Colin Currie

Colin Currie

Colin Currie returns to Grafenegg Academy for fifth season

This month, Colin returns to Grafenegg in Austria to join the artistic team of the festival’s Academy training scheme for early-career professional musicians. In his role as Guest Soloist and Featured Artist, he will perform alongside the young musicians as the soloist in the Austrian premiere of Andrew Norman’s percussion concerto Switch, and will also play a special late night chamber event featuring music by Andy Akiho, Steve Reich and Julia Wolfe.

The mission of the Grafenegg Academy is to think holistically and to approach the profession of young musicians from different perspectives and to reflect this during the residency. It is important to respond to the diversity of the career paths of modern musicians. This is highlighted in various concert formats - but above all in the work that happens during the residency within the context of diverse rehearsal work, various formats, workshops, lectures, and much more. Previously Artistic Curator of the Academy, this is the fifth time Colin has been involved in the Academy’s artistic team.

New Album: Danny Elfman's Percussion Concerto

Colin (right) recording at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall with conductor JoAnn Falletta and composer Danny Elfman

Following a successful US tour of Danny Elfman’s Percussion Concerto, Colin has released a recording of the piece for Sony Classical with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by JoAnn Falletta. The full album will be released on Friday 17 May, but you can listen to the first single now.

Elfman wrote the Concerto specifically for Colin, praising him as “an extraordinary musician who would be great to collaborate with”, and the piece exploits his typically lush and cinematic style. “The audience were captivated by Colin Currie’s every move as he performed the piece. Darting across the stage between instruments, Currie is a true showman,” wrote Amy Melling (Abundant Art) of the US premiere.

The album is completed by Elfman’s Wunderkammer, which he describes as a concerto for orchestra, and a short choral piece in French, ‘Are you lost?’, from Elfman’s song-cycle Trio.

The first movement from the concerto is available to stream now.

Open Letter to Tibor Navracsis, European Commissioner for Education, Culture Youth and Sport

Open Letter to Tibor Navracsis, European Commissioner for Education, Culture Youth and Sport

Dear Mr Tibor Navracsics, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport It is with heavy and incredulous heart that I write to you requesting that you reconsider the actions taken against the EUYO forcing them to be wiped out as of September the 1st of this year. The frustration I feel is motivated variously - not only to fight for such a powerfully vibrant symphony orchestra but furthermore to protect what must be one of the most perfectly powerful emblems of our Union.

Season 2015/16 sees HK Gruber's "into the open..." launched into same, and the World Premiere of Andrew Norman's feisty concerto "Switch"

Season 2015/16 sees HK Gruber's "into the open..." launched into same, and the World Premiere of Andrew Norman's feisty concerto "Switch"

Time waits for no Solo Percussionist and this season has already seen one premiere in the form of HK Gruber's emotionally vast "into the open..." at the BBC Proms in London, with the wonderful BBC Philharmonic and John Storgards. A heartfelt and intense work, the piece remembers, with full grieving rites, David Drew, who was central in Gruber's life and development as a composer.