Singer

Under the direction of Omer Meir Wellber, the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra is adding a colorful accent to the season: THE BLUE WEEK. The new festival replaces the former Academy Concerts and combines unique works and programs on the one hand and showcases the special qualities of our orchestra musicians on the other. In the first edition, they make metamorphoses of all kinds audible - for example, in the first festival concert with Boulez's groundbreaking and enigmatic work Le Marteau sans maître, the instruments mutate into singing voices, while the singer repeatedly takes on a sound role without text. In a labyrinthine way, the work itself unfolds all its characteristics from a single small cell, as if from the sequence of our genetic information, from which first an embryo and then everything else emerges, without anyone arbitrarily intervening from outside.

1. Blue Concert THE HAMMER WITHOUT A MASTER

Hall 424 Jürgen Carstensen e. K.

Viviane Hagner presents

The Grand Ducal Salon Building

A Visit to Friends is an opera about love. Or, more accurately, about love’s frustrations. Drawing on Anton Chekhov’s short story and William Boyd’s Chekhovian play Longing, Colin Matthews’ opera (with libretto written by William Boyd) is, beguilingly, an opera within an opera, with music strongly influenced by Scriabin.

Aldeburgh Festival Opera: A Visit To Friends

Snape Maltings

Join the London Sinfonietta for the world premiere of Laurence Osborn's innovative composition, alongside new work by Hannah Kendall, and Luciano Berio’s O King, Chemins II and Folk Songs. This thought-provoking performance explores the voice, acceptance, and community, with poetry throughout by literary artist Belinda Zhawi.

Berio's Folk Songs

Southbank Centre

This project is an encounter between two of the greatest English singer-songwriters, each a genius of his time and both renowned for beautiful melancholy. Nick Drake, who achieved little critical success during his lifetime, has since been widely acclaimed for his hauntingly beautiful music, influenced by poets such as William Blake, William Butler Yeats, and Henry Vaughan. Although he died in 1974 at the age of just 26 years, Drake left behind a musical legacy that “throbs with [an] aching beauty” (Rolling Stone). Born almost 400 years earlier, John Dowland is best known for his melancholy songs of the English Renaissance, which express profound emotion and intricate artistry. This project also explores the romantic texts and the vibrant rhythms of Brazilian Bossa Nova, connecting the melancholic tones of Dowland and Drake with the dynamic musical innovations of artists like Powell, Jobim, and Bonfa.

Time Stands Still

Smith Square Hall

Dive into the depths of minimalism at the Howard Assembly Room in Leeds for an unforgettable night with "HAR Late: Midnight Minimalism" on Friday, 24 May 2024. This event promises a mesmerizing journey through minimalist masterpieces, starting with a cult film screening and followed by an after-dark concert. The night will culminate in a late-night set that blends voice and electronics, creating an intoxicating and hypnotic experience.

The evening kicks off with the epic cinematography of Ron Fricke's "Koyaanisqatsi," paired with Philip Glass's celebrated score, offering an apocalyptic vision of the clash between urban life, technology, and the environment. This powerful film, devoid of text, narration, or dialogue, relies on Glass's memorable score to captivate the audience.

Following the film, seize the unique opportunity to hear the Orchestra of Opera North perform a selection of minimalist works, including Terry Riley’s "In C." The event will close with Australian vocalist Lotte Betts-Dean performing Jacob Cooper’s "Silver Threads," a piece that sets a haiku attributed to Matsuo Bashō to music, expanded into a full cycle by various poets.

Tickets are priced at £13, including the booking fee. The schedule for the evening is as follows:
- Doors open at 7pm
- Film screening at 7.45pm
- Orchestra of Opera North at 9.30pm
- Lotte Betts-Dean at 11pm

This event is part of the "HAR Late" series, offering after-dark adventures in music ranging from minimalism to jazz and electronica, all taking place in the hidden splendour of the Howard Assembly Room. Don't miss this unique blend of film, live performance, and electronic music in the heart of Leeds.

HAR Late: Midnight Minimalism

The Grand Theatre & Opera House Leeds

The two closely related powerful women, whose graves now lie right beside each other in London’s Westminster Abbey, were “Of One Blood”, so of the same blood. Both were of course as conceivably far apart as possible during their lives. Elizabeth I ruled for almost half a century as Queen of England and Ireland, while Mary Stuart reigned over Scotland for a quarter of a century. A bitter power struggle between the Protestant hegemony and the Catholic opposition and ultimately the pressure of parliament forced the English Queen to have Mary Stuart executed.

Mezzo-soprano

Lotte Betts-Dean

Events

Upcoming events

May 10 - Jun 29, 2026

Of One Blood · Bayerische Staatsoper

Past events

Oct 8, 2025

1. Blue Concert THE HAMMER WITHOUT A MASTER · Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg

Sep 11, 2025

Viviane Hagner presents · Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Future and recently performed repertoire

Singer in Folk Songs by Berio

London Sinfonietta

Singer in Two Songs for Voice, Viola and Piano by Brahms

Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Varia, Vanessa in A Visit to Friends by Matthews

Aurora Orchestra

Female Courtier III in Of One Blood by Dean

Bayerische Staatsoper

Singer in Mute by Osborn

London Sinfonietta

Singer in O King by Berio

London Sinfonietta

Singer in Chemins II by Berio

London Sinfonietta

Singer in shouting forever into the receiver by Kendall

London Sinfonietta

About

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