Watkins and Bax's playing seems to come from a shared impulse, unflaggingly eloquent without ever seeming to strive for effect, creating a seamless musical experience.
Originally, the two-hour shows mixed big names from major ballet companies with young hopefuls performing classical and contemporary pieces, each number preceded by a useful little spiel by Devernay-Laurence in the role of compere and each half of the evening opened with a piano piece played by Ballet Nights' resident pianist Viktor Erik Emanuel. However, as the name indicates, musical performance formed a large chunk of the New Year's Day Concert, and two operatic voices were among the highlights of a slightly up-and-down show.
This all-Ravel recording by the Nash Ensemble was the final project of Amelia Freedman's extraordinary 60 years as artistic director, and it's a fitting farewell to the group's much-missed founder, who died in July. It includes all three larger chamber works plus the composer's own two-piano arrangement of his orchestral masterpiece La Valse: Alasdair Beatson and Simon Crawford-Phillips are a polished team in this, sounding wonderfully louche early on and then dispatching fistfuls of notes and long glissandos with seeming ease, all while catching the music's increasingly sinister nature.
The trio's highly acclaimed musicians are charismatic regulars at CMNW concerts. McGill played at former President Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration and is Principal Clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic, the first African-American principal player in the organization's history. Singaporean-British Barron won a 2025 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording of Adriana Mater by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho; and Chien is the 5-year co-artistic director of CMNW with husband/violinist Soovin Kim.
From 7:30pm to 9pm, the trio will transform the cavernous nave of the world's largest Gothic cathedral into a temple of nostalgia, filled with the melodies of Joe Hisaishi, Satoshi Takebe and Yuji Nomi. Expect the goosebump-inducing themes from films like Spirited Away , My Neighbor Totoro , Princess Mononoke , Howl's Moving Castle and more, played with the kind of reverence (and drama) the setting practically demands.
In a world that almost exclusively worships solo artists, it seems strange and almost anachronistic to see six musicians arrive together to give an interview. But Black Country, New Road aren't known for going with the flow. Formed in Cambridge, they have established themselves as one of the most magnetic and unclassifiable British bands of their generation. Their approach combines experimental rock with the sensibility of a chamber sextet, shot through with echoes of spectral folk and a lyrical ambition that has become their trademark.
Nina Bernat has transformed the perception of the double bass in classical music, showcasing her talent across various performances and compositions on prestigious platforms.
Coleman's composition was inspired by the building-sized sculpture, Austin, created by the painter Ellsworth Kelly, with vibrant stained glass evocating a spiritual atmosphere.
Duo Calisto delivered a poignant program featuring songs by women, non-binary, and LGBTQ+ composers, captivating a full house with themes of love and loss.
