Award-winning young sitarist and composer Jasdeep Singh Degun will be joined by the Orchestra of Opera North at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) Concert Hall, Manchester on 11 March 2020 for one of the first-ever performances of Arya, his new concerto for sitar and orchestra. In a concert with a difference, the programme will open with the Orchestra joined by the full force of the Chorus of Opera North for a series of excerpts from classic operas including Madama Butterfly, La Traviata and The Magic Flute.
A rising star of Indian classical and contemporary music who has already written and arranged music for string quartets, dance pieces and film soundtrack, Jasdeep was awarded a Sky Academy Scholarship in support of his work on his debut album, Anomaly, under the mentorship of distinguished multi-instrumentalist and producer Nitin Sawhney. Ahead of its release next autumn, Arya will reveal Jasdeep’s skill and imagination in yet another field, that of large-scale orchestral composition.
Commissioned by Opera North, the idea for Arya took root during Jasdeep’s participation in a residency as part of the Leeds-based company’s Resonance programme for BAME artists. Its title plays on the Italian word ‘Aria’, meaning a melody sung by a single voice, represented by the sitar in this concerto, and an ancient Indian word with a similar pronunciation. Jasdeep explains: “the name ‘Arya’ in Sanskrit means ‘noble’, ‘honourable’, ‘precious’, or ‘valuable’, and the idea behind the piece is that the sitar is the ‘noble’ and ‘honourable’ vessel which takes the audience on a journey through the three movements.”
In the tradition of the Romantic concerto, the work introduces the sitar and the orchestra as antagonists, staging a series of confrontations between the two that leads to a conversation and an eventual reconciliation.
The RNCM’s former Junior Fellow of Conducting, Malaysian-born Harish Shankar, makes a welcome return to the Concert Hall podium, and the evening will begin with the Orchestra joined by the full force of the Chorus of Opera North for an exquisite journey through some of the best-loved works of the classical and operatic canon.
Opening with the suspense of the Prelude to Verdi’s La Traviata, the first half takes in everything from the mystery and drama of the Priests’ Chorus from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, to two heartbreaking selections from one of the earliest English operas, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. ‘Dido’s Lament’ is sometimes called the saddest piece of music ever written; and the tender final chorus, ‘With drooping wings’, beckons cherubs to scatter roses on the tragic queen’s tomb. Following the otherworldly Humming Chorus from Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, and Sibelius’ mythic Swan of Tuonela, Vaughan Williams’ ravishing setting of Shakespeare’s words, Serenade to Music, sets the scene for Jasdeep’s brand new work.
How much do the tickets cost?
Tickets are priced from £15 to £18.
How do I book tickets to watch Arya: An Evening of Sitar, Orchestra and Choral Music?
Tickets are now on sale and available from by calling 0161 907 5555 or by visiting their website here.
When is the show?
The show will be performed on Wednesday, 11 March 2020 at 7.30pm
Where is The Royal Northern College of Music?
124 Oxford Rd
Manchester
M13 9RD
0161 907 5200
info@rncm.ac.uk
About The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM)
The RNCM is a leading international conservatoire located in the heart of Manchester, with a reputation for attracting talented students, teachers, conductors and composers from all over the world. Now in its fifth decade, the RNCM is relatively young, but its rich history spans back to 1893 when Sir Charles Hallé founded the Royal Manchester College of Music. In 1973, this institution merged with the Northern School of Music, and the RNCM was born. Today, the College is a thriving conservatoire with around 320 teaching staff and 880 students from nearly 60 different countries.
Complementing this role, the RNCM is also a vibrant live music venue offering unparalleled opportunities for students to perform regularly to public audiences and to work alongside professional musicians and visiting artists. Housing four major performance spaces, including a professionally-staffed, fully-equipped Theatre and recently refurbished Concert Hall, the College presents more than 400 concerts each year, ranging from RNCM orchestras and ensembles and large-scale opera productions to a host of touring companies and external hires.
About Opera North
Opera North is a national opera company based in Leeds, and is a leading UK arts organisation. Rooted in the North of England, international in outlook, they create extraordinary experiences, every day. Their award-winning work tours to theatre stages and concert halls throughout the North and beyond, including to London and major international festivals, and they curate an eclectic artistic programme of gigs, concerts, spoken word and film in the Howard Assembly Room. Their aim is to make bold, innovative, ambitious work and share it in new ways. Opera North believes opera and music is for everyone and champions diversity in artists, repertoire and audiences. Opera North Education connects with communities and inspires each generation, aiming to enhance the health and well-being of people in the communities where we work through arts participation and performance. Opera North is grateful for the generous support of Arts Council England and Leeds City Council, sponsorship from the private sector, trusts and individuals, the Friends of Opera North, the Opera North Future Fund and the box office income from its audiences, which allows us to continue to mount our award-winning work.
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