Post-JEG Monteverdi links up with Trinity

The Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras, rebuilding independently from their founder John Eliot Gardiner, has bedded down with one of London’s conservatories.

Here’s the plan:

Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras, three internationally-renowned ensembles in the field of period performance, today announce a new partnership with Trinity Laban, known for its focus on collaboration and leadership across artforms. The new partnership will allow the conservatoire to develop its historical performance activities. The MCO and its musicians will enrich the undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum with new educational initiatives, masterclasses, and immersive side-by-side schemes for young musicians.

As part of the new partnership, the MCO will support Trinity Laban’s community outreach work which engages students, young people, and people with disabilities in some of the most deprived and culturally underserved communities in South East London. The partnership will also involve the MCO working with the Old Royal Naval College (ORNC) in Greenwich, where the Trinity Laban’s King Charles Court campus is based. From the iconic Painted Hall to the elegant Chapel of St Peter & St Paul, the MCO will be showcasing these collaborative projects with Trinity Laban at the Old Royal Naval College in addition to its regular concert season in Central London at St Martin-in-the-Fields.

The partnership will launch on Sunday 20th October with the MCO performing choral music of Anton Bruckner alongside the sacred motets of Carlo Gesualdo. Before the concert at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, music broadcaster and writer Sara Mohr-Pietsch will engage in conversation with conductor, Jonathan Sells. Together, they will delve into Bruckner & Gesualdo – two unlikely bedfellows, musical mavericks 250 years apart.

Dr Rosa Solinas, General Director at The Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras (MCO) said: “As the world’s only conservatoire with a collegiate Chapel Choir, Trinity Laban presents an extraordinary opportunity for joint work in both sacred and secular music, introducing students to the Monteverdi Choir’s world-renowned approach. This three-way partnership between an iconic heritage location, an innovative conservatoire and a world-renowned ensemble presents an exciting possibility to collaborate at all levels. Together, at a site of historical importance, we will present a new artistic offering to the Old Royal Naval College’s 800,000 annual visitors.”

Matthew Mees, Chief Executive, Old Royal Naval College said: “We are delighted to partner with the The Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras, together we hope to bring an extraordinary blend of world-class music and performance to the stunning surroundings of the Old Royal Naval College, creating an unforgettable experience that celebrates both artistry and history.”

Dr Aleksander Szram, Artistic Director of Trinity Laban, said: “We are very pleased to be working with the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra and the Old Royal Naval College on this partnership, which inspires each of the partners to connect world-class music-making to a sense of place and community. The unique strengths of each of us will combine to create brilliant work, starting with our first concert together on October 20.”