Bella Vivaldi

Event Description

Bella Vivaldi presents cellist Roel Dieltiens and chosen members of Ensemble Explorations—double bass, theorbo, guitar, organ and harpsichord, with Sebastian Comberti as second cellist. Joining them will be the Royal Academy of Music String Orchestra and specially chosen soloists, including Distinguished Professor of Cello Josephine Knight and star students of the Academy.

This celebration of Vivaldi for the cello (including sonatas and concertos) reveals a fresh and unusual approach, using ornamentation, colourful instrumentation and imaginative interpretations, for which Roel and his Ensemble are well known in their award-winning recordings and performances. This approach also offers young players a fresh perspective to these much-loved works. There will be classes on the day for both Junior and Senior level players.

The London Cello Society thanks the Royal Academy of Music and Ingles & Hayday, specialist stringed instrument auction house and dealership, for their generous support of this event.

Schedule of Events

Masterclasses

All masterclasses are open to the public, adults and students alike. You will require a ticket for admission to observe the classes. Those who wish to participate in the masterclass should contact Simonie Coote, Events Coordinator at [email protected] with their chosen repertoire.

Schedule of Events

17.00 – Royal Academy of Music String Soloists in Concert

Vivaldi Double Cello Concerto in G minor RV 531
Allegro (Moderato) – Largo – Allegro

Josephine Knight and Charlotte Kaslin, solo cellos

Vivaldi Concerto in B flat major RV 423
Allegro- Largo – Allegro

Soo Yeon Lee, solo cello

Cello professor Josephine Knight holds the Piatti Chair in Cello at the Royal Academy of Music. One of Europe’s most distinguished and active cellists, she combines a prestigious international solo performance profile with her Academy teaching. Her own studies – predominantly with the legendary Aldo Parisot have given her an artistic influence which continues to forge exceptional career trajectories for generations of her cello students. She is the Artistic Director of the Academy Cello Ensemble.

Charlotte Kaslin studied at the Conservatory of Paris with Raphael Pidoux and Xavier Gagnepain before transferring to the BMus programme at the Academy to study with Josephine Knight. Now a Masters student, she receives tuition from both Josephine Knight and Christoph Richter. She has played in masterclasses with Steven Isserlis (Wigmore Hall) , Jerome Pernoo and Colin Carr amongst others, is a regular principal cello in RAM orchestral projects and is a member of the Talisman Trio.

Soo Yeon Lee is currently studying on the Advanced Diploma course at the Academy where she is taught by Jo Cole and Josephine Knight. Recent teaching influences have also included lessons with Academy Visiting Professors Colin Carr and Sung Won Yang and a master class with Mischa Maisky. Soo Yeon has a busy diary of concerto and recital performances in London and elsewhere in the UK as well as in her home country of Korea and she is in a cello and harp duo with harpist Milo Harper.

Continuo Keyboard: Masterclass and Concert

A remarkably versatile musician, organist, fortepianist and harpsichordist, Benedict Williams began his training as a chorister at King’s College Cambridge and music scholar at Oundle School. He graduated from the University of York with a First Class degree and the ‘Outstanding Contribution Prize in Music’ in 2015 and is currently on the Professional Diploma course at the Royal Academy of Music studying with Carole Cerasi and Terence Charlston.

Schedule of Events

19.00 – The Cello Sonatas of Antonio Vivaldi featuring Roel Dieltiens & Ensemble Explorations, with guest artists Sebastian Comberti, cello and Josephine Rose Jobbins, double bass

Sonatas by Antonio Vivaldi

Artist Biographies

Roel Dieltiens, cello

The cellist Roel Dieltiens studied in Antwerp and Detmold. He swiftly made a name for himself on the international scene and is now regarded as an authority on both modern and Baroque cello. His strong personality, overwhelming musicality and unconventional approach took him right from the beginning of his career to all the world’s great concert centres (Paris, Berlin, London, New York, Moscow, Tokyo). He has also gained international recognition as a chamber musician and founder of the celebrated Ensemble Explorations. Since 2010 he has appeared in trio formation with Andreas Staier (piano) and Daniel Sepec (violin).

He has made a series of recordings for the Harmonia Mundi and Etcetera labels that have consistently received praise from the critics and aroused great public interest. Some quotations from the reviews that have greeted his CDs illustrate this nicely: ‘Simply the best’ (Classic CD, USA, on the recording of Kodály’s Sonata for solo cello op. 8); ‘The only significant disc of cello music to appear in 1997’ (Fanfare, USA, on his Franchomme CD); ‘A distinguished disc, and the best Vivaldi recording for a long time’ (Diapason, France, on his first CD of cello concertos by Vivaldi).In 2010 Roel Dieltiens received a Klara award and the Caecilia Prize for his recent recording of the Suites for unaccompanied cello of J. S. Bach.

