Performances and Public Events at the University of Surrey

Welcome to Performances and Public Events at Surrey

Welcome to the music department’s performance pages at the University of Surrey! With more than 60 events over the academic year, there are plenty of opportunities to experience some wonderful performances and to hear favourite or different repertoire. This spring we have an exciting range of performance events, with a variety of student concerts, interspersed by performances from many of the most highly regarded professional musicians in the classical music world.

On Saturday 21st February the University of Surrey Symphony Orchestra and Choir will be joined by guest soloists Yvonne Howard and Stephen Rooke to perform Elgar’s magnificent The Dream of Gerontius in Guildford Cathedral. Under the direction of Russell Keable the choir and orchestra are going from strength to strength and following last year’s triumphant performance of Mahler’s Second Symphony in the Cathedral, this is set to be a magical evening of music.

This spring the Guildford International Music Festival will be celebrating its 10th anniversary with a month of events taking place at events around Guildford. During the Festival from 6th – 28th March, special highlights at the University include the Guildford Guitar Day, Bassekou Kouyate with Ngoni Ba, and Julian Lloyd Webber. The Guitar Day, on the 14th March, sees two stars of the classical guitar, Xuefei Yang and John Williams return to the University. BBC World Music Award Winner 2008 for Best Album and Best African Group, Bassekou Kouyate and his band, open their new UK tour at the University Great Hall on Thursday 26th March and Julian Lloyd Webber will perform in the intimate surroundings of Studio One on Saturday 28th March. For all of these events, please book early to avoid disappointment. For more information please visit www.guildfordinternationalmusicfestival.co.uk.

Another highlight of the programme this spring will be the extremely popular Free for All concerts, which showcase the huge variety of music making that goes on in the Department. Outgrowing Studio One, this semester the Free For All concert will take place in the University Hall for the first time. With a stage and professional sound and lighting rig this free concert is definitely one not to miss. Ranging from folk, acoustic bands, duets, soloists, cover versions and new compositions, to rock, metal, experimental jazz and electronic improvisation, it is impossible to describe the repertoire to expect in these concerts. As the name suggests, anything goes, and all that can be guaranteed is the high quality throughout.

As usual there are many opportunities to enjoy a wide variety of free music from our highly talented student performers and composers at the ensemble and composition concerts, in addition to the weekly lunchtime recitals. This year we have also added several Rush Hour Concerts. So if you’re in the area, avoid the 5.30pm rush, sit back and enjoy the music.

Wednesday Lunchtime Recitals are free, short concerts that provide an oasis in the middle of a busy week - take a break, relax or be invigorated by the varied repertoire. The concerts usually feature students from the Department of Music and Sound Recording, in addition to special performances throughout the year from our Artists in Residence, Gemini, who are renowned for their performances of a wide-range of repertoire. These are relatively relaxed concerts. Therefore if you can only spare 20 minutes of your lunch break please still come along and enjoy what you can as there are opportunities to enter and leave between performances.

If you want to join in the fun, the University Symphony Orchestra, Choir and Chamber Choir are open to all University students and staff. Email Jamie Harber at <j.harber@surrey.ac.uk> for details of how to join.

As ever with our events, there is the chance to relax over a glass of wine and chat informally to artists and music specialists and students during the interval or after most performances.
I hope you find something tempting in our programme and that we get to meet at an event soon.

Yours truly,
Pauline Johnson
Performance Manager

PS In order to inform you any changes to our events, it is useful for us to have your current email address. Please email <j.harber@surrey.ac.uk> with your name & postcode, so that we can keep you up-to-date with our activities.

Tickets for events are available from the University Box Office: 01483 686876 (open 9am to 6 pm Monday to Friday), which is situated on the Ground Floor of Senate House.

The Departments of Dance Studies and Music and Sound Recording gratefully acknowledge the support received from the University Arts Office in promoting these performances.