LPO Tune In newsletter – Autumn/Winter 2020

– AUTUMN / WINTER 2020 –

IN THE STREAM OF LIFE

CRISTINA ROCCA

BACKSTAGE

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– 05 –

– 16 –

Our long-awaited return to the Royal Festival Hall this autumn

Welcoming our new Artistic Director from November 2020

Meet the LPO’s joint Principal Trumpet, James Fountain

LATEST ON THE LPO LABEL PENDERECKI

PRINCIPAL PARTNER

OrchLab Project Partner

Horn Concerto | Adagio for Strings Threnody | Violin Concerto No. 1 Krzysztof Penderecki | Michał Dworzyński conductors Radovan Vlatković horn Barnabás Kelemen violin LPO-0116 | Released February 2020

KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI

VIOLIN CONCERTO NO. 1 THRENODY HORN CONCERTO ADAGIO FOR STRING ORCHESTRA KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI conductor MICHAŁ DWORZYŃSKI conductor BARNABÁS KELEMEN violin RADOVAN VLATKOVIĆ horn LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

PRINCIPAL SUPPORTERS

RICHARD STRAUSS Symphonia Domestica

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Scheherazade Zubin Mehta conductor LPO-0117 | Released March 2020

SHOSTAKOVICH

Symphony No. 11 (The Year 1905) Vladimir Jurowski conductor £9.99 | LPO-0118 | Released September 2020 See page 14

VLADIMIR MARTYNOV Utopia

Vladimir Jurowski conductor Jun Hong Loh violin London Philharmonic Choir Coming soon

£14.99 | LPO-0120 Released November 2020 | See page 14

SIR ADRIAN BOULT: A MUSICAL LEGACY 5CD BOX SET

SIR ADRIAN BOULT A MUSICAL LEGACY

Sir Adrian Boult conductor £34.99 | LPO-0119 Coming soon

5CD box set released 4 December 2020.

Volumes 1–5 released individually to download or stream from 2 October 2020: see page 14.

Our CDs are available from all good outlets, and all releases are available to download or stream online via Spotify, Apple Music, Primephonic, Idagio and others.

LPO CORPORATE CIRCLE freuds Sunshine Berenberg Carter-Ruck French Chamber of Commerce

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TUNE IN AUTUMN / WINTER 2020

WELCOME

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s I sit down to write this in late September, I am still buzzing from what was a momentous day yesterday. The opening concert of any season is special, but as Edward Gardner stood on the conductor’s podium in front of 60 London Philharmonic Orchestra musicians, we knew this performance was going to be exceptionally so.

The Orchestra, which was founded ‘for the enjoyment of all Londoners’ in 1932, was playing on the stage of its Southbank Centre home for the first time in over six months.

This is the longest absence the Orchestra has had from its home since it opened in 1951, and the longest the site has ever been without live music.

We have been building towards this day ever since lockdown started. Initially, players used technology to play together from their living rooms. In July small groups of our musicians came together to trial working under social distancing. In August we were able to play to audiences outside on the lawns of Glyndebourne. However, yesterday was the first time we have all been together, and anyone who has ever played in a band, choir or orchestra knows that nothing beats the joy of ensemble.

Thanks to your incredible support and the hard work, creativity and adaptability of our musicians and staff, the Orchestra is presenting In the Stream of Life, a season of 13 full concerts at the Royal Festival Hall this autumn. We are working with Silent Studios, who have beautifully filmed and lit the Royal Festival Hall to create what promises to be a highly creative reimagination of the live orchestral experience. These will be broadcast online by our streaming partner, Marquee TV,

Editor Rachel Williams: rachel.williams@lpo.org.uk Publisher London Philharmonic Orchestra Printer Romax Cover photograph Southbank Centre/Mark Allan While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, we cannot accept liability for any statement or error contained herein. © 2020 London Philharmonic Orchestra.

The paper used for printing this magazine has been sourced from responsibly managed forests, certified in accordance with the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). It is manufactured to the ISO 14001 international standard, minimising negative impacts on the environment and is manufactured from pulp that has been bleached without the use of chlorine compounds using oxygen (elemental chlorine free), which are considered harmful to the environment.

for you to enjoy in high quality at home, free of charge for seven days. Turn the page for full listings, or visit lpo.org.uk.

There are still many challenges ahead, and the financial model of digital concerts alone is certainly not sustainable long-term, but I would like to pay tribute to our players who have risen to the many challenges posed by the pandemic with great creativity, commitment and determination. I would also like to thank you, our audiences and supporters, for your unwavering support on our journey back to the concert hall. We are incredibly grateful to all those who have watched our online performances; to the hundreds of you who have chosen to donate the value of your tickets back to the Orchestra; to those who have given so generously to our Play On Appeal; and to those who are members. Your support has not only made this

autumn season possible, but has enabled all our players to receive a liveable income for as long as necessary.

As we begin to look to the future with hope and optimism, it is a great pleasure to welcome our new Artistic Director, Cristina Rocca, to the LPO. Cristina joins us in November from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and we are excited about embarking on this next stage of the Orchestra’s journey, invigorated and emboldened by the artistic vision and leadership she will bring. Turn to page 5 to read more.

Throughout the challenges of COVID-19, the Orchestra has continued its commitment to deliver its substantial Education & Community programme, giving online lessons and seminars to participants across its talent development strands, workshops via Zoom for both adults and children with special educational needs and disabilities, and providing online compositional resources with contributions from leading composers.

Our annual Debut Sounds concert, featuring five emerging composers who have been mentored by Sir James MacMillan, was filmed last month and will broadcast on YouTube in November. Turn to page 10 to read more, including some of the fantastic feedback we’ve received from our project participants.

It is clear that even during a worldwide pandemic, the wonder of orchestral music can still bring joy and comfort, reaching places that few other experiences can.

It is my greatest hope that soon we will be able to share music in person once again – in the meantime, I hope you enjoy reading this edition, and I do hope you will be able to join us online to enjoy our autumn concerts.

