Here at London Chamber Orchestra, we are beginning our next century and launching our brand new Season 2022-23 with an exciting concert celebrating all things ‘new’, on Friday 23 September 2022.
The sound of ringing brass will pierce the electric atmosphere as London’s top orchestral musicians come together to perform Dani Howard’s Fanfare. This concert marks Dani beginning her year as LCO Composer-In-Residence, meaning she’ll work closely with the orchestra and musicians, writing brand new music for us to perform, alongside mentoring emerging composers through the next year’s cohort of the LCO New scheme. Dani is rising to global stardom and recognition, and has been nominated for The Times Breakthrough Artist of the Year, and the Classical Music Category for the 2022 South Bank Sky Arts Awards (read more about Dani here: https://www.lco.co.uk/news/dani-howard-is-lco-composer-in-residence-2022-23/) . Fresh new music being written for today’s musicians makes sure the history and legacy of classical music continues for generations to come, and Dani writing for us ensures our place in that history,
Next, in a flourry of virtuosity and skill, LCO musicians will showcase 5 world premieres – the results of the hard work of 5 emerging composers taking part in the LCO New scheme through the summer of 2022. Darius Paymai, Florence Anna Maunders, James Banner, Robert Crehan and Alex Papp have been guided by composer Freya Waley-Cohen during her Composer-in-Residence year, and this is the first time any have had a work performed by a professional orchestra. To hear 5 new pieces in one evening is an incredible and rare opportunity to witness history being made before your eyes (and ears!).
Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 ‘From the New World’ was a groundbreaking new piece at the time, with inspiration and styles taken from his visit to America – to him, a new world. He wrote an article placing great importance on African American spirituals – something which at the time caused much controversy, despite Dvorak not being the first white composer to propose African American music as central to the American sound. Despite the apprehension at the premiere, Dvorak’s symphony was an instant success, and he wrote to a friend that ‘the newspapers are saying no composer has ever had such a triumph.’ New ideas and sounds were embraced, with the slow movement tune remaining famous in Britain by its use in Hovis bread adverts.
We are proud to bring classical music to new audiences, and through our partnership with TimeOut London during the second half of our 2021-22 Season, on average 23% of ticket holders had not been to a London Chamber Orchestra concert before, with the majority of these attending their first classical music concert altogether with LCO. There is no dress code for musicians or audience, and all are welcome.
To book tickets to this exciting event, please click the button below.
