The winners of each of the different classes from the four vocal/instrumental heats so far this academic year come together in the Final of the Wimbledon High School Young Musician of the Year 2020. Featuring performances from each of the four heats, performers from the Senior School will dazzle with their musicianship, competing with other performers from their class. This event is not to be missed! Free seats (tickets required) with refreshments from 6:45pm.

In what promises to be a celebration of musicianship at Wimbledon High, the Jigsaw Players will join forces with four top string players for a performance of Mendelssohn’s iconic octet. Entrance is free but do book your seat in advance.

VENUE: Great Hall, Wimbledon High School, Mansel Road, SW19 4AB

The final competition before the WHS Young Musician Final, this competition will see our pianists and percussionists take to the stage with musical performances from girls in Year 7 through to Year 13. The competition will be adjudicated by a member of the Jigsaw Players (pianist Sophia Rahman) continuing our musical partnership with this dynamic ensemble. Free seats (tickets required), refreshments from 6:45pm.

VENUE: Senior Hall, Wimbledon High School, Wimbledon, LONDON SW19 4AB

The third heat for WHS Young Musician of the Year focuses on Woodwind and Brass instruments with performances from girls in Year 7 to 13. The competition will be adjudicated by a member of the Jigsaw Players (TBC) continuing our exciting musical partnership with this dynamic ensemble. Free entry (tickets required), refreshments from 6:45pm

VENUE: Senior Hall, Wimbledon High School, Wimbledon, LONDON SW19 4AB

Continuing WHS Young Musician of the Year 2019, join us for an evening of performances on strings. Featuring performances from girls from Year 7 to 13 on a range of string instruments coving a plethora of musical styles, the evening promises to be a showcase of musicality. The competition will be adjudicated by member of the Jigsaw Players, internationally renowned cellist Batholomew LaFollette, continuing our close partnership. Free entry (tickets required), refreshments from 6:45pm.

Join us for the new WHS Young Musician of the Year Competition at our first heat for singers. There will be a range of musical styles, from French Chanson, English Song, German Lied to Musical Theatre with girls from Year 7 to 13 invited to take part. The competition will be adjudicated by a member of the Jigsaw Players continuing our close partnership with these fantastic musicians. Free entry (ticket required), refreshments from 6:45pm.

VENUE: Senior Hall Wimbledon High School, Wimbledon, LONDON SW19 4AB

'And the Bird Called'

Where better to celebrate our feathered friends than the delightful Southside House where real birdsong from the magical garden can mingle with words and music inspired by it?

Musician and author of Why Do Birds Suddenly Disappear? Lev Parikian joins forces with the Wimbledon-based chamber ensemble the Jigsaw Players, well- known to BookFest audiences, for an evening of good-humoured readings and uplifting music on avian themes.

Lev Parikian is the Artistic Director of The Rehearsal Orchestra, the City of Oxford Orchestra and several London amateur orchestras.

"Hilariously honest... Lev Parikian has a fine line in description and a musician's ear for birdsong." Sam West

VENUE: Southside House - 3-4 Woodhayes Rd, Wimbledon, London SW19 4RJ

TICKETS: £22.50

Lev Parikian
Lev Parikian is a conductor and writer. On the podium, he is the Artistic Director of The Rehearsal Orchestra, the City of Oxford Orchestra and several London amateur orchestras. He has worked with the BBC Concert Orchestra, recording the theme tune for ‘The Missing Hancocks’ and a forthcoming CD of music by Stuart Hancock (the confluence of the surnames is a happy coincidence).

He has written three books: Waving, Not Drowning (a searing exposé of the art of the conductor), Why Do Birds Suddenly Disappear? (the story of his return to birdwatching after a hiatus of 30 years), and The Long and the Short of It (a collection of 40 essays on subjects suggested by readers), which will be published in 2020. A fourth, on our relationship with nature, is in the pipeline.

Lev’s hobbies include resetting the WiFi, arguing with self-checkout machines, and profreading.

