The third Music@Malling Festival took place in the last week of September. Highlights included Stravinsky - The Soldier's Tale with Chamber Domaine conducted by Thomas Kemp for 1,200 primary school children. The concerts were narrated by Matthew Sharp and were in collaboration with read more »
Britten's Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge op. 10 were commissioned by the Boyd Neel Orchestra and premiered at the Salzburg Festival in August 1937. The work brought the composer to international attention and is a staple of the string orchestra repertoire. It is a virtuosic showcase rich in contrasts, its music full of...
Exploring the background to Così has been a fascinating journey of discovery in preparing for the performances I am conducting for Opera Holland Park. Equally fascinating is how this opera is so relevant to our times, containing seeds of modernism in terms of its approach to the music and drama: something this opera is rarely associated with. We often...
Thomas conducts the University of London Symphony Orchestra in Sibelius' 2nd and Martinu's 6th Symphonies. The ensemble is one of the leading youth orchestras in the UK and underlines Thomas' commitment to training young...
Thomas Kemp conducts Britten Serenade with Nicky Spence and Stephen Stirling at Wigmore Hall where the work was premiered in October 1943. The concert, the culmination of a schools project led by composer, David Horne is part of the Wigmore's celebration of Britten's centenary and is supported by the Monument Trust, Samuel Sebba Charitable Trust...
The second Music@Malling Festival took place between 27th and 30th September, attracting a huge crowd to the beautiful venues in an around West Malling. This year, the festival showcased some of Charles Dickens’ favourite composers – Mozart, Mendelssohn and Chopin as well as works by Huw Watkins and Judith Bingham. Dickens, who celebrates his 200th birthday this year, lived locally...
An outstanding review in Opera Now for Cosi fan Tutte at Opera Holland Park. "Cosi Fan Tutte was conducted with real shape and nuance by Thomas Kemp...Altogether this was the most original and idiomatic attempt on this ungraspable work London has seen in a long time. " Robert...
This Saturday at 1pm Thomas will be conducting Dance Holland Park, an afternoon of outstanding new dance work created by up-and-coming choreographers from English National Ballet, Union Dance, Combination Dance, Akademi and the Romanian Cultural Institute. Five young choreographers have been commissioned to produce a new piece based on operas in the Opera Holland Park 2012 season. Mozart’s...
Since its opening night on Friday the 8th of June, Opera Holland Park’s ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’ has welcomed outstanding reviews, in particular for Thomas Kemp who ‘makes an exceptional debut as an opera conductor and coaxes a ravishing blend of colours and expression from the supple, responsive City of London Sinfonia’ ( read more »
This summer, Thomas Kemp makes his Opera Holland Park debut conducting their new production of Mozart’s Così fan tutte. The new production, directed by Harry Fehr, features an exciting cast including Elizabeth Llewellyn as Fiordiligi, Andrew Staples as Ferrando, and Julia Riley as Dorabella. The engagement at Opera Holland Park marks Thomas’ operatic debut; a genre he...