Latest news with #ViolinConcerto


Time Out
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Willoughby Symphony Orchestra: A Night at the Oscars
The Willoughby Symphony Orchestra brings a taste of Hollywood to town with A Night at the Oscars, featuring music from blockbuster films including Spiderman, Saving Private Ryan and more. The star of the show will be one of Germany's finest violinists, Rosa Donata Milton, who returns to The Concourse Concert Hall following her spellbinding performances of Korngold's Violin Concerto in 2023. She'll join the Willoughby Symphony Choir under the baton of acclaimed conductor Dr Nicholas Milton AM, as they perform selections from Academy Award-winning soundtracks. The incredible concert will open with a tribute to the acclaimed film Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, before continuing on a cinematic journey through some of the silver screen's most illustrious soundtracks that just might move you to tears. The full line-up includes Spiderman, Forrest Gump, Hook, Schindler's List, Angels and Demons, Ladies in Lavender, The Mission, Saving Private Ryan and Amistad. You can experience the glamour of Hollywood's night of nights complete with a red carpet and photowall, where you can snap a pic with your very own Oscar – just don't forget to dress up for the occasion.

20-07-2025
- Entertainment
Acclaimed conductor Roger Norrington dead at age 91
Roger Norrington, a conductor acclaimed for historically informed performances during more than a half-century leading orchestras in Europe and the United States, has died. He was 91. Norrington died Friday at his home, his son Tom said Saturday. Norrington lived outside Exeter, England. Norrington conducted both period-instruments and modern orchestras, asking both types to play without vibrato and usually at faster tempi than modern practice. 'He was an extraordinary dramatist. He made things happen emotionally,' Myron Lutzke, an Orchestra of St. Luke's cellist who helped persuade Norrington to become music director, said Saturday. 'He had his detractors, certainly, and some of them were some of my best friends. But for me, he got the music off the page. He made the concert experience transformative.' Born on March 16, 1934, Norrington was the son of Arthur, president of Trinity College, Oxford, and the former Edith Carver. A violinist and boy soprano in his youth, Roger attended The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Dragon School, Westminster School, Cambridge and the Royal College of Music, where he studied under conductor Adrian Boult. In 1962, Norrington founded the Schütz Choir, originally dedicated to the works of Heinrich Schütz. He became music director of Kent Opera from 1969-84, the Bournemouth Sinfonietta from 1985-89 and New York's Orchestra of St. Luke's from 1990-94. He was principal conductor of Camerata Salzburg from 1997 to 2006, the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1998 to 2011 and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra from 2011-16. 'Orchestras didn't generally use vibrato until the 1930s,' Norrington told The Guardian in 2007. 'It is a fashion, like smoking, which came in at about the same time. Smoking is now going, so maybe vibrato will too. ... I have discovered, all the way from Monteverdi to Mahler, is that when music is played as it should be, the sound is wonderful, the expression is wonderful and the instruments match together.' Norrington was nominated for four Grammy Awards and won in 2001 for a recording of Nicholas Maw's Violin Concerto with Joshua Bell and the London Philharmonic. Norrington retired after conducting the Royal Northern Sinfonia in an all-Hadyn concert on Nov. 18, 2021. 'I have enjoyed every minute of over 50 years of making music with some of the most wonderful and talented musicians in the world," he said in a statement. 'The time has come to step off the podium.' His first marriage, to Susan McLean May, ended in a divorce in 1982. He married the choreographer Kay Lawrence in the mid-1980s; she died last year. Norrington was made a Knight Bachelor in 1997.


