TONBRIDGE MUSIC CLUB

10 October 2009 at 8pm Big School, Tonbridge School

PAUL WATKINS & HUW WATKINS

Paul Watkins is one of Britain’s foremost cellists, regularly acclaimed for his outstanding musicianship and moving performances. He has made six concerto appearances at the Proms including his highly praised televised First Night performance of the Elgar Concerto in 2007. A dedicated chamber musician, he has played with the Nash Ensemble since 1997. He is also a successful conductor and is currently Associate Conductor of the English Chamber Orchestra.

His brother Huw Watkins makes a welcome return to Tonbridge after so brilliantly accompanying violist Lawrence Power last season. He works regularly with the Britten Sinfonia and a long list of distinguished soloists and is a highly respected composer.

‘Paul Watkins – is there a better cellist in the UK today?’  (Glasgow Herald)

31 October 2009 at 8pm Big School, Tonbridge School

ANGELA HEWITT

Angela Hewitt’s memorable virtuoso recital for the Club in 2002 brought the house down, so it is with immense pleasure that we welcome her back. One of the world’s best known and most respected pianists, she has won numerous awards, including ‘Artist of the Year’ in the 2006 Gramophone Awards and an OBE. Her ten-year project to record all Bach’s major keyboard works won her a huge following and she has been hailed as ‘the pre-eminent Bach pianist of our time’  (The Guardian).
Her Schumann playing has also been highly praised: ‘This is very superior playing indeed: an object lesson in pianistic refinement, tonal, expressive and psychological imagination, and musicianship of the highest order.’  (Piano Magazine)

‘…one of the reliably mesmerising musicians of the day. You sit entranced…’
(The Sunday Times)

28 November 2009 at 8pm Big School, Tonbridge School

ARONOWITZ ENSEMBLE

The Aronowitz Ensemble was formed in 2004 out of the desire of a group of  outstanding young international artists to explore and perform chamber music together in the various combinations afforded by strings and piano. Since its sell-out début the ensemble has had a busy schedule of engagements including the inaugural Aldeburgh Residencies tour in 2006. As members of the BBC’s prestigious New Generation Artists scheme, their performances have been regularly featured on BBC Radio 3, and the ensemble has just been awarded a Special Ensemble Scholarship by the Borletti-Buitoni Trust.

‘I can recall few London débuts as exciting as this… A deeply and richly satisfying performance…’ (The Strad)
‘The Aronowitz works as a true ensemble, listening, responding, moving as one and creating mellifluous, fascinating textures.’  (The Daily Telegraph)

13 February 2010 at 8pm Big School, Tonbridge School

ELIAS STRING QUARTET
with ALICE NEARY (cello)

The Elias Quartet first performed in Tonbridge in 2007 as part of the brilliant Ensemble 360, in a superbly moving performance of Elgar’s Piano Quintet. They now concentrate fully on quartet playing with a busy worldwide schedule including a forthcoming Schubert series at the Wigmore Hall.
They will be joined by Alice Neary to perform Schubert’s sublime String Quintet, the summation of his creative genius. Winner of the 1998 Pierre Fournier Award, Alice has since won many major prizes and gave her Wigmore Hall début to great critical acclaim in 1999. A member of the Gould Piano Trio (TMC 2006) she tours extensively with concerto, recital and chamber music repertoire.

‘This immensely talented string quartet has the rare quality of unforced spontaneity.’ (The Sunday Telegraph)
‘Neary is a player of the highest calibre: a player of rare gifts.’  (The Times)

13 March 2010 at 8pm Big School, Tonbridge School

ELIZABETH WATTS (soprano) ALLAN CLAYTON (tenor) ROGER VIGNOLES (piano)

‘The winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Award in 2006 and Cardiff Singer of the World Song Prize in 2007, Elizabeth Watts is the new soprano to hear. She proves herself an ideal Lieder singer with her bright tone, infallible  tuning, clear German diction and the ability to portray a scene and tell a story simply and vividly.’ (The Times)
She is now much in demand as a recitalist and concert singer as well as in opera.

Allan Clayton’s highly successful début in the title role of Albert Herring at Glyndebourne won him the John Christie Award in 2008. He was recently selected for the BBC New Generation Artists scheme and was awarded a 2008 Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship.
‘Clayton is the real thing: a great British singer who deserves to be championed.’
(The Times)

Roger Vignoles, one of the world’s most distinguished accompanists and a leading authority on the song repertoire, has devised this evening’s programme with these two talented young singers to celebrate Hugo Wolf’s 150th birthday.

8 May 2010 at 8pm Big School, Tonbridge School

LONDON CONCERTANTE

London Concertante is one of the finest chamber ensembles in Europe, its players brought together through a shared passion for chamber music. With an enviable array of critical acclaim and an ever-growing reputation for exciting and memorable performances, the ensemble thrives under the dynamic leadership of Adam Summerhayes (‘to die for’ – The Strad) and on inspired programming.
They will play two masterpieces of the chamber music repertoire for wind and strings, bringing the season to a sparkling finale.

‘Fine chamber musicians … quite exquisite.’  (The Strad)
‘Heady stuff … thrilling virtuoso playing’  (Gramophone Magazine)