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Troubadours, chivalry, poetry, love, immortality, gender-fluidity, identity, freedom, fantasy, adventure, war… this programme is brimming with invention, inspired by the kaleidoscopic existence and enduring appeal of Orlando in all his/her guises. Ema and Sean are soaring young stars who have let loose their boundless imaginations to devise a recital that combines instrumentation, voice, electronics and music ranging from Dowland and Schubert to brand new works especially commissioned for the project; Dream Memorandum/It Reminded Me of the Truth by Cassandra Miller brings together Sean’s guitar and Ema’s ‘magical, evocative and intelligent’ spoken voice, while Sasha Scott’s 1000 thousand parts of you* considers the many different selves that make up human identity. Other important pillars of the project are Detlev Glanert’s Orlando-Lieder and Laurie Anderson’s O Superman.

Ema Nikolovska and Sean Shibe are both alumni of the Borletti-Buitoni Trust, which has supported Orlando by way of Ema’s BBT Award, including the commissioning of Cassandra Miller.

*Co-commissioned by Richard Cauldwell and Wigmore Hall

The last months have been busy for Lucie Horsch with two world premieres of new works specially commissioned for her with funds from her 2022 BBT Fellowship Award. As she explains in her entertaining blog, while the solo recorder is often viewed as a period instrument, it has increasingly become a focus for modern composers who bring innovation to Baroque music. Nevertheless, Lucie could find nothing contemporary for the partnering of recorder and harpsichord, so Greek composer Calliope Tsoupaki’s new work is quite significant.

Dutch composer Reza Namavar takes his inspiration from Vivaldi for this fiery concerto that moves from darkness to light, in the true chiaroscuro style of Baroque art and music, featuring three different recorders for each of the movements, which bear Tahitian titles. The composer introduces a vocal section for Lucie in the slow middle movement, a complement to a Vivaldi aria, Sovente il sole, that she will sing in the first half of the recital.

The third commission is already underway – a concerto by Finnish composer Lotta Wennäkoski – a major new work that Lucie will premiere in the 2025/26 season with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Watch this space…

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