Ikon Arts Blog

VOCES8 on Minnesota Public Radio

2010-02-04T14:29:00.003Z

VOCES8 and friends the Rose Ensemble talk to John Birge on Minnesota Public Radio (February 4, 2010) about Italian Renaissance choral music and the differences between northern and southern Italian compositions ahead of their joint concerts together this week.

Click here to hear the interview

Beatboxing for beginners: guardian.co.uk video

2010-01-18T16:17:00.002Z

Watch Guardian journalist Paul MacInnes get a lesson in beatboxing from the Swingle Singers' Kevin Fox; performed in front of a sell-out crowd on the opening night of the first-ever London A Cappella Festival in January.

London A Cappella Festival in the press!

2009-12-17T12:27:00.004Z

London A Cappella Festival has been getting a huge amount of press recently; the latest is from the current issue of The Singer magazine. Click the image to read. Two weeks ago Classic FM Magazine previewed the festival in their January issue - as recorded here. Read more about the festival here.

Tippett Quartet give British premiere of Chopin piano concerto

2009-12-15T15:59:00.002Z

Korean-Spanish pianist Soojung Lim makes her London debut with the Tippett Quartet, one of Britain's most exciting young string quartets. The Quartet play Beethoven's joyous and moving Quartet No.1 and Korngold's Quartet No.3, which contains melodies from what the composer felt were his most successful film scores. Then with Soojung Lim, they perform the British premiere of Chopin's Second Piano Concerto in its newly edited and published string quintet version with Stephen Williams, Principal Bass of the Britten Sinfonia and English Chamber Orchestra.

Charity concert in aid of the Nightingale Project - enhancing the environment in mental health services through music and the arts.

Find out more at Southbank Centre's website.

BBC Music Mag meets Oleg Marshev

2009-12-04T15:36:00.003Z

BBC Music Magazine Editor Oliver Condy met with Russian pianist Oleg Marshev during his recent recording of Schumann's complete works for piano and orchestra, with the South Jutland Symphony Orchestra (Danacord). Read the article here (December 2009 issue).

Wallfisch plays the impossible once more

2009-11-09T12:41:00.002Z

Raphael Wallfisch's recent performance with the Orkest van het Oosten in October yet again displayed his technical mastery of Offenbach's incredibly difficult concerto: "...First half of the concert consisted of Offenbach's Concerto Militaire for cello and orchestra. British cellist Raphael Wallfisch was visibly enjoying himself, playing magnificently...the operatic component was obvious...this concerto is clearly great fun to play because of all the mad things it has in it..." Twentse Courant, October 2009.

In November, Raphael joins the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra to perform the same piece at De Doelen Rotterdam. This cello concerto, which could almost be seen as a circus act, rarely gets a performance due to its incredibly high demands on the soloist.

Raphael Wallfisch...an "exhilarating experience" in Auckland

2009-11-02T13:55:00.002Z

Raphael Wallfisch's recent performance in Auckland of Dohnanyi's 1904 Konzertstuck was described as an "exhilarating experience" by the New Zealand Herald.

"This score matches moments of Straussian opulence with the sort of harmonic swoons that Erich Korngold would export to Hollywood, making Wallfisch's essentially restrained interpretation highly effective. When he delivered full-on intensity in the adagio, it was gripping; the cadenza, with solo cello weaving through the orchestral cello section, was evanescent magic." Read more here.

Watch video extract of Stile Antico live at Greenwich Early Music Festival

2009-07-14T16:53:00.006+01:00

Video of Swingle Singers on Songs of Praise

2009-07-10T12:00:00.000+01:00

10/10 for Stile Antico's new disc

2009-04-28T16:22:00.004+01:00

Classics Today.com is the latest reviewer to give Stile Antico's new CD superlative praise. Critic David Vernier said of 'Song of Songs': "the remarkable young British vocal ensemble Stile Antico are the polished and stylish vehicle for transmitting this beauty and truth to our ears...the most impressive of which must be Victoria's huge (10-plus-minute) Vadam et circuibo, recorded many times by others but never better than here."

Read the full review here.

Voces8 on singing safari in Kenya

2009-04-15T15:15:00.002+01:00

Well, not quite safari, but singing in Kenya certainly! Voces8 are performing 3 concerts in Nairobi and Mombassa. The first ikon arts artist to perform in Africa, we hope this is the start of some exciting new partnerships with the country, and the rest of Africa.

Stile Antico CD recommended by New York Times critic

2009-04-06T16:21:00.002+01:00

Stile Antico's new CD 'Song of Songs' has already been highly recommended by America's top reviewer Alex Ross, music critic of The New Yorker. Not released in the UK for another few weeks, the disc is already attracting huge attention by the international press. Read the story here.

"Simply sublime" - Stile Antico at the Al Bustan Festival, Lebanon

2009-03-04T16:37:00.004Z

Stile Antico's debut performance in Lebanon was exceptionally well received. Their concert, at the tiny church of St Norah at Smar Jbeil, was part of the annual Al Bustan Festival. This extract is taken from the review in 'L'orient le jour' (3/3/09): "Stile Antico's sacred vocal music is intense, dramatic, fervent: simply sublime. It translates the passion of these young singers... Without a conductor, this group, which loves to work together, offered to a audience lightly chilled by the cold, music which warmed the heart".

