Howard Shelley & the LMP presents…

PRESS RELEASE: Beethoven Explored Concert Series

Royal British Legion

Partnership with The Royal British Legion

The Dove has flown!

schools

The Young Ambassadors scheme – COMING SOON

Music for a Sunday Afternoon

3 weeks to go! Give School Children A Voice with ‘For an Unknown Soldier’ Recording

21 Days Left!

We’ve got just 3 weeks to go on our #DoveKickStarter campaign and have raised £3,533 out of £21,000 – 17% of our end goal. We would like to say a massive thank you from everyone at the London Mozart Players to all those who have backed the campaign already.

This important project will give local Croydon primary school children the chance to get involved in commemorating the legacy of WW1 veterans. Not only does this project bring together the old and very young in a joint commemoration of the First World War, but it also gives young children the unique opportunity to become recording artists with a world-famous orchestra. Making this music accessible to the younger generation and getting them involved in the remembrance of such an important historic event is a cause close to our hearts.

The Rewards for Backers

Not only does this campaign give you the chance to support a really worthy cause, but our #DoveDonors also get exclusive rewards only accessible to those backing the project.

blog-kickstarter

The wonderful thing about crowd-funding is that every penny counts, no donation is too small or large. Visit our KickStarter page to find out more about the rewards or to back the project so that this historic piece of music can live on through the children of today.

Please share this project on social media to spread the word, don’t forget to tag in @mozartplayers and #DoveKickStarter in your tweets!

http://kck.st/1EZwKKq

 

 

Local Schools to Become Recording Artists with the Help of The LMP

The sell-out World Premiere of Jonathan Dove’s ‘For an Unknown Soldier’ took place in November last year. Now, The London Mozart Players have ambitious aims of crowd-funding a recording of this piece in collaboration with local schools. Using KickStarter, The LMP hopes to raise a total of £21,000 so the recording can go ahead. Co-commissioned […]

Recording of Jonathan Dove’s “For An Unknown Soldier”

We plan to record this brilliant new work. We did the World Premiere last November and some of you may have attended the performance at Fairfield Halls.

Click here to take a look at the Video giving you all the details about the project.

“’For an Unknown Soldier’ was totally gripping and moving and the music extraordinary. The chosen texts came at us from all angles: the soldiers and those left behind, young and old.”

The recording sessions will take place in central London in September 2015. Joining the LMP and the children from the four primary school choirs will be tenor Nicky Spence, The Portsmouth Grammar School Chamber Choir and conductor Nicholas Cleobury. The recording should be released by Christmas – so would make an ideal Christmas present!

PRESS RELEASE: LMP return to Fairfield Halls with new Sunday Afternoon Concerts

The London Mozart Players are delighted to be returning to Fairfield Halls in June with a brand new concert series, Music for a Sunday Afternoon: The London Mozart Players in the Community. Launching on 7th June with a programme of chamber music, members of the LMP chamber ensemble will have the pleasure of being joined by students from Trinity School whom they have been working with since March, for a side-by-side performance of the exuberant Mendelssohn String Octet. Also featuring will be the Chen Piano Trio, champions of the prestigious Pro Corda National Chamber Music Festival, the Senior Saxophone Ensemble and the Junior Brass Quintet.

‘This is the beginning of a very exciting series given by the LMP, performing in the heart of Croydon at the Fairfield Halls in three concerts for the whole family,’ says co-principal cellist and Community and Education administrator Julia Desbruslais. ‘It is a crucial part of our artistic policy to engage with and be relevant to the community where we perform and have our offices. These concerts give us the chance to perform alongside local people, in the wonderful Fairfield Halls for the whole community of Croydon.’

Be sure to arrive early on June 7th to be serenaded by students from Trinity School in the foyer, while you enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of cake from the cafe at Fairfield before the concert at 3.30pm.

Later in the season on 4th October, the orchestra will be opening its doors to all string players* from the local area, rusty or up to speed to play side/side in two pieces and enjoy listening to the LMP on sparkling form in” Autumn” from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and other popular pieces.

