Melanie Eskenazi

1 month ago | musicomh.com | Melanie Eskenazi

In the first of two Previews, we look at music coming up in North Yorkshire. North Yorkshire is positively crammed with Summer Festivals, and these first two are just the beginning, with York Early Music and the Ryedale Festival coming in July and the North York Moors Chamber Music Festival in August.

1 month ago | musicomh.com | Melanie Eskenazi

Handel, Mahler, Schubert and many others are performed on Day 6 of Leeds Song 2025. “Her voice has the minor nature – which Newman felt in Gerhardt.” (Gerald Moore, writing about Janet Baker). It might seem premature to compare Beth Taylor to two of the greatest singers in the mezzo-soprano range (the other being Elena Gerhardt), but when you hear her sing you understand why such comparisons are valid.

1 month ago | musicomh.com | Melanie Eskenazi

Mahler, Grime and Strauss at the Howard Assembly Room. The soprano Louise Alder has been going from strength to strength over the past few years, and those who are lucky enough to be hearing her as the Countess in Glyndebourne’s new production of Le nozze di Figaro in July will have experienced a taste of her prowess in this finely planned recital, available on live stream if you missed it in the concert hall.

2 months ago | musicomh.com | Melanie Eskenazi

A new name for the festival, but the same quality of performance at Leeds’ Howard Assembly Room. The reaction from Schubert’s friends on first hearing some of the songs from Winterreise was, according to one of them, “Verblüfft” meaning astounded. That term might well serve for this evening’s response, especially from those who had not previously experienced Florian Boesch’s highly individual interpretation of the work.

2 months ago | musicomh.com | Melanie Eskenazi

The Getty Estate once again opens its gates for another season of glorious music. Public booking opens for Garsington Opera’s new season on Tuesday 1 April, with some seats still remaining although as usual, those lucky enough to be members will have already nabbed a fair percentage.