Rising Stars

Three to look out for…

Isha Crichlow Clarinettist

Born: London, UK

Career highlight: Playing alongside the London Philharmonic Orchestra as part of its Foyle Future Firsts development scheme. It has really cemented my love of orchestral collaboration and performance. Musical heroes: I’ve been a keen birdwatcher for even longer than I’ve played the clarinet, and I’ve always loved the way Messiaen weaves birdsong into his music. I particularly love his Catalogue d’oiseaux, a musical ‘field guide’ complete with his written descriptions of the birds’ unique personalities.

Dream concert: I’d love to perform somewhere totally wild – in the middle of a forest or on a clifftop – where the sounds of nature provide relief from the awkward silences between movements!

Harry Sever

Conductor

Born: London, UK

Career highlight: Bizet’s Carmen at Opera North this season – a beautiful production with a great cast. Working with touring companies is brilliant – you always hope there’s someone in the audience experiencing the thrill of music for the first time.

Musical hero: Claudio Abbado’s recordings are so fresh and vibrant – he encouraged a sense of making chamber music. He had humility and respect for the musicians, but also creativity and playfulness.

Dream concert: Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, staged with contemporary dancers. I love interdisciplinary collaboration – there’s so much we can learn from one another. Anna Im

Violinist

Born: Daejeon,

South Korea

Career highlight: Winning the 10th Michael Hill International

Violin Competition, and recording my debut album of Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Clara Schumann, Paganini and Grieg midpandemic as part of the winner’s prize. Musical heroes: The array of emotions you can experience in a single moment listening to the music of Brahms is astonishing. I cannot imagine this extreme depth of feeling being communicated in any other artform. Dream concert: Performing Mozart’s Sinfonia concertante with violist Tabea Zimmermann and the Berlin Philharmonic.