The final concert on 6th December will be a performance of Mozart’s Requiem, with the full orchestra of the LMP, joined by the Croydon Bach and Croydon Philharmonic choirs and any singers out there who would enjoy the opportunity to join with us.*

*If you are interested in taking part, please contact Jenny Brady at the LMP office on 020 8686 1996 or at jenny@lmp.org

Tickets are available from the Fairfield box office, standard price £12, under 16s £5, and under 5s go free.

LMP-Sunday Afternoon concerts EMAIL-1LMP-Sunday Afternoon concerts EMAIL-2
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Concert details:

For all LMP in the Community concerts:
Fairfield Halls, Croydon
Tickets £12 (under 16s £5, under 5s FREE)
Box office on 020 8688 9291
www.fairfield.co.uk

Sunday 7 June 2015, 3.30 pm
COME AND HEAR!

MOZART Divertimento in F major
MENDELSSOHN String Octet
Featuring members of the LMP Chamber Ensemble and students of Trinity School, Croydon.


Sunday 4 October 2015, 3.30 pm
COME AND PLAY!

MOZART Divertimento in D major, K136
GRIEG Holberg Suite
VIVALDI ‘Autumn’ from The Four Seasons
LEROY ANDERSON Plink Plank Plunk
JEFF MOORE Fiddler’s Hill

Director Simon Blendis

*Participation – Suitable for all ages and abilities – £5 participation fee for adults and those not in full time education. FREE for under 18s.

Sunday 6 December 2015, 3.30 pm
COME AND SING!

MOZART Requiem

Conductor Dominic Peckham

* Participation – £10 participation fee.

PRESS RELEASE: Laura van der Heijden announced as LMP’s first Young Artist in Residence

We are pleased to announce that cellist Laura van der Heijden has been appointed ‘Young Artist in Residence’ with the London Mozart Players. Laura is the 2012 BBC Young Musician and first collaborated with the orchestra in 2013. The new partnership will commence officially in June 2015 with the opening concert of the Portsmouth Festivities on 19 June 2015. Further concerts take place in September and January of next season.

Laura van der Heijden comments: ‘I am thrilled that the London Mozart Players have chosen me to be their first Young Artist in Residence. Playing with them feels like chamber music, the way they play is very inspiring, the atmosphere is so supportive and working with them is always lots of fun.’

The Directors remark on the appointment of the LMP’s first ever Young Artist in Residence: ‘We are delighted to have a close association with such a vibrant and enterprising young cellist who clearly has an exciting career ahead of her’. We are actively looking for opportunities for further concerts together.

© James Laws

© James Laws

LMP at Surrey Hills International Music Festival 2015

We are delighted to be returning to Surrey Hills International Music Festival this year with soloists Natalie Klein, Leticia Moreno and guest conductor Dmitry Sitkovetsky. It’s a fantastic programme and line up this year, so be sure to get your tickets fast!

SHIMF ADVERT 18MM X130MMols

LONDON MOZART PLAYERS – A NEW MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

Nine months ago, the London Mozart Players became a self-governing orchestra run by its musicians. During this challenging time, it has gone from strength to strength, consolidating its place in the UK’s concert life with innovative programmes, recordings and other ventures.
It now moves into its second phase, with a new management structure.

 

A New Chairman and a new Board of DirectorsPaul Archibald
Up to now, the directors of the LMPOL have been Paul Archibald, Development Director, Peter Wright, Operations Director and Viv Davies, Managing Director. A new structure has now been introduced.
Paul Archibald becomes chairman of LMPOL.
The Board is joined by Julia Debruslais, Sarah Butcher and Sebastian Comberti.

Julia Debruslais is also responsible Julia Desbruslaisfor the LMP’s Education and Community projects.

 

 

Sebastian Comberti is chairman of the Artistic Committee.Sebastian Comberti

Peter Wright continues as Operations Director.Peter Wright

Other members of the LMP have helped considerably in different ways, particularly Martin Smith in developing both specialist and popular programmes to attract central and local government funding. He is continuing to contribute in this way.

Fund Raising
Peter Wright, and long-standing LMP friend Nick Mallett, are now spearheading the Fundraising Team. Nick Mallett

The LMP office
The new Directors of the LMPOL would like to especially thank David Wilson, General Manager, and Jenny Brady, Concerts and Projects Manager, who have been boldly operating in especially challenging circumstances over the past year. David and Jenny have both generously given their time and energy far beyond their previous commensurate employment. Without them we would not have survived.