New York Post
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Acclaimed conductor Roger Norrington dead at 91
Roger Norrington, a conductor acclaimed for historically informed performances during more than a half-century leading orchestras in Europe and the United States, has died. He was 91. Norrington died Friday at his home, his son Tom said Saturday. Norrington lived outside Exeter, England. Norrington conducted both period-instruments and modern orchestras, asking both types to play without vibrato and usually at faster tempi than modern practice. Advertisement 3 Norrington died Friday at his home, his son Tom said Saturday. ullstein bild via Getty Images 'He was an extraordinary dramatist. He made things happen emotionally,' Myron Lutzke, an Orchestra of St. Luke's cellist who helped persuade Norrington to become music director, said Saturday. 'He had his detractors, certainly, and some of them were some of my best friends. But for me, he got the music off the page. He made the concert experience transformative.' Born on March 16, 1934, Norrington was the son of Arthur, president of Trinity College, Oxford, and the former Edith Carver. A violinist and boy soprano in his youth, Roger attended The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Dragon School, Westminster School, Cambridge and the Royal College of Music, where he studied under conductor Adrian Boult. Advertisement In 1962, Norrington founded the Schütz Choir, originally dedicated to the works of Heinrich Schütz. He became music director of Kent Opera from 1969-84, the Bournemouth Sinfonietta from 1985-89 and New York's Orchestra of St. Luke's from 1990-94. He was principal conductor of Camerata Salzburg from 1997 to 2006, the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1998 to 2011 and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra from 2011-16. 3 Prince Charles, Prince of Wales with conductor Sir Roger Norrington after awarding him Doctor of Music as he attends the Royal College of Music's music awards awards on March 10, 2016 in London, England. Getty Images 'Orchestras didn't generally use vibrato until the 1930s,' Norrington told The Guardian in 2007. 'It is a fashion, like smoking, which came in at about the same time. Smoking is now going, so maybe vibrato will too. … I have discovered, all the way from Monteverdi to Mahler, is that when music is played as it should be, the sound is wonderful, the expression is wonderful and the instruments match together.' Advertisement Norrington was nominated for four Grammy Awards and won in 2001 for a recording of Nicholas Maw's Violin Concerto with Joshua Bell and the London Philharmonic. Norrington retired after conducting the Royal Northern Sinfonia in an all-Hadyn concert on Nov. 18, 2021. 'I have enjoyed every minute of over 50 years of making music with some of the most wonderful and talented musicians in the world,' he said in a statement. 'The time has come to step off the podium.' 3 Sir Roger Norrington conducts Orchestra of St. Luke's in Brahms's 'Symphony No. 4 in E Minor' at Carnegie Hall on Thursday night, February 15, 2007. Getty Images His first marriage, to Susan McLean May, ended in a divorce in 1982. He married the choreographer Kay Lawrence in the mid-1980s; she died last year. Advertisement Norrington was made a Knight Bachelor in 1997. He is survived by Tom and two children from his first marriage, Ben and Amy.


Winnipeg Free Press
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Acclaimed conductor Roger Norrington dead at age 91
Roger Norrington, a conductor acclaimed for historically informed performances during more than a half-century leading orchestras in Europe and the United States, has died. He was 91. Norrington died Friday at his home, his son Tom said Saturday. Norrington lived outside Exeter, England. Norrington conducted both period-instruments and modern orchestras, asking both types to play without vibrato and usually at faster tempi than modern practice. 'He was an extraordinary dramatist. He made things happen emotionally,' Myron Lutzke, an Orchestra of St. Luke's cellist who helped persuade Norrington to become music director, said Saturday. 'He had his detractors, certainly, and some of them were some of my best friends. But for me, he got the music off the page. He made the concert experience transformative.' Born on March 16, 1934, Norrington was the son of Arthur, president of Trinity College, Oxford, and the former Edith Carver. A violinist and boy soprano in his youth, Roger attended The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Dragon School, Westminster School, Cambridge and the Royal College of Music, where he studied under conductor Adrian Boult. In 1962, Norrington founded the Schütz Choir, originally dedicated to the works of Heinrich Schütz. He became music director of Kent Opera from 1969-84, the Bournemouth Sinfonietta from 1985-89 and New York's Orchestra of St. Luke's from 1990-94. He was principal conductor of Camerata Salzburg from 1997 to 2006, the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1998 to 2011 and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra from 2011-16. 'Orchestras didn't generally use vibrato until the 1930s,' Norrington told The Guardian in 2007. 'It is a fashion, like smoking, which came in at about the same time. Smoking is now going, so maybe vibrato will too. … I have discovered, all the way from Monteverdi to Mahler, is that when music is played as it should be, the sound is wonderful, the expression is wonderful and the instruments match together.' Norrington was nominated for four Grammy Awards and won in 2001 for a recording of Nicholas Maw's Violin Concerto with Joshua Bell and the London Philharmonic. Norrington retired after conducting the Royal Northern Sinfonia in an all-Hadyn concert on Nov. 18, 2021. 'I have enjoyed every minute of over 50 years of making music with some of the most wonderful and talented musicians in the world,' he said in a statement. 'The time has come to step off the podium.' His first marriage, to Susan McLean May, ended in a divorce in 1982. He married the choreographer Kay Lawrence in the mid-1980s; she died last year. Norrington was made a Knight Bachelor in 1997. He is survived by Tom and two children from his first marriage, Ben and Amy.


