Please note, that due to current Covid restrictions all concerts have, until further notice, been cancelled or postponed. Please check nearer the time with Handel & Hendrix to see if those listed below will take place, Thank you.
TUESDAY 10th NOVEMBER 2020 at 6.30 p.m.
BRITISH HARPSICHORD SOCIETY RECITAL
TOM FOSTER
‘Handel’s Influencers’
A lively overview of German keyboard music by composers, some of whom Handel knew personally, and others whose music he was well acquainted with. Pieces by Froberger, Zachow, Mattheson, Gottlieb Muffat and Handel himself.
Tom is the principal keyboard player of the English Concert and is a regular guest with The Academy of Ancient Music, Arcangelo, The Dunedin Consort, Early Opera Company, The Mahler Chamber Orchestra, The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, The Scottish Ensemble and The Sixteen. These collaborations have taken him to concert halls throughout Europe, the United States, Australia, Russia and South Korea. He has performed concertos at the Edinburgh International Festival and made his US solo-debut in recital at the Carnegie Hall this year. Tom began his musical education as a chorister at Manchester Cathedral, then as a pianist and harpsichordist at Chetham’s School of Music. He holds a first-class degree in Music (BA) from St. Catherine’s College, Oxford and gained a Distinction in Performance (MA) from the Royal Academy of Music under the tutelage of Trevor Pinnock.
Handel & Hendrix in London, 25 Brook Street, London W1K 4HB
Tickets: £15, Information: http://handelhendrix.org/ Tel: 0207 399 1953
TUESDAY 8th DECEMBER at 6.30 p.m.
BRITISH HARPSICHORD SOCIETY
ANHAD ARORA
‘Conversing with Style’
Bookended by Bach’s French suite in D minor and Bach’s youthful, zany Toccata in D minor the programme takes stylistic borrowing as a loose point of departure. The programme will feature Matthew Jackson’s ‘In Conversation with Frescobaldi’ (2019) and Francois Couperin’s 4th Ordre from his Pieces de Clavecin (Book 1).
Anhad has recently graduated with a First from Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford, where he was previously an academic scholar. He is currently an MSt student in Musicology at St Cross College, Oxford, funded by the Humanities Division at Oxford University. Before Oxford, he was a student at the RCM Junior Department, studying piano, harpsichord and cello. During his time at the RCMJD he won the Freda Dinn Memorial Prize for Early Music and was named the youngest scholar of the British Clavichord Society. During his undergraduate years he was also the director of New Chamber Opera Studio. His current research explores Orientalism in Austro-German Lieder, particularly those of Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann. He is building a combinative methodology grounded in postcolonial approaches to the study of Western Art song, ethnography, literary criticism, theories of social space, and musical analysis.
Handel & Hendrix in London, 25 Brook Street, London W1K 4HB
Tickets: £15, Information: http://handelhendrix.org/ Tel: 0207 399 1953
TUESDAY 12th JANUARY 2021 at 6.30 p.m.
BRITISH HARPSICHORD SOCIETY RECITAL
RÓZA BENE
‘Suites in G minor’
High-baroque suites and toccatas by three of the greatest baroque composers, Handel, Bach and Buxtehude. A programme showing various shades and characteristics of the key of G minor, letting us hear what could have been “the essence of g minor” three hundred years ago.
Based in the UK since 2015, harpsichordist Róza Bene often performs a wide range of Early Music. Her favourite repertoire is English music from early baroque period. Last year she gave solo recitals and played chamber music in the West Midlands and in Hungary as well, working on a French programme, focusing on the 350th anniversary of Francois Couperin. Róza was born in Budapest and after piano studies she started to change her musical direction to Early Keyboards. She graduated with a Bachelor of Music from Franz Liszt Academy in 2015, then received a scholarship from Birmingham Conservatoire. In parallel with her UK studies with Robin Bigwood, Martin Perkins and Steven Devine, she finished her Master studies in Budapest under Borbála Dobozy, Ágnes Ratkó, Miklós Spányi, and graduated with highest honours as a performing artist of harpsichord. During her studies she took part in several masterclasses and worked with renowned musicians such as: Laurence Cummings, Bernhard Klapprott, Gordon Murray, Ketil Haugsand, Carole Cerasi. She is currently working at the Conservatoire as early-music accompanist, often plays in different orchestras in both countries and accompanies early music singers in Andrew King’s class. She takes part in symposia and conferences through the country and gives recitals across England and in Budapest where she was a soloist in the 27th Bach Festival of the city. She has won numerous prizes e.g. Sir Anthony Lewis Memorial Prize, Town Hall -Symphony Hall Prize and Leamington Earlymusic Prize.
