The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE) will embark on a nationwide tour this autumn, performing J.S. Bach’s timeless Brandenburg Concertos.
The tour will feature a stellar ensemble of OAE musicians, performing in Manchester, Great Malvern, Basingstoke, London, Portsmouth, Saffron Walden, Oxford, and Bradford-on-Avon (5-20 November).
Performances will be directed by Huw Daniel, Margaret Faultless and Rodolfo Richter (violin) and Oliver Wilson (viola), and feature named soloists Lisa Beznosiuk (flute), Rachel Beckett and Catherine Latham (recorders), Clara Espinosa Encinas and Leo Duarte (oboe), David Blackadder (trumpet), and Steven Devine (harpsichord).
Double Bassist and Chair of the OAE Players’ Artistic Committee Cecelia Bruggemeyer said: “The Brandenburg Concertos are some of the most beloved works in the repertoire, and we are thrilled to be sharing them with audiences across the UK this autumn, in the concert hall and beyond. They are such jewels, brilliantly showcasing, not just our beloved baroque instruments and players, but Bach’s endless imagination and inventiveness in creating these six unique sound worlds.”
OAE’s ethos of making classical music accessible to everyone is at the heart of this project. The tour will begin with community open rehearsals at OAE’s base in North London, Acland Burghley School, welcoming those who might not typically have the opportunity to experience these masterpieces. The OAE’s Dreamchasing Young Producers programme – a skills development programme supported by Ron Dennis’ Dreamchasing Foundation – will also be involved in the tour, supporting stage management and front-of-house activities.
OAE is renowned for its curious, challenging, and trailblazing approach to making music. Performing music from the 17th to the early 20th centuries on period instruments, OAE brings historical music to life with authenticity and passion. It is a Resident Orchestra at London’s Southbank Centre and an artistic associate at Kings Place, regularly touring the UK and internationally. The OAE is also deeply committed to education, delivering programmes across the UK and reaching over 17,900 participants in 2022/23.
The news of OAE’s Brandenburg Concertos tour comes following the announcement that OAE will continue its critically acclaimed The Fairy Queen project into 2025 and beyond. Supported by the Arts Council, the OAE will present a nationwide ‘tour’ of its community opera adaptation of Purcell’s masterpiece, as part of the orchestra’s continued commitment to reaching audiences across the country.
For more information, please visit www.oae.co.uk.
Tour Schedule
5 November Manchester – Bridgewater Hall (All Concertos)
https://oae.co.uk/event/the-brandenburg-concertos-on-tour-in-manchester/
6 November Great Malvern – Malvern Theatres (Concertos Nos. 2-6)
https://oae.co.uk/event/brandenburg-concertos-on-tour-in-malvern/
12 November Basingstoke – The Anvil (All Concertos)
https://oae.co.uk/event/brandenburg-concertos-on-tour-in-basingstoke/
13 November London – Southbank Centre/QEH (All Concertos)
https://oae.co.uk/event/the-brandenburg-concertos/
14 November Portsmouth – Guildhall (Concertos Nos. 2, 3, 4 & 6)
https://oae.co.uk/event/brandenburg-concertos-on-tour-in-portsmouth/
16 November Saffron Walden – Saffron Hall (Concertos Nos. 2, 3, 4 & 6)
https://oae.co.uk/event/brandenburg-concertos-on-tour-in-saffron-walden/
17 November Oxford – Sheldonian Theatre (All Concertos)
https://oae.co.uk/event/the-brandenburg-concertos-on-tour-in-oxford/
20 November Bradford-on-Avon – Wiltshire Music Centre (Concertos Nos. 2, 3, 4 & 6)
https://oae.co.uk/event/brandenburg-concertos-on-tour-in-wiltshire/
Brandenburg Concertos Tour Musicians
Directors
- Huw Daniel: violin/piccolo violin (Concertos Nos. 1 & 4)
- Margaret Faultless: violin (Concertos Nos. 3 & 5)
- Rodolfo Richter: violin (Concerto No. 2)
- Oliver Wilson: viola (Concerto No. 6)
Soloists
- Flute:Lisa Beznosiuk (not Portsmouth, Saffron Walden and Bradford-on-Avon)
- Recorders: Rachel Beckett, Catherine Latham
- Oboe: Leo Duarte (Manchester, Malvern, Saffron Walden, Oxford and Bradford-on-Avon), Clara Espinosa Encinas (Basingstoke, London, Portsmouth)
- Trumpet: David Blackadder
- Harpsichord: Steven Devine
Orchestra
All concerts:
- Viola: Elitsa Bogdonova, Annette Isserlis
- Cello: Andrew Skidmore
- Cello/Viola da gamba: Richard Tunnicliffe, Kate Conway
- Double Bass: Cecelia Bruggemeyer
Manchester, Basingstoke, London and Oxford only:
- Oboes: Sarah Humphrys, Grace Scott Deuchar
- Bassoon: Zoe Shevlin
- Horns: Ursula Paludan Monberg, Martin Lawrence