Harriet Mackenzie & Morgan Szymanski

Harriet MacKenzie and Morgan Szymanski present an evening of works for violin and guitar, from Baroque greats Vivaldi and Bach to Piazzolla’s iconic Histoire de Tango.

Harriet MacKenzie (violin)
Morgan Szymanski (guitar)

Vivaldi Violin Concerto in D major Op. 3/9 RV230
Ponce Estrellita from Two Canciones Mexicanas
Agustin Barrios Una Limosna por el Amor de Dios (guitar solo)
De Falla Canciones Populares Españolas
De Falla Spanish Dance from La Vie Breve
Paganini Cantabile M.S. 109
Bach Andante from Sonata in A minor for solo violin BW3 1003
Sarasate Romanza Andaluza from Spanish Dances Op. 22
Piazzolla Histoire de Tango

Harriet Mackenzie is an internationally renowned concerto soloist and has performed across five continents. Her recordings include concertos with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Nova and the English Symphony Orchestra and she has recorded on the NMC, Dutton, Discovery and Nimbus labels.

As well as performing all the standard repertoire, Harriet is an ambassador for contemporary music. She has performed many world premieres with music specifically written for her, including Robert Fokkens’ violin concerto (premiered Southbank Centre); Graham Coatman’s  violin concerto (premiered Swaledale Festival) and Deborah Prichard’s ‘Wall of Water’ violin concerto (premiered LSO St Luke’s). She has performed as a soloist in prestigious halls such as the Concertgebouw, Wigmore Hall, Budapest Marble Hall, Auditorio Nationale Madrid and Kyiv Hall of Marble Columns. A multi-faceted virtuoso, she is also fascinated by world music styles and composes and improvises in many different styles.

As well as her solo work, she is also a founder member of the innovative trio Kosmos Ensemble, violin duo Retorica, the Karolos Ensemble and also performs with pianists Christopher Glynn, Anna Tilbrook, Danny Driver and guitarist Morgan Szymanski.

Harriet graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with First Class honours, M.Mus and DipRAM. In 2015, she was made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM). Also in 2015, she was awarded the Richard Carne Fellowship at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music. Future highlights include solo and chamber music performances in China, Channel Islands, Italy, Scotland, Sweden, Spain, Germany, South Korea and Japan.

Described as ‘a player destined for future glories’ (Classical Guitar Magazine) Morgan Szymanski has been highlighted as ‘One to Watch’ by both Gramophone Magazine and the BBC Music Magazine. A featured artist on the cover of Classical Guitar Magazine, Morgan Szymanski was also selected as a finalist for the ‘Outstanding Young Artist Award’ by MIDEM Classique/IAMA.

Born in Mexico City in 1979, Morgan Szymanski started playing the guitar at the age of six. Early studies at the National Music School (Mexico) and the Edinburgh Music School led to a scholarship to study under Carlos Bonell and Gary Ryan at the Royal College of Music (RCM) in London, graduating in 2004 with first class honours. During his studies he won all guitar prizes from the RCM as well as scholarships from the Tillett Trust, Countess of Munster Musical Trust, Leverhulme Trust, Wall Trust, FONCA and a scholarship to study at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He immediately went on to become the first solo guitarist to be selected by the Young Classical Artist Trust and was the first guitarist to be awarded a Junior Fellowship at the RCM, where he completed his Masters with distinction. A top prize-winner at international competitions, in 2002 Morgan won first prize at the National Guitar Competition in Mexico. Performances as a soloist and with orchestras have taken him to concert halls and festivals in Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, China, Chile, France, Germany, Guatemala, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Macedonia, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Scotland, UK, USA, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

In recent years Morgan has given recitals at major UK venues and festivals including at the Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, King’s Place, The Sage Gateshead, Royal Opera House, and London International Guitar Festival. He has appeared as a soloist with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Hallé, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México, Orchestra of the Swan, Southbank Sinfonia, Welsh Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Sinfonia, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, the Cervantes Choir and the Coro de Madrigalistas de Bellas Artes in Mexico’s Palacio de Bellas Artes. Morgan continues to build his international reputation with performances around the world, most recently including performances at the Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre, Luxembourg Philharmonie, National Concert Hall (Dublin), Vienna Konzerthaus, Festival de México and in 2015 made his debut tour in South Africa.

Morgan’s devotion to chamber music has led to collaborations with artists such as John Williams, Celso Machado and Carlos Bonell (guitar), Mark Padmore (tenor), Alison Balsom (trumpet), Harriet Mackenzie (violin), Marcelo Nisinman (bandoneon), Adam Walker and Alejandro Escuer (flute), the Sacconi, Doric, Amici, Carducci, Cremona, Carlos Chávez and Odeion Quartets.

Regularly broadcast live on TV and radio worldwide, Morgan can often be heard on BBC Radio 3. His many recordings on Sarabande Records have been described as ‘top class in every respect’ (Classical Guitar Magazine, 2005), and as ‘a jewel’ by Gramophone Magazine. On Szymanski ́s ‘Sketches of Mexico’, Gramophone Magazine called it ‘a gorgeous and original tribute to Szymanski’s homeland, its artists and its music’ with Morgan’s playing ‘of the highest order.’ He has also recorded the works of Alec Roth for the Signum Label with tenor Mark Padmore. His latest recording, ́Nuevo Mundo ́ is available on Sarabande Records and can be heard on Itunes and Spotify.

Morgan Szymanski plays on a guitar by the Chinese master guitar luthier Yulong Guo. He is a Live Music Now! alumni, the scheme started by Lord Yehudi Menuhin to reach audiences that would otherwise have no access to live music. ́ In 2016 he started PRISMA, an artistic outreach programme aimed at disadvantaged and remote areas in Mexico. Morgan is much and demand as a teacher and has given masterclasses at top conservatoires worldwide including the Royal College of Music, Royal Welsh College of Music (Cardiff) and Trinity College of Music as well as conservatoires in China and Mexico. In 2013 he was appointed resident artist at Beaminster Festival in Dorset, of which Sir Neville Marriner is Patron.

Numerous composers have dedicated works for Morgan including, Alec Roth, Stephen McNeff, Simon Rowland-Jones, Simone Iannarelli, Paul Coles and Julio César Oliva.

www.harrietmackenzie.com
www.morganszymanski.co.uk