Promising musician from East Lothian to perform Britain’s favourite piece of classical music

across Europe and Glasgow this month

 

 

22 year-old Iain McLarty from Tranent, who plays the viola, will perform Vaughn William’s famous composition The Lark Ascending across Europe this month as part of the national pre-professional chamber ensemble, Camerata Scotland.

 

The 24 ensemble members will travel first to France, before moving on to Spain to perform at several venues, including giving a concert at the prestigious, international Pau Casals Festival. The tour culminates with a homecoming concert at St. Andrews in the Square in Glasgow on the 28^th August.

 

Nominated by Classic FM as the UK’s favourite piece of Classical music for the third year running, The Lark Ascending is a soaring piece for violin and orchestra and represents Vaughan Williams’ lyrical expression of a skylark’s flight over the English countryside. 

 

Camerata will be joined on this tour by critically acclaimed Canadian violinist Kai Gleusteen and will also perform Haydn’s 6th and 46th Symphonies and Tipett’s poetic and vibrant Divertimento for Chamber Orchestra.  With extensive solo parts for a variety of instruments, this programme promises to showcase the talents of this impressive young ensemble.

 

 NYOS Soloist Kai Gleusteen said “I am looking forward to working with the young musicians and enjoying the pleasure of sharing all the knowledge I have acquired over the years with a receptive and curious group.”

 

Listings Information

 

Director/Soloist: Kai Gleusteen

 

Haydn                           Symphony No 6 in D (Le Matin)

Vaughan Williams          The Lark Ascending

Tippett                          Divertimento for Chamber Orchestra “Sellinger’s Round”

Haydn                           Symphony No 49 in F minor (La Passione)

 

 

28 August, 7.30pm                   

St Andrew’s in the Square, Glasgow, Scotland

Tickets: £10/£6/£2 (student/child)

Box Office: 0141 332 8311

 

 Camerata Scotland

 Camerata Scotland is the showcase, pre-professional chamber ensemble of The National Youth Orchestras of Scotland. 

Successfully bridging the gap between youth orchestra and professional ensemble, it comprises of senior and recent past members of NYOS. The ensemble tours internationally, throughout the year, and has travelled extensively since its foundation, to countries as far afield as Japan and Australia. 

Camerata Scotland is proud to have performed in some of the most prestigious concert halls in the world, and to have worked with a variety of internationally renowned guest conductors and soloists. The ensemble consistently achieves a high quality of performance, and offers talented young Scottish musicians a unique opportunity in orchestral training at the highest level.

 

In 2008 the ensemble performed throughout Scotland to great critical acclaim and in collaboration with The Norwegian National Youth Orchestra, toured to Norway to perform as part of Stavanger2008: Open Port, a vibrant programme of cultural activities, celebrating Stavanger’s status as European Capital of Culture 2008.

 

The musicians in The National Youth Orchestra of Scotland are of the highest calibre and many past students have gone on to enjoy successful careers in the musical profession.

Kai Gleusteen

 Canadian born violinist, Kai Gleusteen started playing at the age of five years old in his native city, Calgary. Early on, he met with success in national music competitions in addition to receiving top academic awards. At a young age, he had the opportunity to study with the most renowned violinists and teachers of his time, including Nathan Milstein, Ivan Galamian, Josef Gingold, Dorothy Delay and Zakhar Bron. By the age of seventeen, Kai was awarded the top prize in the Commonwealth Concerto Competition in Australia, he had received the prestigious Skene Award in Scotland and had formed his first chamber orchestra: The Group of Twelve.

A strong believer in the musician as a multi-dimensional human being, Kai chose to combine his musical studies with academic pursuits. At the University of Michigan, he studied anthropology, geophysics, and philosophy. He received a Master’s Degree from Rice University under the tutelage of the person who would become his greatest inspiration on both a personal and musical level, the violinist Camilla Wicks.

In 1991, Kai moved to Europe to live in the heart of Western Culture. Paris and Prague were his bases for nine years, allowing him to develop and perform both as a soloist and leader of numerous orchestras. In the year 2000, he won the concertmaster position of the Orchestra ‘del Gran Teatre del Liceu’ and subsequently moved to Barcelona. In 2003, he created the Gran Teatre del Liceu Chamber Orchestra and was appointed professor at the Escuela Superior de Musica de Catalunya. He continues to perform extensively as a soloist and a recitalist throughout Europe and North America and has released numerous critically acclaimed recordings.

Kai plays on a violin made by J.B. Guadagnini in 1781.