University News Last updated 20 December 2017
The very first concert broadcasts from the brand new Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Concert Hall will be made by BBC Radio 3 starting on Tuesday 9 January.
BBC Radio 3 has chosen the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, which is part of Birmingham City University, to record a series of four lunchtime recitals by its New Generation Artists.
The weekly, hour-long concerts are at 1pm on successive Tuesdays in January and feature trumpeter Simon Höfele (9 January), pianist Mariam Batsashvili (16 January), bass-baritone Ashley Riches (23 January) and string quartet Quatuor Arod (30 January).
The recital series is one of the first opportunities Birmingham audiences will have to enjoy a concert in the new Royal Birmingham Conservatoire which opened in September.
BBC Radio 3 Editor, Emma Bloxham, said:
”It’s a real honour for our BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists to perform in this wonderful new space, which fittingly has the championing of young talent at its very core. I was lucky enough to visit the building last year when it was being built, and I’m delighted that I’m able to return now to see the spectacular finished result.”
The BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists Scheme helps support talented musicians to reach the next stages of their careers and brings some of the world’s most promising young talent to listeners across the UK through BBC Radio 3 broadcasts.
International performers
All four artists have international competition successes under their belts and are developing impressive solo careers. Simon Höfele from Darmstad, Germany has appeared with many prestigious orchestras including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in the Netherlands. He performs three trumpet sonatas in his recital. Mariam Batsashvili from Tiblisi, Georgia is a former winner of the renowned Liszt International Piano Competition and includes three works by Liszt in her programme.
Meanwhile, Ashley Riches from the UK has appeared on world stages including with The Royal Opera. He has devised a recital of Schubert, Dvořák and Brahms. Native to France, Quatuor Arod won the ARD International Music Competition in Munich and already have several residencies to their name. They’ll play Mozart and Mendelssohn quartets.
Professor Julian Lloyd Webber, Principal of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire said:
“We’re thrilled that BBC Radio 3 have chosen to present this series showcasing the astonishing talent of these brilliant young professional performers.
Broadcast
The four concerts will be broadcast from 30 January to 2 February on BBC Radio 3 and will also be available for 30 days after broadcast via the Radio 3 website and the BBC iPlayer Radio app.
BBC Radio 3 returns to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire to record the Royal Gala opening concert on Sunday 11 March 2018 performed by the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra and conducted by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra’s (CBSO) Music Director, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla.
A unique contemporary building, the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire incorporates five public performance spaces including its 500 seat Concert Hall for orchestral training and performance, a purpose-built organ studio and private rehearsal and practice rooms.
Furthermore, as the first purpose built conservatoire in the UK since 1987, the £57 million institution is the only one of its kind in the country designed for the demands of the digital age.