i Von fremden Ländern und Menschen: From foreign parts, ii Kuriose Geschichte: Funny story, iii Hasche-Mann: Blindman’s buff, iv Bittendes Kind: Entreating Child, v Glückes genug: Perfect Happiness, vi Wichtige Begebenheit: Important Event, vii Träumerei: Dreaming, viii Am Kamin: By the fireside, ix Ritter von Steckenpferd: On the rocking horse, x Fast zu ernst: Almost too serious, xi Fürchtenmachen: Frightening, xii Kind im Einschlummern: The child falling asleep, xiii Der Dichter spricht: The Poet Speaks
Schumann wrote 30 movements for this work but chose 13 for the final version. Schumann initially intended to publish Kinderszenen together with Novelletten (Op. 21); the shared literary theme is suggested by the original title Kindergeschichten (Children's Tales). He told his wife Clara that the "thirty small, droll things", most of them less than a page in length, were inspired by her comment that he sometimes seemed "like a child". He described them in 1840 as "more cheerful, gentler, more melodic" than his earlier works.
i Allegro
ii Air. Andante
iii Allegretto
iv Vivo
Grazyna Bacewicz was a Polish violinist and composer of Lithuanian origin, with many of her works featuring the violin, including seven concertos for the instrument. Notable for giving secret concerts in Warsaw under Nazi occupation, after the War she moved to teach in Lodz. Alongside some of the best wind music to be written behind the Iron Curtain, one of her most popular works today is her 1948 Concerto for String Orchestra.
Tabby Hopper is a composer, violinist, and pianist from London. She is in her second year studying music at Merton College, Oxford University and is in the composition group ‘Brickworks’. Most recently, she has written for the Oxford University String Ensemble; has had a piece workshopped by the Oxford University Sinfonietta; and has had a chamber music feature in the Holywell Music Room; as well as organising and performing in multiple of her own chamber pieces. She is most interested in late romantic and early twentieth century music, but also draws on folk and film score influences.
i Allegro con spirito
ii Rubato Lamentoso
iii Allegro Grazioso
iv Presto ruvido
v Adagio Mesto. Bela Bartok in Memoriam
vi Molto vivace, Capriccioso
Gyorgy Ligeti was the foremost Hungarian composer of the latter half of the Twentieth Century, very much seen as the heir to Bela Bartok (1881-1945.) With his style proving too modernist for the Soviet Hungarian authorities, he emigrated to Austria in 1956, later taking citizenship, where he was free to join the avant-garde of the post-World War Two European music scene. His earliest composition bore resemblance to Bartok, but he would later experiment with electronic music, before gaining fame for the ferociously chromatic “Atmospheres” for orchestra (1961) and notoriety for his “Poeme symphonique” for one hundred metronomes.
Red Clay is short work that combines the traditional idea of musical scherzo with living in the South. It references the background of my mother’s side of the family that hails from the Mississippi delta region. From the juke joints and casino boats that line the Mississippi river, to the skin tone of kinfolk in the area: a dark skin that looks like it came directly from the red clay. The solo lines are instilled with personality, meant to capture the listener’s attention as they wail with “bluesy” riffs that are accompanied (‘comped’) by the rest of the ensemble. The result is a virtuosic chamber work that merges classical technique and orchestration with the blues dialect and charm of the south.
Dogoda Quintet (Wind ensemble)
Formed at the Royal Academy of Music after playing together as principals in the National Youth Orchestra, Dogoda Quintet is fast becoming recognised as an up-and-coming ensemble of its generation of the UK chamber music scene. Dogoda has received coaching through the Royal Academy of Music from Amy Harman of the Orsino Ensemble, Michael Thompson of the Michael Thompson Wind Quintet and Jo Cole, the previous head of strings at the Royal Academy of Music.
Sofia Patterson-Gutierrez (Flute) is 19, from Stockport, and has just completed her first year studying with Michael Cox at the Royal Academy of Music in London on a full scholarship. Previous to the Academy, she attended Chetham’s School of Music where she studied with Fiona Fulton. She went on to win the Chetham’s concerto competition in 2021 and was the woodwind grand finalist of the BBC Young Musician competition 2022. She was also the principal flute of the National Youth Orchestra in 2022 and 2023. Sofia is very grateful for the opportunities at the Royal Academy, having played as principal in the Academy Symphony Orchestra and was the recent winner of the piccolo prize.
Emily Long (Oboe) is in her second year reading music at Clare College Cambridge. Currently studying the oboe with Christopher Cowie, she previously attended the junior department of the Royal Academy of Music where she performed the Vaughan Williams Oboe Concerto. Her passion for orchestral music was fuelled by her time as the principal oboist of the National Youth Orchestra in 2022 and 2023 and she currently plays with Odyssey Festival Orchestra and the Cambridge University Orchestra, as well as other chamber groups and orchestras throughout the university. She has enjoyed performing in recent masterclasses with Alexei Ogrintchouk and Nicholas Daniel.
Raj Bhaumik (Clarinet) studied at the Music School of Douglas Academy and Junior Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, before starting his undergraduate degree at the Royal Academy of Music in 2023 on an ABRSM Scholarship. Raj studies Clarinet with Christopher Richards and Sonia Sielaff, E-Flat Clarinet with Chi-Yu Mo and Historical Clarinets with Katherine Spencer. He has enjoyed playing in the Academy Symphony Orchestra and in masterclasses with Andrew Marriner, Patrick Messina, Anthony McGill and Yehuda Gilad. Raj was a member of NYOGB for 5 years, including one as principal and with a feature on BBC Radio 3’s “In Tune.” He has won awards from Glasgow Music Festival and the Clarinet and Saxophone Society of Great Britain.
Chloe Harrison (Horn) is currently studying at the Royal Academy of Music under a full scholarship (Drapers Company for Music Award) with Michael Thompson and Martin Owen.
Recent performances include Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with James Gilchrist, Mozart’s 4th horn concerto with the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra, and Mozart Sinfonia Concertante with the Camerata Chamber Orchestra.
In addition, Chloe has performed at the prestigious Wigmore Hall both as a soloist and an ensemble player, a highlight being the Schubert Octet with the Academy Soloists Ensemble.
Chloe was Joint Principal Horn in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain in 2022 and 2023.
Tom Donkin (Bassoon) grew up in Garlieston, Wigtownshire and was a pupil at the Douglas Ewart High School, Newton Stewart. He started learning (mini)bassoon when he was eight. During these early stages, he was taught by Christine Job. When Tom was 11, he successfully auditioned for the Junior Conservatoire (JC) where he studied bassoon with Rebecca Roberts. Thanks to Rebecca’s encouragement, he successfully auditioned for the Grampian Youth Orchestra (age 13), the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain (also age 13), the West of Scotland Schools Orchestra (age 17) and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britan (age 16 and 17). Tom was one of the joint principals of the bassoon section for NYO. In 2022, Tom was one of the winners for the JC’s Concerto Competition. As a result, he played the Weber Bassoon Concerto, accompanied by the JC’s Symphony Orchestra. Locally, Tom participated in the Galloway Music Festival since he was seven and regularly played at the fund-raising concerts for the Festival and other good causes. Tom is now under the tutelage Robin O’Neil and Fraser Gordon and is studying for a BMus in Bassoon at the Royal Academy of Music.
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