Classical club nights – is that a 2023 thing?
NewsNot quite sure what to make of this morning’s first press release. We feed it to you unfiltered.
Multi-Award-winning opera star Fatma Said is today announced as the latest headline performer to do a classical club night as part of through the noise’s acclaimed series, known as noisenights. Hot off the heels of her star turn at Royal Variety Performance, due to be aired on ITV on 20 December, Fatma’s through the noise gig will be the first of 2023 and takes place at OSLO Hackney on 10 February.
The hugely versatile Egyptian soprano blazed onto the classical scene with her multi-award-winning debut on Warner Classics, El Nour, honoured with two Awards apiece from Gramophone and BBC Music Magazine in 2021. Her latest release, Kaleidoscope, boasted a cross-cultural and genre-defying programme and showcased Said’s passion for dance. The album featured works from opera, operetta, film and pop, sung in no less than six languages – French, German, English, Spanish, Italian and Arabic. It was awarded a Presto Music Award 2022 earlier this month.
Said has performed on iconic stages across the world, from being the first-ever Egyptian soprano to perform at Teatro Alla Scala in Milan, to performing to millions watching online and on TV at the Global Citizen event in 2021 alongside pop icons such as Elton John and the Black-Eyed Peas. Critics have praised her irresistible stage presence: “Said has a lively stage personality, those wonderful flashing eyes, a voice which can seemingly float effortlessly. But what is fascinating is to hear her repertoire as it broadens out, to witness her astonishing ability to take on new things and, essentially, to make them all work.” (The Arts Desk).
through the noise’s hugely successful crowdfunded concert series has become well-known for its showcases of outstanding classical performers in uniquely intimate venues. Leading a new movement to take classical stars out of the concert halls, noisenights invite audiences to experience world-class performers up close by bringing artists from across the globe to grass-roots local venues. Reviews have praised their uniquely vibrant concert atmosphere: “there was a real sense of a mixture of generations in the crowd, all intoxicated not just by the Mojitos but by the exhilarating range of music they had come to see” (The Arts Desk).
Using a unique crowdfunding platform to stay affordable and accessible, through the noise asks the public to become ‘backers’ in return for tickets to their chosen event and priority booking for future events. Each night is confirmed when it is fully funded, ensuring that only concerts that are popular go ahead. Though originally London-based, through the noise is expanding – they recently embarked on their first UK-wide tour with Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Harry Baker, with more nationwide noisenights lined up in the spring. Other past notable guests include Esther Abrami, Robert Balanas and Abel Selaocoe.
If Esther Abrami’s violin playing chops can actually match her looks (which she uses to promote her musical career), wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing indeed.
It’s surely no secret that classical club nights have been around for quite a long time now? Not sure this is major news… DG’s Yellow Lounge series at the Berghain, Berlin and elsewhere is marking its 20th anniversary. Gabriel Prokofiev’s NonClassical club nights are an equally longstanding fixure in London and also overseas. Universal Classical & Eccentric dipped its toes into these waters with its Harmonic Classical Club nights at Dover St Arts Club back in 2010. It only really works for certain situations and certain types of music as the background chatter and clinking glasses can be intrusive at times, but it was, and is, a breath of fresh air in terms of launching alternative performance spaces and upcoming artists.
Huge get for Through The Noise, well done to them.
I do remember Sibelius Academy students’ classical night clubs already some 15 years ago… (Never went there)
This idea isn’t exactly new. Anyone remember Yellow Lounge? Limelight at the 100 Club?
I stopped at first sentence “to do a classical club night as part of through the noise’s acclaimed series, known as noisenights.” No need to read more.
As others have said, this is nothing new. And the lesson learnt from previous iterations is that classical club nights struggle to find a viable business model. Yellow Lounge and Limelight relied on artists waiving their fee, on the grounds that they were in town already to do a properly paid concert in a traditional setting.
Perhaps someone might remember the Concert Party series at the Biltmore Hotel in New York in the 60’s and 70’s? We were lucky to have great artists appearing in larger venues, but we had to move to the grand ballroom in the end. We were able to have bar proceeds to pay the rent and we served coffee and desserts to keep audiences talking to each other about the music. ALL artists were paid and were booked from all managements.