This December Scottish Ensemble will take its annual Concerts by Candlelight on tour to locations across Scotland for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Taking place at venues in Aberdeen, Inverness, Perth, Dundee, Edinburgh, and Glasgow from the 2 – 8 December 2021, Concerts by Candlelight: Music for Warmth and Restoration is the perfect pre-Christmas musical feast set against a backdrop of shimmering light.
For the first time ever the incisive and dynamic presence of violinist and director Matthew Truscott will lead proceedings and Concerts by Candlelight: Music for Warmth and Restoration will offer something for every taste, with a selection of music spanning centuries, inclusive of a variety of genre and styles.
A web of connectedness binds this string programme around its central work, Beethoven’s taut and beautiful ‘Heiliger Dankgesang’. A song of thanks for recovery from illness it is one of the most celebrated, profound and joyful pieces of string music from any period, and its intimations of past, present and future make it a very fitting tribute to the past 18 months, as we emerge into the ‘new normal’ and enjoy live music all together, once again.
From the gorgeous musical balm of Henry Purcell to the warmth and generosity of Brahms, the touching music by Biber, and the thick, treacly sonic textures of Julia Wolfe’s Four Marys, wherever you are in Scotland this winter, Concerts by Candlelight is the perfect outing for both families and friends.
Violinist and director Matthew Truscott said:“I am very much looking forward to working with Scottish Ensemble to help bring some warmth and restoration to audiences across Scotland with Concerts by Candlelight this December.
“The programme features music that channels sentiments of courage and overcoming adversity, which seems fitting this year, and I can’t wait to perform in front of live audiences in Scotland once again.”
Bach is the world’s favourite composer with 5,447,956 monthly listeners on Spotify and 86,400 YouTube subscribers.
Beethoven is the second most popular composer, while Mozart comes in third.
The most streamed song by any of the top ten is Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, with 233 million views on YouTube
Johann Sebastian Bach has beaten Mozart and Beethoven to claim his position as the world’s most popular classical composer.
He has 5,447,956 monthly listeners on Spotify and 86,400 YouTube subscribers, according to a new study by gambling community hub Casino Grounds.
Beethoven follows just behind as the second most popular composer with 5,085,293 listeners on Spotify each month, and 125,000 YouTube subscribers.
Beethoven has the second most streamed song by any classical composer, earning 173 million views on YouTube for his iconic Moonlight Sonata.
Though Mozart comes in third with 5,007,303 monthly Spotify listeners, he has the most YouTube subscribers with 135,000 to his name, providing strong representation for Austria.
Germany may dominate the top spots, but Polish composer Chopin is next in fourth place. With 4,771,732 Spotify listeners each month and 68,400 subscribers on YouTube, he also has the third most streamed song in the top ten across all platforms for Spring Waltz, which has 131 million views on YouTube.
In position five is French maestro Debussy with 3,722,304 monthly Spotify listeners and 29,100 YouTube subscribers. Russian composer Tchaikovsky is next with 2,164 260 listeners on Spotify each month and 34,600 YouTube subscribers.
Italian virtuoso Vivaldi is in position seven with 3,079,070 monthly Spotify listeners and 48,900 YouTube subscribers. He notably has the most streamed song by any of the top ten for The Four Seasons, which has 233 million views on YouTube.
Vivaldi is also the “oldest” composer out of the top ten, born in 1678, a little ahead of Bach in 1685. The two are the only composers on the list from as far back as the 17th Century or Baroque historical period.
Frenchman Saint-Saens is in position eight with 2,689,709 listeners on Spotify each month and 4,280 YouTube subscribers, followed by Schubert – the second Austrian on the list. Schubert has 2,334,386 monthly Spotify listeners and 22,900 YouTube subscribers. He also had the shortest lifespan, passing away at just 31 years old in 1897.
The final spot in the top ten list of most popular classical musicians belongs to Brahms, solidifying Germany as the country that produced the most composers who have remained popular over the centuries. Brahms has 2,153,966 monthly Spotify listeners and 23,100 YouTube subscribers.
A spokesperson for Casino Grounds said, “Most people would expect Mozart and Beethoven to top any list of the most popular classical composers, so it’s fascinating to see Bach in number one here. This could be a result of soundtracks from popular films and TV shows such as The Godfather and The Simpsons favouring Bach’s music for its dramatic impact.”
The research was conducted by Casinogrounds.com, which is the leading online gambling community, which promotes safe and responsible practise and discussions around gambling.
