London Song Festival 2008

The only major annual event in London devoted entirely to the song repertoire. A series of song recitals and concerts featuring major artists alongside the best young talent from the UK and overseas. specially commissioned works from exciting young composers. There's master-classes in the song repertoire given by World-class artists. The concerts will take place at St John Smith Square and St George Hanover Square throughout the month of November.

The 2008 London Song Festival is devoted to Russian and English Song. The lineup of singers is headed by the distinguished Russian baritone Sergei Leiferkus, and also includes baritones Stephen Varcoe and Roderick Williams, and also featuring Katarina Javanovic, Stephan Loges, Finzi Friends, Katherine Broderick, Karin Thyselius, Giles Davies, Ilona Domnich and Howard Wong. The 50th anniversary of the death of Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) will be celebrated with performances of all his original solo voice and piano songs, and the centenary of the death of Rimsky Korsakov (1844-1908) will also be marked. Settings of Russian texts by English composers (Britten's Poet's Echo) will be heard alongside translations of English texts set by Russian composers including Shostakovich and Kabalevsky. A concert will be devoted to the life of Rachmaninov illustrated through his songs will be presented by Michael White.

The 2008 London Song Festival master-classes will be taken by Roger Vignoles.

For more information, please see www.londonsongfestival.org

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