Korea Herald
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Violinist Yang In-mo on freedom found in collaboration
Korean violinist reflects on his evolving artistry ahead of two concerts with Orchestre de la Suisse Romande under Jonathan Nott In his 20s, Korean violinist Yang In-mo made his mark with high-profile wins — from the Paganini Competition in 2015 to the Sibelius Competition in 2022. Back then, most of his time was spent in solitude, immersed in rigorous practice. More recently, however, the 29-year-old's career has entered a new phase of collaboration. Performing with orchestras around the world, he is having one of his busiest seasons yet, having played 16 concertos, including several contemporary premieres. 'In my 20s, most of my time was spent alone, practicing,' Yang said. 'Now, almost every week I collaborate with a different orchestra. That exchange is my greatest teacher now.' 'Building strong relationships with them, exploring more repertoire together, and deepening our musical connection — I think that's the greatest privilege of the career I have now," Yang said. As he prepares to perform the Sibelius and Mendelssohn violin concertos with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Korea in July, Yang reflects on a season of transformation — not just in repertoire, but in mindset. 'This was only the second time I have played with the OSR, but it felt like reconnecting with old friends. Some orchestras are distant, but OSR was open and warm. It allowed me to be completely free,' he said during a recent online interview. Yang joined the OSR on stage in Switzerland on May 8 for Sibelius' Violin Concerto. Reflecting on the performance afterward, the conductor remarked, 'Inmo is, of course, an exceptionally talented violinist but more importantly, he's a truly great musician. We were both smiling as the concerto came to a close.' That sense of freedom has become central to Yang's current musical philosophy. Having performed Sibelius' Violin Concerto nearly 20 times since winning the 2022 Sibelius Competition, his approach to the work has matured through both repetition and cultural immersion. 'Working with Finnish orchestras and musicians has changed how I view the piece,' Yang said. 'In Finland, I realized drama doesn't only come from human emotion. Nature has its own intensity. Silence, stillness, sudden shifts — these are part of the Finnish sensibility and Sibelius reflects that.' Instead of focusing solely on rhythmic clarity, as many conductors do with Sibelius' complex phrasing, OSR conductor Jonathan Nott encouraged Yang to shape long, lyrical lines. 'It was the first time I felt a conductor guide Sibelius horizontally rather than vertically,' Yang notes. 'At one point, he even sang the phrase to show me his vision. That's rare.' "He's a very musical, lyrical and horizontal conductor, someone who communicates his intentions clearly to the orchestra members, and he's also someone who truly respects and supports the soloist," he said. Yang's evolving relationship with music is not limited to Sibelius. For the upcoming July performance in Korea, he is also returning to Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto — a piece he last performed as a child. While often labeled as 'nice' or familiar, Yang is determined to explore its deeper, even radical layers. 'Mendelssohn's music can sound overly polite if you play it safe. But there's fire and risk beneath the surface, especially in the final movement. His tempo markings are absurdly fast," the Berlin-based violinist said, adding, "While living in Germany, I've come to see the works of German composers with fresh eyes, and in the case of Mendelssohn, beneath all the refinement, I sense something adventurous simmering underneath. I thought maybe it was time to try interpreting that in my own way, especially while performing in Korea.' For all his international engagements, Korea remains the most emotionally charged stage for him. 'I owe everything to my Korean fans,' he said. 'There was no one person who pulled me up — it was the support of people who believed in me after the competitions. When I play in Korea, I feel a responsibility to show them my best self.' Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, under the baton of Jonathan Nott, will present two distinct programs on July 5 and 6 at Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul. On July 5, the orchestra will perform Debussy's "Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune" (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun) and Stravinsky's "Petrushka," with Yang joining as the soloist for Sibelius' Violin Concerto. On July 6, audiences can look forward to the Asian premiere of William Blank's "Morphosis for 42 instruments" alongside Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" and Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto, with Yang once again as soloist. Ticket prices range from 50,000 won ($36.80) to 270,000 won. Meanwhile, OSR will embark on its Asia tour on July 3 in Beijing at the National Center for the Performing Arts before coming to Seoul. It will then head to Japan from July 8 to 13, touring five cities including Tokyo and Kyoto. gypark@