The Cultural Programme announces 24/25 classical music series
Oxford University’s Cultural Programme is proud to announce a diverse and exciting…
What's On
12 Nov 24
05 Dec 24
Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective
Experience the Sheldonian Theatre as never before in this unforgettable chamber concert
Book TicketsFriday 28 February
Venue
Sheldonian Theatre, Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3AZ
Tickets
£24, £20, £15 / £10 for students & under-25
Please note: this event has the option for floor cushions up close to the performers but there is also plenty of standard seating options available.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair Access
Performances
7.30pm
Ticket sales will close 3 hours before the event. There may be a limited number of tickets available on the door on a first come, first served basis
There will also be a pre-concert panel discussion at 6pm on the same day, entitled Thriving in the Spotlight. Free, booking required.
Relax on floor cushions or chairs in the round, up close to the performers, and immerse yourself in themes of dreams, hope, and spirituality.
Opening with a solo musician and growing to five across the evening, you will hear Beethoven at his most transcendent and Golijov’s klezmer-inspired clarinet quintet, The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind, one of the most electrifying works of the twentieth century. Selections of Jessie Montgomery’s Musings, for two violins, bring an elegant exploration of dialogue and connection, and Kaleidoscope founder Tom Poster’s new arrangements of traditional folk melodies complete this evening’s listening journey through music that is both reflective and uplifting.
The intimate listening space, with the audience encircling the performers, transforms the way music is experienced—inviting moments of personal reflection while celebrating the audience’s shared connection. Let the visceral power and quiet solace of the performance stay with you, offering a profound and lasting connection to the music.
“a sparky, shape-shifting ensemble of starry young musicians” – The Arts Desk
“exhilarating performances” – The Times
Performers
Jonathan Leibovitz (clarinet) / Elena Urioste (violin) / Savitri Grier (violin) / Rosalind Ventris (viola) / Laura van der Heijden (cello)
Programme
Jessie Montgomery – Musings, for two violins (selection)
Osvaldo Golijov – The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind, for klezmer clarinet and string quartet
Ludwig van Beethoven – Heiliger Dankgesang from String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132
& new arrangements of folk music by Tom Poster
Further Music and Wellbeing Events
Early Morning Yoga
Friday 28 February, 7.30am
Blackwell Hall, Weston Library
Start the day with a one-hour yoga flow, especially designed for musicians and performers, but open for all. Led by Elena Urioste – who is not only a violinist and co-director of Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective, but is also a qualified yoga instructor. Tickets £5.
Thriving in the Spotlight – Panel discussion
Friday 28 February, 6pm
Sheldonian Theatre
A panel featuring members of the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective and special guest Professor Eric Clarke. Free (booking required).
Plan your visit
Sheldonian Theatre, Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3AZ
The Sheldonian Theatre is located in Oxford city centre on Broad Street, OX1 3AZ. It is approximately a 10-minute walk from Gloucester Green bus station and a 15-minute walk from Oxford railway station
Performers
Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective
Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective
Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective, hailed for its “exhilarating performances” (The Times), was dreamed up in 2017 by Tom Poster and Elena Urioste, who met through the BBC New Generation Artists Scheme. Kaleidoscope’s flexible roster features many of today’s most inspirational musicians, both instrumentalists and singers, and its creative programming is marked by an ardent commitment to celebrating diversity of all forms and a desire to unearth lesser-known gems of the repertoire.
In 2020, Kaleidoscope was appointed Associate Ensemble at Wigmore Hall, where the group makes multiple appearances each season, and was invited to give the Hall’s 120th birthday concert in May 2021. Kaleidoscope broadcasts regularly on BBC Radio 3 and has recently been ensemble-in-residence at Aldeburgh Festival, Kettle’s Yard, Ischia Music Festival, Chamber Music by the Sea (Maryland USA), and Cheltenham Festival, where the group gave several world premieres and collaborated with Sir Simon Russell Beale and the cast of The Lehman Trilogy.
Kaleidoscope’s debut recording for Chandos Records, American Quintets, received glowing reviews and a BBC Music Magazine Award nomination, and immediately led to an invitation to record a series of albums for the label. A subsequent album of Coleridge-Taylor chamber works was shortlisted for a Gramophone Award, and a Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn disc was included in The Times ’10 best classical records of 2022’. The most recent album, Transfigured, featuring music of Alma Mahler, Schoenberg, Webern and Zemlinsky, was released in September 2023, with a three-disc series of the piano quartets of Brahms and his female contemporaries to follow.
Passionate about inspiring the next generation of musicians, Kaleidoscope has featured in Wigmore Hall’s Learning Festival, directed courses for the Benedetti Foundation, and held a visiting professorship at the Royal Academy of Music for the 2022-23 academic year. Recent and forthcoming performance highlights include concerts in London and Dortmund with Hilary Hahn, a debut at the BBC Proms, and two extensive tours of the USA. In 2024, Kaleidoscope was shortlisted for the Royal Philharmonic Society Ensemble Award.
For more information, please visit www.kaleidoscopecc.com, where you can also find links to the individual musicians’ websites
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