i Andantino con moto
ii Allegretto scherzando
The Two Arabesques (Deux arabesques) is a pair of arabesques composed for piano by Claude Debussy when he was still in his twenties, between the years 1888 and 1891.
Samuel Barber received a commission in 1953 from the Chamber Music Society of Detroit to write a piece of music for string instruments and woodwind instruments. He drew from some of his previous work, including the unpublished orchestral piece Horizon (1945), as material for Summer Music. Originally meant to be a septet for three woodwinds, three strings, and piano, Summer Music evolved into a quintet as Barber experimented with some tuning études written by hornist John Barrows for himself and his colleagues in the New York Woodwind Quintet.
A new piece composed in 2023 and premiered by the Ormonde Ensemble in September. Isa Gibbs graduated from Birmingham in 2020. This takes you through 6 phases of wonder and dream land to let your imagination be carried away.
i Modére, ii Intermede, iii Final. Vif - Tres rythmé - un peu plus lent
French composer Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983) composed her String Quartet over a creative two-year period between 1917-1919. Tailleferre dedicated the work to the famous pianist Arthur Rubinstein. When the work was premiered in 1919, Tailleferre was invited to join Nouveaux Jeunes (later known as Les Six), which consisted of a group of composers pushing the boundaries of music beyond impressionism and Wagnerism.
Ormonde Ensemble (Wind ensemble)
Ormonde Ensemble are a London-based wind quintet who are quickly establishing themselves on the UK’s professional music scene, both collectively and individually. They are particularly passionate about seeking out, commissioning, and performing lesser-known and underrepresented works, and their diverse range of musical experiences allows them to explore more familiar wind quintet repertoire with a fresh and engaging approach.
The quintet have a wealth of performance experience, giving numerous recitals at prominent venues in London and around the UK. Ormonde Ensemble also share a strong commitment to outreach and education work. In 2022/23, they were fellows on Wigmore Hall’s acclaimed Chamber Tots training programme, in which they delivered exciting, engaging, and original musical workshops for young children. They have experience leading educational projects in schools, and are looking forward to expanding this work over the coming year, with the support of an RCM Accelerate grant.
Individually, the group’s players have an extensive and varied range of professional experiences. These include playing with many of the UK’s major symphony orchestras, including the LSO, RPO, LPO, Orchestra of the ROH Covent Garden, RLPO, Philharmonia Orchestra, CBSO, BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC NOW, Ulster Orchestra and the London Mozart Players. The members have also received further professional training through schemes such as the LPO’s Foyle Future Firsts programme and the London Sinfonietta Academy, as well as carrying out outreach and education work around the country with Live Music Now and the RSNO.
Piano
29 February 2024
Scan for extended notes & bios: