon Armitage reads extracts from Walking Home, his account of hiking along The Pennine Way as a latter-day troubadour, and from Stanza Stones – a series of poems sculpted along a 47 mile trail between Marsden and Ilkley.

Award-winning poet and shepherd, Josephine Dickinson, has written movingly of her transformative experiences on a hill farm near Alston. Overcoming profound deafness and drug-addiction, she offers a unique perspective on contemporary rural life.

£8 Book Tickets

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Pop-up poetry reading Saturday 23 April 2016 1.00-2.00pm Stalls Foyer Read your favourite poem or a poem of your own inspired by the landscape. For the chance to participate, submit your ideas to popuppoetry@bridgewater-hall.co.uk, and a selection will be heard on the day.

Free event

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Unquiet Earth Words & music about the life & work of Emily Brontë Saturday 23 April 2016 3.00-5.00pm Barbirolli Room Clare Hammond piano | Jane Wilkinson soprano | Suzanne Casey violin Kenneth Woods cello | Peter Davison narrator Beethoven Pathétique Sonata 15’ Robin Walker Four Songs of Emily Brontë 16’ Beethoven Cantata: Adelaide 6’ Mendelssohn Adagio from Cello Sonata No.2 4’ Andrew Keeling Piano Trio ‘Unquiet Earth’ 20’ Despite her short life, Emily Brontë produced one of the most original novels of the 19th century, Wuthering Heights. In a sequence of words and music, we discover more about this enigmatic freespirit who loved the Yorkshire moors.

Todmorden-based composer Robin Walker has set four of her poems, exploring lost love and resignation. Extracts from the novel and other writings appear alongside a stormy piano sonata by Beethoven, whose cantata about unobtainable love, Adelaide, was among the Brontës’ music collection in Haworth.

Finally, Lancashire-based Andrew Keeling’s piano trio Unquiet Earth responds to Wuthering Heights’ ambivalent last paragraphs in music of rare pathos. £8

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Malham Cove, Yorkshire 17

Shakespeare 400 BBC Philharmonic Andrew Gourlay conductor Saturday 23 April 2016 7.30pm Five newly commissioned works by Tom Coult, Nina Whiteman, Daniel Kidane, Aaron Parker, Chiu-yu Chou Prokofiev Suite from Romeo and Juliet The BBC Philharmonic celebrates Shakespeare 400 with a concert of music inspired by the great bard. Five young Manchester-trained composers have been asked to write an eight-minute work based on a specific Shakespeare sonnet.

Each piece will be used as the incidental music to a new radio play, but will also stand-alone as an orchestral work. The concert ends with extracts from Prokofiev’s colourful ballet score depicting the tragic destiny of the ‘star-crossed’ lovers from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Foyer Folkslot 5.00pm Live folk music with a Pennine theme in Stalls Bar Preview 6.30pm £38 | £32 | £26 | £21 | £16 | £12 (incl £2 fee) BBC Philharmonic concessions apply

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The story of the mass trespass on Kinder Scout and the battle for the right to roam Sunday 24 April 2016

In collaboration with Chetham’s School of Music, other local schools and community groups, a newly commissioned folk opera will mark the anniversary of the mass trespass on Kinder Scout. On 24 April 1932, a group of activists set out from Hayfield to walk to the summit plateau. Singing defiantly as they went, there were fist-fights with local gamekeepers along the way. The ramblers reached their destination but, on their return, several were arrested, some receiving jail sentences. The mass trespass marked the beginning of a campaign by The Ramblers’ Association for the right to roam, resulting in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which gave the general public access to vast new areas of private land. The trespass also provides a suitable metaphor for liberating the imagination and discovering creative inspiration in these wild upland places.

Further details of this project will be announced in the Autumn.

