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The British Renaissance at Juilliard's Focus! Festival

Jan. 08, 2013

The British Renaissance at Juilliard's <em>Focus!</em> Festival

Each year, The Juilliard School offers an enthralling dose of new music with their annual FOCUS! Festival and 2013 will be no exception. For the Festival’s 29th season, director Joel Sachs has curated a remarkable concert series under the heading “The British Renaissance”, which celebrates British music since World War II with a special nod to the centenary year of Benjamin Britten. The festival includes six free concerts and runs from January 25 through February 1.

The Festival’s opening event features the New Juilliard Ensemble, led by Sachs, in a diverse program at Alice Tully Hall. Three US Premieres populate the concert, including Jonathan Harvey’s Sringara Chaccone for chamber ensemble, John Woolrich’s Envoi for viola solo and chamber ensemble with violist Meredith Treaster, and Colin Matthew’s recent No Man’s Land, featuring tenor Kyle Bielefeld and baritone John Brancy. The concert also includes Alexander Goehr’s Bach-influenced masterpiece … a musical offering (J. S. B. 1985)… 

Four concerts between January 28 and 31 feature a wealth of chamber and solo music by Britain’s most esteemed contemporary composers. Highlights include performances of George Benjamin’s Viola, Viola, Peter Maxwell Davies' Sonata for Cello and Piano “Sequentia serpentigena”, Thomas Adès’ Mazurkas, Nicholas Maw’s String Quartet No. 3, Tansy Davies Loopholes and Lynchpins, Martin Suckling's Lieder ohne Worte, and the NY Premiere of Julian Anderson’s Prayer.

The festival ends with a spectacular program at Alice Tully Hall featuring the Juilliard Orchestra with guest conductor Mark Wigglesworth. The concert includes a performance of Michael Tippett’s Ritual Dances from The Midsummer Marriage as well as the NY Premiere of Oliver Knussen’s Horn Concerto with soloist Trevor Nuckols.

Please see below for a complete listing of our works featured at the 2013 FOCUS! Festival.

For more information on the 2013 FOCUS! Festival at Juilliard, please visit www.juilliard.edu

Program I
Alice Tully Hall, January 25, 2013
New Juilliard Ensemble
Joel Sachs, conductor
Kyle Bielefeld, tenor
John Brancy, baritone
Meredith Treaster, viola

Jonathan Harvey
Sringara Chaconne (2008)
12’

Alexander Goehr
… a musical offering  (J. S. B. 1985) (1985)
for fourteen players
15’

John Woolrich
Envoi (1997)
for solo viola and chamber ensemble
8’

Colin Matthews
No Man’s Land (2011)
for tenor, baritone and orchestra
27’

Program II
Paul Recital Hall, January 28

George Benjamin
Viola, Viola (1997)
for two violas
10’

Peter Maxwell Davies
Sonata for Cello and Piano “Sequentia serpentigena” (2007)
for cello and piano
17’

Program IV
Paul Recital Hall, January 30

Thomas Adès
Mazurkas (2009)
for solo piano
8’

Nicholas Maw
String Quartet No. 3 (1994)
22’

Martin Suckling
Lieder ohne Worte (2010)
for solo piano
10’

Program V
Paul Recital Hall, January 31

Tansy Davies
Loopholes and Lynchpins (2002-2003)
for solo piano
10’

Julian Anderson
Prayer (2009)
for solo viola
7’

David Matthews
Eight Duos for Two Violins (1999)
15’

Program VI
Alice Tully Hall, February 1

Juilliard Orchestra
Mark Wigglesworth, conductor
Trevor Nuckols, French Horn

Sir Michael Tippett
Ritual Dances from The Midsummer Marriage (1947/1952)
for orchestra
29’

Oliver Knussen
Horn Concerto (1994)
for horn and orchestra
13’

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