Before his engagements at concert halls across England (including the Valentine’s Day Opera Gala at London’s Conway Hall), The Netherlands, Wales, Italy and the Caribbean, Steinway artist Simon Callaghan will visit Dumfries and Galloway this week.
Simon ( Main Photo) will accompany celebrated British violinist Jamie Campbell in three duo recitals at the Buccleuch Centre, Langholm, on Thursday at 7.30pm;
the CatStrand, New Galloway, on Friday at 7.30pm; and the Buccleuch and Queensberry Arms Hotel, Thornhill, on Sunday at 3.30pm.
Simon, who is artistic director of Conway Hall Sunday Concerts, the longest-running chamber music series in Europe, performs internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. His recent tours have taken him to Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Canada and he has performed at all of the UK’s major concert halls.
His interest in rarely-performed works has led to invitations to perform concerti by Françaix, Tippett and the first UK performance since 1946 of Medtner’s 3rd Concerto. His rapidly-expanding discography includes solo works by Sterndale Bennett, Parry, Sacheverell Coke and two volumes of Delius with Parnassius Duo partner, Hiro Takenouchi, on the SOMM record label. In 2016 he will make his debut concerto recording for Hyperion with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Martyn Brabbins.
Simon is regularly invited to perform on luxury cruise liners and has performed on numerous occasions on BBC radio and television.
In chamber music he has collaborated with Jack Liebeck, Giovanni Guzzo, Tim Hugh, Thomas Gould, Raphael Wallfisch and the actors Timothy and Samuel West, and Prunella Scales. His extensive repertoire has included complete cycles of Beethoven and Brahms chamber works and a three-concert residency as St John’s Smith Square in London.
This is Simon’s fourth visit to Dumfries and Galloway, being a regular performer in the Absolute Classic concert series.
He said: “It’s great that Absolute Classics is bringing world class classical music to venues in Dumfries and Galloway and is securing some of the genres’ big names on a regular basis.
“The smaller settings are better for musicians because they bring us closer to our audiences.
“I think the audience get a lot out of it too. These chamber concerts bring a taste of the concert hall to small venues and people can be part of a cultured evening as well as become more closely involved with the musicians who are playing to them. It can be a satisfying, intimate experience for everyone.”
Simon is looking forward to accompanying Jamie Campbell in the three concerts.
“Jamie is a very versatile musician,” he said. “His repertoire is extremely wide and includes orchestral and chamber music as well as contemporary stuff.
“We have an epic set of programmes put together with some big violin pieces. We’re both really looking forward to getting our teeth into the music.”
Tickets for, and further information from www.absoluteclassics.co.uk
