Following the success of its Autumn season of nearly 60 livestreamed concerts watched by a global audience of over 170,000, the Academy is proud to announce its Spring programme of 50 concerts on YouTube, the majority as livestreams.
New music is at the heart of this season with over 40 world premieres, many from our ongoing 200 Pieces project, from composers including Gerald Barry, Jessie Cox, Adam Gorb, Michael Zev Gordon, Preetha Narayanan, Gwilym Simcock, Howard Skempton, Augusta Read Thomas, Sohrab Uduman and Ryan Wigglesworth to name a few.
Semyon Bychkov makes a welcome return to conduct the Academy Symphony Orchestra (programme tba) and the Academy’s Barbirolli Chair of Conducting Sir Mark Elder returns for Stravinsky’s Symphonies of Wind Instruments (1947 version) and Sibelius Symphony No 3 in C. Our newly appointed Visiting Professor of Chamber Orchestras Lorenza Borrani directs the Academy Chamber Orchestra in Mozart’s Maurerische Trauermusik, K 477 and Schubert’s Symphony No 4 in C minor.
In another vibrant season for jazz, the Academy Big Band is joined by alumnus Gwilym Simcock for a 40th birthday concert, featuring his own music and works written specially for the occasion. The annual Academy Jazz Festival returns with a week of concerts, Monday-Saturday at 6pm, led by some of the best jazz artists in the UK and Europe: Josephine Davies, Jasper Høiby, Soweto Kinch, Kit Downes, Jim Hart and Dave Okumu.
Programmes may be subject to change or cancellation in line with the latest coronavirus guidance. Please check our website or YouTube channel for the most up-to-date information.
The Academy’s Principal, Jonathan Freeman-Attwood CBE says:
‘Performing to live audiences lies at the heart of what we do here, and we can’t wait to welcome visitors back into our building. In the meantime, we are continuing with the next best thing – our highly successful series of livestreamed events. Staging concerts has become more of a team effort than ever before, especially with the essential trust and refined ensemble skills required in socially distanced performance. We hope that you will continue to join us virtually to enjoy a typically rich and varied Academy season.’
Spring Highlights include:
5 January, 1pm: Trio Mazzolini
Trio Mazzolini open the Spring season with world premieres from Augusta Reed Thomas and Ryan Wigglesworth. Tom Coult’s Chronophage opens the concert.
8 January, 1pm: Jeroen Berwaerts conducts octets
Professor in Residence Jeroen Berwaerts returns to the Academy to conduct works for brass and wind octet by Stravinsky and Rautavaara. These works frame two world premieres, as part of our 200 Pieces project, by Gerald Barry and Sam Hayden.
22 January, 1pm: Lorenza Borrani directs the Academy Chamber Orchestra
Visiting Professor of Chamber Orchestras Lorenza Borrani directs Mozart’s Maureische Trauemusik, K 477 and Schubert’s Symphony No 4 in C minor.
29 January, 1pm: Sir Mark Elder conducts the Academy Symphony Orchestra
Sir Mark Elder, the Academy’s Barbirolli Chair of Conducting, conducts the Academy Symphony Orchestra in Stravinsky’s Symphonies of Wind Instruments (1947 version) and Sibelius Symphony No 3 in C.
1-5 February, various times: Music and Time Festival
‘Music and Time’ Festival includes five world premieres, as well as works by Mark Simpson, Steve Reich, Colin Matthews, Joe Cutler, Anna Meredith, Daniel Kidane, Salvatore Sciarrino and Lisa Illean. Sir Harrison Birtwistle’s Silbury Air concludes the week of concerts and installations.
2 February, 8pm: Academy Big Band celebrates Gwilym Simcock
Nick Smart leads the Academy Big Band in a concert celebrating Academy Professor of Jazz Piano and alumnus Gwilywm Simcock’s 40th birthday. The band presents some of Simcock’s exceptional music for jazz orchestra including new pieces commissioned especially for the occasion and features Simcock on piano.
11 February, 1pm: The Hill Quartet performs Mozart and Misha Mullov-Abbado
The Hill Quartet is joined by Principal Clarinet of the London Philharmonic Orchestra Benjamin Mellefont for Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet in A. Misha Mullov-Abbado’s Three Road Songs opens the concert.
19 February, 1pm: Sainsbury Royal Academy Soloists
Clio Gould directs the Sainsbury Royal Academy Soloists in two defining works of the English string orchestra repertoire, Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro and Britten’s Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge.
25-26 February, various times: Seen and Heard
The Students’ Union and three of its societies – RAM Ethnic Diversity Society, RAM LGBTQ+ Society and RAM Feminist Society curate ‘Seen and Heard’, a festival of three programmes celebrating female composers, ethnically diverse artists and members of the LGBTQ+ community featuring works by Coleridge-Taylor, R Nathaniel Dett, Jessie Montgomery, Valerie Coleman, Fanny Mendelssohn and Florence Price. There are also world premieres by Jennifer Fowler and Jessie Cox.
1-6 March, daily at 6pm: Academy Jazz Festival
The Academy Jazz Festival returns with daily 6pm band concerts led by a stellar line up of guests ensembles leaders representing the best of jazz in the UK and Europe including Josephine Davies, Jasper Høiby, Soweto Kinch, Kit Downes, Jim Hart and Dave Okumu.
5 March, 1pm: Semyon Bychkov conducts the Academy Symphony Orchestra
Chief Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic and Klemperer Chair of Conducting at the Academy, Semyon Bychkov conducts the Academy Symphony Orchestra. Programme tba.
7 March, 12 noon: Jane Glover directs Bach the European
Jane Glover directs her first ‘Bach the European’ performance, featuring Bach’s Wo soll Ich fliehen hin, BWV 5 and Vivaldi’s Gloria.
8 March, 1pm and 6.30pm: International Women’s Day
Two concerts celebrating International Women’s Day featuring world premieres by Nicola LeFanu, Isabella Gellis, Elena Langer and Yi Chen, and other pieces by Thea Musgrave, Amy Beach, Valerie Coleman, Grace-Evangeline Mason and Louise Drewett.
16 and 19 March, 1pm: Chamber Music Festival curated by Tamara Stefanovich
Tamara Stefanovich curates this year’s Chamber Music Festival. Miniatures by György Ligeti and György Kurtág are the common thread throughout both programmes, which also feature six world premieres and works by Brahms and Bartók.
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music moves music forward by inspiring successive generations of musicians to connect, collaborate and create. From pre-school to post-doc, our students come here from more than 50 countries. As we enter our third century, our aim is to shape the future of music by discovering and supporting talent wherever it exists.
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