8 March 2010

Congratulations to these Askonas Holt artists

Bravo to Paul Goodwin for his recent successes in Saint Paul and Seattle! Conducting St Paul Chamber Orchestra in a programme of Purcell, Britten, Corelli, Tippett and Elgar, Goodwin was praised for his programming and energetic conducting. The Minneapolis Star Tribune wrote “The program was engagingly plotted and piloted by English oboist-turned-conductor Paul Goodwin. And if "English words" were lacking, energy was not...The Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli," to which Goodwin prefaced the Corelli concerto grosso it metabolizes, is a gem. Acutely aware of the work's baroque armature, the conductor captured its intense, idiosyncratic lyricism; the SPCO's strings swirled ecstatically.” Goodwin then conducted the Seattle Symphony Orchestra in a programme of Handel, Mercadente and Bach. The Seattle Times wrote "Goodwin is an expressive conductor whose gestures clearly indicate the punchy emphases and the shapes of phrases he wants from the music. On Friday evening, he was at his best in drawing stylish, varied phrasing from the musicians in Handel’s ‘Water Music’ Suite no 3, where smooth legato lines were set off by crisply accented contrasting phrases.”

Huge congratulations to Lucy Crowe on her marvellous performances as Sophie ('Der Rosenkavalier') at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. The performances marked her debut in the house.  A fantastic achievement.  Lucy will next sing the role at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich.

Bravo to John Mark Ainsley who made his house debut at the Teatro alla Scala this weekend. John Mark was revisiting his much-praised performance of Skuratov in 'From The House of the Dead' which he has already performed in the acclaimed Patrice Chéreau production in the Holland and Aix en Provence Festivals and in Vienna all conducted by Pierre Boulez. Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts these performances at La Scala. John Mark Ainsley repeats the role in Berlin next year under Sir Simon Rattle.

Congratulations to Peter Rose upon his debut in the role of Falstaff for Seattle Opera. Bernard Jacobson of the Seattle Times said: 'Peter Rose, in his first-ever appearance as Falstaff, unfurled a voice of dimensions as sumptuous as his girth, and his characterization too was larger than life and supremely human.'.

A smashing first Glass performance by Alan Oke in English National Opera's revival of Philip Glass's 'Satyagraha'! Fiona Maddocks of The Observer says: 'Returning to the title role Alan Oke was superlative, intelligent and sympathetic in his journey from besuited clerical to half-naked transcendental. He led an outstanding cast, with tireless chorus work and fine soloists...'. There are further performances on 4, 6, 12, 13, 18, 19, 25, 26 March.

Many Congratulations to Stephen Costello who impressed audiences with his portrayal of Romeo in a concert performance of Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette at the Tchaikovksy Concert Hall in Moscow on Valentine’s Day.

“It happens sometimes that the presence of a certain artist can easily replace the opera house with its sets and costumes, and that evening there were at least two of them…28-years-old Stephen Costello proved to be a possessor of strong and flexible lyrical voice and the musician with a refined taste and temperament. Here it is, the classical opera of today - the inspiring art of young people, handsome, ambitious and gifted. If we count off our fingers recalling the highlights of the season, this performance will surely be in the first five.”
Vedomosti/The Financial Times

“It is quite unbeliavable: Moscow has won the tomorrow's opera stars even before the world's leading stages”
OpenSpace.ru

Huge congratulations to Dame Felicity Lott who was presented with the Wigmore Hall Medal by HRH The Duke of Kent at the Wigmore Hall's 110th Anniversary Press Release.  The Wigmore Hall Medal is awarded to exceptional artists who have made a significant contribution to the Wigmore Hall.  Dame Felicity has contributed a huge amount to the musical life of the Wigmore Hall in the 35 years since her debut there. 
Many congratulations!
Please click here to read the official press release.

Britten's Billy Budd conducted by Daniel Harding scoops the GRAMMY for Best Opera Recording. Bravo to Harding and an all-male cast including Askonas Holt artists Ian Bostridge, Jonathan Lemalu, Mark Stone, Neal Davies, Matthew Rose, Andrew Kennedy, and Andrew Staples. Harding conducted the London Symphony Orchestra, and the disc was released on the Virgin Classics label in 2008.
Evgeny Kissin's recording of Prokofiev's Piano Concertos nos.2 & 3 with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Vladimir Ashkenazy won the Best Instrumental Soloist Performance category. The disc was released on EMI Classics last year.
Congratulations to all!

Huge congratulations to Simon Keenlyside on completing his Wigmore Hall Residency this season. Performances included three sold out solo recitals, the first with Graham Johnson, followed by two with Malcolm Martineau, and culminated in a sold out duet recital with Angelika Kirchschlager.  Please do read the fabulous 5* reviews in the Independent and The Times which can be found on Simon's webpage on under "Press Reviews".

Thomas Zehetmair's recording of Niccolò Paganini's 24 Capricci on the ECM label has just won a MIDEM Classical Award in the Solo Instrument Category.
The recording, named as 'CD of the week' in the New Yorker, has received great reviews. “Zehetmair brings all his love of danger and modernity to Paganini’s 24 Caprices for solo violin…Zehetmair is Vulcan, the god of fire” (The Times)

Welcome back to the Belcea Quartet who have just completed their first tour of 2010 which saw them perform in 11 different European cities. What a wonderful way to start the New Year! Bravo and welcome home!

