News: Latest From The Show
Recent News
19.08.08Don't smile at the brass ...
In the run-up to Episode 2 of Maestro, Katie Derham explained her preparations to readers of the Sunday Times. For Katie, rehearsing Wagner's The Ride of the Valkyries in the basement of Bloomsbury's Indian YMCA with the 60-strong amateur orchestra I Maestri, the challenge was to find an acceptable balance for the big Germanic sound she was looking for."How do you find the right words to tell a big bunch of trombone players, 'You’re great, but please keep it down a bit - I can’t hear the strings'?" she explained. Katie had rehearsed the piece with a two-piano ensemble but the "amazing wall of sound" of the full orchestra was a complete revelation. "Those trombones can really bellow!"
"One surprising thing I’ve discovered is that it does make a difference if you’re slight. I’m 5ft 8in and no waif, but compared with a big barrel of a chap like Goldie I find it harder to convey sustained levels of intensity and energy. The orchestra is looking to you for the nuance, feeling, interpretation and character of the music - and you have to give them all that without using words.
"For me, the key is to stay really rooted - and resist the temptation to shimmy around, light on my feet."
Recent News
08.12.08More Maestro for Christmas
A revealing new documentary, Maestro: The Inside Story, will be shown over Christmas.
13.09.08Sue takes Hyde Park by Storm
Maestro winner Sue Perkins tonight wowed the 35,000-strong Proms in the Park audience at the Last Night of the Proms.
10.09.08Sue's win - first verdicts from the press
Charlotte Higgins, the Guardian’s arts correspondent, was first up with a review of the Maestro Final posted on the Guardian Culture Blog at 9.53 this morning. A Spectator review has also been posted by Henrietta Bredin.
09.09.08Congratulations to Sue Perkins!
At tonight’s Grand Final, writer and comedienne Sue Perkins emerged from the audience vote to win the BBC’s first ever Maestro competition.
04.09.08Vengerov flies in for Final
Virtuoso violinist and conductor Maximum Vengerov will replace Simone Young on the panel of judges for the Maestro Final on Tuesday 9 September.
02.09.08Dramatic vote saves Jane and Goldie
The Maestro series reached new levels of tension as four students faced the orchestra vote.
01.09.08Opera stars join Maestro
Soprano Rebecca Evans and tenor Alfie Boe will join the Maestro show for Episode 4.
01.09.08Do Men Hog the Podium?
Will female conductors ever achieve equality? I think they will, says conductor Madeleine Lovell
01.09.08Press on 'posh talent show'
TV talent shows come in many demographically targeted guises - I commend a different event - Maestro.
26.08.08Bradley exits the competition
Bradley Walsh did not survive the BBC Concert Orchestra’s vote this week.
26.08.08Behind the scenes
Maestro viewers have asked about the various musicians who have helped the students in their preparation.
22.08.08What the papers said ...
I watched Maestro (BBC2) mostly because it was there … how wrong could I be because it was riveting.
22.08.08Sue's reality check
Maestro student Sue Perkins posted a thoughtful article in the Guardian newspaper. These are her thoughts on what she has learned
22.08.08How Goldie got into Classical
Ex-grilfriend Bjork had a hand in Goldie’s conversion to classical …
22.08.08The Thoughts of Alex and Brad
Alex: “The first thing you have to learn as a conductor is how to stand up straight.”
21.08.08Lessons learned, by David Soul
Rejected student David Soul bares his … about what he learned from the Maestro experience.
19.08.08Second student leaves Maestro
Following the BBC Concert Orchestra’s vote, Bradley Walsh was saved and David Soul exited the competition.
19.08.08Don't smile at the brass ...
In the run-up to Episode 2, Katie Derham has been finding out how to get an orchestra to do what she wants …
12.08.08First student exits Maestro
The BBC Concert Orchestra decides who remains in the competition.
05.08.08How hard can it be?
Journalist Christopher Middleton visitis the students as they try out their conducting skills on an orchestra of young musicians in a church in London.
BBC iD
BBC iDBBC navigation
BBC links
BBC © 2014The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.