More Info

Kinder Scout Peak District National Park 19

La Serenissima Adrian Chandler violin/director Peter Whelan bassoon Friday 19 February 2016 7.30pm Vivaldi Concertos for Violin ‘in tromba marina’ in D & G Vivaldi Concertos for Bassoon in G & B-flat Vivaldi ‘Four Seasons’ (Manchester version) Concertos for Violin and Strings

20’ 20’ 40’

Acclaimed period-instrument group, La Serenissima offers a unique chance to hear Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. The only surviving manuscript of these famed works are part of a collection of 95 Italian concertos held by Manchester’s Henry Watson Music Library. It contains subtle differences compared to the more widely-heard version of Vivaldi’s famous piece. Violinist Adrian Chandler has made a new edition from these parts which are written in Vivaldi’s father’s hand.

The concert also includes a rare outing for the violin in tromba marina – a special ‘loud’ violin recreated from archive material discovered in Venice.

Preview in the Barbirolli Room 6.15pm Prof. Michael Talbot and Adrian Chandler discuss the ‘Manchester’ edition of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, as well as the recreation of the violin ‘in tromba marina’. The original manuscript of The Four Seasons will be on display in the Hall before the concert, courtesy of the Henry Watson Music Library.

CD signing – Adrian Chandler & Peter Whelan £27 | £22 | £17 (incl £2 fee)

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Oslo Philharmonic Vasily Petrenko conductor Simon Trpceski piano Monday 7 March 2016 7.30pm Grieg Lyric Suite (excerpts): Norwegian March, Notturno, March of the Trolls 10’ Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2 35’ Mahler Symphony No.5 70’ Better known to British audiences as Principal Conductor of the Liverpool Phil, since 2013 Vasily Petrenko has also been Chief Conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic. Still not yet 40, the dynamic Russian maestro brings vital energy and strong musical discipline to all his performances, never better shown than in the mighty symphonies of Gustav Mahler. Petrenko has also formed a successful partnership with Macedonian pianist Simon Trpceski, and their recordings of the Rachmaninov concertos have won critical acclaim for their insight and brilliance. £40 | £33 | £27 | £22 | £14 (incl £2 fee)

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Vasily Petrenko

‘There is nothing overstated… and yet there is nothing that goes unnoticed either: the interpretative balance is precise and inspired, the thrill of experiencing the concerto played in this way immeasurable. Trpceski was born to perform this music, and Petrenko to conduct it.’ The Telegraph

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Organ Rhapsody!

Wayne Marshall organ Tuesday 17 May 2016 7.30pm Marshall Jazz lntrada

Bernstein arr. Marshall Overture, ‘Wonderful Town’ Dupré Prelude and Fugue in B Bovet Sarasota from Trois Preludes Hambourgeois Improvisation on themes from Bernstein’s ‘West Side Story’ Gershwin ‘I got rhythm’ & Summertime

Improvisation on Bohemian Rhapsody Oldham-born Wayne Marshall is renowned for his extraordinary range of talents, encompassing playing the organ, composing and jazz improvisation. In this lively ‘organ pops’ recital, Marshall shows the full breadth of his skills, as he recaptures the verve of the golden age of jazz and the American songbook, alongside repertoire strongly influenced by that style. £17 (incl £2 fee)

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‘Wayne Marshall demonstrated one of his great strengths – that of improvisation.

This was really something – superb playing, thrilling and moving by turns, and a conception which showed this wonderful instrument off to its full advantage’ Classical Source

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Murray Perahia piano Wednesday 15 June 2016 7.30pm Haydn Variations in F minor Hob. XVIII/6 Mozart Sonata in A minor K.310 Brahms Four pieces for Piano, Op.119 Beethoven Sonata No.29 in B-flat, Op.106 ‘Hammerklavier’

14’ 20’ 15’ 50’

Evergreen pianist Murray Perahia returns with a programme that includes Haydn’s last work for piano, some of the final works written by Brahms for the instrument and one of the most ambitious late works by Beethoven; his monumental ‘Hammerklavier’ Sonata. Mozart’s Sonata in A minor is among his most stormy works, completing a programme filled by dark intensity, expressive virtuosity and intellectual rigour. £34 | £29 | £25 | £22 | £17 (incl £2 fee)

