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Listen Up!'s Audience Development Award

The orchestra recently won Radio 3 Listen Up!'s award for audience development. The challenge, issued to all 500 professional and amateur orchestras in the country, was to find the best idea for increasing audiences. For many years we have operated a scheme under which tickets for the annual 'Phil' concert are made available to charities to sell and keep a percentage of the earnings. This was initiated by Chris Cresswell in his days as treasurer. The scheme won the prize of £5,000 and will now be promoted to orchestras throughout the UK.

The award was presented by Dr. John Evans, Head of Music, BBC Radio 3, at the launch of Listen Up! at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester.

Crosby Symphony Overture

To celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of its foundation, the orchestra commissioned an overture from freelance composer and arranger Ian Stephens. The overture is about eight minutes long and was composed between January and April 2003. The piece opens with a slow prelude and progresses through a series of moods to a climax truly celebrating the anniversary for which it was written. It was first performed at the sixtieth anniversary concert in July 2003 and performed again in March 2004.

Resident Artist

Diane Williams is currently acting as resident artist with the orchestra. She was introduced to the CSO by her nephew Philip Jones, who was a violinist with the orchestra before he left to study music at the Birmingham Conservatoire. She enjoys sketching musicians and is fascinated by the combination of music and movement - her aim is to capture 'the fleeting moment of music in the making'. Over the past year she has built up a prolific number of sketches of the orchestra in action, and sells sketches and greeting cards at CSO concerts. Click here to see some examples of her work.

Reviews

Conductors, Soloists and Composers

Robert Sells has been conductor of the Crosby Symphony Orchestra since 1982. Whilst he was an undergraduate Robert co-founded the 'Baccholian Singers', a male voice group which became the forerunner of other ensembles such as the 'King's Singers'. He became interested in conducting through contact with the United London Hospitals Orchestra in 1964. He is a consultant surgeon at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, specialising in transplants of the kidney and pancreas. He has a broad interest in Transplantation Research and Bioethics and lectures internationally. In 1988 Robert conducted the RLPO, the Halle choir and 'Phil' choir in a concert at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall to mark 50 years of the NHS.

Edward Peak has conducted the orchestra in several concerts. Edward studied conducting at the Royal Manchester College of Music under George Hadjinikos and David Jordan, with other studies on piano and double bass. After leaving college in 1973 he joined the double bass section of the RLPO. His period as an orchestral musician enabled him to work under many world-renowned conductors, so he is familiar not only with a vast repertoire but also with a wide range of conducting styles. His own conducting career began following advice and encouragement from the likes of Marek Janowski and SIr Charles Groves. He has worked extensively with the RLPO, the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Ulster Orchestra, in programmes ranging from operatic and symphonic works to gala concerts of film music. Edward frequently contributes as a broadcaster to the BBC on a variety of topics concerning music and the arts and also appears in television documentaries. He is a well-known musicologist and arranger with many of his works being broadcast and recorded, notably by the London Symphony Orchestra and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

Malcolm Stewart (Violin) has appeared as soloist with the orchestra on many occasions over the years. He is the former leader of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and has just been appointed Leader Laureate in his 25th year. He was the youngest leader of a UK orchestra when he was appointed at the age of 24, under Walter Weller in 1979, and he leaves the RLPO as its longest serving leader. Born in England in 1955, of Scottish ancestry, and tutored by his father in an all-musical family, he has enjoyed an illustrious international career as leader and soloist in live and recorded performances. He plays a Stefano Scarampella Italian violin dated 1905. Malcolm Stewart was soloist in July 2004, March 2001, March 1996 and June 1991.

Martin Roscoe (Piano) was born in Cheshire and was a graduate of the Royal Manchester College of Music where he studied with Gordon Green and Marjorie Clemeni, winning all the major awards. In 1976 he won second prize in the British Liszt Piano Competition and in 1981 he was a prizewinner at the Sydney International Piano Competition . Since then he has established a reputation as one of the finest and most versatile pianists on the international circuit. He appears regularly with all the major British orchestras and has a particular association with the RLPO. He is also an eminent recitalist and chamber musician, has given over four hundred broadcasts and made several appearances at the Proms. Martin appeared as soloist with the orchestra in July 2003, June 2000, June 1999, June 1998, June 1997, June 1996 and June 1992.

Jonathon Aasgaard (Cello) was born in Oslo in 1974 and studied at the Barratt-Dues Institute of Music in Oslo and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. He was a pupil of Professor Leonard Stehn, won all the Cello and Chamber Music prizes and was a Gold Medal finalist. He received his Recital Award in 1988 together with the Warsaw Award and a silver medal from the Worshipful Company of Musicians. Since winning the Norwegian Young Musician of the Year Award in 1996, Jonathon has enjoyed a very busy concert career, participating in several festivals including Bergen, Oslo, Ankara, Maryland, Halifax, Prague, the Manchester Cello Festival and the BBC's Lutoslawski Festival. Performances have taken him to most European countries, Japan, South Korea and the USA. In 1999 Jonathon was appointed Principal Cello with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2000 he made his solo debut with the RLPO in Haydn's D Major Concerto. Jonathon performed with the Crosby Symphony in June 2001, March 2002 and March 2004.

David Greenlees (Viola) began learning the violin at the age of five and continued his musical education as head chorister of the choir of St John's College Cambridge and musical scholar of Wells Cathedral School. As a student of Davis Takeno at the Guildhall School of Music he won all the prizes for viola and chamber music, and on graduation he joined he English Chamber Orchestra as co-principal viola. He made his London solo recital debut at the Wigmore Hall in 1990. Since 1993 David has been principal viola of the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and has performed as concerto soloist with the orchestra on many occasions. He is an enthusiastic chamber musician and is a member of Philion, a string trio with Malcolm Stewart and Jonathon Aasgaard, and the London Mozart Trio. David appeared as soloist with the CSO in March 2003 and March 1996.

Ian Stephens (Composer) was born in Devon and studied music at Bristol University. He now lives in West Kirby, is a freelance composer, arranger and writer on music, and is Programme Editor and Pre-Concert Talk Presenter for the RLPO. His music has been performed by ensembles including the BBC Singers, the National Youth Choir and the Nossek String Quartet. He regularly writes music for the 'Phil Power!' series of children's concerts performed by the RLPO in the Philharmonic Hall. On the day that Liverpool was selected as Capital of Culture 2008 a fanfare he wrote for the RLPO brass section was performed at that evening's concert and again the following Sunday, conducted by Gerard Schwarz. Ian plays the cello or double bass with the orchestra - wherever his services are most needed - and has been a member since 2000. Ian is always available for commissions or arrangements for any combination of voices or instruments - please email him for further information.