NEWSLETTER – May 2014

Re: Programme for the New Membership Year 2014/15

Dear Amigos,

Thanks to all of you who responded to the last Newsletter with happy acknowledgement and congratulation on the fortuitous success in our venue search. Your Committee is indeed relieved to have their efforts greeted with such enthusiasm. We are convinced that “Os Agostos” ticks all the boxes in the right way which gave me, in my resulting work of putting together a good programme for the next active Amigos season 2014/15, reassurance and conviction. Our venue after all played in the past, and will also play in future, an important role in attracting the calibre of artists we are used to. This important prerequisite provided by the special atmosphere and ambience of Os Agostos, combined with your continued support, your habitual appreciation and passionate dedication to our raison d’etre, promise us a glorious future.

I have a good feeling about this collaboration with our new hosts, Maria do Rosario and Antonio Farrajota, who are opening their house and garden to us, and who will look after our various needs. Together we have made slight changes to our concert evenings; we shall begin earlier, i.e. doors will open at 18:00, drinks and canapés will be served at 18:30 and the concert begins at 19:00. This, and a 15 minute interval, will ensure that our conviviality can

continue and we can go to dinner after the concert – there are a number of good restaurants in the vicinity. Visit the website and find directions: www.osagostos.com

Today I am happy to be able to introduce you to the artists on the programme of our revived concert activities. You will note that I went a bit farther afield in finding new artists while not neglecting old favourites.

We shall, as usual, kick off the new membership year in September and continue monthly until and including June, 2015.

Please note:

the exact dates of the concert evenings have yet to be fixed and music programme details finalised; however the first concerts will be during the last week of September, between 22^nd and 26^th, and in October during the week of 27^th to 31^st 2014. (All future concerts will be during the week, never on the weekend, as Os Agostos’ main business – Big Weddings – take place then.)

– September brings us Evgeny Gromov from Kiev, Ukraine. He was born in 1973 and educated in Kiev. His repertoire has a special emphasis on music of the XX century, incl. Scriabin, Debussy, Ravel, Bartok, Boulez, etc. He has participated in a number of European festivals from Basel to Amsterdam and worked extensively as a solo interpreter. He, however, promises to take us on a music journey from Rameau to Schoenberg; the Ukranian composer Silvestrov will also feature in his Amigo programme. So brace yourselves.

– October will give us a chance to meet Peter Jablonski and his wife Rebecca. He is the founder and artistic director of the Carlscrona Chamber Music Festival in Sweden. “Peter Jablonski’s unique blend of Scandinavian introspection and Eastern European sensitivity, combined with an affinity for the optimism of the American repertoire, makes him a multi-faceted artist. With a career spanning over 20 years, Peter has performed and recorded with the world’s finest orchestras incl. the Philharmonia, BBC SO, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, La Scala and NHK Tokyo. He has collaborated with Ashkenazy, Chailly, Myung-Whun Chung, Charles Dutoit, Valery Gergiev and Esa- Pekka Salonen, among others.” I already have his programme suggestions and he will play the second of our concerts at four hands with his pianist wife, Rebecca. We are in for a treat.

– November, I am happy to report, brings Anne Kaasa to us once again. She says “Everything is well with me. I played in Paris (Salle Cortot) some months ago and in June I will go to Guatemala for concerts and Master-Class. I was there also last year and it was a great experience.” Her two recitals are planned for November 18^th and 20^th, 2014. It will be lovely to have her here again.

Now briefly the plans for 2015 as they stand at the moment – details will be given as and when confirmed:

– January 2015 – we are making an exception to the rule of not planning anything in January, because this very tempting pianist is only available to us then. We shall have a chance to hear the young Russian pianist Anna Fedorova who will come from London with the cellist Jamal Aliyev.

– February 2015 has another great surprise in stock for us: Lucy Parham will come with Dame Harriet Walther to give us “Nocturne” their wonderful programme on Chopin.

– March 2015 is reserved for the second Algarve appearance of Juho Pohjonen, the young Finnish pianist who took us all by storm last year.

– April 2015 will be the month for Paul Crossley, need I say more?

– May 2015 is at the moment still open, but we MAY be lucky to get Holger Groschopp, the “Hauspianist” of the Berlin Phil who would also bring the cellist Adele Bittner.

– June 2015 as grand finale of the 2014/15 season is planned for Ingrid Jacoby. Remember? She wanted to come in October but had to cancel because she is at the moment recording the Mozart concerti with Sir Neville Mariner.

You see, I have been somewhat busy, but it was all a labour of love and I am as excited about bringing all this lovely music to the Algarve as, hopefully, you all will be hearing it. As you can glean, there are 18 concerts projected, among them Duos, so we shall have to do some very clever housekeeping to afford it all. But I am confident that with your help we shall succeed.

Thus there is some business to attend to now. Please find attached the “Membership Renewal Form” with all necessary information and instructions.

SPECIAL FAVOUR: If it were at all possible for you to make your payment by cheque, enclosing the “tear off” slip with your up-to-date coordinates and then to mail the envelope to Mr. Michael Savage, it would facilitate our administration enormously. Should you prefer to make your payment by bank transfer, please also fill in the “tear-off” slip and snail mail it to Michael, advising him of payment.

Address: Michael Savage,

Pes do Cerro C.P. 317-Z – Moncarapacho

8700-124 Olhao

Addendum: You may have noticed that there are plans to bring some variation to our concerts by adding a couple of Duo partners to our predominantly pianistic fare. Our very astute Treasurer is preoccupied about the added expenses. As you know, our musicians can bring a partner (at their own transport cost) as the accommodation we offer them is spacious enough. However, if he/she comes accompanied by a fellow musician who participates in the programme, the costs consequently are doubled. This is where, perhaps, an extra donation might come in handy. Just a thought!

Looking forward to hearing from you and to seeing you around. Meanwhile do have a lovely summer.

Hugs,

Helga Hampton