BARBICAN CENTRE
Guildhall Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, led by Violetta Suvini.

Debussy, Ravel and L.Boulanger

Fri 30 Sep 2022, 19:30,Hall

In this all-French programme the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra and Chorus explore the familiar magic of Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, the daring drama of Boulanger’s Psalm 130, Du fond de l'abîme and Ravel’s masterful love story Daphnis et Chloé.

The ensembles will be led by Violetta Suvini, under the baton of conductor Lionel Bringuier, and joined by mezzo-soprano Alexandra Achillea Pouta and tenor Steven van der Linden.

Programme:

Claude Debussy Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune

Lili Boulanger Psalm 130, Du fond de l'abîme

Maurice Ravel Daphnis et Chloé

Performers:

Guildhall Symphony Orchestra, led by Violetta Suvini.

Lionel Bringuier conductor

Alexandra Achillea Pouta mezzo-soprano

Steven van der Linden tenor

The friendship between Britten and Shostakovich sparks a new orchestra.

Congratulations to Violetta Suvini (LRSM distinction) who has won a place in the new Britten - Shostakovich Festival Orchestra.

The orchestra brings together the best of musicians from Britain and Russia to tour both nations in September 2019 with programmes of British and Russian music. It is hoped that the orchestra will become a permanent one.

and

in the Guardian newspaper:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/sep/11/britten-shostokovich-festival-orchestra-jan-latham-koenig

and here: https://www.facebook.com/BenslowMusicInstrumentLoanScheme/?modal=composer:

"Our lovely borrower Violetta Suvini has sent us news of her recent success. She has been selected as one of approximately 30 British musicians from around the UK to join the newly-founded bi-national Britten-Shostakovich Festival Orchestra for their first tour to celebrate the 2019-2020 UK-Russian Year Of Music. The orchestra brings together exceptional young musicians from the UK and Russia in a captivating celebration of cultural friendship between the two countries. In September, the BSFO will be travelling to Sochi, Moscow and St Petersburg, before returning to British concert halls in Nottingham, Manchester, Leeds, London and Edinburgh, to perform a joint repertoire of music by Britten and Shostakovich, both 20th-century geniuses brought together by their devoted musical friendship.
This selection comes shortly after Violetta’s recent appointment as leader of the Oxford University Orchestra, the symphony orchestra of the University of Oxford, where she is a student. She studies the violin with Maestro Luigi Suvini.
Violetta is very much looking forward to participating in this exciting new endeavour, and is extremely grateful to the Benslow Trust for their generous loan of her violin and bow, without which her participation in these projects would not be possible.
Fantastic news Violetta - keep us posted".

Britten-Shostakovich Festival Orchestra

Cadogan Hall

Jan Latham-Koenig conducts

Wednesday 25 September 2019, 19:30

Prices from £18.00 to £45.00

Britten-Shostakovich Festival Orchestra Limited Availability

PROGRAMME

Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Britten Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes with readings from George Crabbe’s poem The Borough
Shostakovich Hamlet, Op. 116a for actors and orchestra (arr. Jan Latham-Koenig)

PERFORMERS

Britten-Shostakovich Festival Orchestra
Pavel Kolesnikov piano
Freddie Fox & Edward Fox narrators
Jan Latham-Koenig conductor

Opening with the evocative wind-swept shores of Peter Grimes’ fishing village in coastal Suffolk, this programme deftly switches from the UK to Russia and back again. Rachmaninov’s thrilling Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini will give star pianist Pavel Kolesnikov a chance to show off his virtuosity, before Shostakovich tells the story of Hamlet in his own unique way.

An orchestra comprised of British and Russian talent performs music of their homelands in this unique concert programme.

‘Here is a poet of the keyboard’ (The Guardian on Pavel Kolesnikov)

Komuna Collective presents Oxford and London’s finest experimental musicians, artists, and DJs for a night of beats and bass @ The Bullingdon. Led by Violetta Suvini.

Komuna Collective are supported by Arts Council England for two residencies and a recording project over the coming year to develop and create new material.

web jennifer pike in edinburgh with BSO.

Introducing Season 2020: the CHRYSALIS project

6 countries

5 choreographers

4 composers

1 orchestra

= 5 genre-defying films

CHRYSALIS is a series of five videos spanning six countries exploring the idea that a particular kind of metamorphosis, transformation, and hope is only possible in a place of darkness. Each piece is a fusion of the media of dance, film, and classical music featuring a piece of new choreography set to new compositions recorded by the Oxford Alternative Orchestra.

The project features the musicians of OAO in the UK, and five award-winning choreographers in different locations around the world: Burkina Faso, Sweden, the US, Russia, New Zealand. Each choreographer explores unique interpretations of hope that have been illuminated, and even enhanced, by the darkness of the global pandemic we are all still experiencing.

CHRYSALIS also features four new compositions from award-winning composers, commissioned for this project, as well as a remix of Vivaldi's 'Winter' by musicians in Burkina Faso.

https://www.oxfordalternativeorchestra.com/

OXFORDALTERNATIVEORCHESTRA.COM

Oxford Alternative Orchestra at St John’s College

chrysalis (n.): within the chrysalis, the caterpillar undergoes a remarkable transformation, or ‘metamorphosis’, to transform into the butterfly that will emerge.

