Madeleine Mitchell

violin

Andrew Ball

piano

Saturday 26
May 2012
at 7:30 pm

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Madeleine Mitchell, described by The Times as "one of the UK's foremost violinists", performs in over 40 countries and was a finalist in the European Women of Achievement Awards. Andrew Ball made his Proms debut playing Messiaen and studied Tippett’s sonatas with the composer.

Programme

to be announced

About Madeleine

"The dynamically talented Madeleine Mitchell" (Barry Millington, Evening Standard) is one of Britain's most celebrated violinists, performing as a soloist and chamber musician in over 40 countries. She was a finalist in both the European Women of Achievement and the Creative Briton Awards, Helen Wallace, Editor of BBC Music Magazine describing her as "not only a violinist of great virtuosity but also of a very special poetic character...a pioneering figure in the violin world".

She broadcasts frequently for both television and radio including ABC-Australia, SABC, European and BBC television and the BBC Proms with Joanna MacGregor including their own arrangement of Bach.

Madeleine performs a concerto repertoire from Vivaldi to contemporary and has played with major orchestras throughout Europe such as the Polish Radio Symphony - Stravinsky violin concerto: ISCM Masters' of C20 Music Warsaw, Czech Radio Symphony - first Czech broadcast of Vaughan Williams 'The Lark Ascending', Wurttemburg and Munich Chamber orchestras, London orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic - Bruch violin concerto under Sir Alexander Gibson, Mozart on tour with the Welsh Chamber Orchestra and for the BBC including the violin concerto 'Quadruple Elegy' written for her by Piers Hellawell, with the Ulster Orchestra and Charles Hazlewood. She performed Lou Harrison's Violin Concerto with Percussion Orchestra in Symphony Hall Birmingham International Series in a new collaboration with Ensemble Bash supported by Arts Council England. Madeleine recently performed as soloist with the St Petersburg Philharmonic, with a return invitation in 2011/12 to premiere a violin concerto written for her by Matthew Taylor. Guto Puw and David Matthews are also following the long line of distinguished British composers to write for Madeleine, with a violin concerto and a piece for violin and piano respectively, for 2012/13.

She has performed in numerous international festivals - Aspen, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Brazil, Canberra, Dvorak (Karlovy Vary), ISCM Warsaw, Kiev, Paris, Schwetzingen (Mozart), Stuttgart, Toronto and at Lincoln Center when she represented Britain with a recital in the festival UKinNY. She has performed at most of the UK's major music festivals - including the Proms, BBC Millennium Series, Aberystwyth, Arundel, Bath, Belfast (Sonorities/BBC), Brighton, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Dartington, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Malvern, Norfolk & Norwich, Orkney, Spitalfields, Vale of Glamorgan and York. Her idea for a violin concerto with voices replacing orchestra resulted in 3 unique works by Jonathan Harvey, Roxanna Panufnik and Thierry Pecou which she premiered at the Bath, Spitalfields festivals with the Joyful Company of Singers.

"This highly imaginative artist...charismatic playing and musical personality"
Rian Evans Musical Opinion

As a recitalist Madeleine Mitchell is well known for her imaginative programming and wide repertoire combining classics and contemporary with her particular love of late romantic and early C20 works. Her recitals with Andrew Ball have frequently been broadcast by BBC Radio 3, including Live from the Wigmore Hall, St David's Hall Cardiff, BBC Millennium Series, and many festivals. Her performance of the Franck sonata was repeated during the Proms as well as televised. She has given recitals in venues such as Sydney Opera House and Seoul Center for the Arts - (part of a 3 month world tour), toured for the British Council and frequently performed in London. Her collaboration with pianist Noriko Ogawa for recitals 2010/11 has won the GBSF Award.

"Assured technical brilliance and impressive musicality"
Artist in Residence Canberra International Festival - Canberra Times

The original programme she devised, An American in Paris, was praised by The Times:
"Madeleine Mitchell is an uncommonly intelligent and accomplished musician... her own highly effective arrangement of Gershwin"

After a Wigmore Hall recital with pianist Andrew Ball, Rob Cowan wrote in The Independent:
"When the highly personable Madeleine Mitchell launched into pieces written for her she had her audience tamed...(Brahms was) musically involving enough to prompt two encores."

A creative, lively personality, Madeleine Mitchell devised The Red Violin, the first international festival of the violin across the arts, held successfully in Cardiff in 1997 (before the film of the same name). As Artistic Director she secured Lord Menuhin as Patron and extensive BBC coverage. It took place again in October 2007 very successfully over 10 days with a daily podcast on Classic FM and wide national and international media coverage.

She is Director of the London Chamber Ensemble which includes Vivaldi Seasons with solo strings. The LCE has given many broadcasts including St George's Bristol, S4C TV and BBC Music Live - and concerts with Roger Chase, Michael Thompson, Kathryn Stott and Paul Watkins. Madeleine was invited by Norbert Brainin to join him for his 80th birthday concert at the Wigmore Hall.

"this was the new generation such as violinist Madeleine Mitchell..to whom the torch is passed"
Hilary Finch The Times

She has a new group Serenade, with Guitarist Craig Ogden and tenor Michael Bennett with popular repertoire from Handel to Piazzolla.

Madeleine Mitchell has been a Professor since 1994 at the Royal College of Music, where as a Foundation Scholar she won the Tagore Gold Medal. As Fulbright/ITT fellow she studied for a master's degree in New York at the Eastman and Juilliard schools with Donald Weilerstein, Sylvia Rosenberg and Dorothy DeLay. She frequently gives master classes and is on the Faculty of the Orfeo International Festival - held each July in the spectacular Dolomites in Italy.

About Andrew

Andrew Ball studied with Kendall Taylor at the Royal College of Music and took a First in music at Queen’s College, Oxford. Regarded as one of the foremost British pianists of his generation, a busy career has taken him all over the world. He has given countless premieres (including the first British performance of Sofia Gubaidulina’s Piano Sonata at the Bath Festival), made his Proms debut playing Messiaen and studied Tippett’s sonatas with the composer.

He has a reputation for innovative and imaginative programmes, and chamber music and contemporary music have always played a large part in his repertoire. Ives and Busoni are also special interests.

He has played with the Nash Ensemble, London Sinfonietta, Villiers Piano Quartet and Gemini and has had a successful duo with Madeleine Mitchell since 1992. Many acclaimed CDs range from the complete Tippett song-cycles and vocal and choral music of Lili Boulanger with Martyn Hill for Hyperion, to Billy Mayerl’s works for piano and orchestra. He has appeared at the Aldeburgh Festival playing two-piano music with Rolf Hind and has played in Stravinsky’s ‘Les Noces’ for the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden and with the LSO and Gergiev at the Barbican.

Formerly a sought-after teacher at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Andrew Ball was Head of Keyboard at the Royal College of Music from 1999 to 2005, where he remains a Professor. He was made a Fellow in 2006. He regularly gives masterclasses, including Berlin, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.