CONTENTS

STAY CONNECTED

– DAVID BURKE – Chief Executive

AUTUMN STREAMED CONCERTS 04 CRISTINA ROCCA 05 THANK YOU 06-07 NEWS 08-09 EDUCATION & COMMUNITY 10-11 GRADE 1-A-THON 12-13 RECORDINGS NEWS 14 LPO PEOPLE 15 BACKSTAGE: JAMES FOUNTAIN 16 lpo.org.uk – 03 –

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AUTUMN CONCERT SEASON 2020 • STREAMED CONCERTS VIA MARQUEE TV

IN THE STREAM OF LIFE ALL CONCERTS STREAMED AT 8PM UK TIME AND FREE FOR 7 DAYS: VISIT LPO.ORG.UK FOR DETAILS

WEDNESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2020

WEDNESDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2020

SATURDAY 5 DECEMBER 2020

Jorg Widmann Con brio Sibelius (orch. Rautavaara) In the Stream of Life Beethoven Symphony No. 5

Vivaldi La stravaganza, Concerto No. 1 Schubert Symphony No. 2 Thomas Larcher Ouroboros Reger Variations and Fugue on a Theme

by Mozart, Op. 132

Ravel Le tombeau de Couperin Schubert Symphony No. 6 Jonathan Dove Vadam et circuibo civitatem (a cappella) Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3

Thierry Fischer conductor Pieter Schoeman violin

Thomas Søndergård conductor Alexander Gavrylyuk piano London Philharmonic Choir

Edward Gardner conductor (Position supported by Mrs Christina Lang Assael)

Gerald Finley bass-baritone

WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER 2020 Messiaen Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht

(Chair supported by Neil Westreich)

Kristina Blaumane cello

(Chair supported by Bianca and Stuart Roden) Generously supported by Cockayne – Grants for the Arts and The London Community Foundation.

This concert will be broadcast live at 7.30pm on Wednesday 21 October on BBC Radio 3, as part of the Southbank Centre’s Inside Out festival.

J S Bach Orchestral Suite No. 1 Elena Kats-Chernin Piano Concerto No. 3 (European premiere) Enescu Decet, Op. 14* Enescu Chamber Symphony*

WEDNESDAY 11 NOVEMBER 2020

Vladimir Jurowski conductor Tamara-Anna Cislowska piano

Edward Gardner conductor (Position supported by Mrs Christina Lang Assael)

WEDNESDAY 14 OCTOBER 2020 Julian Anderson Van Gogh Blue* Nielsen Violin Concerto Beethoven Symphony No. 7 John Storgårds conductor Simone Lamsma violin *Supported by Resonate. Resonate is a PRS Foundation initiative in partnership with the Association of British Orchestras, BBC Radio 3 and Boltini Trust.

Chevalier de Saint-Georges Overture, L’amant anonyme Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 Beethoven Ah! Perfido Beethoven Symphony No. 4 Daniele Rustioni conductor Nicolas Namoradze piano Sophie Bevan soprano Concert generously supported by Mrs Aline Foriel-Destezet.

WEDNESDAY 21 OCTOBER 2020 Anna Clyne Prince of Clouds R Strauss Suite, Le bourgeois gentilhomme Beethoven Symphony No. 8 Mark Elder conductor* Pieter Schoeman violin (Chair supported by Neil Westreich)

Tania Mazzetti violin

(Chair supported by Countess Dominique Loredan) * Please note change of conductor: sadly Karina Canellakis is no longer able to conduct this concert, owing to the current travel and quarantine restrictions between the UK and the Netherlands.

WEDNESDAY 28 OCTOBER 2020 Sibelius The Bard Magnus Lindberg Cello Concerto No. 2 (UK premiere) Ravel Trois poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé Schubert Symphony No. 1 Joshua Weilerstein conductor* Anssi Karttunen cello Sally Matthews soprano * Please note change of conductor: sadly Jukka-Pekka Saraste is no longer able to conduct this concert, owing to the current travel and quarantine restrictions between the UK and Switzerland.

WEDNESDAY 9 DECEMBER 2020

This concert will be broadcast live at 7.30pm on Friday 23 October on BBC Radio 3, as part of the Southbank Centre’s Inside Out festival.

WEDNESDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2020 Schubert Symphony No. 3 Penderecki Concertino for Trumpet and Orchestra Lotta Wennäkoski Verdigris (London premiere) Sibelius Symphony No. 5 Hannu Lintu conductor Gábor Boldoczki trumpet

Concert supported by the *Generously supported by the Romanian Cultural Institute.

WEDNESDAY 16 DECEMBER 2020 J S Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 Brett Dean The Players (UK premiere) Stravinsky Pulcinella (complete) Vladimir Jurowski conductor Pieter Schoeman violin (Chair supported by Neil Westreich)

Juliette Bausor flute Catherine Edwards harpsichord James Crabb accordion Angharad Lyddon soprano Sam Furness tenor David Soar bass Generously supported by Cockayne – Grants for the Arts and The London Community Foundation.

Concert supported by the This concert is supported in part by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute through Polska Music Programme and their partnership with LOT Polish Airlines.

WEDNESDAY 2 DECEMBER 2020 Prokofiev Symphony No. 1 (Classical) Anders Hillborg Bach Materia Schubert Overture in B flat, D470 Schubert Symphony No. 5 Thomas Søndergård conductor Pekka Kuusisto violin

WEDNESDAY 30 DECEMBER 2020 Vivaldi Overture, La verità in cimento Spohr Symphony No. 2 Honegger Pastorale d’été Bliss Rout James MacMillan Sinfonietta Vladimir Jurowski conductor Mary Bevan soprano

TUNE IN – AUTUMN / WINTER 2020 –

LPO PEOPLE

NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Introducing Cristina Rocca, who joins the LPO family next month as the Orchestra’s Artistic Director.

Cristina Rocca

Cristina Rocca © CSO

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fter an extensive global search for a new Artistic Director for the LPO following the retirement of Timothy Walker in June, we are delighted to welcome Cristina Rocca, who will join us in November from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Cristina’s broad artistic planning and programming experience throughout her impressive career has embraced some of the world’s greatest orchestras throughout Europe and the USA. In her most recent role with the Chicago Symphony she has collaborated closely with Music Director Riccardo Muti in her role as Vice President of Artistic Planning. Her previous roles include senior positions with the Cleveland Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Orchestra dell’Accademia di Santa Cecilia and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, where she was Head of Concerts and Programming for several years.

We are delighted that Cristina shares the commitment to inspired creative programming for which the LPO has become renowned, designed to reach wide audiences while proactively promoting sustained diversity and inclusion within all areas of the LPO and our sector more broadly. We look forward eagerly to sharing the artistic vision and leadership she will bring to the LPO, collaborating with Vladimir Jurowski, Edward Gardner and Karina Canellakis, whilst working alongside Chief Executive David Burke and the Concerts Department led by Director Roanna Gibson. We all recognise that we will face many challenges in the times ahead due to Coronavirus and its impact on our sector.

