Latest news with #Shostakovich
Malaysian Reserve
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Malaysian Reserve
A Trio of Talent: Spanish Maestro, Korean Violinist, and Local Soprano Launch New Youth Orchestra in Hong Kong SAR
The Hong Kong RH Philharmonic's inaugural 'Echoes of Resilience' concert aims to inspire fortitude in challenging times HONG KONG, July 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The newly established Hong Kong RH Philharmonic (RHPhil) will present its debut concert, 'Echoes of Resilience,' on 19 July 2025 at the Academic Community Hall, Hong Kong Baptist University. This event celebrates Hong Kong's enduring spirit and unity through music. Led by Stanley Chen and Alan Tam, and supported by RH Music Gallery and Y Mission Limited, RHPhil brings together 80 exceptional music graduates aged 18 to 35, creating a youth-driven professional orchestra rooted in the community with a global outlook. Stanley stated, 'Having myself inspired under various batons when I was younger, understanding the true value of diverse learning, we are dedicated to building an international stage for our young musicians—so they may shine through exploring limitless possibilities in their musical journey—and we remain committed to creating more opportunities to support their growth and development.' To foster East-West cultural exchange, the debut concert features Spanish maestro Unai Urrecho Zubillaga, Korean violinist Jeong Yeonoo, and Hong Kong SAR's acclaimed soprano Hedy Chan. Together, they will present rare masterpieces: Bernstein's Overture to 'Candide,' Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D major (Op.35), and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 in D minor (Op.47). Shostakovich's works, known for their large orchestration and technical difficulty, are considered a major challenge for orchestras. In fact, major Hong Kong orchestras only perform such works about once every three to four years, with just five large-scale performances in the past decade. This concert will offer a rare live rendition of both concerto and symphonic masterpieces, promising audiences an unforgettable first-hand experience. The concert aims to: Spark intercultural creativity through international collaboration Showcase the resilience of Hong Kong's youth in challenging times Provide performance and career opportunities for young musicians, advancing local arts development Reimagines classical music as civic cultural infrastructure through grassroots participation Event DetailsDate: 19 July 2025 (Saturday)Time: 8:00 PMVenue: Academic Community Hall (AC Hall), Hong Kong Baptist UniversityTicketing: 3972 3880 or orchestra@
Edinburgh Reporter
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
Aurora is making its Edinburgh debut this August
Aurora Orchestra will be appearing at a bean bag concert in Edinburgh this August. This orchestra founded in 2005 by Principal Conductor, Nicholas Collon, memorise whole symphonies – sometimes an hour long and present music with theatrical elements to allow their audiences to get a better understanding of it. This summer Aurora marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Dmitri Shostakovich, one of the most influential and performed composers of the 20th century, with a deep-dive into his Fifth Symphony – a work born in the shadow of Stalin's regime that reveals music on the edge of life and death by a composer treading a dangerous line between political obedience and artistic defiance. Aurora will make their long-awaited debut at the Edinburgh International Festival, with two performances, including one in the Festival's Beanbag Concert Series. Shostakovich Inside Out (Monday 18 August, 2pm) invites audiences to learn more about the Fifth Symphony in a fresh and immersive way, through a conversational presentation led by Nicholas Collon as the orchestra play the symphony by memory, pausing to share insights and delve into its emotional depth and historical context. Later the same day, Aurora performs the full symphony by memory, as part of a concert that also includes Abel Selacoe's cello concerto Four Spirits, with the composer himself and percussionist Bernhard Schimpelsberger as soloists (Monday 18 August, 7:30pm). Made up of a roster of fearless musicians who have developed and grown with the orchestra, Aurora is the pioneer for memorised orchestral performance and has performed entire symphonies from memory at the BBC Proms and beyond for the last 11 years. They will play at BBC Proms on 16 and 17 August ahead of appearing in Edinburgh. The Artistic Director and Co-Director, Concept and Script for Shostakovich's Fifth by Heart, Jane Mitchell, said: 'Shostakovich's 5th symphony was written under extraordinary circumstances and has been put under a magnifying glass since the moment it was first presented. The stories surrounding the symphony provide a fascinating lens through which to look at the role of artists in a totalitarian state. Our presentation of the 5th symphony will look at these stories alongside an exploration of the score itself, and will take a look at the endless ways in which we can interpret abstract music, throwing light on both the terrifying and farcical nature of a state attempting to control a composer's voice.' Aurora Orchestra at Kings Place credit Nick Rutter Like this: Like Related
The Guardian
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Shostakovich: Preludes & Fugues Op 87 album review – Avdeeva brings a light touch in an accomplished performance
Shostakovich composed his 24 Preludes and Fugues in 1950 and 1951, between his Ninth and Tenth Symphonies. As a judge in the first International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig in 1950, he had been hugely impressed by the playing of the Soviet pianist Tatiana Nikolayeva in The Well-Tempered Clavier. On his return to Moscow he began composing a series of preludes and fugues for Nikolayeva, consciously modelling them on Bach, though ordering them according to the circle of fifths rather than chromatically as Bach does, and larding them with references not only to his model but to his own works. He completed the set in all the major and minor keys the following year and Nikolayeva gave the premiere in Leningrad in 1952. She went on to make no less than four recordings of it, including one for Hyperion in 1990 that has become the benchmark version. Comparing Nikolayeva's performances with those by Yulianna Avdeeva on her new set is fascinating. Avdeeva, who won the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 2010, takes a lighter approach, less forthright, and perhaps not digging as deeply into the barely disguised tragedy of the E minor Prelude as Nikolayeva does, but equally dazzling in the exuberant display of the A minor. She finds exactly the right mood of delicate insouciance for the F sharp minor prelude, too, and for the mysterious halting fugue that follows. Avdeeva follows her performance of the set with a recording of a prelude in C sharp minor that Shostakovich originally drafted for his Op 87 set, but discarded unfinished; the Polish composer Krzysztof Meyer completed the draft and added a fugue of his own. She gave the world premiere of the complete work in 2020, and it makes a neat envoi to a very accomplished performance. This article includes content hosted on We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as the provider may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. Listen on Apple Music (above) or Spotify
