Press Releases

SIVAN MAGEN harp

French Reflections (Linn CKD473)

French Reflections, Sivan Magen’s second BBT-supported CD on the Linn label, is due for release in September 2015.

Focusing on French music written for solo harp at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, he explores the ultimate expressivity of his beloved instrument. The repertoire features works from composers including Fauré, Debussy, Caplet and Tournier writing in the early 1900s, and Bruno Mantovani and Phillippe Schoeller a century on.

Magen’s first CD for Linn, Fantasien (CKD441), was released early in 2014 and garnered extremely favourable reviews:

“Without doubt Sivan Magen’s fine musicianship and scintillating performances on this disc will further enhance this artist’s burgeoning reputation” – Graham Williams, SA-CD.net

Listen to excerpts from the CD >>

View L’AMOUR, Sivan Magen’s BBT Artist Profile film >>

BBT WEDNESDAYS AT WILTON’S

Room to Play – Trust in the Music

And the audiences did trust in the music – turning up for informal, unprescribed programmes of classical, intriguing and experimental music performed by virtuosic young musicians already well established as innovaters and collaborators.

Their mission to show off their instruments and share with enchanted new audiences their love of music of many genres and eras resulted in world premieres, special commissions and works in progress, as well as traditional masterworks.

Their music-making more than filled the newly repaired and expanded performance space upstairs in Wilton’s (London’s oldest and last surviving grand music hall), along with capacity audiences.

BBT seized the moment and posted video blogs of all the performers shortly after each event. Check out their reactions to the venue, how they decided on their programmes, and some of their performance highlights.

Watch all six BBT Wednesdays at Wilton’s video blogs and performance extracts >>

Read the blog by Frances Mayhew, Director of Wilton’s Music Hall and co-presenter of BBT Wednesdays at Wilton’s >>

See Frances’ video blog >>

JAMES BAILLIEU piano

A Partner Piece for a Britten Masterpiece

Pianist James Baillieu is on a mission to refresh Lieder repertoire anew for the 21st century. To that end he has put his BBT Fellowship funds towards a new commission from American composer Nico Muhly, to be premiered at London’s Wigmore Hall as part of ‘Introducing James Baillieu’ his season-long series of 11 concerts.

Read here how he conceived the idea and brought together the potent mix of Muhly, Iestyn Davies and Allan Clayton (BBT award winner 2008) for a highly anticipated premiere on 4 December 2015.

Read more >>

VIEW FROM THE PROMS ARENA…

Since giving its first awards in 2003, BBT’s legacy is a roster of almost 90 highly successful individuals and ensembles from 29 countries with well-established, blossoming careers (the next round of promising young BBT award-winners will be announced early in 2016).

BBT is proud to see several award-winners featuring prominently in the BBC Proms (17 July – 12 September). First up is Colin Currie (BBT 2005), followed by Mark Simpson (BBT 2014), Alina Ibragimova (BBT 2008), Francesco Piemontesi (BBT 2009), Apollon Musagète Quartet (BBT 2014), Leonard Elschenbroich (BBT 2008) and Robin Ticciati (BBT 2005).

BBT’s Communications Consultant, Nick Breckenfield, this year the proud owner of his 27th consecutive arena season ticket (and aiming to at least equal his 76 out of 90 concerts last year), previews their participation in undoubtedly the world’s greatest classical music festival.

Read more >>