MCS Young Artist Fund continues 2014 season with the concert series Meet the Artist led by the world-renowned pianist and harpsichordist Alexei Lubimov. Lubimov is widely recognised for championing new music and also known as a skilful interpreter of modern classical and baroque music. The captivating music masterpieces from Mozart and Ustvolskaya will be followed by Q&A session with the artist and the lecturer Roderick Swanston.
Interview followed by Q&A:
- his approach to concert programming
- 'Period' performance in Russia
- the aspects of sense of 'style' in music
Meet the Artist concert series are designed to bring world known, progressive Russian artists to the doorsteps of Pushkin House audience.
Alexei Lubimov
Born and raised in Russia, Alexei Lubimov studied at the Moscow Conservatory with Heinrich Neuhaus and Lew Naumov. He was prevented from leaving the Soviet Union because of his strong commitment to western music. His repertoire is much diversified; he is known for his exploration of traditional European classical music and experimental modern composers, including John Milton Cage, as well as Schoenberg and Stockhausen and Boulez, Ives, Ligeti, Part, and Webern. He is a founder of the Moscow Baroque Quartet, the Moscow Chamber Academy and the music festival 'Alternativa'. He has appeared with orchestras such as Helsinki-, Israel-, Los Angeles-, Munich and Petersburg Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic London, Russian National Orchestra, Orchestre Phil. de Radio France, Toronto Symphony and Deutsches Symphonieorchester Berlin under conductors like Ashkenazy, Jarvi, Kondrashin, Hogwood, Mackerras, Norrington, Pletnev, Saraste, Salonen, Janovski and Tortelier. In 2013 Alexei Lubimov has released his latest record of work by Beethoven 'Moonlight - Waldstein - Storm'.
Roderick Swanston
Roderick Swanston is a writer and broadcaster, having been a professor at the Royal College of Music for thirty years. He has written and presented for the BBC over a hundred talks including a History of British Music, two series on Wagner and Verdi Voices and over twenty interviews entitled Behind the Masque. Between1976-2004 he taught at the Royal College of Music. He now lectures part-time at the Imperial College, London, and for Dartmouth College (USA) London Programme, participates in a series of private seminars and gives the ‘Roderick Swanston Lectures’ at the Benslow Music Trust and weekend courses at Dillington House in Somerset. He was a Visiting Professor at Dartmouth College in 1995 and 1999. He was elected President of the Incorporated Society of Musicians to serve 2008/2009. He also devised and presented a series of chamber music concerts for the Chichester Festivities featuring lesser-known chamber works for some of which he made new editions. Currently he broadcasts, mostly on Radio 3, and writes occasionally, most recently for BBC Music Magazine and the Wagner magazine.
MCS Young Artists Fund
The MCS Young Artists Fund ever since its formation as a local society in Marylebone, London, in 2006, aims to provide a platform for young gifted musicians. The high demand for support of musicians between the ages of 26 to 33 prompted the fund to focus on this age group and to concentrate on one artist for three years.
Every 3 years fund organises an audition leading to participation in its international instrumentalist’s competition which provides an opportunity to its first prize recipient to obtain financial assistance in covering travel costs and accommodation for the international competition, small grant and organisation of 24 annual soirée musicales, 1 orchestra subscription concert appearance and 9 recitals. From 2010 to 2013 the recipient of the fund was Sergey Sobolev (Tchaikovsky 4th prize, Laureate of Queen Elisabeth, Santandere, 2nd prize Liszt-Weimer).
The MCS Young Artists Fund has played host to many guest performers from abroad and experts such as Kevin Kenner, Henri Barda, Igor Kamenz, Sequeira Costa, Liana Isakadze to name but a few, and continues developing ties with leading contemporary musicians throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
The MCS Young Artists Fund continues the tradition of intimate "Marylebone Soirée Musicales", through contributions and the goodwill of many attendees who share its passion for the finesse of life.
The founding patrons of the MCS Young Artists Fund are Sequiera Costa and Viktor Merdjanov.
For more information, visit www.mcsyaf.com