King's College, Cambridge to release an album with cellist Guy Johnston to celebrate the return of his Tecchler cello to

Rome

Tecchler’s Cello From Cambridge to Rome

GUY JOHNSTON cello Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Carlo Rizzari conductor Choir of King’s College, Cambridge Stephen Cleobury conductor Sheku Kanneh-Mason cello Tom Poster piano Magnus Johnston violin Release date: 8 September 2017 Feature tracks available on Apple Music and Spotify from May 2017

The record label of King's College, Cambridge launch a major new series of alumni recordings with an album by cellist Guy Johnston, which celebrates the 300th anniversary of his Tecchler cello. The cello’s homecoming to Rome in January for a recording of Respighi’s Adagio con variazioni with the Orchestra dell’Accademia di Santa Cecilia is the culmination of year-long journey from Cambridge, Hatfield House and London’s Wigmore Hall. Also a homecoming for Guy Johnston, the project begins in Cambridge with a recording of Ola Gjeilo’s O Magnum Mysterium with the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge. Guy Johnston's cello was broken on a trans-Atlantic flight 10 years ago, prompting a long search for a new instrument. Guy was helped to buy the 1714 David Tecchler cello by a consortium of generous patrons and the Royal Society of Musicians. The presentation of the album will mirror Guy’s journey, telling his story through four key tracks that were recorded in venues close to his heart and with collaborators from across Johnston’s musical life; including his brother Magnus, pianist Tom Poster and BBC Young Musician of the Year 2016 Sheku Kanneh-Mason. These tracks will be available on Apple Music and Spotify, accompanied by video material, and released from May through August, before the full album launches in September. Follow Guy on Apple Music and Spotify and subscribe to his YouTube channel for the latest updates. To mark the 300th anniversary of the Tecchler cello, Johnston has also commissioned three new works by Mark Simpson, David Matthews and Charlotte Bray; recordings of which are featured on the album.

Tecchler’s Cello: From Cambridge to Rome will be available on CD, with an illustrated booklet, and on all major digital music services from September. Visit the link below for more information.

https://tecchler300.wordpress.com/ Tracks: Ola Gjeilo O Magnum Mysterium - Guy Johnston cello Stephen Cleobury conductor King’s College Choir AVAILABLE ON APPLE MUSIC AND SPOTIFY FROM 5 MAY 2017 Beethoven Ghost trio Guy Johnston cello Tom Poster piano Magnus Johnston violin 3rd MOVEMENT AVAILABLE ON APPLE MUSIC AND SPOTIFY FROM 2 JUNE 2017 Barrière Duo Guy Johnston cello Sheku Kanneh-Mason cello 3rd MOVEMENT AVAILABLE ON APPLE MUSIC AND SPOTIFY FROM 7 JULY 2017 Mark Simpson Un Regalo Guy Johnston cello AVAILABLE ON APPLE MUSIC AND SPOTIFY FROM 4 AUGUST 2017 David Matthews Ein Celloleben Guy Johnston cello Charlotte Bray Perseus Guy Johnston cello Tom Poster piano Respighi Adagio con Variazioni Guy Johnston cello Carlo Rizzari conductor Orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia

Forthcoming highlights:

27 April 2017 | Hatfield House Launch Concert for Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival 5 May 2017 | LSO St Luke’s Schumann Cello Concerto with Faust Chamber Orchestra 12 May 2017 | King’s Place, London Cello Unwrapped Festival 24 May 2017 | West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge Endellion String Quartet 18-23 September 2017 | Leicester Leicester International Chamber Music Festival 28 September – 1st October 2017 | Hatfield House Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival 14 October 2017 | Wigmore Hall Three concerts to celebrate Chopin 15 October 2017 | Sage Gateshead Elgar Cello Concerto with Royal Northern Sinfonia Guy Johnston Guy Johnston is one of the most exciting and versatile British cellists of his generation. Born into a musical family, Guy joined his brothers in the world-renowned choir of King's College, Cambridge, where he recorded the famous carol Once in Royal David's City, under Stephen Cleobury. He went on to achieve important early successes through the BBC Young Musician of the Year title, the Guilhermina Suggia Gift, the Shell London Symphony Orchestra Gerald MacDonald Award and receiving a Classical Brit Award at the Royal Albert Hall. His mentors have included Steven Doane, Ralph Kirshbaum, Bernard Greenhouse, Steven Isserlis and David Waterman. Guy plays a 1714 David Tecchler cello, generously on loan from the Godlee-Tecchler Trust which is administered by The Royal Society of Musicians. King’s College, Cambridge The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge regards recording as an integral part of its musical activities, and its label is not named as a separate entity. The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge is one of the world’s foremost choirs and unquestionably among the most widely heard. It owes its existence to King Henry VI, who envisaged the daily singing of services in its magnificent chapel. This remains an important part of the lives of its sixteen choristers, who are educated at King’s College School, and the fourteen choral scholars and two organ scholars, who study a variety of subjects in the College. The Choir has produced numerous professional singers including James Gilchrist, Christopher Purves and Gerald Finley. The Choir’s recordings are released in partnership with LSO Live Ltd. They are distributed in the UK by [PIAS], in the US by Naxos of America and in Italy by Ducale and are distributed digitally by The Orchard. Extended biographies and interviews are available on request.

www.guy-johnston.com

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