Author archive: Nick Breckenfield

Recipients of the 2025 Franco Buitoni Award, percussionist Leonardo Ramadori and oboist Simone Frondini are two enterprising and like-minded musicians committed to bringing the inspiration, creativity and joy of music to communities of all ages and social groups throughout Umbria, the region of Italy they call home. This is their story, which began in 1994 […]

Read more about Musica per Crescere –
Music to Grow With

For a long time, my artistic pursuits have been concerned with the idea of ‘giving voice’- either by giving a platform to unheard voices from a community or by giving voice to the musicians of an ensemble by weaving in improvisation within notated works. In the same vein, this set of pieces takes the form […]

Read more about Giving Voice:
How three Levantine female singers inspired composer Bushra El-Turk

In the fifteen years since we founded the Dudok Quartet Amsterdam, our group has interacted with a multitude of artists over a wide spectrum of disciplines. From the most obvious neighbouring specialisms such as keyboardist and wind instrument players, we went on to collaborate with singers, dancers, choreographers and conductors, through to audio engineers, TV […]

Read more about Contemplating Commissioning

You never know, two years out when formulating a celebratory weekend, what the weather might hold for you.  Choosing June – the dates originally determined by availability of Wigmore Hall for a whole weekend – might put the odds in our favour for good weather, but it is Britain we’re talking about, with its famously […]

Read more about Verified in Peckham: BBT20 Day 1

In May of 2020 –– yes! Month 2 of pandemic lockdown! –– I received a wonderful message of introduction from Trio Sōra.  Me, a Canadian composer of a certain age based in Ottawa, and them, a young and dynamic piano trio based in Paris!   They had just been awarded the very prestigious Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship, […]

Read more about From There to Here
The Long and Winding Road

In an article written for The Arts Desk, reprinted here with permission, Judith van Driel, first violinist of the Dudok Quartet Amsterdam writes on approaching the elusive and unreachable in four chamber masterpieces as Rubicon Classics releases Brahms String Quartets and his Second String Sextet In every life there are moments of great significance. Experiences […]

Read more about Brahms and Freedom