“These events will be an Espresso rather than an Americano; a short but intense experience of a concert.”
A new series of classical concerts is about to arrive in the community with the goal of making music more accessible to people of all ages.
60 Minute Concerts will put highly-acclaimed musicians in front of local audiences, with a series of events planned over the next few months at Christ Church in Highbury and Angel’s Church on the Corner.
Lana Trotovsek will play violin as part of the Greenwich Trio at the first concert next Saturday (January 26).
“My generation of friends all have very busy lives, whether connected to their work or family, and they rarely find time to go to the concert or theatre,” she says.
“Generally, evening concerts, operas or plays can be two or three hours long. A shorter concert would look more achievable for them, and (we’re putting on) a full musical experience without an interval.
“These events will be an Espresso rather than an Americano; a short but intense experience of a concert.”
Trotovsek will feature alongside Yoko Misumi on the piano and cellist Heather Tuach, who has played a key role in making 60 Minute Concerts a reality.
For each concert, an ensemble of hugely talented students from The Cello Corner will perform the opening number, before a line-up of established performers like the Barnsbury Trio and the Fitzwilliam String Quartet take over.
Tuach wanted to give young musicians the chance to set the tone for each concert after seeing how well this went down at the Wintertide Music Festival in her native Newfoundland.
“Each concert there starts with a short performance by a young musician and the format works really well,” she adds.
“The audience appreciates seeing young musicians and they come out to support them. It gives students valuable performance opportunities and motivation to get their pieces to a high standard. I thought it would be great to also have something like this in my neighbourhood.”
Tickets are £9.50 for adults – or £5.50 for those under 26 – and there will be drinks available to buy. In starting the concerts at 6.30pm on a Saturday, Tuach is leaving people plenty of time to make other plans once the music has stopped.
“We’re trying the 6.30pm start time and reduced rates so that younger people can come,” she explains.
“For others, maybe they’d like to catch some live music before heading on to something else, or home for dinner. The concert doesn’t take up the whole evening. People can expect professional-quality music in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.”
The first 60 Minute Concert takes place in Highbury, before switching to Angel on March 9 where performers will include Susanne Beer and George Cooke.
Moving forward, Tuach wants to make this “a nice community event for everyone to look forward to.
“I’d like to make it easier for the many professional musicians in the neighbourhood to perform locally. We already have the likes of the Barnsbury Trio, Greenwich Trio and Fitzwilliam String Quartet booked in, and the series is open to other local musicians.”
60 Minute Concerts starts on Saturday January 26 from 6.30pm at Christ Church, 155 Highbury Grove, N5 1SA. More information here.
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