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‘The spirited phrasing and bright articulation of Perahia’s playing stood out…

Every inflection was delivered like a great actor bringing extra space and subtle weight to familiar lines.’ The Guardian

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The Sixteen’s Choral Pilgrimage 2016 Hope in Adversity Harry Christophers conductor Thursday 23 June 2016 7.30pm Byrd Diliges dominum; Miserere mihi domine; Emendemus in melius; Tribue domine; Christe qui lux es et dies; O lux beata trinitas; Ad dominum cum tribulare; Laetentur coeli Pärt Deer’s cry; The woman with the alabaster box; Nunc Dimittis Tallis Miserere nostri Associate Artists The Sixteen return to close the season with their Choral Pilgrimage 2016. In a programme which offers consolation in troubled times, music by two masters of religious composition are given pride of place. William Byrd’s Latin motets identified him as a Catholic during the reign of a Protestant Queen, which risked persecution and imprisonment. Arvo Pärt’s music is similarly marked by religious sincerity and political implications. In Estonia, singing works by Pärt and others became a way to defy the Soviet regime, eventually leading to what has been dubbed ‘the singing revolution’ in 1991.

Preview 6.30pm Harry Christophers discusses the evening’s programme with a singer from The Sixteen CD signing – Harry Christophers £34 | £29 | £25 | £22 | £17 (incl £2 fee)

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Bridgewater for All Bridgewater for All is the learning and participation programme at The Bridgewater Hall. We run projects, performances and events designed to involve communities across Greater Manchester in the life and music of this unique building.

2015|16 Season Highlights The Echoes of a Mountain Song season invites a wide range of people to make and enjoy music at the Hall, from new compositions by leading young musicians studying at RNCM, to pre-concert talks and events. The season culminates with a brace of anniversaries celebrating freedom – the space to write, and the space to roam.

Audiences can hear, create and share new and well-loved poetry on Saturday 23 April, or join us the following day for our third major collaboration with Chetham’s School of Music, a newly commissioned folk opera created by students and communities from across the region.

Annual Programme Fully funded school projects run every term for students from Key Stage 1 to 3, inviting children to attend concerts, create music and perform onstage.

Regular public events include musical play for babies and toddlers, Be Hear Now sessions for young people with special educational needs and their families, and the Bridgewater Hall Singers – our very own lunchtime choir, inviting adults to enjoy singing without auditions or expectations. Throughout the summer months, free lunchtime concerts in Stalls Foyer give audiences a taster of the classical, contemporary and world music that they might enjoy in our main auditorium.

Support Our Work We rely on contributions from public and private supporters to maintain our programme. With small and large scale events taking place throughout the year, we’re always interested in talking to businesses or individuals about sponsorship of our whole programme or of specific elements of work. As a registered charity attached to a prestigious venue, we can work with you to recognise your support and to share news of your generosity with diverse audiences; contact learning@bridgewater-hall.co.uk.

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The Bridgewater Hall

New Year’s Eve Bond Spectacular Manchester Camerata Tim Redmond conductor Louise Dearman soloist

Thursday 31 December 2015 See out 2015 with a glamorous evening celebrating the world’s most famous secret agent. West End star Louise Dearman joins Manchester Camerata for a thrilling evening of all your favourite Bond themes including Goldfinger, Skyfall and Diamonds Are Forever.

Dress to impress and arrive early to enjoy our special 007 themed foyer entertainment while sipping a glass of champagne. Delicious dining options also available.

From 5.00pm Pre-concert dining From 6.30pm Informal entertainment in the foyer Concert at 8.00pm £55 | £45 | £35 (incl £2 fee)

On sale Monday 11 May Box Office: 0161 907 9000 www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk

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Eating & Drinking The Charles Hallé Restaurant Enjoy Head Chef Marco Tedde’s mouth-watering supper in our award-winning restaurant. We offer the best value, quality cuisine in Manchester, with a fixed price menu du jour at £21.95 for two courses and £27.50 for three courses, inclusive of coffee and petits fours.

