Thomas Jung, the first recipient of the Constant Lambert Fellowship to be new principal guest conductor of Birmingham Royal Ballet

Thomas Jung (Photo: The Finest Light)

The Constant Lambert Fellowship, a partnership between Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) and the Royal Ballet and Opera, was created in 2018 to support the development of young conductors in the dance world. Now, BRB has announced that Thomas Jung, the first recipient of the fellowship, is to be BRB's new principal guest conductor.

Thomas Jung, who will be with BRB for three seasons, will conduct the Royal Ballet Sinfonia at certain performances during the season of Sir Peter Wright’s The Nutcracker at Birmingham Hippodrome and Royal Albert Hall this Christmas.

Jung has also been working as a guest conductor with orchestras such as the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Bamberger Symphoniker, Dresden Philharmonic, SWR Symphony Orchestra, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and Gstaad Festival Orchestra. From 2013 to 2019 he worked with Bernard Haitink on numerous occasions as Assistant and Cover Conductor. He is the second prize winner of the 2020 International Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition, a recipient of the Eugen-Jochum-Prize and studied at King’s College Cambridge and Hochschule für Musik Köln.

Commenting on his appointment Thomas said: "Every time I have conducted here since 2018, I have been inspired by the artistry on and off stage. I love the commitment, dedication, and vibrancy that the fantastic musicians and dancers of BRB bring. I’m looking forward to sharing our passion and love for music and dance with our audiences in the seasons to come."

Full detail's from BRB's website.

Seven Deadly Sins: National Youth Ballet and City of Sheffield Youth Orchestra

The National Youth Ballet (NYB) and City of Sheffield Youth Orchestra (CYSO) are joining forces to perform Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht's ballet chanté The Seven Deadly Sins at the Octagon in Sheffield on 14 April 2022. The evening will also include a performance of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 (premiered just four year's after the Weill). Christopher Gayford conducts and the choreography is by Alice O'Brian and Bianca Mikhail, and the company is being joined by mezzo-soprano Clover Kayne.

Alice O’Brien and Bianca Mikahil are part of NYB’s Beyond Ballet programme, an initiative that supports emerging creative artists from all areas of the theatre industry in the early stages of their professional careers. This project will enable both the choreographers and dancers to learn the vital skills of working with live music, musicians and a conductor.

Alongside this project CSYO and NYB will also visit local schools, in partnership with South Yorkshire Dance Hub, to lead dance and music workshops. A Creative Ballet Workshop will also be held on 28 March [Eventbrite] for Sheffield-based young dancers, led by NYB Creative Director Jo Meredith and NYB young artist Tierney Lawlor. 

Formed over 30 years ago, NYB provides transformational opportunities for young people to participate in, create and perform classical and contemporary ballet, enabling young people from all backgrounds to explore and develop their creativity. The NYB annual Performance Company is a unique, intensive programme that replicates the experience of working in a professional company and provides a key stepping-stone to a future career in the performing arts. NYB’s alumni make up 10% of the dancers and choreographers in major British ballet companies.

CYSO is one of the UK's leading independent youth orchestras and recently celebrated its 40th anniversary.  It offers membership to students up to the age of 21, with currently around 80 members aged between 13 and 21. Many of members are at college or university, training to be professional musicians.  

Full details of the performance from Eventbrite.

Life is a Dream

On 23 May 2018 at Sadler's Wells Theatre, Rambert will be premiering Life is a Dream, a new ballet by Kim Brandstrup to music by Witold Lutosławski. The work is Rambert's first full-length ballet for over 30 years and has been made possible by the support of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. In a significant first, this will be the first time Lutosławski's music has been used for a ballet. After the premiere, the production embarks on a 29-date tour to Bergen International Festival, Norwich, Llandudno, Manchester, Edinburgh, Plymouth, Glasgow, Inverness and Leicester

The ballet is a modern re-imagining of the 17th-century play Life Is a Dream by Pedro Calderón de la Barca, and the music features extracts from Lutosławski’s Dance Préludes, Musique Funèbre, Symphonie No 4, performed by Rambert Orchestra as well as some pop songs recorded in the 1950s by “Derwid”, Lutosławski’s pseudonym. And the piece will feature designs by the Quay Brothers.

The Adam Mickiewicz Institute, an organisation named after Poland’s great Romantic poet, is charged with promoting Polish culture around the world and initiating international cooperation in the field of culture. The institute is leading this project with the objective of giving a different dimension to the music of Lutosławski.



Full details from the Rambert website.