The Guardian
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Shostakovich: Preludes & Fugues Op 67 album review – Avdeeva brings a light touch in an accomplished performance
Shostakovich composed his 24 Preludes and Fugues in 1950 and 1951, between his Ninth and Tenth Symphonies. As a judge in the first International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig in 1950, he had been hugely impressed by the playing of the Soviet pianist Tatiana Nikolayeva in The Well-Tempered Clavier. On his return to Moscow he began composing a series of preludes and fugues for Nikolayeva, consciously modelling them on Bach, though ordering them according to the circle of fifths rather than chromatically as Bach does, and larding them with references not only to his model but to his own works. He completed the set in all the major and minor keys the following year and Nikolayeva gave the premiere in Leningrad in 1952. She went on to make no less than four recordings of it, including one for Hyperion in 1990 that has become the benchmark version. Comparing Nikolayeva's performances with those by Yulianna Avdeeva on her new set is fascinating. Avdeeva, who won the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 2010, takes a lighter approach, less forthright, and perhaps not digging as deeply into the barely disguised tragedy of the E minor Prelude as Nikolayeva does, but equally dazzling in the exuberant display of the A minor. She finds exactly the right mood of delicate insouciance for the F sharp minor prelude, too, and for the mysterious halting fugue that follows. Avdeeva follows her performance of the set with a recording of a prelude in C sharp minor that Shostakovich originally drafted for his Op 87 set, but discarded unfinished; the Polish composer Krzysztof Meyer completed the draft and added a fugue of his own. She gave the world premiere of the complete work in 2020, and it makes a neat envoi to a very accomplished performance. This article includes content hosted on We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as the provider may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. Listen on Apple Music (above) or Spotify
Korea Herald
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Conducting across borders: Roderick Cox makes Asia debut with visionary Shostakovich performance
American conductor set to lead SPO in performing William Kentridge's 'Shostakovich 10: Oh To Believe in Another World' Roderick Cox, a rising American conductor based in Berlin, is set to make his long-anticipated Asia debut with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra on May 30, leading a performance of 'Shostakovich 10: Oh To Believe in Another World' — a visually reimagined rendition of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10 by renowned South African artist William Kentridge. Cox, making his first appearance in the region, was drawn to the project not only by his long-standing affinity for Shostakovich, but also by curiosity sparked by the interdisciplinary nature of the work. 'Sometimes one can be quite cautious when pairing a great symphony with something else — a piece of art that already stands powerfully on its own,' he said during an interview Tuesday at GS Arts Center in Seoul. 'But in this case, it looked very interesting, very new and something that could be very intriguing for our new audiences in 2025." While Cox has previously worked on programs that included video elements aimed at reaching younger listeners, this marks his first experience with a full-scale visual collaboration of its kind. Behind the orchestra, Kentridge's film — featuring cardboard sets, cut-out masks and stop-motion animation — creates a constructivist aesthetic that echoes the stark imagery of Stalinist Russia. 'I think it's fascinating when you can engage multiple senses — to hear and see simultaneously. Maybe it allows for deeper connections, especially for those already familiar with this work. I'm looking forward to exploring that shared experience with our audience,' Cox added. Still, Cox acknowledged with a laugh — and a note of concern — that the immersive visual setting might present an unusual challenge. 'I'm hoping that the video is not so interesting that it takes my focus off the actual music,' he said. 'Because performing Shostakovich's music requires such intensity, focus and concentration to really enter into this dark world the composer is conveying.' Cox's career took off after winning the 2018 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award, one of the most prestigious honors for young conductors in the United States. The award provided him with international mentorship and the opportunity to expand his artistic horizons across Europe. He has since led performances with major orchestras and opera houses and is now the director of Opera National Montpellier Occitanie in France. Raised in Macon, Georgia, Cox first encountered classical music through public school and community programs at the age of 8. Initially planning to become a teacher, he became intrigued by conducting in high school after watching his instructors shape sound and guide ensembles with physical gestures. 'I remember thinking, 'I want to do that,'' he recalled. That early exposure gave him time to internalize the physical language of conducting before settling into fixed habits. 'Just like with an instrument, the earlier you start, the more natural it becomes.' He went on to study at Northwestern University, where two key mentors — Mallory Thompson and Victor Yampolsky — shaped his path. Yampolsky, in particular, encouraged him to take conducting seriously and pursue it professionally. Cox admitted that he was in a bubble while studying. Pointing out that the majority of his most influential teachers were female, he later found it surprising that there was an issue of a shortage of female conductors. Thompson, he recalled, always told him to never ever think he got or did not get an opportunity because of his identity. 'I think that sort of training at an early age really helped me not dismiss my identity or forget about it, but really focus on the music and the art and trying to be the best artist I can be,' he added. Cox later served as assistant conductor at the Minnesota Orchestra under music director Osmo Vanska, further refining his skills in front of a top-tier ensemble. Vansaka served as the music director of the SPO from 2020 to 2022. Having once received support from a local foundation when he chose to pursue music, Cox felt compelled to pay it forward. Nearly two decades later, he founded the Roderick Cox Music Initiative — a nonprofit that offers scholarships and mentorship to young musicians from historically underrepresented communities. 'It's about opening doors,' he says, 'for students who might not otherwise see a place for themselves in classical music.' gypark@
