After being part of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for nearly 40 years, we recently said goodbye to retiring cellist Bill Heggart. Playing under conductors such as Andre Previn, Yuri Temirkanov and Vasily Petrenko, and touring the world with us from Mexico to China, he has been an invaluable member of our community of musicians. Thank you for making music with us, Bill.
On Thursday 15 January the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra kicked off its tour to the USA with a concert conducted by our Artist Laureate Sir John Rutter at the Steinmetz Hall in the Dr Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando, Florida.
Encoded within Shostakovich's Symphony No.10 is a message of individual defiance against tyranny.
Cécile Lartigau playing the ondes Martenot. Photo credit: Petra Hajská
In our current era of electronic production and digital instruments, orchestral music is often depicted as championing a more ‘traditional’ approach to music, one which relies on classical methods of composition and the production of sound. The ondes Martenot, however, challenges these narratives, blurring the lines between traditional and modern music. The unique and enchanting sound of this nearly 100-year-old electronic instrument has united audiences from all musical backgrounds for decades, forming unlikely connections, and inspiring extraordinary musical works.