Handel & Hendrix in London, 25 Brook Street, London W1K 4HB
Tickets: £15, Information: http://handelhendrix.org/ Tel: 0207 399 1953
TUESDAY 9th FEBRUARY at 6.30 p.m
BRITISH HARPSICHORD SOCIETY RECITAL
NATHANIEL MANDER
J.S Bach – Goldberg Variations BWV 988
The Goldberg Variations were first published in 1742 under the unassuming title of ‘Keyboard Practice…Prepared for the enjoyment of music lovers by Johann Sebastian Bach’. In reality this masterwork not only challenges the player to reach new technical heights but on the emotional level encompasses all that it means to be human.
Nathaniel Mander is a British harpsichordist and fortepianist. Known for his expressive and virtuosic performances, he pursues an international career as one of the leading players of his generation. At a young age Nathaniel was entranced by the unique sound of the harpsichord and was inspired to take up the instrument. He began his education with Richard Lester in Cirencester, moving in 2007 to London to train at the Royal Academy of Music with Carole Cerasi. He later took lessons in Paris and Italy with Elisabeth Joyé, Skip Sempe and Pierre Hantai. Along with Carole, who deeply influenced his sound and approach to the instrument, these remain his most important musical influences. After graduating with first class honours, Nathaniel embarked on a performing career that has taken him to major venues and festivals both in the UK and worldwide, most recently playing at Yale University, CT, USA. with a recital exploring the influence of Flamenco in the music of Domenico Scarlatti. He is also a prizewinner of some significant awards, including: 1st prize at the 2010 Early Keyboard Ensemble Competition at Fenton House, 1st prize at the 10th Broadwood Harpsichord Competition, 2nd prize at the Gianni Gambi Harpsichord competition in Pesaro (Italy), the accompanist’s prize for the John Kerr Award at Finchcocks, and the Harold Samuel Bach Solo Keyboard Prize. He was awarded the RAM Early Music Prize four years consecutively during his studies there. Nathaniel is devoted to authentic harpsichord touch and artistic creativity and is particularly noted as an interpreter of Mozart and the 18th century French harpsichordists. His debut CD, The 18th Century French Salon, was highly praised at its release in 2015. He has recently filmed a series of music videos in collaboration with award-winning director, David Percy. This October Nathaniel will be recording Bach’s Variations for ICSM Records. A respected teacher, Nathaniel held the Linda Hill Junior Fellows at the Royal College of Music for two years running. He gives masterclasses throughout the UK and is passionate about inspiring the next generation.
Handel & Hendrix in London, 25 Brook Street, London W1K 4HB
Tickets: £15, Information: http://handelhendrix.org/ Tel: 0207 399 1953
TUESDAY 9th MARCH at 6.30 p.m
BRITISH HARPSICHORD SOCIETY RECITAL
DACCAPO–Italian harpsichord duo, Luigi Accardo&Enrico Bissolo
‘Music for two harpsichords’
Playing in a harpsichord duo was a very common musical practice during the XVIIth & XVIIIth centuries all around Europe. François Couperin at Versailles and Bach in Leipzig were the most devoted players and composers in this particular musical ensemble.
Founded in 2013 by Luigi Accardo and Enrico Bissolo, the Daccapo – Italian Harpsichord Duo develops an original repertoire for two harpsichords. Duo has recorded two albums: the first in 2015 dedicated to the Bach family and the second, dedicated to Couperin’s “Les nations” – in 2018 – both with the important music label Stradivarius from Milan.
