Press Releases

DUDOK QUARTET AMSTERDAM (BBT Award 2018)

Haydn – Opus 20 Volume 1: Quartets 2, 3 & 5
Resonus Classics RES10248 Released 27 September 2019

A mutual love of Haydn was the key reason the Dudok players first embarked upon their career as a quartet. Now, after almost a decade of playing his works together, they instinctively decided the time was right to focus on Haydn. Following on from three highly acclaimed ‘concept’ albums of classical and contemporary repertoire on Resonus Classics, this is a significant new direction. Another special detail of this project was the commissioning of new bows, crafted by Netherlands-based Luis Emilio Rodriguez Carrington, which contribute another voice to the Quartet’s interpretations of these highly emotional, virtuosic and experimental works.

Watch BBT film about the new bows and recording Haydn >>
Listen to excerpts >>
Read the press release >>

TESSA LARK violin (BBT Fellowship 2018)

Fantasy – Rhapsodies and Fantasies
from Telemann, Schubert, Kreisler, Ravel and Lark
First Hand Records FHR86 Released 27 September 2019

Born and raised in Kentucky, Tessa Lark’s first musical influences came from Bluegrass, Appalachian and other American Folk styles and have subsequently inspired her classical training, career and recital programming. The ‘fantasy’ genre in classical music, with its free-form composition unbound by traditional structures, immediately appealed to her fiddler’s soul and improvisational leanings. Together with pianist Amy Yang, also featured on the album, Tessa visits the UK on 29 October for a Fantasy showcase performance at
22 Mansfield Street, London W1.

Listen to excerpts >>
Watch the promotional video >>
Read the press release >>
Information about 22 Mansfield Street concert >>

ANNELIEN VAN WAUWE clarinet (BBT Award 2018)

Belle époque – music for clarinet
from Brahms, Debussy, Pierné, Trojahn and Widor
Pentatone SA-CD PTC 5186808 Released August 2019

Belgian clarinettist Annelien Van Wauwe explains the repertoire for her debut recording with Pentatone: “I grew up in a country full of architectural gems and objects from the Art Nouveau period that exuded elegance, style, flowing lines and curves. The French music of Claude Debussy, Charles-Marie Widor and Gabriel Pierné is so evocative of this era and is the keystone for these other contemporary European composers from Germany (Manfred Trojahn), Italy (Luciano Berio) and Belgium (Jelle Tassyns) – all countries in which I have lived and studied – whose works and arrangements refer one by one to existing pieces from the belle époque or are inspired by that style and period.” Recorded with Orchestre National de Lille conducted by Alexandre Bloch.

“Seductive sounds of a golden era … A CD that is full of charm.”
Ivan Hewett Daily Telegraph

“Gorgeous clarinet sound; rich orchestral playing … a fine recording as well.”
Andrew McGregor BBC Radio 3 Record Review

Listen to extracts >>
Watch the promotional video >>
Read the press release >>

BBT is supporting three forthcoming recordings with Rubicon Classics

Read the press release >>

TRIO ISIMSIZ (BBT Fellowship 2018)

Trio Isimsiz will record masterworks for the piano trio from Schubert, Fauré and Brahms at Wyastone Concert Hall in November.
Release date: June 2020

Alessio Pianelli. Photo Francesco Ferla

ALESSIO PIANELLI cello (BBT Fellowship 2018)

A Sicilian Traveller

Pianelli explores the richly diverse musical and cultural heritage of his homeland in repertoire ranging from Samuel Coleridge Taylor to Sulkhan Tsinstadze for his debut CD with Rubicon Classics. The recording will take place in Rome in November 2019 with the Avos Chamber Orchestra.
Release date: November 2020

Eivind Ringstad. Photo Nikolaj Lund

EIVIND RINGSTAD viola (BBT Fellowship 2016)

Correspondances

The first viola player to be signed by Rubicon, Norway’s rising young star has recorded a range of repertoire for viola including a work, Correspondances, specially written for him by Peder Barratt-Due. Recording was in early October with pianist David Meier in the Britten Studio, Aldeburgh.

Release date: October 2020

The Franco Buitoni Award, a prize created by Ilaria Borletti Buitoni in memory of her late husband and BBT co-founder, was given in March 2019 to Quartetto di Cremona. Part of its £25,000 award is now supporting a continuing project with young musicians in Albania where the Quartet is performing the Beethoven Quartets as part of an Italian Institute of Culture initiative at the University of Arts in Tirana, as well as giving masterclasses. Having discovered that most students there have poor quality instruments and cannot afford repairs, it has established a fund to send Italian luthiers to Albania to provide free assessments, repairs and adjustments to instruments and bows. Quartetto di Cremona will also use the Award fund for a special recording project to celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2020.

Franco Buitoni Award >>

Since its foundation over 15 years ago, BBT has collaborated with international centres of musical excellence to offer its award winners opportunities to work and perform with esteemed colleagues and mentors. Some are project based, while others have developed into longer-term relationships. The Trust is pleased to announce ongoing partnerships with Italy’s Società del Quartetto di Milano, Amici della Musica Perugia and Le Dimore del Quartetto, Scotland’s East Neuk Festival, Eindhoven Muziekgebouw (Netherlands), Bothmer-Musik Festival (Germany), and America’s University of Florida One Health Center of Excellence (in association with newly launched BBT Communities).

BBT Partners >>

In August the Dudok Quartet Amsterdam, fellow BBT artist recorder-player Erik Bosgraaf and soprano Michaela Riener were in Aldeburgh to workshop a new project about the artist Artemisia Gentileschi. The intensive few days resulted in a performance before an invited audience and will hopefully lead to a future touring project. Erik has written a blog about the creative process over these few days.

Read the blog >>