The pianists \u2013 partners both on and off stage \u2013 pirouetted through Poulenc<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s Concerto for Two Pianos, the instruments nestled together among the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Pavel Kolesnikov\u2019s off-beat staccato phrases melded with Samson Tsoy\u2019s ascending motif; acerbic interjections shifted into poignant lyricism. <\/p> It followed on from the catchy overture to Leonard Bernstein<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s Candide<\/em>, which featured alongside the premiere of Julian Anderson\u2019s Echoes<\/em>, with bass-baritone Dav\u00f3ne Tines as the soloist. \u2018It was a classic Barbican concert in many ways,\u2019 recalls conductor Oliver Zeffman<\/a><\/strong> of last year\u2019s performance. <\/p> Indeed it was \u2013 except there were rainbow-coloured drapes behind the ensemble, the stage lights winked a bright shade of pink, and there was a greater proliferation of glitter. This was Classical Pride, the first event of its kind in the UK \u2013 and, remarkably, Europe. \u00a0<\/p> Given the popularity of Pride \u2013 now an annual summer celebration of LGBTQ+ culture, having developed from the first rally held in London in 1972 \u2013 it came as a surprise to learn that, prior to Classical Pride 2023, there had been no obvious classical music representation. Even Sainsbury\u2019s and Marmite have rainbow-coloured logos. <\/p> Zeffman seized the opportunity, curating a concert and recording a new version of Caroline Shaw<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s Is a Rose<\/em> \u2013 the three-piece song cycle, originally composed for mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter is reimagined on the recording for baritone, soprano and tenor, sung by Tines, Ella Taylor and Nicky Spence<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p> \u2018I wanted the different voice types to represent the diversity of Pride,\u2019 says Zeffman. There\u2019ll be an even broader range of styles on display this year: the first Classical Pride was so successful that it is now expanding to five shows held across five days (3-7 July). At a time where arts funding is more challenging than ever, Zeffman has achieved the unachievable: sponsors have quadrupled their commitment to the project.\u00a0<\/p> Zeffman is keen to continue his series of firsts. The festival opens with Classical Drag, an event that combines drag queens and opera. \u2018A lot of the drag queens have backgrounds in classical music,\u2019 says Zeffman, referring to saxophone-playing Snow White Trash, self-styled as \u2018the UK\u2019s saxiest drag queen\u2019 and Thorgy Thor, \u2018Queen of Classical Music\u2019 on reality TV show RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race<\/em>. <\/p> From the opera side, lyric soprano Pumeza Matshikiza and Is a Rose<\/em> soloist Spence will be making special appearances, and the lip-sync showdown \u2013 where drag queens mime to recordings \u2013 will be operatically themed. \u2018There\u2019s a huge amount of shared DNA between drag and opera,\u2019 says Zeffman. <\/p> Travesti<\/a><\/strong> roles, such as Cherubino in Mozart<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s Marriage of Figaro<\/em> and Octavian in Richard Strauss<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s Der Rosenkavalier<\/em> have long seen women dressed as men, and castrati or countertenor<\/a><\/strong> roles are often gender fluid. Historically, part of the thrill of a ‘trouser role’ was the forbidden love between same-sex couples, expressed in powerful music such as the love scenes between Octavian and Marschallin (and Sophie) in Der Rosenkavalier<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p> Voice types are no longer inextricably linked with gender. \u2018Mixed voice\u2019 choirs rather than\u00a0SATB (soprano \/ alto \/ tenor \/ bass) are encouraged in schools, as it\u2019s more inclusive for boys whose voices are changing, people who may not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth, and those who don\u2019t have an \u2018appropriate\u2019 voice for their appearance. <\/p> It\u2019s a frontier being explored on stage by transgender singers like baritone Lucia Lucas, who recently sung the lead in Tom W Green\u2019s 2017 The World\u2019s Wife<\/em> based on Carol Ann Duffy<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s collection of poems under the same title (1999). The theme is also covered by Laura Kaminsky in her opera As One<\/em>, which splits voices as \u2018Hannah Before\u2019 (baritone) and \u2018Hannah After\u2019 (mezzo-soprano).\u00a0<\/p>What is Classical Pride?<\/h2>
‘Zeffman has achieved the unachievable’<\/h3>
Who is performing at Classical Pride 2024?<\/h2>
![\"Saxophone](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-28-at-16.15.30.png\")
\u2018There\u2019s a huge amount of shared DNA between drag and opera\u2019<\/h3>
Is music becoming more inclusive?<\/h2>