However, we are confident that with this outstanding appointment completing our exceptionally strong leadership team, we will have strength and talent to face the future with confidence. We hope our audiences and supporters will join us in welcoming Cristina into the LPO family in the months and years lpo.org.uk/about – 05 –

ahead and sharing the creativity and dynamism that she will bring with her.

Victoria Robey OBE, Chairman of the LPO Board, and Martin Höhmann, LPO President, commented: ‘We are delighted to welcome Cristina, who brings to the LPO an impressive combination of experience, creative flair and expertise to shape the artistic direction of the LPO going forward. A highly respected artistic director with vision and insight, Cristina meets every challenge with optimism, passion and tenacity, characteristics that will be the bedrock of building an exciting future for the Orchestra and its audiences in the UK and worldwide.’

As she prepared to take up her appointment, Cristina shared the following message with the LPO’s audiences and supporters: ‘The past several months will be remembered as an extraordinarily difficult (and hopefully unique) time in our collective history. We all have had to acquire new skills and think in very different and creative ways in order to continue to serve communities and individuals with music performances of the highest quality.

I am still on the other side of the pond and I look forward very much to joining fully the LPO in November. I am well aware, of course, of the huge amount of work carried out by every member of the Orchestra and administration, with truly amazing commitment, to offer to you all a fabulous array of performances.

Excitement, boldness and passion are a few of the words that come to my mind when I look at the programmes for the autumn.

We are planning ahead and working hard to ensure that music will continue to resonate and be part of our lives in every possible circumstance. We hope that you will be with us all the way!’

LOOK OUT FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH CRISTINA IN THE NEXT EDITION OF TUNE IN. MEET THE LPO’S LEADERSHIP TEAM lpo.org.uk/about

TUNE IN – AUTUMN / WINTER 2020 –

LPO SUPPORTERS

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT When all live performances and events were cancelled in March 2020, the Orchestra, along with all other performing arts organisations, was thrown into the biggest crisis and challenge to its survival in its history. While our future is still uncertain, it is thanks to the generosity of our supporters that we have been able to sustain the Orchestra over the last six months, support our musicians, continue our Education & Community programmes and present our autumn season of concerts broadcast from the Royal Festival Hall.

On behalf of everyone at the London Philharmonic Orchestra we want to take this opportunity to say a sincere and heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported us, through donations to our Play On Appeal, support of our Gala in Your Parlour, support of our Education & Community programme, and the continuation of annual donations and memberships. All of this has made a transformative difference to the present and future of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. With your support we will Play On and, when the time comes, we will be able to throw our doors open wide and welcome you back into the hall to be challenged, inspired, moved and uplifted by the music of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

With special thanks to Arts Council England, Dunard Fund, Glyndebourne, Mrs Christina Lang Assael and Victoria Robey OBE. Mrs Emma Abel Adam Mickiewicz Institute Robert Adediran Dr R M Aickin Mrs Janet Airey Mrs Elizabeth Aitken

Mrs Alice Barber Barclays PLC Mr John Barnard Mr John D Barnard Mr & Mrs David Barrett Mrs Judy Barrett Professor Martyn Barrett Roger Barron Mr James Bartholomew Mrs Barbara Bash Mr Geoffrey Bateman Mr Philip Bathard-Smith Mr Richard Battye Mr David Baxendale

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Mr Simon Baynham Sir Peter Bazalgette Mrs A Beare Mrs Julie Beattie Mrs S A Beck Dr Alison Behrens Mrs Julia Beine Johan Bellskog Berenberg Bank Mr Alan Berry Gaia Bertocci Steven M Berzin Ishani Bhoola Professor Michael Biggs Mikhail Noskov & Vasilina Bindley Mr Graham Binner Mr George Bitar David Booth-Jones Veronika BorovikKhilchevskaya Mr Andrew Botterill Mr Jacques Bouffier Lorna & Christopher Bown Sir Alan Bowness CBE

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TUNE IN – AUTUMN / WINTER 2020 –

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The Fidelio Charitable Trust The Idlewild Trust The R K Charitable Trust The Souter Charitable Trust The Thomas Deane Trust The Thriplow Charitable Trust Mr Peter Thierfeldt Thierry Thilmant Mrs Deirdre Thom Mrs Margaret Thompson Matthew Tickle Mr Owen Toller Eric Tomsett Mr & Mrs Anthony Trahar Mr John Tranter Catherine Travers Mrs Rose Tremain The Tsukanov Family Mr & Mrs John C Tucker Dr Ann Turrall

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Mr Sumio Yamamoto Mr C D Yates Mr Anthony Yolland Miss Emily Young Mr Federico Zaraga Ms Birgit Zinecker and all others who wish to remain anonymous and those whose names are not included here.

TUNE IN – AUTUMN / WINTER 2020 –

LPO NEWS

SUMMER 2020 ROUNDUP Over the last few months the LPO has led the way in finding ways to sustain its relationship with UK and international audiences, with our ‘LPOnline’ content reaching hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. From the start of lockdown and as the restrictions were gradually relaxed over the summer, the offerings progressively evolved from individual player performances recorded at home, to larger-scale split-screen performances, before finally being able to play together in small chamber groups for the ‘LPO Summer Sessions’, filmed during July at our rehearsal home, Henry Wood Hall. Four hour-long concerts were filmed, with players safely distanced, and the concerts were streamed fortnightly free of charge on our YouTube channel.

The concerts celebrated each section of the Orchestra, beginning with the strings, followed by the winds, then a brass and percussion programme of music composed by past and present members of the LPO. The final concert was an all-Beethoven programme to celebrate the composer’s 250th anniversary, and featured LPO players alongside talented young musicians from the LPO Foyle Future Firsts development programme.

