Guildhall School of Music & Drama announces its Autumn 2021 season

Highlights of the Autumn 2021 season include:

• This year’s Guildhall Jazz Festival is presented in association with the EFG London Jazz Festival with guest artists such as Robert Mitchell/True Think; Larry Bartley Trio featuring Tony Kofi; and Fini Bearman, Emma Smith, Natalie Williams, Cherise, Tom Walsh and Nikki Iles
• Guildhall Symphony Orchestra and Chorus perform Mahler Symphony No. 2 and the Orchestra is joined later in the autumn by pianist Gabriele Strata for an all-Russian programme
• The Plus-Minus Ensemble and Guildhall School musicians join forces for a concert as part of the Festival of Laurence Crane, celebrating the composer’s 60th birthday, his music and the music he loves
• Opera department celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Pauline Viardot, fulfilling her wish of fully orchestrating her chamber opera Cendrillon. The evening opens with Bizet’s one-act Le docteur Miracle
• Guildhall Jazz Orchestra explore the music of Dizzy Reece, and Josephine Davies directs Guildhall Big Band celebrating individuality, life and music, featuring Davies’ own compositions
• Drama department presents three contrasting plays: Julius Caesar, Emilia and Anna Karenina

Music

Guildhall Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
Friday 24 September, 7:30pm, Barbican Hall

Guildhall School musicians begin the new academic year on 24 September with a performance of Mahler’s epic Symphony No. 2 in C minor 'Resurrection'. It is the perfect showcase for the combined forces of the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, reunited for the first time since the pandemic. The broadcast date will be announced in due course.

Plus-Minus Ensemble: A celebration of Laurence Crane
Friday 19 October, 7:30pm, Milton Court Concert Hall

As part of the Festival of Laurence Crane, celebrating the composer’s 60th birthday, his music and the music he loves, Plus-Minus Ensemble join Guildhall School musicians for an ambitious double bill of works by Laurence Crane and Neil Luck. They perform a variety of Crane’s music arranged for small chamber ensemble such as West Sussex Folk Material, Bobby J and Cobbled Section After Cobbled Section as well as Luck’s Real Telepaths.

Guildhall Chamber Orchestra
Wednesday 27 October, 7pm, Milton Court Concert Hall

Guildhall Chamber Orchestra is conducted by Joshua Weilerstein in a concert which includes music by William Grant, Copland and Andrzej Panufnik. Heather Brooks is the soloist for Roxanna Panufnik’s harp concerto Powers & Dominions. 

Guildhall Symphony Orchestra
Wednesday 17 November, 7:30pm, Barbican Hall

Guildhall Symphony Orchestra performs a programme of all-Russian works. Pianist Gabriele Strata is the soloist in Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini and the concert also includes Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9 and Ravel’s orchestration of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. 

Masterclasses

A host of prestigious artists visit Guildhall School this autumn to give masterclasses to senior students. These include Dame Imogen Cooper (piano, 4 October); Joshua Weilerstein (vocal, 5 October); Tasmin Little (violin, 25 October); Alan Stepansky (cello, 28 & 29 October).

Opera

Le docteur Miracle
by Georges Bizet

Cendrillon
by Pauline Viardot

Opera Double Bill
Monday 1, Wednesday 3, Friday 5 and Monday 8 November, 7pm, Silk Street Theatre

Guildhall Opera department celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of the extraordinary mezzo-soprano, pianist, teacher and composer Pauline Viardot with a new staging of her chamber opera Cendrillon – the story of Cinderella.

The evening opens with Bizet’s one-act Le docteur Miracle – a witty tale of romance, disguise and an omelette. Conducted by Dominic Wheeler and directed by Ashley Dean.

Junior Guildhall

Junior Guildhall Symphony Orchestra
Saturday 4 December, 5:30pm, Milton Court Concert Hall

The outstanding young musicians of Junior Guildhall Symphony Orchestra and String Ensemble return to Milton Court Concert Hall for a performance under the baton of one of the most dynamic and exciting British conductors on the concert platform today, Julian Clayton.

Jazz

Jazz Guildhall Induction Jazz Orchestra & Jazz Choir
Wednesday 22 September, 7pm, Milton Court Concert Hall

Directors Liz Swain, Clare Wheeler and Scott Stroman lead the Guildhall Induction Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Choir in a performance welcoming new musicians to the Jazz Course.

Guildhall Jazz Orchestra – Dizzier and Dizzier
Wednesday 20 October, 7pm, Milton Court Concert Hall

Guildhall Jazz Orchestra and director Scott Stroman are joined by renowned pianist Trevor Watkis and award-winning trumpeter Byron Wallen for a programme of music associated with Kingston-born trumpet player Dizzy Reece.