Reservations required.

Pre-performance dining from 5.30pm.

Stalls Café Bar

Ideal for morning coffee or lunch, Stalls Café Bar combines excellent quality with value for money with lunch prices from £4.35. The Café Bar also offers a more casual pre-concert dining experience within the lively atmosphere of the Stalls area.

Pre-performance dining is available from 5.30pm with main courses typically from £10.95.

Reservations required for pre-performance dining.

Please reserve your table through the Box Office on 0161 907 9000 or online at www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk Please note a £5.00 per person deposit is required for reservations; this is non-refundable in the event of cancellation with less than 3 days’ notice.

Box Office: 0161 907 9000 www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk

The Bridgewater Hall’s Associate Artists 2015|16 Our Associate Artists are solo performers and ensembles who work with us as creative partners to develop original programmes and projects across a broad range of styles and musical genres. These include collaborations with our resident orchestras, special concert series and talks, as well as outreach and education projects. These relationships allow us to take you, the audience, on a journey through lesser known and more challenging repertoire, by providing a chance to develop long-term relationships with particular performers. Our first group of Associate Artists, appointed in 2010, included the organist Wayne Marshall and choral group, The Sixteen. All are now entering their 6th seasons as partners. In 2015|16, we also welcome back John Lill for a recital with Emma Johnson, following his Beethoven cycle in 2013|14. Classical guitarist Craig Ogden will return in 2017 for his fourth guitar weekend, and future projects with existing and new Associate Artists are always in our forward plans.

Your Visit Ice Creams Award-winning Criterion Ices have been selected by The Bridgewater Hall for their delectable ices, for sale during the interval. Delicious flavours include Belgian Chocolate, Stem Ginger, Gold Medal Vanilla, Strawberries & Cream, and Lemon Sorbet.

Artist Signings Some of our visiting artists will be signing CDs after their performance.

Check the event listings on our website for the most up-to-date information about signings. Whilst the Hall makes every effort to fulfil advertised signings, occasionally artist circumstances change. Any late changes will be communicated on the night of the concert.

The Bridgewater Hall Shop Take time out during your visit to browse the beautiful and unique jewellery, contemporary gifts, CDs and unusual greetings cards in the shop. When there is an advertised artist signing, CDs can be purchased from the shop before the concert or in the interval. The shop is open Monday – Friday 11.00am – 3.00pm and from 6.00pm on concert days.

Booking Information Booking for all tickets is open from Monday 11 May 2015 online, by phone, by post or in person. Mastercard, Visa and Maestro all welcome.

Booking Online Visit www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk where you have the option to select your own seat.

Booking by Phone Tel: 0161 907 9000

Booking by Post Request a booking form from the Box Office (or download one from the website) and return via FREEPOST to: Box Office, The Bridgewater Hall, FREEPOST RTLJ-GRKG-GGYS, Manchester M2 3WS.

Booking Fees A booking fee of £2 per ticket applies to telephone and online transactions.

Tickets bought in person at the Box Office using a debit card or credit card are subject to a 2% booking fee. No fee applies to tickets bought in person and paid for by cash or cheque or purchased as part of a fixed or flexible subscription.

Box Office Opening Hours* 10.00am – 6.00pm Monday to Saturday (8.00pm on concert nights) Sunday (concert nights only) 12.00 noon – 8.00pm Closed on non-concert Sundays * As at May 2015. Please phone 0161 907 9000 or visit www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk to check for changes in opening times.

Flexible Series Booking – Save up to 25% Receive discounts on the full ticket price when you book for 5 or more concerts from the Hall’s 2015|16 classical seasons** – all events are flexible booking unless otherwise stated.

Save 15% – Choose any 5 or more concerts Save 25% – Choose any 16 or more concerts If you spend £250 or more, you can pay in 5 interest-free monthly instalments on or around 1 September 2015 (bookings via the Box Office only). Forms must be received by Friday 24 July 2015.