Thank you to everyone who made donations in support of the Summer Sessions. All four performances are still available to watch on our YouTube channel: LPO ON YOUTUBE youtube.com/londonphilharmonicorchestra

OUTDOOR OPERA AT GLYNDEBOURNE

With the 2020 Glyndebourne Festival cancelled, the creative team turned all their ingenuity to something new: outdoor performances in Glyndebourne’s glorious gardens, against the backdrop of the South Downs. During August – and luckily blessed by a stretch of glorious weather – the Orchestra gave ten performances of a two-part musical feast: in the first half, Glyndebourne's Music Director Robin Ticciati and the Orchestra took the audience on a journey spanning six centuries including works by Gabrieli, Wagner and Mahler. Following a 75-minute dining interval, the gardens were transformed into a Parisian market for Jacques Offenbach’s one-act French operatic farce, Mesdames de la Halle, in a new translation by Stephen Plaice entitled In the Market for Love – the first opera to be performed to a live audience in the UK since March. Bursting with larger-than-life characters and big tunes, this comic miniature was directed by Glyndebourne’s Artistic Director, Stephen Langridge, and starred soloists including Matthew Rose, Allan Clayton and Danielle de Niese. lpo.org.uk – 08 –

GALA IN YOUR PARLOUR

In a change to our planned celebration at Banqueting House, 1 June saw LPO supporters, musicians and staff come together digitally for the very first LPO virtual gala event, the ‘Gala in your Parlour’. Donning their most elegant ‘Front Room Finery’, 200 guests on over 160 devices came together via Zoom from their homes all around the world to enjoy exclusive performances, insight from conductors Vladimir Jurowski, Edward Gardner and Karina Canellakis, and a fantastic silent auction – all hosted by the inimitable Simon Callow live from his own living room.

The spectacular performances included the LPO brought together in a virtual performance of the Scherzo and Trio from Beethoven’s Third Symphony conducted by Vladimir Jurowski, as well as soprano Lise Davidsen’s rendition of Strauss’s Zueignung, LPO Principal Cello Kristina Blaumane and pianist Reinis Zariņš playing the Andante from Rachmaninoff’s Cello Sonata, and pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet’s triumphant finale, Pierné’s Étude de concert. The event was also an opportunity to bid farewell to outgoing Chief Executive and Artistic Director, Timothy Walker: the personalised ‘Walker in the Garden’ cocktail provided a fantastic opportunity for everyone to toast Tim’s 17 years with the organisation and wish him well in his retirement.

Despite the unusual circumstances, this first of its kind event was a great success and provided a very special opportunity to celebrate the Orchestra and the wonder of orchestral music. We were thrilled to bring together so many of our supporters and the LPO family, and thanks to the generosity of everyone involved the event raised over £100,000 to support the LPO’s Play On Appeal, which will help sustain the Orchestra now and into the future. We are extremely grateful to all those who joined the Gala and those who helped make it possible, and in particular to all donors to the evening.

Glyndebourne © Richard Hubert Smith

LPO SUMMER SESSIONS

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Snape Maltings interior © Matt Jolly

VOPERA: THE VIRTUAL OPERA PROJECT

In late August we were invited to take part in VOPERA, a groundbreaking ‘virtual opera’ project. The brainchild of director Rachael Hewer, this new production of Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges was conceived as a response to world events over the last few months and is based on the story of a Child who is being homeschooled, while daydreaming about things in his house coming to life. The characters that he meets are artists trapped in their own homes, who share their reactions to their lockdown environment and how it has affected them.

Conducted by Lee Reynolds, who also created the specially-reduced orchestration for the LPO in consultation with composer Mark-Anthony Turnage (formerly LPO Composer in Residence), the production features singers including Karen Cargill, Emily Edmonds and Michael Sumuel, and the creative team includes designer Leanne Vandenbussche, cinematographer James Hall and producer Tamzin Aitken (formerly of the LPO Concerts department). Each scene was filmed by the singers in their own homes, with costumes and sets added in later with the aid of green-screen technology.

VOPERA is a collaboration with the Concordia Foundation, a charity supporting creative artists who have been affected by loss of work, earnings and stability. With over 80 singers engaged – all of whom are receiving a fee – the project is providing performers, practitioners, and producers across the opera sector with a positive creative focus and an opportunity to do their jobs again in 2020.

L’enfant et les sortilèges will be presented as a YouTube premiere event on 16 November: keep an eye on our social media channels for updates.

LPO ON YOUTUBE youtube.com/londonphilharmonicorchestra

MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT

RETURN TO LIVE CONCERTS AT SNAPE

Following the government’s announcement in August permitting indoor performances with limited audiences, Snape Maltings in Aldeburgh was one of the first venues to offer socially-distanced concerts to members of the public. The LPO strings were invited to give two performances there on 29 August – the Orchestra’s first concert-hall performances to live audiences since March. Under Antonio Pappano they performed Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings with soloists Toby Spence and John Ryan (LPO Principal Horn), followed

by Schoenberg's Verklärte Nacht.

ART & MUSIC AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY During August, the LPO and the National Gallery came together in a nostalgic tribute to the series of concerts given by pianist Myra Hess and friends during the Second World War. The daily concerts were intended to lift the spirits of Londoners at a time when they were starved of cultural pursuits after the government closed music halls, theatres, galleries and museums to avoid mass casualties in case of bombing raids.

Performed by members of the LPO string section, a selection of works by Dvořák, Haydn, Dohnányi and Rossini were paired with paintings from the Gallery, with LPO players and Gallery curators filmed discussing the links between them. The series of short films will be broadcast on the National Gallery YouTube channel this autumn – we’ll be sharing them on our own social media, so do keep your eyes peeled.

THE NATIONAL GALLERY ON YOUTUBE youtube.com/user/nationalgalleryuk

vopera20.com

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CHANEL FUND FOR WOMEN IN THE ARTS & CULTURE

La Maestra 2020 prize-winners: (L–R) Lina GonzalezGranados, Rebecca Tong & Stephanie Childress

The London Philharmonic Orchestra is delighted to announce a new partnership with the CHANEL Fund for Women in the Arts and Culture, running from September 2020 for two seasons. The new partnership will support the LPO’s continuing work with female conductors, composers and artists.

The partnership will support four concerts across the 2020/21 season, with LPO Principal Conductor Vladimir Jurowski, LPO Principal Guest Conductor Karina Canellakis, and guest conductors Hannu Lintu and Alondra de la Parra. The programmes include the London premiere of Lotta Wennäkoski’s Verdigris and the European premiere of Elena Kats-Chernin’s Piano Concerto No. 3.

In addition to supporting these performances, the partnership will also support the LPO’s work with the three prize-winners of La Maestra, a brand new international competition for women conductors which took place in Paris in September. The winner of the competition was Rebecca Tong, with Stephanie Childress winning second prize and Lina GonzálezGranados winning third. The three finalists will each be invited to spend two days with the Orchestra and receive individual mentoring sessions with the Orchestra’s Chief Executive David Burke, Artistic Director Cristina Rocca and LPO titled conductors. They will also have the opportunity to observe the rehearsal process and attend an LPO concert.