Stile Antico on a high down under

2008-12-01T14:25:00.004Z

The opening concert of Sting's 2nd major 'Songs from the Labyrinth' tour was a huge success last night. Thousands of people crammed into Sydney Opera House to hear the rock legend perform songs with lutenist Edin Karamazov and with Stile Antico providing support. Reviews have already come in from the Sydney Morning Herald ("...it is all beautiful, soulful and full of surprises. Dowland should be proud"), and the Australian.

Tippett debut disc receives high praise from The Times

2008-10-14T17:26:00.004+01:00

The Tippett Quartet's first disc of Michael Tippett's string quartets on Naxos has received an outstanding review from Rick Jones in The Times (October 11, 2008).

"The Tippett Quartet, formed in the year of the composer's death ten years ago, break into his fourth quartet with a shudder. Their intent is serious, their execution compelling, their ensemble immaculate, most notably as they run from the molto legato into the movement called Fast with a perfectly unanimous speed-change. Their chords wheeze together and pizzicati sting like darts. Moderately Slow burns a slow fuse to a climax of intensity and Beethoven, quoted in the finale, sounds like a siren, before Tippett's extreme bitterness ends. 4 ****".

Read the full review here.

Swingles to perform at International Bogazici Festival

2008-09-02T17:00:00.004+01:00

The Swingle Singers make a long-awaited return to Istanbul to perform at the International Bogazici Festival, as part of the run-up to the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture celebrations. The concert, on 7th September at 9.30pm, will be held at St Irene Church near the Topkapi Palace.

Click here to find out more.

Super Swingles live on Superquark!

2008-07-05T12:00:00.001+01:00

International a cappella sensation the Swingle Singers performed live on Italian TV earlier this month, to promote their new album 'Beauty and the Beatbox' and to relive some of the great moments in the group's fascinating 40-year old history.

For over 40 years the Swingle Singers have provided the title melody for one of Italy's longest-running television programmes, 'Superquark'. Back in 1966, prolific journalist and well-loved TV presenter Piero Angela heard the Swingle rendition of J.S. Bach's "Air on the G String" for the first time. He chose it as the opening theme of his popular educational programme, 'Superquark', and 3000 instalments later the theme has never changed. Recently the Swingle Singers were invited to Angela's studio to explain the success of the group's 45-year career, and to promote their latest CD "Beauty and the Beatbox". The official Italian launch will take place on September 30th in Milan at Italy's most important music venue, La Scala.

Click here to watch the show!

Next Swingle Singers concert

2008-05-20T12:38:00.001+01:00

Catch the next Swingle Singers' performance in the UK at Leeds Castle, on Friday 25th July, at 8pm.

Visit the group's website here for more info.

Swingles make Vienna Philharmonic debut

2008-03-28T12:11:00.003Z

The Swingle Singers are making their début with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra this weekend, in 3 performances of Berio's Sinfonia. Under the baton of maestro Zubin Mehta, the group will perform this fantastic piece which was written specifically for them by Berio in the 1960's. Visit www.swinglesingers.com for more details.

The Wallfisch Band at Lufthansa Festival

2008-03-20T20:07:00.002Z

Be one of the first to hear The Wallfisch Band in their debut performance at the Lufthansa Festival in May. Visit the festival website for more details: www.lufthansafestival.org.uk

Interesting Christmas concert

2007-11-06T17:26:00.001Z

Ikon Arts will be going to hear Chandos Chamber Choir perform their Christmas Concert at All Saints Church, Margaret Street, on Thursday 13th December. Interesting works by Will Todd (Christus est stella), Forrest Pierce (The Old Ground) and old favourites by Byrd, Victoria, Leighton, Rodney Bennett, & Walton.

Time Out recommends Swingles' concert this week

2007-09-24T11:57:00.000+01:00

Time Out London has made Wednesday's CD launch concert for 'Beauty and the Beatbox' one if its recommended events. Read the listing here.

Swingles' new CD is 'a little gem' - says Classic FM Magazine

2007-09-02T15:23:00.000+01:00

Classic FM Magazine has given the Swingle Singers' new CD a big thumbs up in this month's edition. Warwick Thompson, reviewing, gave 'Beauty and the Beatbox' a positive 4 stars, and wrote '...their precision is awesome, their technique impeccable...a little gem'. Click on the image to read the full review.

Farewell to Kineret...Swingle alto extraordinaire

2007-08-24T11:21:00.000+01:00

Swingles past and present gathered in Islington on Thursday evening to bid a fond and very sad farewell to Kineret Erez, who left the group in July. After practicing their salsa dancing the group gave a localised premiere of Kineret's fabulous new vocal arrangement of 'Libertango' (Piazzolla), which features in the Swingle Singers' new programme 'Beauty and the Beatbox' from September. Later into the evening the group posed for a photo, joined by Holly and Costa. Beautiful. We'll miss you Kineret!

Classic FM recommends upcoming Swingles concert

2007-08-22T16:26:00.000+01:00

Classic FM Magazine has listed the Swingle Singers' forthcoming CD launch concert of Beauty and the Beatbox as 'Best A Cappella' in their September listings. The concert, on 26th September at the Bloomsbury Theatre, will feature special guest artists featured on the CD, as well as being a celebration of Ward Swingle's 80th birthday the week before. Click here to see the listing.ClassicFMListing.jpg. Also featured in the magazine is an interview with Ward Swingle, on his musical heroes - ranging from Bach to Mozart, Berio to Edith Piaf, Ward's history of how he formed the Swingle Singers is a fascinating read - read it here.ClassicFMHeroes_low.jpg