The home of chamber orchestral music in Wales
The Welsh Sinfonia is a Cardiff-based professional chamber orchestra of up to thirty-five musicians, conducted by Mark Eager, and led by Robin Stowell.
Now in its twenty third season The Welsh Sinfonia concentrates on the chamber orchestral repertoire, drawing on the wonderful variety of music written for smaller orchestras by composers from the 16th century to the present day.
Opportunities to hear professional performances of works for chamber orchestra are rare in Wales and The Welsh Sinfonia is an important champion of this rich and diverse repertoire.
We are absolutely delighted that the pre-eminent Japanese conductor, Tadaaki Otaka, has accepted our invitation to become our International President. It is the final element in establishing The Welsh Sinfonia as an orchestra not just for Wales, but in due course for the wider international stage. We now have the support of three hugely respected and very knowledgeable figures from the worlds of music and international relations, all of whom are strongly connected to Wales. Maestro Otaka has kept in touch with the ongoing development of the Welsh Sinfonia, and his association with us is a huge vote of confidence in the ensemble’s growing stature. Our patron is the Earl of St Andrews, and our UK President is Grant Llewellyn.
Maestro Otaka was conductor at the BBC National Orchestra of Wales from 1987, becoming their Conductor Laureate in 1996. He received an honorary CBE in 2010 in recognition of his outstanding services to music in the UK, and also holds a Suntory Medal, the highest musical award in his native Japan.
Pre -concert chat from Rhiannon Mathias
Rhiannon Mathias, daughter of genius Welsh composer William Mathias will talk about her father and hs work before the concert on Sunday January 29th, at 4pm in the Dora Stoutzker Hall, Royal Welsh College.
Mathias’ Divertimento is one of the three works being performed on Sunday; the other two are both String Serenades, one by Josef Suk and the other by Antonin Dvorak.
Tickets are £13/11, family £20 and students £5, from the College Box Office on (02920) 391391 or www.rwcmd.ac.uk/events. See you there!
Come and sit in on a workshop!
On February 23rd, we will be workshopping three pieces by senior composition students at the Royal Welsh College, giving them a rare opportunity to work with a ‘live’ orchestra. These same compositions will then be included as part of ‘Night Flight’ by John Hardy, which we are premiering on Thursday March 22nd at 7pm as part of the last concert in this season.
Why not come along and witness what happens to music on the journey between imagination and performance? The session runs from 7-9pm at St Teilos Church, Cathays, Cardiff, and is free and open to everyone.
Then come to the concert on March 22nd and see the whole gloroious result! (The rest of the programme is Haydn’s ‘Philosopher’ Symphony, and Schubert’s Symphony No 5 – tickets from the RWCMD Box Office, www.rwcmd.ac.uk/events ; click here.)
Work and Play!
We had a ball during December taking our string players to perform their first concert actually in a factory. Calsonic Kansei in Llanelli hosted us for a half hour Christmas concert which cantered through some Corelli and Vivaldi, as well as some Beatles and some carols. Nearly 100 employees stopped by to listen, and everyone had a really good time. Later on we did a ‘pop-up’ in the St Elli Shopping Centre, which kept the Christmas shoppers amused, if a little bemused as well.
____________________________________________________
November concert 5-star reviewed
The string concert on November 3rd has recieved wonderful reviews, echoing comments from audience and players alike. A “stunningly professional performance” was given “with the professionalism and technical ability of any of Britain’s foremost chamber orchestras.” Read the full review here.
______________________________________________________
The Welsh Sinfonia in rehearsal for its Mozart Gala Concert on October 8th
Audience and players alike were wowed by the Hall, and, as one reviewer said, “As soon as the first chord was played it ws clear they would struggle to find any concert hall better suited
to them than this.” Read the full review here.
“What more could you want
from a Sunday afternoon?”
Read the review of the climax of our second season on
April 10th 2011 with the stunning new piece from
Rhian Samuel for treble recorder and strings, played by
Pamela Thorby. Children from all over Wales came
together to form a descant recorder chorus that played
an important part in the new work.
http://www.bachtrack.com/review-welsh-sinfonia-st-davids-hall
Pamela Thorby, left, with Rhian Samuel
and Mark Eager during rehearsals for
the first performance of
‘The Path through the Woods’
In 2010 the Welsh Sinfonia and percussionist Dave Danford gave the world première of Eilir Owain Griffiths’ work
The Emoticons of Time as part of its Spirit of the Dance series.
You can watch the performance on YouTube.
The Welsh Sinfonia in rehearsal with the Cross Keys Choral Society
The Welsh Sinfonia is a chamber orchestra, and numbers around 35 players. We are available to accompany choirs and choral societies, to perform at festivals or as part of a concert series and to provide music for film, radio and television.
Please contact the Orchestra Manager, Lucy Campion, 07792 960812 or lucy@welshsinfonia.co.uk , if you are interested in hiring the orchestra.
recent comments