Rimsky Scher. Poster. Violetta soloist and leader.jpg

Conducted by Natalia Luis-Bassa. Soloist, Violetta Suvini.

Web Ethan Vivaldi Junior School Solo.jpg

So proud of my violin student, Ethan Li, aged 8, who won the Junior School Solo competition at Papplewick playing - by memory - the First Movement of the Concerto in G by Vivaldi. The adjudicator commented upon Ethan's excellent intonation, and his skilful use of phrasing, dynamics and ornamentation.

#Ubu Ensemble

@guildhallschool rehearsing earlier for their sold-out Total Immersion: Frank Zappa concert in Milton Court

@BarbicanCentre, 19th March, 2022. Recorded for BBC Radio 3.

web violetta F Zappa concert BBC radio 3.jpg

Gabriele Suvini performs Saint-Saens's 'Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso'.

Tonight, 31 March, 7.30, Cadogan Hall. Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra, led by Violetta Suvini, in a programme of Verdi, Elgar and Dvorak's Cello Concerto (Soloist, Maxim Calver).

More accolades for Gabriele (LTCL with distinction). This time for his performances of Mozart's Concerto No. 3 in G major, and Franck's Sonata in A major for Violin and Piano.

Congratulations !

Congratulations to Olivia who studies viola with Luigi Suvini, and piano, theory and singing with me @ the VVH, and who has been awarded a Music Scholarship to St Georges, Ascot, for this September 2023!

Congratulations to Violetta who has won first prize at D’addario String Competition in North London, adjudicated by Tasmin Little. Repertoire: Fauré and Elliott Carter. Accompanist, Stephen Gutman.

The Margaret Hand memorial cup and bursay 2023 has been won by Grace Meagher. Congratulations, Grace!

THE STRAD

Concert review: Guildhall Chamber Music Festival

20 SEPTEMBER 2023

Edward Bhesania witnesses the performance from London’s Milton Court Concert Hall on 9 July 2023

This was the final concert in a weekend festival given by Guildhall School musicians, sometimes, as here, joined by professors.

Featuring two students and two staff, Frank Bridge’s Phantasy for piano quartet lived up to its title, with a hint of dark magic in the melodic first movement and an eerie flicker in the scherzo-like second. Forming a somewhat symmetrical programme, two trio pieces were then followed by a return to an upscaled ensemble. Duruflé’s Prélude, récitatif et variations for viola, flute and piano brought a touching dialogue between flautist Rachel Watson and violist Gary Pomeroy (the latter a staffer), both standing to play. Pianist Thomas Eeckhout (a student) nicely drew the whole together.

Former LSO principal clarinet Andrew Marriner was joined by two highly accomplished students – Yunzhe Wu (violin) and David Palmer (piano) – for a performance of Bartók’s Contrasts that drew concentrated intensity from what can seem quite abstract music.

Complementing Bridge’s Phantasy, Elgar’s Piano Quintet featured three students, including both violinists, with Jacqueline Monteiro following first violinist Violetta Suvini, sticking like a limpet when required. The highlight was the daringly slow Adagio, with a real sense of sweep, no drag and a powerful combined body of sound.

Edward Bhesania

Violetta, LRSM, BA First Class Honours, St Hildas College, Oxford University. MA in Violin Performance with Distinction at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London.
For lessons on zoom, contact via violettasuvini.com

Rosanna, LRSM (Violin), BA First Class Honours, Somerville College, Oxford University.
Currently taking on violin students.

Congratulations to my student, Ethan Li, who was awarded First Prize with a mark of 'Outstanding' for Verse Speaking at the Woking Festival of Speech and Drama. He also received The Othon Polak Cup for his amazing performance.

A 2023 hat trick for Ila Eyani: ABRSM Distinctions in Violin, Singing and Piano!

Ila has recently won a number of Academic and Music Scholarships to prestigious schools in Surrey, and has decided to accept the offers from Guildford High School. The Music Scholarship was awarded for her performances on the violin, singing and piano @TheVVH.

Congratulations to my student, Chie Miller, currently singing grade 6 repertoire, who was nominated by the Music Department to represent Dulwich College (Singapore) at the third Dulwich Olympiad, to be hosted at Dulwich College in March 2024. Chie was the only junior student to have been nominated. The first Dulwich Olympiad held in 2015 was hosted by Dulwich College in Beijing while the second Olympiad hosted by Dulwich College in 2019 took place in London. The Olympiad brings together roughly 700 students from 13 different schools.

Well-done, Chie!

The Guildhall Symphony Orchestra and Chorus at the Barbican. Watch on Youtube
https://youtube.com/watch?v=0BL_M6v8lmQ

Back in September, Guildhall musicians came together at the Barbican for their first concert of the academic year The programme was conducted by Marius Stravinsky and featured the daring drama of Boulanger’s 'Psalm 130'. Orchestra led by Violetta Suvini. Watch now https://youtube.com/watch?v=0BL_M6v8lmQ

The Margaret Hand Memorial Cup and Bursary for the performance of a classical song in a modern, foreign language was awarded this year to Daire Downey who is also the NI Young Musician of the Year, 2024. Congratulations, Daire! The award is made in honour of my talented mother, Margaret Hand, who was a great supporter of the Arts.

BARBICAN CENTRE Guildhall Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, led by Violetta Suvini.