What's On — Debussy events

Celebrating Messiaen

Fri 20 Jun Town Hall

The Conservatoire’s end of year concert celebrates the centenary of the birth of Olivier Messiaen in tremendous style, while marking the end of the New Generation Arts Festival and the start of Messiaen 2008, a weekend of concerts and a major international conference devoted to the composer, hosted by Birmingham Conservatoire. Ranging from his first published orchestral work, the remarkable Les Offrandes oubliées, written when he was just twenty-one years old, to the musical souvenirs of Japan of Sept Haïkaï, the evening provides a glimpse of the diversity of Messiaen’s music. £10, 60 plus/Under 16’s/Unwaged £8, Students £2.50
*Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra* *Lionel Friend* conductor *Rebeca Omordia* piano *Colin Scott* piano
Messiaen Les Offrandes oubliées Messiaen Sept Haïkaï Debussy Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune Messiaen L’Ascension Messiaen Oiseaux exotiques
A Taste of France

Tue 2 Dec Symphony Hall

Widely acknowledged as an expert conductor of 20thcentury music, Ilan Volkov includes three French masterpieces in a programme full of orchestral colour. Debussy’s famous portrait of the sea in all its various moods finds a more exotic counterpart in the 1912 ballet by Paul Dukas (of Sorcerer’s Apprentice fame) which tells of a Persian man’s quest for the Flower of Immortality. We are also joined by the Nazareth-born pianist, who scored a success here in Beethoven two years ago, for two contrasting concertos: Ravel’s jazzy Left Hand Concerto and a new work by Jordanian composer Saed Haddad. 6.15pm Pre-concert talk - Premiere! - Saed Haddad’s Piano Concerto Conductor Ilan Volkov and soloist Saleem Abboud Ashkar talk to Stephen Maddock about tonight’s UK premiere.
*Ilan Volkov* conductor *Saleem Abboud Ashkar* piano
*Dukas* La Péri 19’ *Ravel* Piano Concerto for the left hand 20’ *Haddad* "Alternative World-versions" for Piano & Orchestra (UK premiere) 11' *Debussy* La Mer 25’