This week's #RAArtistinFocus is Daniel Kidane! A composer whose works have been described by The Times as ‘vibrantly imagined’, Daniel writes extensively for some of today’s finest musicians, ranging from soloists and small chamber ensembles to orchestras.
This month sees a particularly exciting Daniel Kidane Focus Day at Wigmore Hall. Stay tuned this week to find out more about this, as well as what Daniel has been up to recently.
Daniel regularly receives commissions from distinguished performers. A recent highlight is the premiere of Daniel’s new violin concerto, written for Julia Fischer and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Edward Gardner in March 2024.
Inspired by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the concerto is a reflection on ordinary people suffering “the scourge of war”. Described by The Telegraph as featuring many ‘striking inventions’, Daniel’s concerto was met with great critical acclaim.
Read reviews here
Daniel’s orchestral work Woke was premiered by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and chief conductor Sakari Oramo at the Last Night of the Proms in September 2019. Uplifting and energising, it is a work that challenges social and racial injustice in the world.
Recent collaborations with other high-profile orchestras include his premiere of Zulu by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and Sirens, written for the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, motivated by the eclectic musical nightlife in Manchester.
Listen to Sirens here
Daniel has a special relationship with the London Symphony Orchestra: as a member of their Jerwood and Panufnik Composers Schemes he has written several works for members of the LSO, which have focused on multiculturalism
The world premiere of Sun Poem, given by the LSO and Sir Simon Rattle at the Edinburgh International Festival in August 2022, was subsequently performed at Musikfest Berlin, Lucerne Festival, Grafenegg Festival and the Sydney Opera House, receiving 5-star reviews.
Read reviews here
Excitingly, tomorrow (30 November) sees an entire day devoted to Daniel Kidane at the Wigmore Hall.
We begin with a morning concert from the Leonore Piano Trio in a programme which includes Kidane's Flux and Stasis.
The afternoon concert features Kidane's Winged for electric guitar and string quartet, Pulsing.
In the evening, Manchester Camerata celebrate Kidane's music, having been associated with the composer since 2009, in a programme which includes Movements, for harpsichord and strings. The soloist is Mahan Esfahani, who premiered the work in Miami in 2021.