Continuing our Wimbledon High School and Jigsaw Players partnership, this concert will follow an afternoon working with students on freedom in performance of Tchaikovsky’s much-loved Serenade for Strings. Chamber works by Suk, Dvorak and Bartok, played by the Jigsaw Players, will follow.

VENUE: Wimbledon High School - Main Hall

TICKETS: Free

Following our wonderfully successful first year of partnership with Wimbledon High School, we are thrilled to be returning with two workshops and two concerts this year.

In this first workshop, students will be working on developing string techniques and ensemble skills as well as playing and performing along side the Jigsaw Players. The concert will take place on the same day at 7pm.

VENUE: Wimbledon High School, Mansel Rd, Wimbledon, London SW19 4AB - M11

TICKETS: Free

PROGRAMME: TBC

For the last Southside House concert of our 10th anniversary season we will be celebrating all things viola! Our chosen pieces are melodious and harmoniously-stirring masterpieces composed by some of the greatest latter-day exponents of the instrument.

On the programme (all written in 1919)

Rebecca Clarke's Sonata for Viola having moved to US in 1916, Clarke wrote this piece for a competition. Out of 72 entries she tied first with Ernest Bloch, a Swiss composer, and despite being the favourite, Bloch was declared the winner. This work is exuberant, full of optimism and brio, and based on a quote by French poet Alfred de Musset, "Poet, take up your lute; the wine of youth this night is fermenting in the veins of God."

Ernest Bloch: Suite for Viola and Piano - We thought it would be fun to have a piece by Rebecca Clarke's competition nemesis! Bloch was a Swiss-born American composer who was also a prolific photographer. This piece, like all others in the concert, was written in 1919, and out of the drama and darkness comes a reflective, quiet voice. It's a complex and interesting piece that reflects the history of the time.  

Paul Hindemith: Sonata for Viola and Piano op11 n.4 is his most romantic, composition! Hindemith was one of the most prolific composers for the viola, and his mastery of the instrument is beautifully illustrated throughout this piece. It's a gem to play, as well as to hear, with its exploration of different melodic textures. 

VENUE: Southside House, 3-4 Woodhayes Rd, Wimbledon, London SW19 4RJ

TIME: 8pm - 10.30pm 

Hear the culmination of this year’s inspiring partnership with Wimbledon High School. A true celebration of budding young composers as the Jigsaw Players perform the girls’ final A-level compositions, interspersed with other luscious chamber music works.

VENUE: Main Hall, Wimbledon High School

PRICE: FREE

ON THE PROGRAMME

Franz Joseph Haydn Quartet in B flat major, Op.76 No.4 'Sunrise'

i. Allegro con spirito

Judith Weir Bagpiper's String Trio

Anna Kendall Bass Quintet

Antonín Dvořák Terzetto in C major, Op.74

ii. Larghetto & iii. Scherzo: Vivace

Louisa Clogston String Quartet

- interval -

Maurice Ravel Sonata for violin and cello

i. Allegro & ii. Très vif

Miriam Pancheva String Quartet

Richard Bristow String Quartet

Rebecca Clarke Poem for string quartet

Schøyen Sjölin arr. Danish String Quartet Old Rheinlender from Sonndala

Musicians:

Michael Trainor and Tetsuumi Nagata - violins

Jenny Lewisohn - viola

Bartholomew LaFollette - cello

Second workshops at Wimbledon High School. Details coming soon

We are thrilled to welcome Zoe Rahman again this year, this time at Southside House.  

Described in The Observer as “a remarkable pianist by any standard”, Zoe Rahman has firmly established herself as one of the brightest stars on the contemporary jazz scene. A vibrant and highly individual pianist/composer, her style is deeply rooted in jazz yet it reflects her classical background, British/Bengali heritage and her very broad musical taste. Known for her powerful technique, wide-ranging imagination and exuberant performance, she has become a highly sought-after musician, working most recently with the likes of George Mraz, Courtney Pine and Jerry Dammers’ Spatial AKA Orchestra.

Born in Chichester, UK, to a Bengali father and English mother, Zoe studied classical piano at the Royal Academy of Music, took a music degree at Oxford University and then won a scholarship to study jazz performance at Berklee College of Music, Boston, where she studied with the inspirational pianist JoAnne Brackeen.

