{"id":95249,"date":"2025-07-31T09:00:58","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T08:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chethamsschoolofmusic.com\/?p=95249"},"modified":"2025-10-05T23:35:30","modified_gmt":"2025-10-05T22:35:30","slug":"our-year-of-music-2024-25-in-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chethamsschoolofmusic.com\/blog\/our-year-of-music-2024-25-in-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Year of Music: 2024\u201325 in Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Tom Redmond, Joint Principal and Music Director<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

At the end of this academic year, it\u2019s incredible to look back at the musical highlights of the last ten months. It\u2019s been a rollercoaster of activity, made seamless by our incredible team in the concert and timetabling office who create risk assessments, order packed lunches, book train tickets, hire vans, move chairs, stands and large instruments, and help us deliver an unrivalled musical programme.<\/span><\/p>\n

September<\/span><\/h3>\n

We began the year with Manchester Camerata and the culmination of their project to record every Mozart piano concerto<\/a> in the Stoller Hall. As in previous instalments, soloist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, conductor G\u00e1bor Tak\u00e1cs-Nagy and the orchestra were joined by four string players from Chets. This edition included the rarely heard Triple Concerto, for which Bavouzet was joined by Andrea Nemecz and Chets alumna Rose McLachlan. We\u2019re very proud that this award-winning series of recordings was made in our hall and has featured our students since it began in 2016.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We joined Manchester Camerata again for a Mid-Autumn Festival concert with the Chinese Consulate. We played music by Mozart and Smyth alongside works by Chinese composers. We were also joined in the first two months of term by professors from the Royal College of Music, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and the Central Conservatoire of Music (CCOM) in Beijing, who delivered inspirational masterclasses for our students.<\/span><\/p>\n

October<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra Concert at Stoller Hall, October 2024<\/p><\/div>\n

Sibelius Academy students from Helsinki joined us for Music Course while Professor Petri Aarnio, leader of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, gave masterclasses on chamber music and orchestral leadership. Chets alumnus Wayne Marshall conducted the Chetham\u2019s Symphony Orchestra (CSO) in a programme of Carwithen, Holst and Rachmaninov with piano soloist Yurij Szyrokyj, and the Chetham\u2019s Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) performed music by Galante, Smyth, Dvo\u0159\u00e1k and Mozart with piano soloist Harmony.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, our vocalists were recording the colour of all things constant<\/em>, a new work by Cassie Kinoshi. This was in conjunction with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and part of a fresh set of BBC Ten Pieces, a resource that brings classical music to schools across the UK. Vocalists were involved in a live broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and a concert for schoolchildren at Aviva Studios. These also featured Sixth Form hornist Claire Marsden, who played Mozart\u2019s Horn Concerto No. 4 with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra live on radio.<\/span><\/p>\n

November<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Visit by Central Conservatoire of Music Beijing, November 2024<\/p><\/div>\n

Shortly after half term, we welcomed guests from our partner school in Beijing, the CCOM. Professors delivered coaching and masterclasses in chamber music and composition. We then held a concert featuring new pieces inspired by an old Manchester hornpipe and written by student composers from both schools. We look forward to a reciprocal visit in the next academic year.<\/span><\/p>\n

We held our annual Brass Academy Day, where students worked with guest tutors and musicians from across the UK for a day of chamber music, solo playing and coaching. We were also very pleased to welcome back alumnus Mathis Picard, who led workshops with composers, pianists and jazz students before giving an inspiring concert in the Carole Nash Hall.<\/span><\/p>\n

A trio of students and a duo of tutors travelled to Finland for a weekend of chamber music as part of our exchange with the Sibelius Academy. They were hosted in cabins across the Helsinki campus and enjoyed a visit to the composer\u2019s home, Ainola, in the deep Finnish snow.<\/span><\/p>\n

December<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Christmas Music at Manchester Cathedral, December 2024<\/p><\/div>\n

Following their impressive performance at last year\u2019s Hall\u00e9 Steve Reich Festival, our percussionists were invited back to the Bridgewater Hall to play again with Colin Currie during his visit to Manchester.<\/span><\/p>\n

We welcomed over a thousand children and families<\/a> for our schools and family concerts at Stoller Hall. The vibrant programme included a setting of Roald Dahl\u2019s Little Red Riding Hood<\/em>, Vivaldi\u2019s Four Seasons<\/em>, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor\u2019s Festive Overture<\/em>, and Mr Bear\u2019s Adventure<\/em>, a charming piece combining live orchestra and film. These concerts were conducted by Felicity Cliffe and presented with warmth and enthusiasm by Chets Governor and BBC Radio 3 presenter Linton Stephens.<\/span><\/p>\n

Soon afterwards, we came together for one of the highlights of the Chets calendar: Christmas Music in Manchester Cathedral. This magical evening of music and readings marked the true beginning of the festive season for all in our community.<\/span><\/p>\n

January<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Claire Marsden (right), Benjamin Ellin (centre) and Joseph Buckmaster, January 2025<\/p><\/div>\n

2025 began with our exchange with Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo. As our string players flew out, their woodwind players flew in\u2026 or that the was the plan. The 5mm of snow in Manchester caused flights from a more wintery Norway to be rerouted to Liverpool, but all was well in the end and both groups of travelling students enjoyed a brilliant week of music-making.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our vocalists performed the off-stage voices for Holst\u2019s The Planets<\/em> and hornist Claire Marsden was the soloist in Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings<\/em> at a concert in Slaithwaite conducted by Chets alumnus Benjamin Ellin. Peter Moore, another Chets alumnus, visited with his Nexora Trio, giving inspiring vocal, piano and trombone masterclasses, followed by a stunning recital.<\/span><\/p>\n

February<\/span><\/h3>\n
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A post shared by Chetham’s School of Music (@chethams_school)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n