NEWSLETTER FOR CRAIG OGDEN (guitar)
& CLAIRE BRADSHAW (mezzo-soprano)
OGDEN DEBUT WITH ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
On November 6, Craig Ogden made his Royal Philharmonic Orchestra debut at London’s Royal Festival Hall performing Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez conducted by Tolga Kashif. This follows on from recent performances of the same work with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Ogden continues his regular outing of the Aranjuez concerto with further performances at London’s Barbican Centre on December 28, 2002 for Raymond Gubbay Ltd and on New Year’s Day, 2003 with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in Cardiff.
RECORDING WITH DAVID DANIELS (Counter-tenor) FOR VIRGIN/EMI
Craig Ogden has been approached by Virgin/EMI to record a CD with the extremely successful American counter-tenor David Daniels (see Gramophone cover feature, September 2002). The recording is scheduled to take place in New York in December 2002 with a concert tour to follow in 2003 including a performance at the prestigious Tanglewood Festival in the USA.
WORLD PREMIERE OF AUSTRALIAN GUITAR CONCERTO
Co-commissioned by the BBC and Symphony Australia, Craig Ogden will give the world premiere performance of ‘Concerto in Blue’ by Australian composer, Gerard Brophy on January 17, 2003. The premiere will be the centrepiece of a ‘Brophy Festival’ taking place in Manchester over the weekend of January 17 and 18, 2003 and will also be recorded by the BBC for broadcast on BBC Radio 3. The Australian premiere is due to take place with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra in 2004.
OGDEN BECOMES D’ADDARIO ENDORSEE
Craig Ogden recently signed a two year agreement as an endorsee of D’Addario strings. Having used D’Addario strings exclusively throughout his professional career for recording and performance, Ogden is delighted to have the support of the world’s biggest string manufacturer. www.daddario.com
BRITISH GUITAR CONCERTO PERFORMANCES
Between October 2002 and January 2003, Craig Ogden will perform concertos by British composers Simon Bainbridge (RNCM – Manchester, October 18 and Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, November 29), and Malcolm Arnold (Leeds, November 17 and 23). Of Ogden’s Manchester performance of Bainbridge’s Guitar Concerto, Simon Bainbridge wrote:-“I was thrilled by your wonderful performance on Friday. You fully understood both the expression and structural articulation of the piece. Thank you”.
Craig Ogden and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra will contribute to the Lennox Berkeley centenary in 2003 with a performance of the Berkeley Guitar Concerto on July 17 at the Cheltenham Festival.
AGENT NEWS
Craig Ogden has left Stephannie Williams Artists and is now represented by Jayne Rollason at ‘Classic Management’. For all future queries please contact Jayne at:-jayne@classicmgt.org.uk or telephone 01295 780 689.
CLAIRE BRADSHAW NEWS
Claire Bradshaw’s career plans have undergone some alteration recently due to the impending arrival of Craig and Claire’s first child on January 6. Claire recently sang Carmen Carmen at the Royal Albert Hall for Raymond Gubbay Ltd and her future plans had included Suzuki Madama Butterfly, Carmen Carmen and Lola Cavalleria Rusticana for Welsh National Opera, a recording of Vaughan-Williams’ opera The Poisoned Kiss for Chandos Records with Richard Hickox and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and a series of opera gala concerts for Raymond Gubbay Ltd.
All of these commitments have, however, been cancelled due to the pregnancy and birth and her future plans include a greater focus on concert engagements during 2003 before resuming her opera career with the role of Suzuki, Madama Butterfly with Welsh National Opera in Spring 2004.
OGDENTANNER NEWS
Percussion and guitar duo OgdenTANNER recently completed a highly successful debut tour of the UK performing in London, Manchester, Bath, Carlisle, Kendal, Oxford and Hastings. Audience reaction to the unusual combination of five-octave marimba, vibraphone, percussion and guitar was rapturous. Of their performance in London, Classical Guitar Magazine wrote:-“Amazing interplay….”: “A fluid and perfectly synchronized performance”. "They are brilliant at what they do. Catch them if you can.” “The sheer variety of sounds that Tanner produced was exhilarating. That is not to say Ogden’s sound battery was no less impressive. His playing is nothing short of immaculate and both players exuded typical Antipodean confidence and this was very refreshing.”
Craig Ogden - Classical Guitarist
Recent reviews for English Guitar Concertos CHAN 9963 :
"Ogden's playing here, (Berkeley) as in all of the works, is powerful, precise and thoroughly musical. I have been an admirer of Ogden's playing for some time, but that admiration just ticked up a notch after hearing this daredevil playing.
American Record Guide
"Craig Ogden is a brilliant, persuasive advocate, not only in the Walton but in the Malcolm Arnold and Lennox Berkeley Guitar Concertos".
The Guardian
!!NEW RELEASE!! Songs from the Forest. Works for guitar, marimba, vibraphone and percussion (with sensational percussionist Paul Tanner). New works and arrangements by Piazzolla, Westlake, Corea, Charlton etc. for more information visit www.ogdentanner.com
for news, downloadable photographs, publicity information, concert dates etc.
visit www.craigogden.com
CRAIG OGDEN IN "WA MADE" WORLD PREMIER PERFORMANCE
Bridgetown
April 2002
Next year will see an alignment of elements to create a uniquely Western Australian but internationally significant musical experience. Boulder born Philip Bračanin, Reader in the School of Music at the Queensland University provides the composition. Ex-Perth virtuoso guitarist Craig Ogden will be the special guest artist playing with other WA musicians at an event organised and held in WA.
In October Dr Bračanin said, "I have just finished a new, four movement, twenty minute piece entitled Blackwood River Suite for guitar and string quartet, a commission from Vincent Moleta, the Director of the Blackwood River Festival. The festival will be held in Bridgetown in the last weekend in April, 2002. It is written for Craig Ogden who will be flown out from London for the performance."
Bračanin, a significant Australian composer with an international reputation, has written several works for classical guitar in a productive collaboration with Isolde and Karin Schaupp. You can find Bračanin at http://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/artist/Bračanin-philip and there is a link to Ogden lower in this page.
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