Chief Executive David Burke said: ‘The London Philharmonic Orchestra is delighted to be working with the CHANEL Fund for Women in the Arts and Culture. We are grateful for their support over the next two seasons of our concerts and our work in developing new talent. It has long been a commitment of the LPO to encourage emerging talent and we look forward to welcoming the winners of La Maestra to our home in London to support their professional development.’

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LPO EDUCATION & COMMUNITY

CONNECTING DIGITALLY Despite the challenges of the last few months, our Education & Community team have continued their commitment to inspire and engage with participants at every stage of their musical journey.

Education & Community Manager Talia Lash fills us in ...

A

D minor chord is heard on the keyboard, and the cello plays an improvised melody on top. A grid of faces, some smiling, others watching intently, some looking down at their instruments, listen for their cue.

‘Hello everyone, nice to see you,’ sings John, our workshop leader. On the screen, lips silently repeat the greeting. The chord changes – a trumpet begins to play. ‘Hope you have a good time, making music today,’ sings John, and the faces reply. We are in an Open Sound Ensemble session with a group of young people with special educational needs and disabilities, and their parents – but everyone is at home, dialling in on Zoom.

‘Now let’s hear you all individually!’

Our Education & Community programme engages with over 15,000 people a year, through tailored concerts, workshops and training sessions. We work with families, schools, talented teenagers, young people

Open Sound Ensemble online session via Zoom, May 2020

with special educational needs and the production of video and disabilities, vulnerable content for online sharing, adults and musicians at the we have sought to keep our start of their professional project participants It’s a relief. It’s a bit of respite careers. But how do you engaged while pushing engage with such a for me. The onus of not having our creative broad range of people boundaries. to be in charge was great for when a global Our LPO Junior me. It’s a great satisfaction for pandemic makes Artists and Foyle me to be able to see her being in the same Future Firsts took to space impossible? making music.

Zoom for their In March, our training sessions and PARENT OF OPEN SOUND Education and instrumental lessons ENSEMBLE PARTICIPANT Community department with their LPO player set to work reimagining mentors, and we our programme so that we successfully recruited our could still reach our participants new 2020/21 cohorts via video and offer meaningful musical auditions. In lieu of our planned engagement, despite the enormous logistical two-day LPO Junior Artists: Overture course challenges. for 11–14-year-old orchestral players this Through a combination of using Zoom, the summer, we released a series of masterclass now ubiquitous video conferencing platform, videos about the skills needed to be a top orchestral musician. These will have a long-lasting legacy and we plan to use them as training resources in future projects.

Our OrchLab project – making music with disabled adults through assistive technology – transferred to Zoom, with our workshop leader, LPO players, Drake Music facilitator and project participants composing, listening, singing, playing and socialising together from all corners of London and beyond. The project concluded with a celebratory ‘listening party’, where OrchLab groups enjoyed performances

by LPO players, self-filmed at home and edited together into split-screen chamber performances. These videos were then accessible for re-watching on our brand new OrchLab website – orchlab.org – along with a wealth of free music resources and interactive activities for disabled adults, their loved ones and the people who work with them.

For our creative teenage musicians, we produced a video series exploring the

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Monique Jonas, whose choreography was the inspiration for teenage composers via The Studio

question ‘How do you compose?’, released via our social media channels over the summer and then hosted on The Studio, our online resource space for teenage composers.

The series included interviews with eminent composers Howard Shore, David Arnold, Cheryl Frances-Hoad and LPO Composer-inResidence Brett Dean, who offered insights into their composing practice and tips to young composers. The series culminated in a brand new piece of choreography created by Monique Jonas, dancer in Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures company and Artistic Director of Jona Dance, for which we invited teenage composers to create music. Awardwinning composer Gavin Higgins approached this challenge, with his composition performed by a trio of LPO players. This was

Composer Mentor Sir James MacMillan (left) with members of the LPO Young Composers scheme 2019/20 at their Debut Sounds recording session, September 2020

shared with our young audience, along with Gavin’s guidance on how they could approach composing to the choreography. We will select submissions from teenage composers to be performed by our players later this autumn.

As restrictions slowly eased and we began to be able to come together to make music again in a socially distanced way, we were delighted to be able to perform and record the five new works by our 2019/20 cohort of LPO Young Composers at our Debut Sounds showcase in September, conducted by Composer Mentor Sir James MacMillan. The pieces will be She so thoroughly enjoys it. broadcast on the LPO’s YouTube channel on 18 November.

She wants to be part of it, and she For schools, we are expressed it in her body language, preparing a collection of filmed performances of the her facial expressions. She’s smiling, Orchestra, with engaging she’s laughing, she’s answering presentation and, at GCSE level, musical analysis to questions when they ask her. support the syllabus, all That doesn’t happen day-to-day. with additional written I’ve seen a huge difference. and AV resources that can be used flexibly in and out Wonderful, absolutely wonderful. of school.

While we are thrilled that STAFF MEMBER AT DISABILITY CENTRE, the Orchestra can now come ORCHLAB together to make music again, for some of our more vulnerable participants, connecting remotely remains a lifeline. Back in our Open Sound lpo.org.uk/education – 11 –

session on Zoom, participants light up when they hear their names, and play a solo. Some play instruments they have at home, one plays a music app on an iPad, and another has improvised an instrument using a saucepan and spoon. Some parents join in with their child, and others stay in the background watching over while their child focuses on their musical moment. When everyone plays together to finish the piece, it is loud, somewhat chaotic and utterly joyful.

Spontaneous applause erupts as the piece ends.

THE LPO JUNIOR ARTISTS PROGRAMME IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY THE ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER FOUNDATION WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM AT&T AND THE KIRBY LAING FOUNDATION. THE FOYLE FUTURE FIRSTS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY THE FOYLE FOUNDATION WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM THE BARBARA WHATMORE CHARITABLE TRUST, THE FIDELIO CHARITABLE TRUST, THE IDLEWILD TRUST AND THE THRIPLOW CHARITABLE TRUST. THE LPO OPEN SOUND ENSEMBLE IS SUPPORTED BY THE VINEY FAMILY AND THE SCHRODER CHARITY TRUST. ORCHLAB IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY JTI. THE LPO YOUNG COMPOSERS PROGRAMME IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY ERNST VON SIEMENS MUSIC FOUNDATION, THE ADAM MICKIEWICZ INSTITUTE AS PART OF THE POLSKA MUSIC PROGRAMME, THE RVW TRUST, THE LECHE TRUST AND THE GARRICK CHARITABLE TRUST.