Enrico Bissolo graduated both in organ and harpsichord at the E.F. Dall’Abaco Conservatoire in Verona, he also obtained, with full marks, a specialist degree in Musicology at the Facoltà di Musicologia di Cremona. He has attended masterclasses with M. Radulescu, E.Bellotti, T.Koopman, P.Peretti, G.Parodi and S.Rattini, focusing on early music interpretation and organ improvisation. He specialized in the Historical Organ, Harpsichord and Continuo at the Musikhochschule of Trossingen As a soloist and continuo player he has played in festivals throughout Italy and around Europe. He has been awarded several prizes in international organ and chamber music competitions; Fano Adriano (2° prize), Salerno (3° prize), Acqui terme (2° prize), Neuburg an der Donau (1° prize). As musicologist has written articles for specialized musical magazines and has published the complete keyboard music composed by Gregorio Strozzi (1687). He has also catalogued the operatic musical manuscripts in the library of the Accademia Filarmonica in Verona.
Luigi Accardo graduated in 2009 in piano from the Conservatorio Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina in Cagliari. He moved to Piacenza where he started to play the harpsichord under the teaching of Paola Poncet, graduating in 2012 in harpsichord from the Conservatorio Giuseppe Nicolini di Piacenza. Later obtaining, with distinction, masters in ‘Harpsichord and Early Keyboard’s (2014) and ‘Chamber Music‘ (2017).He has attended Master classes and advanced courses with musicians such as Cristine Schornsheim, Olivier Baumont, Carmen Leoni, Pierre Hantai.Luigi graduated with highest honours in Ethnomusicology from the Conservatorio di Cagliari andin 2011 received, with highest honours, his master degree in Musicology from the Facoltà di Musicologia di Cremona. He is taking part in a research project on the ‘Musical Religious Celebrations of 1937’. From 2006-9 he carried out a study on the ‘Religious Celebration of the Holy Week of Bonnannaro (SS)’ for the cultural association Hymnos. He has participated as a speaker, in many seminars and conferences.He has appeared as harpsichordist in many concerts and performed in numerous festivals in all parts of Italy and throughout the world.
Handel & Hendrix in London, 25 Brook Street, London W1K 4HB
Tickets: £15, Information: http://handelhendrix.org/ Tel: 0207 399 1953
TUESDAY 13th APRIL at 6.30 p.m.
BRITISH HARPSICHORD SOCIETY RECITAL
CORINA MARTI
‘Bach To The Renaissance’
Music from J.S.Bach 1685-1750 and the Johannes de Lublin Tabulature of 1540. Looking at how both of them treat existing compositions: Bach in his solo versions of Vivaldi’s concerto and one of Prince Johann Ernst von Sachsen –Weimar. Johannes de Lublin in his intabulations, some he collected and some he composed himself for the large tabulature that is now preserved in Krakow. In both repertoires, we encounter a charming mix of Italian, French and German style with some elements of eastern Europe.
The world-renowned recorder and harpsichord virtuoso, Corina Marti, is recognized internationally for her “strikingly superior and expressive” interpretations (Toccata), and “infallible” performances (Diapason). She leads an active life, performing as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe, North and South America, the Middle East and Asia. She has appeared with numerous early music ensembles and orchestras (including Hespèrion XXI, Coro della Radiotelevisione Svizzera Italiana, Kore and the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra), and is co-director and founding member of La Morra, an award-winning late medieval and early renaissance music ensemble which “never fails to keep the listener’s attention alive” (Gramophone). Her extensive discography, ranging from fourteenth-century istanpitte and intabulations to solo concertos and chamber music of the high baroque, reflects the breadth of her musical interests and technical skills. She is a leading pioneer, working with makers in the reconstructions of late medieval and early renaissance keyboard instruments, and she spends many hours in libraries researching the repertoire. This work has contributed substantially to the present-day revival of these instruments.
In 2019 Corina received the medal of the City of Lublin, in recognition of her outstanding artistic activity in the dissemination of Polish culture and publicity for the city of Lublin in Poland and abroad.
Immediately after studying she was invited to become the first teacher of medieval recorder at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel and a few years later she went on to build up a class for medieval keyboard instruments, teaching organetto, clavisimbalum, clavicytherium and renaissance harpsichord. She enjoys spreading her knowledge, experience and enthusiasm to the next generation of players, both through her teaching at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and at master classes and music courses throughout the world.
Handel & Hendrix in London, 25 Brook Street, London W1K 4HB
Tickets: £15, Information: http://handelhendrix.org/ Tel: 0207 399 1953
TUESDAY 11th MAY at 6.30 p.m.