Roel Dieltiens is Professor of Cello at the Hochschule der Künste in Zurich (CH) and has served as a jury member in international competitions including the Leipzig Bach Competition, the Moscow Tchaikovsky Competition and the Queen Elisabeth Competition. In 2006 the TV channel Canvas produced a comprehensive in-depth documentary about this artist.

Ensemble Explorations

Jurgen De bruyn, lute and guitar

Jurgen De bruyn studied classical guitar with Raphaëlla Smits and lute with Philippe Malfeyt at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven, where he also obtained a master’s degree in chamber music with Roel Dieltiens and Erik Van Nevel.

Jurgen De bruyn has been the artistic director of the internationally renowned early music ensemble Zefiro Torna since 2003. He has contributed to many early music projects and recordings with ensembles, artists and conductors such as the Huelgas Ensemble (dir. Paul Van Nevel), Collegium Vocale Gent (dir. Philippe Herreweghe, the Flemish Opera (dir. Paul Goodwin), Capilla Flamenca, les Agrémens (dir. Jean Tubéry and Rinaldo Allessandrini), Il Fondamento (dir. Paul Dombrecht), Currende (dir. Erik Van Nevel), Vlaams Radio Koor (dir. Bo Holten and Jos Van Veldhoven), Vox Luminis, Ensemble Explorations, Capriola di Gioia, la Cetra d’Orfeo and Jeroen Berwaerts ensemble, Ann Cambier. He has also taken part in projects in other genres: jazz-world music with the Chris Joris Experience, the Sahava Seewald ensemble, contemporary dance with Les Ballets C de la B, among others. Jurgen teaches at the Academies for Music, Word and Dance in Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe and Tienen.

Bart Naessens, harpsichord and organ

Bart Naessens graduated as Master after Master for organ, harpsichord and choir/orchestra/conducting at the conservatories of Leuven and Paris. He is currently finalising his doctoral study about ‘the claviorganum’ at the University of Leuven.

Since 1999 he has been Principal Organist at the Sint-Gillis and Walburga Church in Bruges and is professor of organ and harpsichord at the Conservatory of Brussels. He has played numerous international concerts as soloist and continuo-player and is currently invited to conduct various choirs, baroque and symphonic orchestras. In 2017 he made his intercontinental debut conducting diverse orchestras in South America.

He is founder and director of the ensemble Capriola di Gioia and the orchestra and choir BachPlus.

Guest Artists

Sebastian Comberti, cello

Sebastian Comberti plays Principal cello with the London Mozart Players, and as guest with many of the UK’s chamber and period instrument ensembles. As soloist, and a member of chamber groups including Trio Goya and Divertimenti he has recorded several cds for CRD, EMI, Harmonia Mundi, Hyperion, Meridian, RCA, CPO and Cello Classics.

Josephine Rose Robbins, double bass

Josephine Rose Jobbins is a fourth year undergraduate double bassist studying at the Royal Academy of Music. Born in Wiltshire, England, Josie began as a violinist, and then in later years found a passion for the double bass. She studied at Wells Cathedral School as a specialist musician with David Heyes. At the Royal Academy, she studies with Graham Mitchell, Dominic Seldis, Tom Goodman and Cecelia Bruggemeyer. As a member of the bass department, she is involved with the Academy’s various orchestral projects and ensembles (both modern and baroque) throughout London. She has enjoyed many master classes with players such as Matthew McDonald, Božo Paradžik, Joel Quarrington, Rick Stotjin, Alexandra Scott, Dan Styffe, Teppo Hauta-aho and Maxim Vengerov.

Josie has been awarded a full scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music for her Masters degree. Josie is privileged to have pieces composed for her by Sadie Harrison and Teppo Hauta-aho.

Schedule of Events

Ticket Prices

All-Day Masterclasses: £12.00 / £10.00* (Adult)
Individual Classes: £7.50 / £6.00* (Adult)
Evening Concert: £12.50 / £10.00* (Adult)
All-Day Masterclasses: £6.00 / £5.00* (Student)
Individual Classes: £5.00 / £4.00* (Student)
Evening Concert: £6.00 / £5.00* (Student)

*LCS and Cello Club Members
RAM students free entry to all events with ID card.