Tuesday 27 November 2012

Celebrating 10 years of support for young artists

You might not have actually heard of the Borletti Buitoni Trust, but you almost certainly have heard one of the artists supported by them. The Trust provides financial support to young artists at the beginning of their career and has an impressive roster of alumni. Now some of these are coming back to help the Trust celebrate its 10th birthday in May 2013 with a range of concerts and events at the South Bank.


The Borletti Buitoni Trust awards financial support in the form of fellowships and awards, but also aims to provide advice, guidance and contacts as well as public relations exposure for artists’ projects funded by the Trust. Winners receive a high profile on the Trust website, with audio and video material included where appropriate, and via its news and e-newsletters. Artists join a family that supports them in advancing their careers. Winners are given a budget and invited to suggest how they might spend it, and are provided with support so ensure that the award is well spent.

The money means that an artist can do things which might, otherwise, not be financially viable. On the Trust's website tenor Andrew Kennedy says that 'The BBT gave me the opportunity to explore very different types of new repertoire and to share it with a wider audience.'

Current trustees of the trust include Ilaria Borletti Buitoni (Chair of Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano), Franco Buitoni (President of the Amici della Musica, Perugia), Sir Ewen Fergusson (Former Ambassador in Paris, and subsequently Chairman of Coutts &; Co) and pianist Mitsuko Uchida DBE.

From 17 May to 19 May 2013 a number of former award winners will be giving concerts at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Among those joining Mitsuko Uchida will be Nicolas Alstaedt, Jonathan Biss, the Elias String Quartet, Quatuor Ebène, Martin Fröst, Alina Ibragimova, Henk Neven, Christianne Stotijn, Antoine Tamestit and Llŷr Williams. There will be masterclasses from Colin Currie, on-stage interviews and a debate, Is Talent Enough?, with Mitsuko Uchida, Colin Currie, John Gilhooly, Paul Moseley, Martijn Sanders, Tom Service and Sonia Simmenauer discussing the challenges facing young musicians today.

The programme includes the Mozart Clarinet Quintet and Schubert Piano Trio in B flat (with Mitsuko Uchida playing in the Schubert), Christianne Stotijn accompanied by Uchida in songs by Schubert and Schoenbert, Schubert's Trout Quintet, Henk Neven in Songs from the Knaben Wunderhorn and Franck's  Piano Quintet. There is also a late night series, Out of the Box, exploring new repertoire and interesting new combinations.

Further information from the Borletti Buitoni Trust website. There is also a film about the Trust's work.

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