BRITISH HARPSICHORD SOCIETY RECITAL
ASAKO OGAWA
‘Souvenir of Lully’
Jean-Baptiste Lully, one of the most influential figures of the 17th century European music scene, left his strong mark in the genre of the “Piéces de Claveçin”, as well as in opera and ballet. This concert presents Lully-influenced harpsichord works by Handel and his contemporaries.
Asako Ogawa performs as a soloist and continuo player and is a baroque repertoire coach at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. She recently issued her debut CD of JS Bach’s Goldberg Variations, praised by the critic Robert Hugill : “There is a clarity to her approach ; every detail of Bach’s part writing is clear – “ Her appearances include London Handel Festival, Leicester International Music Festival, Faversham Music Festival, Brighton Early Music Festival, BBC Radio 3 and Georgian Concert Society, Edinburgh. Last year, she gave a recital with winners of the LHSC in the Halle Handel Festival, Germany and was invited back to give a solo recital this year.
Handel & Hendrix in London, 25 Brook Street, London W1K 4HB
Tickets: £15, Information: http://handelhendrix.org/ Tel: 0207 399 1953
TUESDAY 8th JUNE at 6.30 p.m.
BRITISH HARPSICHORD SOCIETY RECITAL
DuoChord EMER BUCKLEY and JOCHEWED SCHWARZ
‘A Berlin Salon with a French Accent’
An imaginary musical evening in late 18th century Berlin at the salon of Sara Itzig, a talented keyboard player and favourite pupil of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach. Music by J S & W F Bach and F Couperin
Born in Dublin, Emer Buckley discovered the harpsichord with John Beckett during her studies in University College Dublin. She finally settled in Paris to work as a harpsichordist and continuo player, and for several years was professor of harpsichord at the Conservatoire de Lille. Besides her love for early music and historical instruments, Emer Buckley is also a passionate wine lover. She now divides her time between concert engagements, teaching, and work on the vineyard, Château Sirio, which she and her husband acquired in the Bordeaux Graves region in 2015.
Born and raised in Israel, Jochewed Schwarz completed her B. Mus. Studies at the Rubin Music Academy, the Tel Aviv University. She continued her studies and completed an MA at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, now part of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland. She received several grants and is a laureate of the Israeli Cite Internationale des Arts’ Artist’s Residency. Jochewed is an active performer and lecturer, currently also the director of the Felicja Blumental Music Center and Library in Tel Aviv.
Both are now particularly interested in the repertoire for two keyboard instruments and have been working regularly in duo formation since 2011. Their recent recordings of Bach and Couperin (Les Nations for Toccata Classics) have received much critical acclaim.
Handel & Hendrix in London, 25 Brook Street, London W1K 4HB
Tickets: £15, Information: http://handelhendrix.org/ Tel: 0207 399 1953
TUESDAY 13th JULY at 6.30 p.m
BRITISH HARPSICHORD SOCIETY RECITAL
APOLLINE KHOU
‘Bach in England’
Apolline Khou presents music from the English Renaissance and Baroque as well as two suites and a toccata by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Apolline Khou is a French harpsichordist and pianist currently studying with Terence Charlston and Kathron Sturrock at the Royal College of Music of London as a ‘Big Give Scholar’. As a recitalist, soloist with orchestra, chamber musician and continuo player, Apolline has performed at prestigious venues including the Musée des Archives Nationales in Paris, the Château de Maintenon, the London Early Music Festival and the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall. She is part of the baroque ensemble «Apollo’s Cabinet» invited to play in international festivals. Interested in all the arts, she wrote and performed a musical tale which she premiered with her students at the musical library of the Philharmonie de Paris. Involved in music education, she has been a piano teacher in several French conservatories. She graduated at the conservatory of Poitiers in piano, cello and writing studies and at the conservatory of Gennevilliers in harpsichord, classical chamber music and tango where she studied with renowned artists such as Jean-Christophe Dijoux and Juan Jose Mosalini. In 2017 she won the Debussy prize at the International piano competition of Ile-de-France.She is supported by the Safran Foundation.
Handel & Hendrix in London, 25 Brook Street, London W1K 4HB
Tickets: £15, Information: http://handelhendrix.org/ Tel: 0207 399 1953