Previews
Looking ahead to events during the 2023/24 season
Worcester Festival Choral Society has announced three spectacular concerts at Worcester Cathedral, Worcester, UK, for 2023-24 – and the box office is now open.
The one-hundred-and-forty-strong choir, which has brought the choral greats to Worcester since 1861 and was often conducted by Edward Elgar in its early days, will be performing Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem) on Saturday 25 November 2023; Handel's Messiah on Saturday 9 December 2023; and Beethoven's Mass in C, plus Mirror of Perfection by award-winning British composer Richard Blackford, on Saturday 16 March 2024.
The choir is trained and conducted by Worcester Cathedral's director of music, Samuel Hudson. Each concert will feature internationally acclaimed soloists and the Meridian Sinfonia orchestra, and starts at 7.30pm.
Worcester Festival Choral Society performing in Worcester Cathedral in December 2022. Photo © 2022 Michael Whitefoot
Ben Cooper, chairman of Worcester Festival Choral Society, said:
We're thrilled to have such an exciting programme of music in store. You won’t hear these works performed on this fantastic choral scale or in such majestic surroundings anywhere else in the region, so it's the perfect evening out. Tickets get snapped up fast, so do take advantage of our early box office!
Further information: wfcs.online
Northern Ireland Opera announces the principal cast and creatives for their magnificent new production of Tosca, Puccini's intense political thriller. This iconic tale of murder, mystery and love is directed by Cameron Menzies and opens at Belfast's Grand Opera House on 9 September, with performances on 9, 12, 14 and 16 September 2023, all at 7.30pm.
Russian-Kurdish soprano Svetlana Kasyan is welcomed in the lead role as Floria Tosca with Irish baritone Brendan Collins is cast as arch nemesis Baron Scarpia.
Russian tenor Roman Arndt joins the line-up playing Tosca's lover Mario Cavaradossi. Irish tenor Aaron O'Hare is cast as Spoletta.
Svetlana Kasyan (top left), Brendan Collins (top right), Roman Arndt (bottom left) and Aaron O'Hare
Brazilian conductor Eduardo Strausser will lead the Ulster Orchestra.
The sets are by Northern Irish designer Niall McKeever, and costumes by fellow Northern Irish Gillian Lennox.
In September 2022 Northern Ireland Opera received widespread critical-acclaim for its production of La Traviata which proved to be The Grand Opera House's fastest-selling opera ever. This record-breaking national opera company also returns with a fifty-strong chorus of Northern Irish and Irish talent.
Further information: goh.co.uk
Bella Music Foundation (BMF) is an American non-profit organization dedicated to supporting blind individuals and schools for the blind in the field of classical music. BMF has been active in Fort Lee, NJ since 2018 and has recently received grants from Bergen County and Whole Foods to further its mission.
BMF's programs include professional concert series for blind schools, such as St Joseph's School for the Blind in Jersey City, NJ, as well as for communities in North Jersey and New York. Additionally, BMF offers masterclasses, seminars and competitions with scholarships for blind musicians who have an interest in classical music.
The recent concerts of Hanbit Trio J, a visually impaired piano trio from South Korea, were an astounding success. 'Darkness to Light: Hanbit Trio J', held on 16 June 2023 at Merkin Hall, was a truly unforgettable experience that left the audience in awe. The captivating performance moved many to tears, and the concert concluded with a thunderous standing ovation. It was truly an unforgettable experience that showcased the extraordinary talent of Hanbit Trio J and the exceptional New Jersey Youth Symphony.
Additionally, we are thrilled to share that Bella Music Foundation has received high praise from the New Jersey Senate and General Assembly for its outstanding efforts in supporting blind musicians. We were honored to receive a joint legislative resolution signed by prominent leaders, including Senate President Nicholas P Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig J Coughlin.
The 2023 BMF International Music Competition for the Blind and Visually Impaired is scheduled to take place in November 2023 in New York City. The competition offers a total of USD 10,000 in cash awards and Dancing Dots' accessible music notation software.
The 2023 Bella Music Foundation International Music Competition for the Blind and Visually Impaired - Application Deadline: 31 October 2023
The competition is open to blind and visually impaired musicians of any nationality, with two age divisions: Division I (Junior Division) for ages 10-18 and Division II (Young Artist Division) for ages 19-30. All classical instrumentalists, composers and vocalists are invited to participate.
Here are the essential details for the competition:
Application Deadline: 31 October 2023
Preliminary Round Video Submission Deadline: 31 October 2023
Final Round - Live Audition at the Finalists' Concert: 25 November 2023, 7:30pm EST
Venue: Marc A Scorca Hall, 330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA
The prize offerings are as follows:
Division I: Junior Division (Ages 10-18)
1st Prize: USD 1,500
2nd Prize: USD 1,000
3rd Prize: USD 500
Division II: Young Artist Division (Ages 19-30)
1st Prize: USD 4,000
2nd Prize: USD 2,000
3rd Prize: USD 1,000
Further information: bellamf.org
Posted 26 July 2023 by Keith Bramich