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LPO SUPPORTERS

THE LPO GRADE 1-A-THON This summer, 12 of our players, supporters and staff took on the challenge of learning a brand new instrument and taking their Grade 1 exam, raising sponsorship to support the Orchestra.

We follow LPO Double Bassist Sebastian Pennar’s progress diary as he embarks on his Grade 1 journey ... of Music & Drama, Seb is no stranger to hard work and lengthy hours of practice. However, for this challenge he will be taking on an instrument significantly smaller than his bass, as he has decided to turn his hand to learning the clarinet from scratch under the tutelage of the LPO's Principal Bass Clarinet, Paul Richards.

The challenge began in August, with the Grade 1 exams booked in for mid-September ...

Week 2

Week 1

The Tooty Leat her Pole

S

ebastian Pennar may be a familar face to many readers. Originally from Cardiff, following several years as a freelance double bassist and a stint as Assistant Principal at the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, he joined the LPO in 2016 as Co-Principal Double Bass.

With an impressive musical pedigree including studies at the Royal College of Music and as a postgraduate at the Guildhall School

For the exam I have to prepare two pieces, a few technical exercises, some scales and arpeggios, and listening skills. Whilst I’m a bit worried about the alarming number of buttons or ‘keys’, and the likelihood of squeaking a lot, I’m looking forward to the challenge!

So I’ve just collected a clarinet from my brother-in-law, who lives up the road. Apart from some teethmarks on the mouthpiece it looks to be in good condition. Having grown up learning to play the violin, cello and eventually double bass (sorry violas), and a very brief foray into the French horn whilst at music college, I fancied giving a wind instrument a go. I have fond memories of playing the double bass in Copland’s Clarinet Concerto in my youth orchestra, and seeing as Oliver, my brother-in-law, had a ‘misery stick’ gathering dust, the stage was set.

An added draw to tackling the ‘Tooty Leather Pole’ was that the LPO’s bass clarinettist, Paul Richards, also lives up the road, and was free – perhaps even eager – to teach me. My interactions with Paul usually involve one of us falling asleep on the way to Glyndebourne and the other one taking a photo, so I don’t know what to expect in our lessons, but I’m looking forward to them.

lpo.org.uk/donate – 12 –

Enter Professor Richards I consulted YouTube to get me started on where to put my fingers and how I should get a sound out of the thing. Initially I was feeling pretty smug that I had worked out how to assemble the instrument (formed of six separate parts in its case), until I noticed that I was attaching the mouthpiece the wrong way round. It was time to pay Professor Richards a visit ...

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After months of mostly online human interaction, I’m glad we are able to have our lessons in person, albeit at a safe distance apart. Paul is an extremely enthusiastic teacher and his passion is infectious. His key piece of advice is to ensure there is enough air going through the clarinet in order to produce a warm tone and reduce the likelihood of the dreaded squeak. He also enlightened me as to the many uses for Rizla cigarette papers: it seems that they solve most problems a clarinettist might face, whether it’s a loose joint, water in the tone holes or even a sore lip!

After a post-lesson cup of coffee to debrief and compare lockdown experiences, Paul sent me on my way to practise ‘Daisy Bell’ (a classic clarinet Grade 1 piece) and gave me a few reeds of varying hardness to experiment with (apparently I was a ‘tough guy’ for turning up to the lesson with a No. 3 reed).

Week 3 Tonguing trouble Tonguing – the use of the tongue to articulate a note on a wind instrument – has been causing me all sorts of problems. When I last went to the dentist for a filling, the dental nurse told me afterwards it was a real struggle to keep my tongue out of the way of the dentist’s drill because it was flailing around so much. Clearly something similar was happening now with a clarinet in my mouth.

Paul instructed me to just lightly touch the reed with my tongue and to maintain air flow at the same time. This helped a great deal and by the end of the week my tonguing exercises were transformed and there was much less squeaking, to the immense relief of my wife.

I have managed to practise for around half an hour a day and am making steady progress.

Having chosen to play Weber’s ‘Lullaby’ and Beethoven’s ‘Minuet’ as my two exam pieces, they are beginning to shape up. My slurring exercises, however, leave a lot to be desired, with a low F# proving particularly difficult.

Week 4

Last-minute practice Completely unrelated to my taking up the clarinet, we have moved house this week.

Whilst providing our previous neighbours with a cause for celebration, all the packing, unpacking, DIY and cleaning hasn’t left me with much time to knuckle down on my scales and arpeggios. I also had three days of filming sessions for the LPO Debut Sounds performance. Fortunately, Paul was also playing in the project so we managed to squeeze in a lesson before the rehearsal, and I played through most of the required pieces, scales and exercises for the exam … which is next week! It was pointed out to me that all of my pieces are in 3/4 time, which I’m worried will give the examiner the idea that counting any more than that is beyond me – but hopefully I’ll be able to put them right in the aural test and reading skills section.

Week 5

The moment arrives...

34 days after my first tentative squeaks, it was time for me to take my exam. I dressed smartly to make a good impression, only to discover that they only recorded the audio. At least Paul appreciated my crisp white shirt.

The exam seemed to go well: no bum notes, and the slurring exercise I had struggled with over the last few weeks came off well.

Having discussed my vocal range for the aural exam beforehand, Paul duly ignored my request for low notes and played some uncomfortably high notes for me to sing back.

I’m glad to have ventured into the previously mysterious world of woodwind playing. It has given me a new-found appreciation of the breath control and technical agility of my colleagues. I also finally know what they’re all up to with those Rizlas. lpo.org.uk/donate – 13 –

Post-exam celebrations with Prof. Richards

Week 6

Results t ime A couple of weeks later, as I return to the Royal Festival Hall with my double bass to begin rehearsing and filming our autumn online concerts, I get the news that I passed my exam, and not only that, but with a Distinction – the highest possible grade! It’s been a momentous week for me and my colleagues, and this is the icing on the cake.

As we begin to get back into the routine of rehearsing and performing on the Festival Hall stage – hopefully with an audience in the not-too-distant future – here’s hoping I can find the time to get my liquorice stick out of its case once in a while and develop my newlyacquired lockdown skill. Bring on Grade 2!