Congratulations to Sir Thomas Allen who this week returns home after a marvellous run as Herr von Faninal in Der Rosenkavalier at the Metropolitan Opera. Before Christmas Sir Thomas enjoyed a great success at the Royal Opera (his fiftieth role at the house) singing Faninal for the first time. He then immediately took the role to the Met to ring in the new year with another star turn. We welcome him back to the UK for a brief rest before he packs his bags again and returns to the US next week, this time to sing Don Alfonso at Dallas Opera. Welcome home Tom!

Congratulations to Teddy Tahu-Rhodes who sang his first Met Escamillo last Saturday for the International broadcast and HD telecast of the new production of Carmen.

Very many congratulations to Ji-Min Park and Rebecca Evans on their role debuts in the house as Rodolfo and Mimi in the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden's 577th performance of La Bohème. Bravo also to Christopher Maltman who returned as Marcello in John Copley's traditional production which is as fresh as when it debuted 36 years ago. Bravo to all!

Congratulations to Simon Keenlyside on his huge success in his role debut as Macbeth at the Vienna State Opera on what was a controversial first night. The Wiener Zeitung raved "Der Fels in der Brandung des Publikumszorns aber ist Simon Keenlyside: Demonstrativen Applaus setzt es für diese Macbeth-Stimme, die virtuos zwischen Zartgefühl, baumstarker Virilität und Knurrigkeit changiert." Congratulations!

Congratulations to Christine Brewer, who sang a much anticipated recital at the Wigmore Hall, on Monday. Christine performed a hugely demanding and exciting all- Strauss programme to a packed hall. Hilary Finch, writing for The Times, described how "A palpable exhalation of audience contentment wafted through the hall as she unleashed a flood-tide of Strauss’s love songs to the soprano voice: from solemn worship in Breit’ uber mein Haupt to the gentle simplicity of Gluckes genug.Brewer found the tint and tone of voice unique to each song." The recital will be broadcast on Radio 3, on Saturday, and Christine can also be heard in a concert of Wagner excerpts, at the Royal Festival Hall, this evening (December 10); the Philharmonia Orchestra will be conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras.

Congratulations to Toby Spence, who made his triumphant debut at the Vienna Musikverein, in the 'Dream of Gerontius', with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.Toby was praised by the Viennese press:

"Bravourös meisterte Einspringer Toby Spence die enorm schwierige Tenorpartie des Gerontius." (Wiener Zeitung, December 8, 2009)

"Toby Spence verlieh seinen lichten,  doch im Ernstfall expressiv-kraftvollen Tenor. Selbst dort, wo Elgar seinem strapazierten Titelhelden erleichternde Versionen des Notentextes suggeriert, bleibt Spence mit Animo beim schwierigen Original – und reüssiert."
Die Presse, December 12, 2009  

Congratulations to Enrique Mazzola, who has recently conducted the opening performance of Barbiere at Deutsche Oper Berlin to the critic's delight:
"Mazzola has a brilliantly light Rossini sound and understands how to breathe with his singers, conducting with an ideal balance of precision and effervesence".
For future performances, please see his schedule.

Congratulations to Lucy Crowe, Peter Rose, and Sir Thomas Allen, all starring in Der Rosenkavalier which opened this week at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden. Lucy Crowe won high praise for her rôle debut in the house as Sophie, described as “an outstanding talent” and “the most exciting element of the evening “(Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph). Singing the role for the first time in London, Peter Rose impressed with “a beautifully judged portrait of Baron Ochs as a rumbustious country gent’, (Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph). And taking on his fiftieth role at Covent Garden, Thomas Allen won praise in The Times for his “wonderfully pained and bemused” turn as the gold-digging Herr von Faninal. Bravo!

Congratulations to Sir Simon Rattle, Magdalena Kozena and Toby Spence who have over this past weekend given outstanding concerts of Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius with the Wiener Philharmoniker at the Musikverein in Wien.  Sir Simon Rattle will remain in Vienna to conduct Tristan und Isolde at the Wiener Staatsoper throughout December..

Bravo to soprano Ekaterina Siurina, who recently gave a great performance as Susanna in 'Le Nozze di Figaro' with the Budapest Festival Orchestra at the Teatro Perez Galdos in Las Palmas. José Sanpedro Pérez from La Provincia/Cultura said that she is "...possibly one of the best  Susannas of today..." and that her Garden Aria was "...absolute perfection...". Bravo! [translations]

Congratulations to Sir Charles Mackerras on his 84th birthday which he celebrated in style at the Royal Academy of Music where he was also celebrating the opening of the Sir Charles Mackerras Room which will house his considerable musical archive. Bravo also to Sir Charles upon the successful first night of the Royal Academy of Music's production of Semele where he brought all of his knowledge, experience and wisdom to lead this marvellous performance by the students.

Congratulations to Silvia Tro Santafe on the release of her new CD 'Rossini Scenes and Arias' for Signum Classics, which has been excellently received: "The range of the voice is wide, with no apparent strain on the topmost notes in cabalettas and with the dark bottom register solid, yet it is not just in the three trouser roles (Tancredi, Malcolm and Arsace) that the rich, dark-tinged vibrancy is rewarding" John T. Hughes, Record Review, November 2009
  
Bravo to Ji-Min Park who has won the opportunity to appear with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrecken/Kaiserslautern following his success in the Stella Maris international singing competition onboard MS Europa cruise ship, on which he represented Covent Garden.