English Symphony Orchestra to receive £98,151 from second round of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund
ESO among more than 2,700 recipients to benefit from the latest round of awards from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund This award will help the orchestra prepare for its return to live music-making by supporting virtual concerts and recordings, continuing our...
Elgar Re-Imagined. Raphael Wallfisch Premieres 11 New Elgar Miniatures for Cello and Strings Orchestrated by Donald Fraser with English String Orchestra
The English String Orchestra are joined by one of their most longstanding collaborators, cellist Raphael Wallfisch, for a concert featuring a suite of eleven new miniatures for cello and strings by Sir Edward Elgar in arrangements by composer Donald Fraser.
English Symphony Orchestra present Steven R. Gerber – A Composer Portrait
The English Symphony Orchestra’s Music from Wyastone series of virtual concerts, hailed by the critics as “one of the most innovative initiatives of the Covid era” continues on the 26th of February with the first of several planned Composer Portrait concerts focusing on the work of the American composer Steven R. Gerber, who passed away in 2015.
“Inspired by Mahler”: A celebration of the Lost Generation of composers who found inspiration in Mahler’s life and music
The English Symphony Orchestra’s acclaimed Music from Wyastone series of virtual concerts continues on the 27th of January with a celebration of the music of some of the leading composers of the generation of musicians inspired by the life and music of Gustav Mahler, including Mieczysław Weinberg, Erwin Schulhoff and Viktor Ullmann. The ESO’s Artistic Director, Kenneth Woods, conducts and is joined by violin soloist Zoë Beyers and soprano April Fredrick.
English Symphony Orchestra Art of Storytelling project continues as Henry Goodman narrates Lubin, from Chelm
Following on from the successful launch of their new series of virtual storytelling concerts with the premiere of Kenneth Woods’s The Ugly Duckling narrated by Hugh Bonneville, the ESO are thrilled to welcome Henry Goodman who narrates David Yang’s hilarious Klezmer-inspired work, Lubin, from Chelm. The new orchestral version of Yang’s 2010 composition (orchestrated by Kenneth Woods) premieres on ESO Digital at 6PM on Friday the 4th of December. The video includes performance footage of Goodman and the ESO alongside pencil drawings by Canadian artist Alisa Snyder.
The Ugly Duckling – A Letter from Wanda Sobieska
Ken Woods asked Wanda Sobieska to write a blog post about her wonderful illustrations for The Ugly Duckling in advance of the work’s premiere. She chose to do so in the form of this beautiful letter, which he shares here.
Reconnecting with our Audiences
We’re now about two months into our series of Music from Wyastone virtual concerts – here’s what we’ve been up to, and what is to come.
Visions of Childhood – The Conductor’s Perspective
Conductor Kenneth Woods shares his thoughts about our concert :Visions of Childhood.”
English Symphony Orchestra Complete First Series of Post Covid Recordings and Performances
Affiliate Artist April Fredrick recovers from Covid-19 to sing Strauss’s Four Last Songs
Coming in September 2020
Next month we’ll be introducing an exciting new feature – but we need your help naming it!