Benjamin Britten News

Symphony Space's In the Salon series gets underway on Friday, October 18 (7:30 pm) in the Leonard Nimoy Thalia with a program devoted to Benjamin Britten's music, in celebration of the composer's centenary year. Tenor Rufus Müller and guitarist David Leisnerjoin forces to present a rare performance of Britten's complete oeuvre for the combination. This ravishing and often profound body of work was written for Britten's life partner, Peter Pears, and their friend, guitarist Julian Bream. It comprises Folk Song Arrangements (Vol. 6),Songs from the Chinese, and The Second Lute Song of the Earl of Essex from Gloriana. The program also includes Nocturnal for solo guitar (1963), an acknowledged masterpiece of the genre. It is presented in collaboration with Guitar Plus

Evenings at Elder Hall presents three choirs in concert in 'Homage', a celebration of the centenary of Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976). Featuring Bella Voce, Timothy Marks Director; Adelaide Voices, Christie Anderson Director; and the Elder Conservatorium Chorale, Carl Crossin Director. The concert is set for Elder Hall, University of Adelaide at 6.30pm Saturday, 21 September 2013.

The St. Louis Symphony will mark the centennial of Benjamin Britten's birth with two concert performances of the composer's haunting opera Peter Grimes: first at Powell Hall on November 16, then at Carnegie Hall on November 22, the date of the late composer's 100th birthday.

This year British Youth Opera (BYO) will showcase the next generation of opera stars and celebrate Benjamin Britten's centenary with the only performance in England of Paul Bunyan. A week of BYO performances will take place at the Sadler's Wells' Peacock Theatre from today 7 - 14 September.

Miller Theatre at Columbia University School of the Arts opens its 2013-14 season of Composer Portraits with the work of Austrian composer and newly appointed Columbia University faculty member GEORG FRIEDRICH HAAS on October 10, 2013.

In To Sir With Love, joining the previously announced Olivier Award winning actor Matthew Kelly (Florian), are Mykola Allen (Denham), Harriet Ballard (Monica), Peta Cornish (Gillian), Kerron Darby (Seales), Ansu Kabia (Ricky),Paul Kemp (Weston), Heather Nicol (Pamela) and Nicola Reynolds (Clinty).

The music of Georg Friedrich Haas possesses “an otherworldly beauty,” writes The New Yorker. His compositional toolbox includes exotic scales and alternative tunings. He often draws on centuries past for inspiration, as in this program, which includes homages to the music of Desprez and the poetry of Sappho. Newly appointed to the Columbia University faculty, Haas will participate in an onstage discussion about his music during the performance. After his first Composer Portrait in 2009, The New York Times wrote: “One of the pleasures of frequent concertgoing is discovering an exciting new or little-known work. The American premiere of 'In Vain,' a kaleidoscopic masterpiece by Austrian composer Georg Friedrich Haas, proved an exhilarating experience.”

Hailing from Alaska, America's 'last frontier,' the thrilling mezzo-soprano Vivica Genaux continues to earn accolades from audiences and critics alike for her enthralling performances on the world's greatest stages, praise focusing on both the unique beauty of her voice and the astounding brilliance of her technique, which combine to create unforgettable portraits of some of the most engaging characters in opera. Consistently lauded as one of the pre-eminent interpreters of Baroque and bel canto music, she continues to explore new avenues in these repertories.

The Metropolitan Opera and Le Poisson Rouge announced details for "An Evening of Britten and Muhly," two concerts at Le Poisson Rouge on Thursday, October 17 at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Metropolitan Opera stars Patricia Racette, Kathleen Kim, and Iestyn Davies will perform at the event. Composer Nico Muhly will host and perform on piano.

