Britain's Longest Established Orchestra, The Hallé, performs a sell out Concert at The National Concert Hall
Mon 08 February 2010
The Hallé, Britain's longest-established professional symphony orchestra, will perform on Saturday 6 March 2010 8pm at The National Concert Hall as part of The Sunday Business Post International Orchestral Series 2009/2010. Founded in Manchester by Sir Charles Hallé (1858), the orchestra have been performing at home and abroad for more than 150 years. Sir Mark Elder, who was knighted for services to music in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2008, became Music Director of the Hallé in 2000. Since then they have received increasing acclaim. Joining the great orchestra on stage will be renowned pianist Joanna MacGregor to perform Bach’s Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052.
Recognised as one of the most progressive orchestras performing, the Hallé give 70 concerts at the Bridgewater Hall and 40 concerts on tour every year. Last season over a quarter of a million people heard the Hallé. More than 20,000 of these were young people, inspired by the Hallé's pioneering education programme which generates over 40 projects a year.
Adding to this ambitious programme they have also launched their own CD label of studio recordings, as well as a label of re-mastered Hallé recordings from the 1920s and 1940s. Just last year, Hallé’s record label won the choral award with Dream of Gerontius at the 2009 Gramophone Awards with Bryn Terfel accepting the award. The disc is the latest jewel in the crown of Sir Mark Elder's Elgar recordings with the Hallé, continuing the orchestra's long standing relationship with the music of Elgar established during John Barbirolli's reign in Manchester.
Also a successful recording artist, pianist Joanna MacGregor is recognised of as one of the world's most wide-ranging and innovative musicians. She has successfully created her own record label based on the series, SoundCircus - The Label. Among her recordings are a set of Bach's French Suites, a collection of Domenico Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas, and a collection of Erik Satie's piano music. She has also recorded for Collins Classics: a double CD set, Counterpoint, which contains Bach's Art of Fugue and works by Conlon Nancarrow. SoundCircus has released the Mercury prize-nominated album Play (released 2001), her 2002 album Neural Circuits and one of her latest releases including Deep River, music of the Deep South, with saxophonist Andy Sheppard, and the Moondog/Bach project (2006).
She has performed in over 60 countries often appearing as a soloist with many of the world's leading orchestras including the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Berliner Symphoniker. She has also premiered many landmark compositions by composers ranging from Sir Harrison Birtwistle and Django Bates to John Adams and James MacMillan. She is familiar to television audiences from her many appearances including her series Strings, Bows and Bellows and the Last Night of the Proms.
PROGRAMME
Bach Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052
Mahler Symphony No. 5
Tickets: €45, €55, €65, €75 (Choir Balcony €30) Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees)
ENDS
For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle Marketing & PR Manager, Tel: 01 417 00 57 or E-mail: sinead.doyle@nch.ie