Rob Keeley: Trombone Sonata Matthew Gee & Chris Hopkins

• Robert Keeley: Trombone Sonata:
• 1Trombone Sonata: I. Allegro03:48
• 2Trombone Sonata: II. Adagio03:07
• 3Trombone Sonata: III. Allegro con brio03:42
• Total Runtime10:37

Info for Rob Keeley: Trombone Sonata

In his Trombone Sonata, Rob Keeley poses many technical and musical challenges for the performer, but in such a way as to never cloud the music for the listener; there is a musical clarity which lends itself wonderfully to the sonority of trombone and piano, and he creates a fascinating interplay between the two instruments which is reminiscent of Stravinsky's Neo-classical works.

Matthew Gee, trombone
Chris Hopkins, piano

Matthew Gee
is making a name for himself as one of the freshest and most imaginative performers on the current scene. He maintains a strong desire to relinquish trombone playing from its stereotype and illuminate the wider public as to the beauty and terror of this misunderstood instrument.

Matthew is Principal Trombone with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) and the Aurora Orchestra. He has played with some of the finest orchestras and chamber ensembles in the world, such as the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded and appeared in film and television scores, and worked with some of the greatest conductors of this generation.

After studying Music at King’s College London and the Royal College of Music, Matthew took up the position of Principal Trombone with the Orchestra of Scottish Opera. Since then he has held principal trombone positions with the Orquesta Filharmónica de Santiago in Chile and the Orchestra of Opera North, before starting with the RPO in January 2010.

As a soloist and chamber musician Matthew has performed internationally in some of the world’s most famous venues, including London’s Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room. He has had a number of works written for him including ‘The Conquests of Zeus’ by Oliver Rudland and ‘Circus Games’ by Rob Keeley, and gave the UK premiere of Kurt Schwertsik’s ‘Trombone Concerto’ at St John’s Smith Square. Recent performances include the UK première of Elliott Carter’s ‘Retracing V’ at Kings Place, in which he ‘guided it with just the right degree of cool vibrato’ (arts desk), and Iannis Xenakis’s ‘Keren’ in the Arcomis International Brass Festival. Concerto performances include works by Rimsky-Korsakov, Buxton Orr, Derek Bourgeois, Ferdinand David, Johann Albrechtsberger and earlier this year, Luciano Berio’s demanding concerto ‘Solo’ in the beautiful Konzerthaus in Bern.

Matthew is also Chairman of the British Trombone Society, taking an active part in promoting the trombone, developing its repertoire and bringing it to new audiences.

Chris Hopkins
Conductor and pianist Chris Hopkins is enjoying a busy season working on a wide range of projects, with opera and symphony concerts alongside concertos, solo and chamber recitals. Following from the success of his ENO debut conducting Cal McCrystal’s Iolanthe, he returned to conduct Simon McBurney’s Magic Flute in 2018/19 and is currently conducting Jonathan Miller’s legendary production of The Mikado at the London Coliseum as part of ENO’s 2019/20 season.

Previously he has worked with WNO, NI Opera, Opera Holland Park, Garsington Opera, Wide Open Opera, Opera Danube, OTC Ireland, English Chamber Orchestra, and performed at venues including the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Wigmore Hall, in the US, Asia and extensively in Europe as well as live and recorded appearances on BBC 1, Classic FM and BBC Radio 2, 3 and 4.

Chris continues into an eleventh season as Musical Director of Orchestra of the City with whom he has conducted a vast array of works including world premieres and new commissions. He continues to be in demand with a wide range of ensembles including at Presteigne Festival, London Mozart Orchestra, Royal Ballet Sinfonia, Blaze Ensemble and has premiered works by composers including Colin Matthews, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, David Matthews, Thomas Hyde, Detlev Glanert, Gilad Hochman and the Pet Shop Boys.

As a pianist, Chris has played for audiences around the world, working with orchestras in a range of concertos, including Brahms, Mozart, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Beethoven (complete) Shostakovich and Gershwin; this season he tackles Mozart 15, 16, 19, 22, 23 and 24, Rachmaninoff 2 and Shostakovich 2.

Chris was honoured in 2013 to be made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.

This album contains no booklet.