November 15th, 2024

Here's what I'm up to at the moment and for the next few weeks:

• Bach's Concerts avec plusieurs instruments, otherwise known as the Brandenburg Concertos, with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (my main job). Performances in Manchester, Basingstoke, London and Oxford. Nice reviews so far - for instance  https://theartsdesk.com/classical-music/bach-brandenburg-concertos-oae-qeh-review-forever-young. Bachtrack said the horns were "nimble" whereas The Times described us as "stroppy". I think stroppy is exactly what we should be in this piece, especially the first movement. Picture below.
• Next I'm off to Paris to do the Brahms Requiem with the brilliant French group Pygmalion with their director Raphäel Pichon. Natural horns for this, we're doing a live recording in the excellent Paris Philharmonie and performing it in the palace at Versailles and the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie too.
• Back with the OAE in January for more stroppiness in Handel's Fireworks Music
• A performance anxiety workshop day at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
• Two weeks in Australia in February with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Beethoven 7th and Brahms violin concerto. Natural horns. Really looking forward to that!