Zoe won a MOBO Award (best Jazz Act 2012) for “Kindred Spirits”, her fifth album on her own Manushi label. The album showcases Zoe’s exuberant and highly personal style. Featuring her brother Idris on clarinet alongside her trio as well as a guest appearance by UK jazz legend Courtney Pine, the album has been hailed as a ‘masterpiece’ (Manchester Evening News), ’in every way a five star rating’ (ukjazzradio.com), ‘one of the best albums of the last couple of years’ (Jazzwise), and ‘a work of breathtaking musical imagination’ (Metro).

Zoe’s second album, Melting Pot, was nominated in 2006 for one of the UK’s most prestigious music awards, the Nationwide Mercury Prize, alongside the likes of Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Arctic Monkeys and Muse, and it also won ‘Jazz Album of the Year’ at the UK’s first Parliamentary Jazz Awards.

Her fourth album, Where Rivers Meet, is a stunning collaboration with her brother Idris, exploring music from their Bengali heritage, which creates “a wholly original brand of Anglo-Asian music” (Sunday Times).

Zoe has been invited to play at many international jazz festivals and has worked extensively throughout the UK and internationally, including performances in USA, Japan, Australia, North Sea Jazz, Kuwait, Sweden, Norway, Italy, France, Barbados, Romania, Hungary, Ireland, Algeria, Estonia, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka.

She has been a featured artist on numerous TV and radio programmes and is frequently invited to sit on high-profile panels – most notably, the Mercury Music Prize, BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year, Nottingham International Jazz Piano competition. She shares her passion for music through teaching in a variety of contexts, inspiring musicians of all ages and abilities. From 2013-14 she was Artist in Residence with youth big band “Jazz Vehicle” in Lincoln.

For our first concert at Wimbledon High School, we are proud to present an evening dedicated to the celebration of female composers. Featuring Clara Schumann, Lili & Nadia Boulanger, Fanny Mendelssohn, Rebecca Clarke and Kate Whitely, the outstanding pieces we have selected will be accompanied by extracts from their letters and other correspondence read by Gabrielle Lloyd.

'The essential conditions of everything you do must be choice, love, passion'    Nadia Boulanger

ON THE PROGRAMME

Rebecca Clarke - Sonata for viola and piano
Lili Boulanger - D’un matin de printemps, piano trio 
Nadia Boulanger - Three pieces for cello and piano 
Clara Schumann - Piano Trio in C minor 
Kate Whitely – Duo for violin and viola 
Fanny Mendelssohn - Piano Quartet 

The concert is open to everyone and tickets are free. Refreshments will be available from 6:30pm. The concert will end by 9:30pm. www.jigsawplayers.co.uk

LOCATION: Senior Hall, Wimbledon High School, Mansel Road, Wimbledon, LONDON SW19 4AB

We are thrilled to have been invited to feature in an evening celebration culture in our borough.

Film festival launch, 26 November 2018

We are proud to be launching a brand new film festival in 2019. We are kicking off early with a stunning launch event kindly hosted by the New Wimbledon Theatre. This is a chance to hear more about FilmMerton, watch stunning headline acts and find out how to get involved with this bold and ambitious project. 

• What is it? Red Carpet Event

• Where is it? New Wimbledon Theatre

• When is it? 26 November 2018, 6pm

• Who is it for? Open to everyone

• How much? Free

• Why? To celebrate winning Mayor of London Cultural Impact Award

• How to find out more and book - https://filmmertonlaunch.eventbrite.com

• How to sign up to stay up to date - http://eepurl.com/dofb59

• Who is it organised by - The Cultural Advisory Group (Merton)

'The essential conditions of everything you do must be choice, love, passion'  Nadia Boulanger

We're off to France! As part of the "Concerts Spirituels de Nice" annual series, we will be performing our celebrated programme of all-female composers in Nice in November. As at Wimbledon Bookfest the previous month, the works of Rebecca Clarke, Clara Schumann, and Fanny Mendelssohn will feature, and we can't wait to take these to a new audience abroad.

