The Thrupiece Philharmonic Orchestra has today announced that Russian conducting sensation Irina Legova has agreed to become the Orchestra's new Chief Conductor and Music Director. She is the first woman to assume the prestigious post, taking over from founding Music Director Addinsell Threadbone who becomes Conductor Laureate at the beginning of the 2017-18 Season.
Ms Legova's first concert with the Orchestra as Chief Conductor will take place on 29 July at The Arts Centre, Chetnole where the programme will feature - in tribute to her predecessor - the Film Music of Addinsell Threadbone including his recently completed Suddenly It's Christmas Suite.
Ms Legova who has been the Orchestra's guest conductor on several occasions scored a huge artistic triumph last year when she conducted the first UK performance of Andrei Brianovich Kondrashin's Symphony No 4 "The Space Race" at the Threadbone Maggio Musicale Festival. Her appointment was welcomed both by Orchestra Board Chair Mrs Amanda J Threadbone and by the Orchestra's leader, violinist Ivor Downbow. "She has expressive hands and a clear beat", he added, "and will be better on the eye than her predecessor". Mr Threadbone's conducting technique - never the strongest - had deteriorated noticeably in recent years as a result of which he had acquired the nickname Radox. Asked to explain this, Mr Downbow smiled "Well you know those jokes that start with 'What's the difference between a something and a something? Put it this way. A Radox bath bucks up the feet."
Ms Legova is well-known as a pioneer of new Russian music and is expected to lead the Orchestra in a different artistic direction to her predecessor who specialised in the works of late 20th and early 21st century Dorset composers (chiefly his own).
Ms Legova takes over the Orchestra at an interesting time as it prepares to take up permanent residence in the Thrupiece Philharmonic Hall (due for completion in 2018) and she has ambitious plans for the inaugural season. "We will play beautiful music of all nations", she explained in a heavily inflected but sexually-charged accent. "Perhaps we play especially Russian composers: more Kondrashin of course because he is genius but not well known in the West, but also female composers like Olga Thrupova and Natalia Piecovich". Several new commissions are in prospect and some will be recorded as part of Ms Legova's new exclusive contract with Hornimint Classics.
The concert on 29 July is co-sponsored by the thrupiece organisation and Dorset Arts.
Russian conducting sensation Irina Legova becomes The Thrupiece Philharmonic Orchestra's new Chief Conductor and Music Director and will conduct the Orchestra in the World Premiere of Addinsell Threadbone's Suddenly It's Christmas Suite on 29 July at The Arts Centre, Chetnole.
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