Top Ten Most Popular Classical Composers 2021
Composer
Monthly Spotify Listeners
YouTube Subscribers
Most Popular Song on Spotify
Most Popular Song on YouTube
Lifespan
Country
1. Bach
5,447,956
86.4K
168, 758 083 – Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major
72M – Air
1685-1750 (aged 65)
German
2. Beethoven
5,085,293
125 K
94, 946 611 – The Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor (Moonlight Sonata)
173M – Moonlight Sonata
1770-1827 (aged 56)
German
3. Mozart
5,007,303
135 K
50, 489 179 – The Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467
Scottish Ensemble (SE) and Social Bite are teaming up this summer to spread the joy of shared food and live music with new collaboration Sound Bites.
Based on the notion that these simple pleasures are at the heart of peoples’ lives as social beings, Sound Bites connects the worlds of food and music with a themed picnic box available for audience members to enjoy during upcoming performances as part of month-long outdoor festival Live at No.40.
Scottish Ensemble will bring to life Vivaldi’s iconic masterpiece, The Four Seasons, as audiences enjoy a bespoke picnic of handmade goodies sprinkled with a touch of the Four Seasons by Scottish charity and social enterprise Social Bite. Each picnic basket will contain a duo of tasty baguettes with two different fillings, and depending on dietary preference, a selection of pies, frittatas, sausage rolls, salads and even some of Social Bite’s famous brownie bites.
In solidarity with the Social Bite cause to end homelessness and in keeping with its reputation for thinking outside the (picnic) box, 10% of ticket sales for Scottish Ensemble performances are being donated to Social Bite and its work helping and supporting some of the most vulnerable individuals and communities across Scotland and the UK.
Taking place from the 3 July to 1 August 2021, Live at No.40. will unfold at Scottish Opera’s Production Studio car park at 40 Edington Street, Glasgow. Joined by Scottish Opera and Citizens Theatre in a specially created outdoor theatre, Scottish Ensemble will perform four concerts over two days, accompanied by Scottish charity and social enterprise Social Bite.
At a time when the country is cautiously celebrating new beginnings, Vivaldi’s works of art speaks poignantly to disruption and the inevitability of change with piercing precision. By bringing audiences together, not only for possible the first live performance in over a year, but to ‘break bread’ with fellow music lovers, friends and family, SE and Social Bite mark an important milestone during a turbulent time.
William Norris, Interim Chief Executive at Scottish Ensemble, said: “One of the things we’ve all missed in the last year has been sharing. Sharing time with friends. Sharing experiences. Sharing food. Sharing music.
“Our Sound Bites performances of Vivaldi’s ever-green Four Seasons promise to provide all of the above, but also share a portion of everyone’s ticket purchase with our partners in this project, Social Bite, who do incredibly important work in tackling homelessness.
“We’re really excited to be partnering with them on this project which marks our return to live performance in a characteristically different way.”
Co-founder and CEO of Social Bite, Josh LittleJohn MBE said: “This collaboration will not only be a brilliant celebration of enjoying food, drink and music together, something we’ve all missed over the past year, it’s also an opportunity to bring about real positive change.
“This fantastic event will deliver funding to our innovative programmes that support people out of homelessness and help them to build independent lives.
“We hope everyone who joins us at Sound Bites enjoys the performance, along with our delicious picnics – specifically crafted for this event by our talented kitchen staff of which 1/3 have come from a background of homelessness.
Thank you for your support and for joining us in our mission to ensure everyone has a safe place to call home.”
17-year-old percussionist Fang Zhang – born in China’s Henan province and a recent student of Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester – has been revealed as BBC Young Musician 2020.
The announcement was made during the broadcast of the competition’s Grand Final on BBC Four and BBC Radio 3 last nght, presented by BBC Young Musician regular Josie d’Arby, organist and conductor Anna Lapwood, and star saxophonist Jess Gillam.
Fang Zhang (above, left) follows in the footsteps of 19-year-old American-born/UK-based pianist Lauren Zhang, who won the competition in 2018 and went on to perform in the UK and beyond, including a debut at the BBC Proms in 2018, and appearances as soloist with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, European Union Chamber Orchestra, China National Symphony Orchestra, and Adelaide Symphony Orchestra – among others.
Previous BBC Young Musician winners include celebrated classical music stars such as cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, violinist Nicola Benedetti, and clarinettist Mark Simpson.
A recent student at Manchester’s prestigious Chetham’s School of Music, which he joined in September 2018, Fang Zhang is a member of China Youth Percussion Orchestra, and thanks to this scheme he has been performing around the world since he was 11 years old.