Programme

Rebecca Clarke's Sonata for Viola having moved to US in 1916, Clarke wrote this piece for a competition. Out of 72 entries she tied first with Ernest Bloch, a Swiss composer, and despite being the favourite, Bloch was declared the winner. This work is exuberant, full of optimism and brio, and based on a quote by French poet Alfred de Musset, "Poet, take up your lute; the wine of youth this night is fermenting in the veins of God."

Clara Schumann's Piano Trio

Fanny Mendelssohn's Piano quartet in A flat

VENUE: Eglise Protestante. 21 Boulevard Victor Hugo, Nice, France

TIME: 5PM - 6PM 

On Saturday 10th November, we will perform a concert at Wimbledon Synagogue in commemoration of 80 years since the horrors of Kristallnacht. We have chosen a programme representing a musical journey through time with at the centre of the evening, works by victims of the Holocaust such as Erwin Schulhoff . On either sides, works by Ravel, Bloch, Messiaen & Popper amongst others will be performed.

We are also honoured to welcome Ruth Posner, a Polish Holocaust survivor, former dancer and choreographer and is today an actress and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

At the end of the evening those who wish to do so, will have the opportunity of making a donation to Yad Vashem. An evening of remembrance and hope represented through the power of music.

VENUE: Wimbledon Synagogue, Queensmere Road, London SW19 5PB

TIME: 7.30pm - 9.30pm

TICKETS: £15, £5 students

ON THE PROGRAMME

Maurice Ravel - Kaddish

Ernest Bloch - “From Jewish life”

Erwin Schulhoff - Extract from the duo

Max Bruch - Kol Nidre

Olivier Messian - Extract from the Quartet for the end of times

David Popper - Requiem (arrangement by Konstantin Boyarski)

MUSICIANS FOR THE EVENING

Jenny Lewisohn & Emmanuella Reiter, viola

Bartholmew LaFollette, cello

Sophia Rahman, piano

We are delighted to present Titoks, the Estonian Gypsy-Jazz trio and young, virtuoso team. Titoks brings to the audience Django Reinhardt's finest songs, and Raimond Valgre's unforgettable melodies, all in a gypsy jazzy key. Improvisational dialogue makes for an evening audiences never forget. 

We are proud to sponsor Titoks in partnership Light House Restaurant. Chef Chris Casey has even devised an Estonian-inspired menu to tie it all together!

VENUE: Light House Restaurant

TIME: 7.30pm - 9.30pm 

PRICE: £35 - includes concert and a three-course meal with coffee

TICKETS: Call the Light House Restaurant on 020 8944 6338 and quote “Jigsaw Players’ Jazz evening”

6 string pieces, 6 wines, 6 canapés

We are very excited to present an innovative and fun evening of classical music-playing, set to local wine dealer Hannibal Brown's world-class artisan wines. We have chosen 6 stringed pieces that we think best complement 3 white wines and 3 red wines. At the end of this unique music-tasting event, guests will be able to vote for the most successful pairing. 

Tasting notes and talks have been prepared, and canapés to complement the wines will also be provided. At this event you get to be up close and personal with the players, and music - prepare to be transported . . .

(Price is all-inclusive.) 

VENUE: Merton Arts Space, Wimbledon Library, SW19 7NB - 2 minutes from Wimbledon Tube

TIME: Doors open at 7.30pm for a prompt start at 7.45pm

Some seating available.

PROGRAMME

MUSIC WINE

Elgar - Chanson du Matin, matched to: Davenport England

Haydn - 'The Joke', last movement, matched to: Bon Courage Gewurztraminer South Africa 

Dvorak - 'American': 1st movement, matched to: The Architect Australia

Mozart - Eine Kleine Nacht Musik, matched to: La Barbe, Merlot France 

Granados - Danzas espanolas Andaluza, matched to: Rioja Reserva Spain

Beethoven - String Quartet op. 59 no. 3 - last movement, matched to: Casas del Bosque Syrah Spain

And thank you to Franco Manca for kindly providing our musicians with pizza during their rehearsal!!