As we wrap up our successful (and busy!) 50th Anniversary Season, we take a look at photos and videos from the season, and hear from players and staff about some of their standout moments of the year.
"The London Sinfonietta’s 50th Anniversary Season has been, naturally, a very special time for the organisation. We have been able to perform important music from our past, and also give performances of lots of new work, reaching and involving people of all ages. We gave 40 world premiere performances consisting of 34 London Sinfonietta commissions and 6 works commissioned for us by others. 24 works by men and 16 by women. We’ve performed in concert halls, art galleries, museums, schools and disused printworks. Every project and partnership has been important to us – as we have hopefully been able to celebrate both this organisation’s remarkable history and its potential for the future."
Andrew Burke, Chief Executive and Artistic Director
Opening the season
"Without doubt my fondest memory of the season was the concert at King's Place when in the first half I discussed our early years with David Atherton and Nicholas Snowman and in the second half we played a series of chamber pieces that we had played early in the life of the London Sinfonietta."
John Constable, London Sinfonietta Emeritus Principal Piano
"I have a few standout memories from my performances with London Sinfonietta during the 50th anniversary year. Obviously the two Berio programmes at Kings Place was a deeply immersive experience, not least playing eerie O King and how evocative it still is to spell out Martin Luther Kings name on stage all these years later. It was also a special evening for me as for the first time ever I performed with my son Dáithí as part of the Berio Duetti project. Recently as part of the London Sinfonietta Academy concert it was very moving and a privilege to include a late addition to the programme in the form of a solo violin work Secret Psalm by Oliver Knussen, London Sinfonietta's wonderful former music director who was a huge influence on me."
Darragh Morgan, London Sinfonietta player
Momentous moments at the Royal Festival Hall
We owe the London Sinfonietta more than we shall ever know " The Observer
It may have turned 50 but the Sinfonietta is buzzing with life " The Evening Standard
Young musicians and composers take to the concert hall
"It’s been a bumper 50th Anniversary Season for the concerts team but it has been great fun installing violet lit gauze screens, producing gameshows and transforming Printworks London into a cave! A fun personal highlight of the season was discovering my talent as an exclamation mark in the 50th birthday concert Encore piece! Having always had two left feet I was suitably and pleasantly surprised to be chosen for the theatrical role by director Tim Hopkins!"
Hannah Bache, Concerts and Touring Coordinator
"My favourite musical moment was in our Turning Points: Berio concert – a piece called Naturale for violin, percussion and tape – which has this amazing recording of a Sicilian folk singer interspersed with the live performances. It really blew me away. My other favourite moment of the season was meeting children at the Sound Out Schools concert in March – hearing how inspired they were by the music and composing sessions was really heart-warming!"
Rosanna Haas, Marketing Manager
Reopening of Queen Elizabeth Hall and The Hayward Gallery
"I really enjoyed the opportunity to view Southbank Centre's newly re-opened Hayward Gallery out of hours for three separate performances during the spring as we heard new music in response to Andreas Gursky's incredible photography exhibition. I also loved the moment that we entered the Queen Elizabeth Hall for Philip Venables' The Gender Agenda and the buzz and excitement of the event ran through the crowd in the hands of our fabulous host David Hoyle."
Niamh Collins, Marketing Officer
Creating our urban cave at Printworks London
"One of my favourite moments this year was the Cave set-build and watching it all come together at Printworks London – more specifically, shovelling 6 tonnes of rubber crumb onto the floor! It was hard but worth it in the end because it brought the whole set together. Having an important role within the sound team for the Cave project was also a really great experience and having women around me who played fundamental roles within the project. It was also really empowering for me to see another artist from an ethnic minority background in a lead role in an opera!"
Chloe Kwok, Professional Placement Trainee
Published: 23 Jul 2018