It's not too late to support Seb and his fellow fundraisers – you can still donate online at lpo.uk/Grade1. All funds raised will go to our Play On Appeal, helping sustain the Orchestra now and into the future.

THE LPO IS DELIGHTED TO HAVE PARTNERED WITH MUSIC TEACHERS' BOARD EXAMS ON THE GRADE-1-A-THON. MTB OFFER ENTIRELY ONLINE EXAMS, COMPLETE FLEXIBILITY OF DATES AND A WIDE-RANGING SYLLABUS. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MTB EXAMS, VISIT MTBEXAMS.COM

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LPO NEWS

RECORDINGS NEWS LATEST LPO LABEL RELEASES

Coming soon

RECORDING NEWS IN BRIEF

Coming soon

Released 25 September 2020 – Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11 Recorded live in concert at the Royal Festival Hall with Vladimir Jurowski in December 2019, this disc is the chance to relive one of our concert highlights of 2019; a performance The Times wrote showed ‘unflinching precision through rebellion, sorrow, anger and nightmare’.

The disc was chosen as Recording of the Week for 3 October by Radio 3’s Record Review.

Due for release 13 November 2020 – Vladimir Martynov’s Utopia In November 2019 the Orchestra made the world premiere recording of Vladimir Martynov’s symphony Utopia at the iconic Abbey Road Studio One. It is an expansive work which combines elements of American minimalism with Russian Orthodox chant and passages from the ancient Tao Te Ching to reimagine the concept of utopia.

August saw the release of violinist Nicola Benedetti’s latest album on the Decca label, of Elgar’s Violin Concerto with the LPO under Vladimir Jurowski.

The recording received rave reviews, reaching No. 1 in the Official Classical Chart and The Strad magazine praising the performance as ‘real heart-on-sleeve Elgar’, adding that ‘Vladimir Jurowski is an attentive and sensitive companion, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in fine form.’

FIND OUT MORE, OR BUY OR DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM: nicolabenedetti.lnk.to/ElgarSo

Due for release 4 December 2020 – Sir Adrian Boult: A Musical Legacy Just in time for Christmas, we release a 5-disc special edition box set to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the great Sir Adrian Boult becoming Principal Conductor of the Orchestra.

This set is full of historic recordings from the 1940s–60s, many available for the first time on CD, which celebrate the relationship between conductor and orchestra and the incredible range of Sir Adrian’s musical styles. The box set includes a 28-page booklet packed with insights into Boult’s life and musical career, and detailed information about the recordings. Look out for the volumes on Spotify, Apple Music, and all major streaming services from 2 October.

These three new releases, along with over 100 other titles on the LPO Label, are available from all good CD outlets, and are also available to download or stream online via Spotify, Apple Music, Primephonic, Idagio and others.

FIND OUT MORE

During July and October the Orchestra was back in the studio for Decca with soprano Lise Davidsen, recording a new album of arias and orchestral songs by Beethoven, Strauss and Wagner under conductor Mark Elder. The album is due for release in 2021. lisedavidsen.com

lpo.org.uk/recordings

NEW DVD RELEASES FROM GLYNDEBOURNE Newly released on DVD and Blu-ray are two 2019 Festival productions featuring the LPO: Dvořák’s Rusalka, conducted by Robin Ticciati and starring Sally Matthews as the eponymous water-nymph; and Massenet’s Cendrillon conducted by John Wilson, with Danielle de Niese in the starring role.

These, along with many other Glyndebourne DVDs and CDs, are available to buy from glyndebourne.com/shop.

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The Glyndebourne DVD release of Barber’s Vanessa, filmed at the 2018 Festival under conductor Jakub Hrůša, and starring Emma Bell in the title role, was shortlisted for the 2020 Gramophone Awards in the Opera Category. gramophone.co.uk/awards

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LPO NEWS

LPO PEOPLE FAREWELL, ROBERT & SARAH!

LPO TALENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES: 2020/21 PARTICIPANTS ANNOUNCED We are delighted to welcome the following young artists and composers who will join our three mentoring and professional development programmes in the 2020/21 season.

MORE ABOUT OUR TALENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES

Robert Pool & Sarah Streatfeild © Benjamin Ealovega

lpo.org.uk/education

In September we said goodbye to two long-standing members who retired from the Orchestra’s First Violin section: Robert Pool, who had been a member of the LPO for 34 years, and Sarah Streatfeild, who first joined the Orchestra 36 years ago, before returning for a second spell from 1993 onwards.

Of his colleague Robert, First Violin and LPO President Martin Höhmann wrote: ‘Robert has been an incredible colleague and friend to so many of us, and undoubtedly a rock of the First Violin section for all these years. Due to the nature of its musical challenges, our section can feel like a risky place to be and it has been great having Robert close by! Always prepared to give it his all, he also seems to have the answers to the many small questions that arise when you organise a section as big as ours. These clearly useful attributes aside, he also has an infectious sense of humour, and his ability to bring people together will be missed by us all. Robert has always been there for everyone, taking the time for a chat or giving advice, which I have always appreciated, especially when settling in as a new member of the Orchestra from abroad.’

LPO Leader Pieter Schoeman payed tribute to Sarah, writing that she ‘has an excellent ear and an inner need for beautiful playing – this must be why she managed to play with such quality and taste until the day she retired.

She also has a mischievous and infectious laugh, coupled with a wicked sense of humour. When these qualities were on full display in the backstage corridors, we always found ourselves gravitating towards the source to hear the latest gossip recounted masterly by her and Robert.’

We thank Robert and Sarah for their service to the Orchestra, and wish them both all the very best for the next chapters in their lives.

MEET OUR MEMBERS

2020/21 Foyle Future Firsts Inês Delgado violin Claudia Tarrant-Matthews violin Abby Bowen viola Pedro Silva cello Thomas Morgan double bass Jagoda Krzemińska flute Bernice Lee oboe Isha Crichlow clarinet Emily Newman bassoon Flora Bain horn Nick Walker trumpet Merin Rhyd trombone Adam Collins tuba Fionnuala Ward piano Alis Huws harp Iolo Edwards percussion Luke Taylor timpani 2020/21 LPO Young Composers Alexander Tay Geoffrey King Paweł Malinowski Robin Haigh Sun Keting 2020/21 LPO Junior Artists Tamara Redmond violin Danya Rushton viola* Riya Hamie cello Kitan Oyetunde cello* Aiyana Rennie double bass Charles Campbell-Peek double bass Anamika Nebhrajani-Wallace trumpet Shesh Abu-Jabir percussion* *LPO Junior Artists Associate Members

lpo.org.uk/players

lpo.org.uk/about – 15 –

RUSEN GÜNES 1940–2020 We were saddened to learn of the death on 29 May of former LPO Principal Viola Ruşen Güneş. Ruşen joined the LPO in 1979 and held the position of Principal Viola for eight years.

