Heinrich Biber (1644-1704)
Composer
Biber/The Man Biber was born on a large estate in 1644, in the small town of Waternberg, where his father was the huntsman.
Read MoreJessica Irvine
Singer
Self taught singer-songwriter Jessica Irvine has played in London, New York and Northern Queensland.
Read MoreChips For The Poor
DJ
Described as ‘The sound of two worlds colliding’ by Marc Riley of 6Music, Chips For The Poor have been making a name for themselves on the London music scene for a while. Harder to pin down than a giraffe, their love for the obscure conjures up images of a future imagined in the 80′s. As…
Read MoreAntonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
composer
Vivaldi/The Man Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born in Venice. He was baptized immediately after his birth by the midwife, which led many people to believe his life was somehow in danger. The real reason isn’t known for sure, it could be that he was ill or another theory is that an earthquake that day caused…
Read MoreNicky Phillips
singer
Nicky Phillips has been described as ‘a folk siren who specialises in intensely personal, confessional songwriting’. Her songs tell of the usual tales of love and heartbreak, alongside a selection of songs that explore more unusual topics such as time, wine and the Piccadilly Line.
Read MoreGeorge Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
composer
Handel/The Man Unlike Mozart who was born into music, George Frideric Handel was born into a family that weren’t fussed about it at all. His father, a barber surgeon who wanted him to study law, forbade him from playing music. Unperturbed, Handel snuck a clavichord (a sort of early keyboard) upstairs to the top room…
Read MoreLast Summers Tealights
Last Summer’s Tealights might sound like a weird cocktail and in a way it is. Set to start things off at tonight’s Night Shift, this musical ensemble fuse jazz harmonies with a potent sense of nostalgia and are the perfect intro as we return to our Queen Elizabeth Hall home, at Southbank Centre.
Read MoreWolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791)
composer
Mozart/The Man Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria, on 27 January 1756 and christened under the name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart (bit unoriginal). His dad was called Leopold Mozart and taught his children to play harpsichord, organ and violin. At 5, Mozart wrote his first composition and two years later, the Mozart children went…
Read MoreFranz Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809)
composer
Haydn/The Man Evidence suggests Haydn was a pretty nice chap; a modest but patriarchal man, who was fiercely individual to the point of occasional loneliness. His practical joking has been overplayed, but Haydn clearly liked a laugh – after all, he got on famously with that childish prankster Mozart. After struggling for years as a…
Read MoreLuigi Boccherini (1743 – 1805)
composer
Luigi Boccherini/The Man Born in the Tuscan city of Lucca in 1743, Boccherini studied the cello in Rome and soon joined his Double Bassist father and musical siblings in several tours around Europe – a bit like a classical music version of the Jackson Five really. When his father died, the young Luigi spent some…
Read MoreDomenico Dragonetti (1763 -1846)
composer
Domenico Dragonetti/ The Man Aside from the fantastic name, Dragonetti was an amazing double bassist. Born to a barber and amateur musician in 1763, he hailed from Venice and incredibly had mastered the double bass at the tender age of 12 and was appointed principal player at the Opera Buffa in Venice the following year….
Read MoreThomas Arne (1710-1778)
composer
Thomas Arne/The Man The young Arne was in training with a law practice for 3 years after leaving school, until his father finally realised his potential and allowed him to pursue music. Arne was a Catholic, and is the reason why he never composed any sacred music for the Church of England. Thomas Arne/The Music…
Read MoreJohn Blow (1649-1708)
composer
John Blow/ The Man Famous for teaching Purcell, being James II’s private musician and for landing his very first job as organist at Westminster Abbey, John Blow was born into humble origins in Nottingham in 1649. He was known for his sharp temper, handsome features and decency of character.
Read MoreCharles Avison (1709-1770)
composer
Avison / The Man A Geordie through and through, Charles Avison was born in Newcastle in 1709. Studying with the Italian Geminiani in London, the nostalgic Avison cut this study short and returned to his home city in the north where he remained for the rest of his life. Opinionated and proud, Avison didn’t have…
Read MoreClaude Debussy (1862-1918)
composer
Debussy / The Man French composer Debussy was an artist through-and-through; he enjoyed travelling to exotic places and took a strong interest in literature and visual art and used these to help shape his unique musical style.
Read MoreSir Simon Rattle
conductor
Liverpudlian Simon Rattle originally learnt the piano and violin but his first work in the orchestral world, appropriately enough given his surname, was as a percussionist.
Read MoreHector Berlioz (1803-1869)
composer
Berlioz / The Man His ‘enormous shock of light-brown hair, against the fantastic wealth of which the barber could do nothing’ reminds us that Berlioz was a Romantic to the core. Despite a poor grasp of English (at best), he seems to have had something of a penchant for Blighty – he was obsessed by…
Read MoreGiuseppe Tartini (1692-1770)
composer
Tartini/ The Man For a man who obsessed about musical theory, Tartini was no bore. He was driven by emotional ideals, practised his fencing until he could beat anyone in Istria, and even wrote a piece when an apparition of the devil appeared in his bedroom.
Read MorePeter Hellendaal (1721-1799)
composer
Hellendaal/ The Man Hellendaal must have had an aversion to hills: he moved from the Netherlands to East Anglia, via London. We don’t know much about his personality, but one picture survives of him playing his violin with a cheeky smile. Happy-go-lucky Hellendaal!
Read MoreHenry Purcell (1659 – 1695)
composer
Purcell / The Man Henry Purcell is often hailed as England’s greatest composer. Ever. Sadly, his genius was curtailed by an early death at the age of just 36. Nevertheless he had written enough masterpieces in his short life to ensure his place in the history books and indeed, the concert hall, including England’s first…
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