Announcement: Kenneth Roberts
Letter from John Rycroft, 2022
Dear members, friends and supporters of Opera South East,
After much soul-searching and consideration, I have made the decision to stand down as conductor/musical director of Opera South East as of autumn next year. In October 2023 I shall reach the venerable ‘three score years and ten’ and I have come to the conclusion that what the company needs is a younger and more energetic musical director to lead the company in the years to come.
This is a big decision for me but I know it is the right one. I was in at the start of the company when it was christened ‘Hastings Opera’ and, for well over half my life, it has proved a huge part of it. In fact many friends and acquaintances have often referred to it as ‘My baby.’ Well, not only has the baby grown up, it is well into child-bearing age itself and as a doting grandparent, I feel I need to step back so that new life can be breathed into it.
I intend to conduct ‘Carmen’ in April next year and it seems a particularly appropriate piece for my ‘swan-song’ as it was the first full-scale opera I conducted at the White Rock in 1983 – 40 years ago!
If there are any of you out there who have performed with Opera South East in the past but have drifted away, I should love you return, if only for this last blast of mine to celebrate with me and see out my tenure.
Thank you to all of you who have supported both the company and myself over the years. There have been many highs and lows for me with the company but, on the whole, I’ve had a ball
Dear members, friends and supporters of Opera South East,
After much soul-searching and consideration, I have made the decision to stand down as conductor/musical director of Opera South East as of autumn next year. In October 2023 I shall reach the venerable ‘three score years and ten’ and I have come to the conclusion that what the company needs is a younger and more energetic musical director to lead the company in the years to come.
This is a big decision for me but I know it is the right one. I was in at the start of the company when it was christened ‘Hastings Opera’ and, for well over half my life, it has proved a huge part of it. In fact many friends and acquaintances have often referred to it as ‘My baby.’ Well, not only has the baby grown up, it is well into child-bearing age itself and as a doting grandparent, I feel I need to step back so that new life can be breathed into it.
I intend to conduct ‘Carmen’ in April next year and it seems a particularly appropriate piece for my ‘swan-song’ as it was the first full-scale opera I conducted at the White Rock in 1983 – 40 years ago!
If there are any of you out there who have performed with Opera South East in the past but have drifted away, I should love you return, if only for this last blast of mine to celebrate with me and see out my tenure.
Thank you to all of you who have supported both the company and myself over the years. There have been many highs and lows for me with the company but, on the whole, I’ve had a ball
|
Profile - Kenneth Roberts Kenneth Roberts
(Conductor/Musical Director and OSE Founder)
Ken was born in Hastings and educated at York University where he gained BA and MA degrees in music. He works as Musical Director for numerous companies at home and abroad. He has played and conducted at many prestigious venues including The Royal Albert Hall, The Festival Hall, The Britten Theatre, Kensington Palace and Hampton Court. His second opera, Mister Butterfly, which he wrote in 1994 was premiered in Hong Kong and subsequently performed at the Edinburgh Festival, and featured in a documentary shown by BBC television and BBC World Service Satellite. He also enjoys giving his series of lecture recitals around the country on subjects ranging from Mozart to ‘Jelly Roll’ Morton. In the past few years he has spent several spells in New Hampshire, USA, where he directed a new ‘African’ Musical, which he was commissioned to write. In 2002 he wrote the music for an awardwinning ‘international’ children’s piece produced in New England and fulfilled a commission from the Purcell School in association with the Vaughan-Williams Trust as part of their centenary celebrations to mark the birth of Sir William Walton. In 2005 he completed a commission to write a ballet based on the novel ‘The Trumpet Major’ by Thomas Hardy. Between 2001-2011 he worked at the University of New Hampshire, USA, where he directed a new African Musical which he was commissioned to write and also composed music for an award-winning ‘international’ children’s piece. He was also musical director and conductor for Plymouth State University’s Educational Theatre Collaborative. In 2002 he fulfilled a commission from the Purcell School in association with the Vaughan-Williams Trust as part of their centenary celebrations to mark the birth of Sir William Walton and in 2005 he completed a commission to write a ballet based on the novel The Trumpet Major by Thomas Hardy. In 2010 he also contributed music for the recently published musical version of 'Pollyanna' and also became a BIFF (British and International Federation of Festivals) adjudicator. He has become a BIFF adjudicator and also lectures part time for the WEA. His highly acclaimed reduced orchestral arrangements of operatic scores by Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, Puccini and others are currently being played all over the world and are available from www.smallscores.com In between times he has enjoyed giving his series of lecture recitals around the country at music clubs, and on cruise liners on subjects ranging from Mozart to ‘Jelly Roll’ Morton and has just released a CD of piano music entitled ‘Around the World in 80 Minutes’. Link to Kenneth's personal website... with details of his next performances. |