Guildhall Big Band with Josephine Davies
Life Through Music: Friday 5 November, 7pm, Milton Court Concert Hall

Guildhall Big Band is delighted to welcome special guest director Josephine Davies to lead a concert celebrating individuality, life and music. The first half of the performance consists of an historical survey of key figures in the world of big band including Mary Lou Williams and Melba Liston. 

Guildhall Autumn Jazz Festival
Monday 15 – Wednesday 17 November
Presented in association with the EFG London Jazz Festival

The Guildhall Autumn Jazz Festival is a three-day festival in partnership with the EFG London Jazz Festival celebrating the wealth of creativity and originality within the Guildhall Jazz community. Featuring current students and alumni, the festival will showcase emerging talent and new voices from the School’s thriving and eclectic jazz department.

Robert Mitchell/True Think
Monday 15 November, 7:30pm, Milton Court Concert Hall

The band True Think is a multi-generational, multi-cultural reflection of several periods of Robert Mitchell’s journey. Pulling on jazz traditions from the deep South through to today’s European scene, hip-hop and adding in a knowledge of modern classical back to baroque.

Larry Bartley Trio featuring Tony Kofi
Tuesday 16 November, 7:30pm, Milton Court Concert Hall

The Larry Bartley Trio features pianist Bruno Heinen, and drummer/percussionist Rod Youngs, with special guest, Tony Kofi. The group made their debut at Ronnie Scott's Club in 2016 and have since performed throughout the UK and Europe with a repertoire consisting of a mixture of original compositions written by each member of the band.

Spotlight on Female Songwriters
Wednesday 17 November, 7:30pm, Silk Street Music Hall

Fini Bearman, Emma Smith, Natalie Williams and Cherise explore songs by their favourite female songwriters, as well as originals. Arranged and directed by Ryan MacKenzie, with special guests Tom Walsh and Nikki Iles. A performance by ImPossibilities opens the concert – a Guildhall School band which creates a sonic amalgam of free jazz, spiritual sounds, roots and folkloric music, hip-hop, nu-soul, spoken word, groove and abstraction.

Drama

Julius Caesar
8 performances from Monday 18 October, Milton Court Studio Theatre

After a bloody war with Pompey, Julius Caesar returns to Rome triumphant. Celebrations commence. But while Caesar is lauded and praised by many, a sense of unease and dismay creeps in for others, and plans begin to form to bring him down. How much power is too much, for just one man? Anna Morrissey directs Shakespeare's epic thriller, exploring what happens when political revolution, imposed authority and the will of the people collide. This production includes violent themes and contains gun shots.

Emilia
8 performances from Monday 18 October, Milton Court Theatre

Why was Emilia Bassano’s story erased from history? Was she the “Dark Lady” of Shakespeare’s sonnets? 400 years ago, Emilia wanted her voice to be heard when it wasn’t. Now’s the time to stand up and be counted. Emilia and her sisters transcend centuries with passion, fury, laughter and song in this riotous reclaiming of the life of an extraordinary woman. First performed at Shakespeare’s Globe and then in London’s West End, Karen Tomlin directs Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s critically acclaimed, triple Olivier award-winning play.

Anna Karenina
7 performances from Friday 26 November, Silk Street Theatre

Families are falling apart. Rules are being broken. Chaos is imminent. Against the backdrop of 19th century Russia in the midst of extraordinary change, Anna Karenina explores the complex cost of love on the human soul. Award-winning playwright Marina Carr’s fresh and contemporary take on this classic love story is directed by Kate Wasserberg, Artistic Director of acclaimed theatre company Stockroom (previously Out of Joint).

ResearchWorks

Research at Guildhall School explores fundamental questions about the creative arts. It embraces a wide range of disciplines within music and drama including composition, performance, pedagogy, institution studies, historical musicology, music and literature studies, cultural history, electronic music, creative writing and music therapy. Throughout the year, the department runs a regular series of online ResearchWorks events that are open to all. Topics this term include Ethno Research – Understanding youth music gatherings (4 October, 6pm) and Musical Participation and Cultural Production in Diasporic Communities (11 October, 6pm) with more to be announced.

Tickets

Available from the Barbican Box Office. Ticketed events on general sale from Monday 16 August.

Full events listings can be found on the Guildhall School events pages.

Broadcasts

As well as welcoming audiences back to our venues this autumn, we're pleased to announce that many of this season's concerts, plays and operas will be broadcast for free online via our website after the event. View the full broadcast schedule on our website.