LPO BOARD & ADVISORY COUNCIL We are delighted that Simon Callow CBE has been appointed to the Orchestra’s Advisory Council. Simon has been a loyal supporter of the LPO for many years, and we look forward to the wealth of knowledge and experience he will bring.

Violist Susanne Martens is taking a sabbatical from the Orchestra during the 2020/21 season and has therefore resigned from her position on the LPO Board of Directors. An Extraordinary General Meeting will be held in October, at which new Board members will be elected.

LPO BOARD & ADVISORY COUNCIL lpo.org.uk/board

IN THE OFFICE We recently welcomed Lindsay Wilson as interim Education & Community Director and Alice Harvey as interim Box Office Manager, covering for Isabella Kernot and Megan Macarte respectively, who are both on maternity leave. We also welcomed our new Marketing & Digital Officer Sophie Harvey in October.

Congratulations to Frances Slack, previously Finance & Operations Manager, on her promotion to the role of Finance Director.

Congratulations too to Dayse Guilherme, who has been promoted to Finance Manager.

Jean-Paul Ramotar joined us as Finance & IT Officer in September, completing our Finance team.

At the end of June we said goodbye to Timothy Wakerell, PA to the Executive/Office Administrator, and in October to Marketing Assistant Georgie Gulliver.

NEW ARRIVAL Congratulations to Education & Community Director Isabella Kernot and her husband Richard Slaney, who welcomed their second child, Anna Clara Rosalind, on 23 July.

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LPO PEOPLE

BACKSTAGE

Having been Principal Cornet with the National Youth Brass Band, GUS and Grimethorpe Colliery Band, how have you found orchestral trumpet playing differs from brass band playing?

In a brass band the solo cornet section is used in the same way as the First Violin section in an orchestra, often taking the leading lines, playing the tunes and having very little rest.

An orchestral trumpet section is very different – you have to pick your moments and find the points in the music where the composer gives the trumpet its moment to shine. This has its challenges, as, whilst not necessarily always playing a great deal, you have a lot more time to worry about messing it up! However, whilst I still love the sound of a brass band, there is no feeling that matches sitting at the back of a great orchestra like the LPO. What’s your favourite orchestral repertoire to play?

Anything by Mahler, as he writes so well for the trumpet and understands the range and strengths of the instrument very well (you’d be surprised how many composers don’t!)

His Third, Sixth and Ninth Symphonies always

of Music, and that has given me a real motivation to be as much help as I can to the next generation of brass players. I enjoy chamber music, being a member of the brass group ‘Septura’ and new music group ‘Neoteric Ensemble’, whilst also spending a fair amount of time in the studio, recording for film and TV scores. I’m always keen to try and keep my schedule as varied as possible as I’m aware that I’m still fairly early on in my career and I want music-making to be as fresh to me in 40 years as it is now.

– JAMES FOUNTAIN – James joined the London Philharmonic Orchestra as Joint Principal Trumpet in February 2020, having previously been Principal Trumpet at the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. give me goosebumps. Music is so diverse, though, and it often amazes me some of the combinations that the LPO can pull off in the same concert. This week we’re performing a piece by Jörg Widmann called Con brio, which is totally bonkers and brilliant, in a programme with the more recognisable – and equally great – Beethoven’s Fifth.

The works are polar opposites of each other, yet both still sit under the same bracket of ‘music’.

Having reached some impressive career goals at an early age, including becoming Principal Cornet with Grimethorpe aged just 17 and Principal Trumpet with the RPO aged 20, how would you like to see your future career develop?

To continue what I’m doing: hopefully improving every day as a musician! Having now joined the LPO, I look forward to many exciting challenges with the Orchestra in the future. I also teach at the Royal College

Newsletter published by the London Philharmonic Orchestra 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP Tel: 020 7840 4200 Fax: 020 7840 4201 Ticket Office: 020 7840 4242 lpo.org.uk

– 16 –

Who has been your biggest musical inspiration?

I always think these questions are hard.

I don’t think, for anyone, there is ever just one. As musicians we are always learning and changing and therefore often our musical tastes, preferences and influences can evolve drastically. As I mentioned, both my parents are brass players, so they were my initial inspiration to pick up a cornet. After that, there is a long list of players that I grew up listening to, such as cornet players David Daws and Richard Marshall, and trumpet players like Maurice Murphy, Wynton Marsalis and Maurice André. While I was at the Guildhall, Paul Beniston – our other Principal Trumpet at the LPO – was one of my teachers, and I’ve always been inspired by his playing, especially when I came to watch the Orchestra’s concerts as a student.

What did you miss most during lockdown, and how have you been filling your time while concerts have been cancelled?

Lockdown was a real shock to the system: I don’t think I’ve ever gone this long without playing in an ensemble! The first notes the Orchestra played together in September, six months and six days after the last note rang around the Royal Festival Hall in March, were very emotional.

During lockdown I did a lot of cooking (something musicians don’t always get much time to do), went on numerous cycling trips, and basically completed Netflix. My partner Lucy is a pianist and we practised a lot together, making little Zoom concerts for family and friends. I’m a huge Manchester United fan, so by the time the football was back on TV, the break from work became a lot more bearable!

Photograph © Juliette Koch

Did you grow up in a musical family?

What are your earliest musical memories?

I first picked up a cornet when I was three years old, so for me the instrument felt as much a toy as anything else. As I child I attended the local Salvation Army church every Sunday, so my very earliest memories were listening to the brass band play hymn tunes each week. Both my parents were cornet players in the band and so it wasn’t long before I wanted to join in.

As a teenager I was a member of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain as well as the leading ‘contesting’ band in the area, the GUS Band, before moving on to Grimethorpe Colliery Band based in Yorkshire.

All of these organisations taught me a great deal and helped me on my way to later studying trumpet at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

All my family are still involved in music: my father is a brass teacher, my mother conducts the local community brass band and my brother is a postgraduate trumpet student at the Royal College of Music.