Inspirational Artists at RNCM
Johnny James, Managing Editor
This autumn, the RNCM launches its brand new Inspirational Artists series, spotlighting a huge range of touring musicians and ensembles, each bringing something unique to the stage.
Stretching right through to May 2025, this debut series features everything from sitar virtuosos to cutting edge choirs, powerhouse percussion to boundary smashing orchestras. But there’s a thread that connects these eclectic artists: while delighting in the past, they all embrace the new, devoted to change in a world that never stays still.
In this way, each featured artist has a unique ability to inspire – to inspire the RNCM’s students, and to inspire us as listeners, not only with their incredible musicianship but also with the innovation, collaboration and stories that are integral to their art. Let’s take a look at some of those stories now as we round up the autumn leg of the Inspirational Artists series.
The series launches on 27 September with Alice Zawadzki, Fred Thomas and Misha Mullov-Abbado, a renowned trio whose travels around the world have seen them draw together a plethora of styles (among them Mediterranean folk song, chamber music, improvisation and acoustic jazz) to create something that’s truly their own. Next on 3 October, it’s award-winning sitarist Jasdeep Singh Degun. Simultaneously an innovator and a custodian of tradition, he has an extraordinary skill for blending Western and Indian classical music traditions.
10 October sees the electrifying Manchester Collective take to the stage to perform Fever Dreams, which sees the full force of the string orchestra revive old classics and summon futuristic sounds alongside ‘cyborg pianist’ Zubin Kanga. There’s more musical time-travelling on 23 October as Kantos Chamber Choir journey through centuries of poetry, choral music, and improvised soundscapes to unveil the hidden landscapes of our dreams and the mysteries of the subconscious mind.
On a mission to reinvent the orchestra for the 21st century, The Paraorchestra is an ensemble of disabled and non-disabled musicians, who blend artforms, genres, and technology to create large-scale music projects. On 15 November they invite soprano Victoria Oruwari to the stage to help them perform Henryk Górecki’s transcendental Symphony of Sorrowful Songs. More collaboration comes on 19 November, as internationally recognised pianist Kathryn Stott shares the stage with RNCM students for performances of orchestral masterpieces for two pianos.
Nearing the end of the autumn leg of the series, on 28 November, the world-renowned Elias String Quartet – who formed at the RNCM in 1998 – perform music they’ve formed deep connections with over the years, including works by Schuman, Haydn and Sally Beamish. Finally on 3 December, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw performs with the wildly adventurous quartet Sō Percussion, who have for 25 years championed the joy, curiosity, and inherent connectivity of percussion in all its forms.
It’s a stunning series, with so many exciting concerts to look forward to. Should a number of them appeal, you can take advantage of a multibuy offer, whereby you’ll receive 15% off at least one ticket per event when you book three or more events in the series.
For more information about the offer and about each concert, hit the ‘Book now’ button below.
