Journal
Immediate re-invitation to the Musikverein
Following their hugely successful debut in the Vienna Musikverein last week, Alexander Shelley and the Nuremberg Symphony were extended an immediate re-invitation to the perform at the venue in the 2013 season. The concert, given in front of a capacity audience of 2200, was recorded as part of the Nuremberg Symphony’s “live in...” series and will be available in German record stores and for purchase online from December 10th. Alexander Shelley is currently on a tour of Wales with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducting works by Mozart, Schumann and Richard Strauss.
> read more> Leave a commentDebut at the Musikverein, Vienna
Following concerts in the Karmeliterkirche in Weissenburg and the Meistersingerhalle in Nuremberg at the weekend, Alexander Shelley and the Nuremberg Symphony are looking forward to the orchestra’s first ever guest engagement in the Goldener Saal of the Musikverein in Vienna. The concert, which has now been sold out for several weeks and in which the orchestra will present a programme of German and Bohemian composers, including Smetana's Overture to "The Bartered Bride" and Dvorak's rarely heard 4th Symphony, is the culmination of a brief tour of Austria which will begin...
> read more> Leave a commentWorld Premiere
Alexander Shelley and the Nuremberg Symphony tonight give the world premiere of Uwe Strübing’s new work “Artotop”, which consists of three movements for orchestra inspired by and reflecting three paintings by Werner Knaupp. Bavarian Radio will be recording the performance for broadcast and images of the three paintings – “Vulkan”, “Wüste” and “Klippe” - will be projected behind the orchestra during the work. Both the composer and the painter will attend the concert, which also includes Joseph Jongen’s rarely heard masterpiece “Symphonie Concertante” for organ and orchestra as well as Jean...
> read more> Leave a commentwith Louis Lortie and the National Arts Centre Orchestra
Alexander Shelley returned home to London this week after a rewarding project with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, Canada. Having accompanied Simon Trpceski in Prokofiev’s first piano concerto during his debut with the orchestra last year, Shelley was this year collaborating for the first time with Canadian pianist Louis Lortie. The two musicians developed an instant rapport and Lortie received a standing ovation for his rendition of Mendelssohn’s first piano concerto. Shelley opened the evening with Copland’s Appalachian Spring and completed the “Love and Spring” themed...
> read more> Leave a commentReunion...
To open the Nuremberg Symphony’s Sunday subscription series, Alexander Shelley was joined by his former cello teacher, the soloist, chamber musician and leader of the London Symphony Orchestra cello section, Tim Hugh. Having performed Shostakovich’s first cello concerto together in Bristol several seasons ago, it was now Walton’s elegiac concerto which completed a first half of English repertoire in the Meistersingerhalle. The orchestra, performing the Walton for the first time in their history, had opened the evening with a rendition of Britten’s Four Sea Interludes from Peter...
> read more> Leave a comment2009 -2010 Season opening in Nuremberg
A day after returning from a hugely exciting and successful three week tour with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Colin Currie (read reviews in the press area), which included a free concert for the earthquake-hit people of Christchurch, Alexander Shelley went straight into rehearsals for the opening of his second season at the helm of the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra. In a programme including Chopin’s 2nd piano concerto (with solist Cedric Tiberghien) and Stravinsky’s ballet Petroushka, Shelley kicked off the season to rapturous reviews: “[Shelley] was immediately able to prove...
> read more> Leave a comment“Soundscapes” Tour with New Zealand Symphony and Colin Currie
In the first half of September Alexander Shelley returns to the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra for a seven concert tour of the north and south islands. Joined by the British percussion virtuoso Colin Currie, they take two programmes on tour including music by Beethoven, Copland, Ravel, Britten, Richard Strauss, Jennifer Higdon, James Macmillan and Lyell Cresswell. For more info click here.
> read more> Leave a commentStockholm Philharmonic Debut
Alexander Shelley was extended an immediate reinvitation to the Stockholm Philharmonic after his debut with the orchestra at the Konserthuset on August 12th. Opening the programme with Richard Strauss tone poem Don Juan and closing with Tchaikovsky’s 2nd Symphony, Shelley also accompanied pianist Roland Pöntinen in Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. For some footage from rehearsals, please click here.
> read more> Leave a commentConducting 50,000...
Closing his triumphant first season with the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Shelley conducted the 50,000 guests at Saturday night’s Klassik Open Air in an impromptu rendition of the canon “Frère Jacques”. Joined by presenter Sabine Sauer and soloist Alison Balsom for Europe’s largest annual classical concert on Nuremberg’s Luitpoldhain, the marathon evening had included music by Haydn, Berlioz, Arnold, Strauss, Khatchaturian, Mussorgsky, Piazzolla, Bernstein and Borodin. For interviews and reviews visit click here.
> read more> Leave a commentAbout
Alexander Shelley, London 2009