** Included are the International Concert Series, plus The Hallé, BBC Philharmonic and Manchester Camerata seasons. Check online for full season listings at www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk, or phone the Box Office for brochures.

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Auditorium Seating Plan

STAGE

Student Discounts ÂŁ5 Student Standby: A limited number of ÂŁ5 student tickets are available from the Box Office on the day for most International Series concerts on production of valid student ID. Sign up to the Sonic Student Network to find out about other student offers from The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester Camerata, BBC Philharmonic and RNCM: facebook.com/sonic

Group Discounts Contact our Group Sales Office on 0161 907 9010 to make a group booking 10% discount for groups of 10-29 15% discount for groups of 30-49 25% discount for groups of 50+ 30

Getting Here

OLDHAM

NCP

NCP DEANSGATE/ CASTLEFIELD

NCP PARK AVENUE

ASHTON UNDER LYNE

M61 BOLTON/WIGAN/M6 PRESTON M602 & M60/M62 LIVERPOOL SALFORD QUAYS & ECCLES

M66 BURY/M62 ROCHDALE, LEEDS

SALE & ALTRINCHAM

STOCKPORT & BUXTON M56 MANCHESTER AIRPORT & WILMSLOW M56 CHESTER/M6 BIRMINGHAM

The Hall is in the centre of Manchester, easily accessible by public transport and by road.

From July 2015 onwards, Metrolink tram passengers should alight at the new fully-accessible Deansgate-Castlefield stop. St Peter’s Square stop will be closed for 14 months as part of on-going Metrolink works.

The nearest bus stops for major routes into the city centre are Oxford Street, Portland Street or Deansgate.

The nearest rail stations are Deansgate and Oxford Road.

Coaches can drop off and pick up outside the main entrance on Lower Mosley St. The nearest car parks are Park Avenue, NCP Manchester Central, NCP Great Northern or NCP Oxford Street. Remember you can book your parking when you buy your concert tickets. If travelling by car, please allow plenty of time for your journey.

The Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3WS Tel: 0161 907 9000 31

Access

The Bridgewater Hall welcomes disabled patrons. Please see our website for disabled parking and access information, or contact the Box Office on 0161 907 9000, email box@bridgewater-hall.co.uk. For individual access requirements, including seating advice, please book via the Box Office.

Information is available in large print.

Concessions Unless otherwise stated in the performance listing, senior citizens, students, under 26s and claimants are entitled to a 10% discount off ticket prices in this brochure. This offer is only valid for bookings made more than one month before the date of the concert. Please see p30 for further student discounts.

Parking Discounts A limited number of guaranteed spaces are available to Bridgewater Hall concert patrons at Park Avenue car park (see map on p31) for ÂŁ6. Spaces must be booked with the Box Office or online at least a week before the concert and are valid from 5.30pm on the date indicated. Patrons can also validate their NCP parking ticket at the Hall for Manchester Central Car Park (formerly G-Mex), Great Northern Phase 1 & 2 and Oxford Street for a discounted rate.

Jurys Inn

Jurys Inn, Manchester is conveniently situated directly opposite The Bridgewater Hall. The hotel offers an excellent standard of 3-star accommodation at value for money room rates. Lowest room rates are always guaranteed on www.jurysinns.com. Look out for special Bridgewater Hall offers.

Jurys Inn Manchester 56 Great Bridgewater Street Manchester M1 5LE Tel: 0161 953 8888 Email: jurysinnmanchester@jurysinns.com

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FROM MANCHESTER AIRPORT 200 direct destinations 65 airlines 1 airport

Images credits Cover/page 2/26 © Ben Blackall Page 5 © Arnaud Stephenson Page 6 © John Batten Page 7 © Harald Hoffmann Page 8 © Nick Rutter Page 9 © Eric Kabik Page 10 © Eric Richmond Page 19 © Greg Knowles Page 22 © Edgar Brambis Page 23 © Felix Broede Page 24 © James Berry Page 25 © Matt Hughes

Box Office: 0161 907 9000 www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk