Birmingham’s best
OrchestrasMessage from inveterate concertgoer Tim Walton:
In a break from what is going on at the CBSO, I went to a fantastic concert at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, the final concert of their academic year. It turned out to be one of the finest orchestral concerts I had heard in the 37 years I have been attending Conservatoire concerts. For students to put on a concert of this complexity is astonishing.
At the helm of this concert was the esteemed conductor Martyn Brabbins, on the day it was announced that he had been appointed Chief Conductor of the Malmö Symphony Orchestra.
The main work was the monumental Busoni Piano Concerto. It was 25 years since it was last heard in Birmingham and commemorated the 100th anniversary of the composer’s death. It is not only 73 minutes long but has 5 movements, played without a break and 83 players on stage, plus a male voice choir in the last movement – no wonder it is hardly ever played!
The soloist was the wonderful Emanuil Ivanov, who I have got to know quite well during his 6 years of study at the RBC (BMus & MMus). In his first year as a student, he won first prize in the 2019 Busoni International Piano Competition in Italy. This was a remarkable performance, all from memory. Emanuil returns to Bulgaria on the 27th of June to give the work’s Bulgarian premiere.
After the interval, we heard the world premiere of a short piece by composition student, Kinna Whitehead. She was not only the composer but the singer in the performance.
The final work in the programme, in the centenary of its composition was Respighi’s Pines of Rome. Added to the already large orchestra was an offstage brass section, played above & behind us in the gallery. Talk about surround sound! Wow!
Emanuil makes his Wigmore Hall debut in the new season. We’ve been privileged to have enjoyed his wonderful musicianship over the last few years in Birmingham.
Yes. I already have my ticket for Emanuil’s concert at Wigmore Hall.
Yes. I already have my ticket for Emanuil’s Wigmore Hall concert.
Inspirational!
I hope Emma Stenning sees this and realises that young people are brilliant. They are full of promise. If they can pull off something like this, I am sure they can sit through a concert without being on their phones.
Emma Stenning has offered the winner of the 2025 Dudley International Piano Competition a concerto date with the CBSO. Quite something..
As for Emanuil – not just Birmingham’s best but a pianist of unique gift. Rarely has the instrument been played to such magnificent effect and with (seemingly) such disarming ease.
Good news about the DIPC winner and I completely agree about Emanuil.
A wonderful review. Good on you for taking the time to write it.
I was also at the concert. The Busoni was not a work that I normally warm to, but the performance was stunning.
The Conservatoire is now run by Stenning’s predecessor Stephen Maddock. We were sometimes harsh on him but what a class act compared to what we’ve now got.
Ah, musicians…complain and bitch about someone 24/7 for two entire decades, until they leave when suddenly they become the much-missed paragon of inspirational leadership. Don’t ever change, guys!
I agree. Past a Rolls Royce. Now a Lada.