Celebrating Wye Valley Music's 50th year: Rachel Podger and Jane Rogers

Over the last two decades Rachel Podger has established herself as a leading interpreter of the baroque and classical periods and has recently been described as "the queen of the baroque violin" (Sunday Times). In October 2015 Rachel was the first woman to be awarded the prestigious Royal Academy of Music/Kohn Foundation Bach Prize. She was educated in Germany and in England at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she studied with David Takeno and Micaela Comberti. "There is probably no more inspirational musician working today than Podger” (Gramophone).

Jane Rogers is currently one of the most sought-after violists in the field of early music. She is currently Principal Viola with the Dunedin Consort, Brecon Baroque, The English Baroque soloists, The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and the Academy of Ancient Music. As a chamber musician Jane performs regularly with her duo partner Rachel Podger.

The combination of Podger and Rogers is very well matched in terms of timbre, phrasing, and interplay between melody and accompaniment. They communicate the joy of the allegros vividly and with great spirit.

At an earlier concert on the same day - at 4pm - Nuno Lucas, prize-winning post-graduate student at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, will give a piano recital of works by Schumann, Stravinsky and Villa Lobos. Details elsewhere on Concert-Diary shortly.