Trinity Wall Street will launch its 2013-14 season with 'Celebrating Britten' - a September to January festival devoted to the music of Benjamin Brittenin honor of this year's centenary of the composer's birth. Much of the festival will be part of Concerts at One, Trinity Wall Street's long-running series of free concerts on Thursday afternoons. 'Celebrating Britten' will explore the great British composer's orchestral, vocal and chamber works in performances by the Choir of Trinity Wall Street, Trinity Youth Chorus and NOVUS NY led by Grammy Award-nominated music director Julian Wachner, with guest artists including tenor Nicholas Phan, chamber ensemble Decoda and the piano duo of Grace Cho & Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez, among others. Many of the concerts will present Britten's music alongside that of contemporaries such as Berg, Gershwin, Rachmaninoff and Poulenc. Star cellist Matt Haimovitz will perform two recitals as part of the festival, on October 17 and November 21, contextualizing two of Britten's suites for solo cello with solo works by later composers including Ligeti, John Tavener and Jennifer Higdon. In addition to 'Celebrating Britten' events as part of Concerts at One, there will be special Britten festival concerts on November 18 (the Choir of Trinity Wall Street in Britten's Sacred and Profane and other choral works) and December 9 (cellistElinor Frey playing Bach and Britten, on both Baroque and modern cello). And holiday-themed works by Britten will be performed as part of Trinity's Twelfth Night Festival, including the ever-popular Ceremony of Carols (Dec 26) and St. Nicolas (Jan 5). See below for a complete list of 'Celebrating Britten' concert dates and programs.

The New World Symphony, America's Orchestral Academy (NWS), opens its 2013-2014 season on October 5 and 6 with the world premiere of a video work by artist and filmmaker Tal Rosner. The video, which accompanies the Four Sea Interludes from Benjamin Britten's opera Peter Grimes, is co-commissioned by NWS, Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra and San Francisco Symphony. The New World Symphony performances, which will include a WALLCAST concert on October 5, are conducted by NWS Founder and Artistic Director Michael Tilson Thomas and feature Gershwin's Cuban Overture and Piano Concerto in F performed by renowned pianist Yuja Wang, as well as Stravinsky'sPulcinella Suite.

Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute (WMI) kicks off the 2013-2014 season with live performances at community venues throughout the five boroughs of New York City with its free Neighborhood Concerts. For almost four decades, Carnegie Hall has presented an outstanding series of concerts featuring top notch artists across multiple genres including jazz, world music, classical, and more. In addition, WMI presents a number of free family-friendly programs throughout New York City as part of the Carnegie Kids series.

Peter Oundjian launches his tenth season as Music Director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, with a feast of rich and powerful music. On September 18 and 19, the inaugural concerts of the season will feature the first of several works by Benjamin Britten to be performed this season in honour of the revered English composer's centenary.

Arguably the greatest opera of the 20th century, Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes, comes to the Canadian Opera Company this fall for seven performances at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on October 5, 8, 11, 17, 20, 23, 26, 2013. Recognized worldwide as the finest dramatic tenor before the public today, Canadian Ben Heppner returns to the COC in one of his favourite roles as the title character in Britten's gripping opera about an alienated fisherman and the seaside village he struggles to inhabit. Peter Grimes is sung in English with English SURTITLES.

Carnegie Hall has announced its October 2013 calendar updates. Details below!

The full cast for To Sir With Love, joining the previously announced Olivier Award winning actor Matthew Kelly (Florian), is Mykola Allen (Denham), Harriet Ballard (Monica), Peta Cornish (Gillian), Kerron Darby (Seales), Ansu Kabia (Ricky), Paul Kemp (Weston), Heather Nicol (Pamela) and Nicola Reynolds (Clinty) and we've got the first photos of the cast in rehearsal!

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Announces 2013-14 Season

The Toronto International Film Festival has announced its Contemporary World Cinema lineup today, featuring films produced by countries from around the world.

Please note the following updates to Carnegie Hall's 2013-2014 schedule, reflecting major updates made since the hall announced the concert season last January.

CARNEGIE HALL DECEMBER 2013 CALENDAR