Happy Birthday Howard Shelley, LMP Conductor Laureate!

Happy 65th Birthday Howard, our brilliant Conductor Laureate! We hope you have a day as wonderful as you are!

It was a pleasure to celebrate with Howard on Wednesday at St John’s Smith Square after our Mozart Explored lunchtime concert, with some bubbles and a fabulous cake, baked by the fair hands of the illustrious Julia Desbruslais (co-principal cello). We look forward to many more years performing with him! We hope to see you on 1st April at St John’s for the last of our Mozart Explored lunchtime concerts.

Howard and cake

The Battle of Trafalgar: Schools Concert

A participatory concert for school children 7-11yrs bringing the famous battle to life

The London Mozart Players are delighted to be working again with the Classical Road Show in presenting another fantastic schools concert at the Fairfield Halls, Croydon, Surrey. On Monday 8th June, the LMP will be joined onstage by David Leonard playing the esteemed role of Nelson/Narrator, dancers from the Central School of Ballet and our wonderful Associate Conductor, Hilary Davan Wetton.

Bookings are being taken from school groups via the Classical Road Show, so please contact Carol Leighton at concerts@classicalroadshow.org if you are interested in attending.

There will be two performances lasting one hour at 11.15am and 1.30pm.

£3 Tickets for pupils (7-11yrs) & staff including Teachers’ Pack of songs, word sheets, learning CD and history project.

Kindly sponsored by Orbit South.

Battle of Trafalgar 2015 - Croydon.indd

PRESS RELEASE: RUTH ROGERS APPOINTED AS LEADER

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Ruth Rogers as joint Leader of the London Mozart Players. Ruth will take up the position in March 2015 and share this highly prestigious role with Marieke Blankestijn, who has led the orchestra since 2011, and Simon Blendis who joined as leader in October 2014.

Described as “the finest of the younger generation of violinists” (Musical Opinion) and hailed by the Guardian as “superb”, Ruth is in demand as soloist, leader, and chamber musician. Ruth has appeared in concert alongside distinguished performers, including Ida Haendel, and John Lill, and has lead orchestras under the batons of Lorin Maazel and Colin Davis. She appears as a guest leader of many major orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. She has also appeared in Principal roles with the Hallé, English Chamber Orchestra and London Chamber Orchestra.

Ruth responded to the news of her appointment by saying, “I am absolutely delighted to have been appointed by the London Mozart Players. This is a really exciting time for the orchestra and I have been so impressed by how the players have rallied round to save this remarkable ensemble. I love leading and directing the group, and I’m very excited about all our forthcoming concerts together.”

Paul Archibald, LMP Director and Principal Trumpet comments, “Ruth has already made her mark as a soloist, chamber musician and guest leader both throughout the UK and abroad. From her very first concert with LMP she has brought an energy and vitality that is the unmistakable hallmark of a great artist. Her rapport with the members of the orchestra was immediate and her charismatic personality has certainly engaged LMP audiences. I am delighted that she has accepted the position of Leader of the London Mozart Players and look forward to her performances as the orchestra continues to thrive under its player-led management”

Ruth commences her new role by leading and directing the LMP at St John’s Smith Square on March 5th.

Journey – a concert with Claire Jones

The London Mozart Players are joined for this special concert by Claire Jones. Claire was Official Harpist to His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales until 2011. The LMP recently joined Claire to record her new album, ‘Journey’ a collection of pieces drawn from classical repertoire, film scores and the airs and folk melodies of the British Isles. These trace Claire’s personal journey from a dark and debilitating year suffering from ME Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, back to health. This concert forms the public launch of this new album, and a welcome return to the concert stage for Claire.

Proceeds from the event will go to the Optimum Health Clinic Foundation‘s research into treatments for ME.
St John’s Smith Square – 5th March – 7.30pm – Tickets

Mozart Flute and Harp Concerto – Soloists Claire Jones Harp and Juliette Bausor Flute
Tracks from Claire Jones’ CD “Journey”
Mozart Symphony 40 in G minor