New talent on the fast track
mainThe BBC has added seven more artists to its New Generation scheme, one of the surest routes to classical success – far more assured than most international competitions.
The latest batch are violinists Alexandra Soumm from France and Veronika Eberle from Germany; cellist Nicolas Altstaedt; the innovative Escher String Quartet; and two young British musicians – tenor Ben Johnson and 18-year-old pianist Benjamin Grosvenor. There is also a jazz saxophonist, Shabaka Hutchings, 26.
Past members of the scheme, which runs for two years, include Lisa Batiashvili, the Belcea Quartet, Alice Coote, the Ebene Quartet, Ingrid Fliter, Ilya Gringolts, the Jerusalem Quartet, Paul Lewis, Lisa Milne and Cedric Tiberghien… all now regulars in the hall of fame.
See the press release, and some video, here:
I DO know it’s the BRITISH BC and not the US BC; and I do know broadcasting is not free as we know it in Umerika; but since the BBC does accept Umerikan adverts (see online attempt to recruit folks from across the pond to the NE US during leaf changing season), does anyone care to hazard a guess about how long it might take the old girl to let us listen to all of her programming on line?
MPS