Entries by libby2

Opening night

  Opening night of RAO's Così fan tutte  –  toi toi to all!

Lewes preparation

  Rehearsing with both Steffan and Clare this week for next Thursday's recital in Lewes; really enjoying working on this gorgeous (albeit full-of-notes….) programme: Beethoven 3rd sonata and Schumann Fantasie-stücke with cello; Beethoven G major Romance and Franck sonata with violin.

Così: nearly there!

  Today's double-whammy piano dress for Così seemed to go well; both casts are going to be fantastic, and set and costumes look brilliant. Having played every note of the opera twice in a day, once for each cast (no mean feat!), it will be a relief to add orchestra into the equation tomorrow and […]

New commission

  Great first rehearsal today with James Turnbull on a new sonata for oboe and piano by Thomas Hewitt-Jones. We're recording it at Angel Studios in December as part of Tommy's latest disc. Love the piece!

BBC Radio 3 broadcast

  Just been asked to play on 'In Tune' live on BBC Radio 3 on Tuesday (16th), in a promotional slot for RAO's Così, which opens on 22nd. Ruth Jenkins, Katie Bray, Roberto Ortiz and Freddy Long will song arias and ensembles from the opera, and director John Cox and conductor Jane Glover will discuss […]

OLF composition workshop

  Back in Oxford yesterday for a composition workshop held as part of the Oxford Lieder Festival.  Mezzo-soprano Ciara Hendrick and I had two days to learn half a dozen new songs composed by current music students at Oxford University as part of their composition portfolios, and we then workshopped these compositions in a two-hour session […]

Oxford Lieder Festival

  What a wonderful weekend at the Oxford Lieder Festival! It was an absolute delight to be back at my old stomping ground (I was heavily involved with the admin of the festival in its earlier days when I was in Oxford – a real eye-opener to the way such things run, and a truly […]

Così Fan Tutte

  Two weeks into production rehearsals for Royal Academy Opera's Così Fan Tutte, it is shaping up to be a wonderful show. There are two superb casts and it is a privilege to be learning from the experts in working with John Cox (director) and Jane Glover (conductor). A little research quickly shows how many […]

Schumann’s Piano Quintet

  It was a delight to perform Schumann's Piano Quintet with the Hampden Quartet this weekend. For me this piece (and perhaps especially its haunting slow movement) encapsulates the whole character of Schumann more completely and succinctly than any other – the deeply troubled soul, yet so capable of joy and love. It was a rare […]

Wooburn Festival

  It was great to see the Oak Room in High Wycombe (acoustically delightful, presumably because of all the oak!) packed out for our lunchtime recital as part of the Wooburn Festival. It was lovely to reprise music by Handel and Sinding with the Reid sisters (associated by all three of us with the freezing cold […]