Despite his young age, he has already won prizes at international percussion competitions all around the world, including USA, Japan, and his native China. Among his tutors are international percussion luminaries such as Royal Northern College of Music Deputy Director of Percussion Le Yu, and Chen ShaoLun, president of the Shanghai National Percussion Association.
Fang Zhang impressed the judging panel with a performance of one of the gems in contemporary marimba repertoire: Prism Rhapsody by Japanese composer and marimba innovator Keiko Abe. He was accompanied by the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Mark Wigglesworth.
The panel was chaired by Chief Executive of Saffron Hall Angela Dixon, and included composer, clarinettist and BBC Young Musician 2006 winner Mark Simpson, composer Errollyn Wallen, Principal Conductor with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales Ryan Bancroft, and experimental composer and turntable artist Shiva Feshareki.
Taking place after a year-long delay due to the global pandemic, the socially-distanced BBC Young Musician 2020 Grand Final was filmed on Sunday 25 April at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall without an audience in attendance.
The competition’s three finalists performed on stage with the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Mark Wigglesworth, performing with reduced numbers to allow the required social distancing.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1387814009710256128
Fang Zhang says: “I am honoured and delighted to win BBC Young Musician 2020, and feel so lucky considering the talent of the other finalists.
“The BBC team is amazing and I want to thank them and my schools, Chetham’s School of Music and Qingdao Percussion College, for supporting me through the whole programme in every possible way.”
On Fang Zhang’s performance at the Grand Final, Angela Dixon says: “BBC Young Musician 2020 has been an outstanding competition, the standard has been incredibly high and all three finalists showed exceptional musicianship.
“Fang chose to perform on a single instrument, the marimba, but elicited a kaleidoscope of colours and expression from it that deeply moved the jury and presenters. It was a privilege to be one of the few people to hear his performance live.”
Conductor Mark Wigglesworth says: “BBC Young Musician is always a glorious celebration of the future, but especially this year, it offers a much needed sense of optimism to everyone in the classical music world.
“All three finalists have shown a tremendous passion and determination to maintain their commitment to the competition across a year of uncertain silence. They play with humility and respect but daring and personality too, encouraging all who hear them to look forward to more positive times ahead.”
The BBC Young Musician 2020 Final also featured exceptional performances by the winner of the brass final, 18-year-old French horn player Annemarie Federle from Cambridge, currently in her first year studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London; and 19-year old oboist Ewan Millar from Reading, Berkshire, who won the woodwind category. Ewan is now in his second year reading music at Oxford University.
Jan Younghusband, Head of BBC Music TV Commissioning says: ““BBC Young Musician competition is always a great celebration of incredible young talent. But this year in particular, with Covid restrictions still in place, broadcasting the grand final has had particular poignancy.
“All of these musicians have shown that there is much to look forward to. We wish Fang – and all of our outstanding finalists – the best for the future, and we are delighted that audiences at home were able to join us for such a spectacular display of musicality and technique.”
BBC Young Musician Executive Editor, Paul Bullock says: “We will surely remember the 2020 edition of BBC Young Musician as a unique and ultimately very special one.
“The three finalists have shown extraordinary resilience over the past 12 months when it’s been difficult for us to tell them when and if the final would go ahead. To see and hear them perform last weekend alongside the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Mark Wigglesworth was both thrilling and deeply moving.
“Congratulations to Fang and all of the finalists and a thank to the musicians of the orchestra and Mark for their support and commitment. This is a BBC Young Musician Final like no other and we’re delighted that audiences at home can now share this experience – a celebration of the future and the joy of making music together.”
In addition to the coverage on BBC Four and BBC Radio 3, the BBC Young Musician 2020 Grand Final is now available on iPlayer for 12 months, and BBC Sounds for 30 days.
BBC Young Musician 2020 is managed and produced by BBC Studios Music and Entertainment Wales.
2019 at the Usher Hall sees the return of its Sunday Classics season, a highlight in the classical music calendar every year. The venue will host orchestras from all over the world as part of the concert series, kicking off in October with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Yuri Simonov and featuring soloist Alexandra Dariescu on piano. Continue reading Usher Hall to welcome the world’s finest orchestras this autumn
The LA Phil brings a uniquely authentic gleam and glamour to the grandeur of Hollywood film scores in this year’s Opening Event, featuring classic movie music from the Golden Age of Hollywood by Korngold, Herrmann, Waxman and a selection from the best-loved film composer on the planet: John Williams.
In tonight’s epic family friendly concert, Gustavo Dudamel and his orchestra take over Tynecastle Park stadium for music from Star Wars, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, E.T. and many more.
