A performance by the Academy of St Martin in the Fields with the conductor Oliver Zeffman and Polish countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński inaugurated the Music x Museums series. The first concert of the series took place on 1st April at the V&A Museum. The concert celebrated the opening of the V&A exhibition Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear.

An innovative blend of music, art and architecture- Orliński and Zeffman in Concert

The Music x Museums series, designed and conducted by Oliver Zeffman, aims to be “a meaningful way of reigniting cultural activity and bringing audiences back to the heart of London”. The collaboration between musicians and museums is particularly important as the culture industry has been drastically affected by the Covid19 pandemic. As part of the series, musical performances have been organized in London’s largest museums. On 1st April, members of the V&A museum could enjoy a special concert with conductor Oliver Zeffman and countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński in the Raphael Courts. 

https://twitter.com/britishpoles/status/1509994524180983819?s=20&t=X5TpXdtZgPHwFalR0sk5qA

The programme of the event was inspired by the Fashioning Masculinities exhibition, which focused on three themes: undressed, overdressed and redressed. As a result, the concert reflected the themes through several contrasting musical pieces and the appearance of a countertenor, “a male voice that occupies a range now associated with female singers”. Polish countertenor and Julliard graduate Jakub Józef Orliński, often praised for his angelic voice, made a special one-time appearance as part of the Music x Museums series. You can read more about the critically acclaimed Jakub Józef Orliński in our recent interview.

The programme of the event was as follows: 

Lully 'Le Bourgeois gentilhomme’ – Overture (arr. A. Gies) 

Cavalli 'Lucidissima face’ from 'La Calisto’ 

Handel 'Siam prossimi al porto’ from 'Rinaldo’ 

Handel 'Furibondo spira il vento’ from 'Partenope’ 

Caroline Shaw 'Entr’acte’ 

Handel 'Cara sposa’ from 'Rinaldo’ 

Handel 'Agitato da fiere tempeste’ from 'Riccardo Primo’ 

Stravinsky 'Apollo’ 

Future concerts, which are part of the Music x Museums series, are scheduled to take place at the British Library, the Science Museum and the Cutty Sark Museum.

When will we be able to hear Jakub Józef Orliński and Oliver Zeffman again?

As Jakub Józef Orliński and Oliver Zeffman continue to make global appearances in the upcoming weeks, they are scheduled to return to London promptly. Fans will have a chance to see Jakub Józef Orliński in a recital with Michał Biel at the Wigmore Hall on 1st May.

On 22nd April, Oliver Zeffman will appear with the Bach Choir at the British Library with a concert honouring the exhibition Beethoven Idealist. Innovator. Icon. 

“The grand Entrance Hall will resonate to the sound of a 50-piece orchestra, its balconies arrayed with the rich voices of the Bach Choir, as we present two of Beethoven’s most admired orchestral works. A precursor to his Ninth Symphony, Beethoven’s sparkling 1808 Choral Fantasy for piano, vocal soloists, chorus and orchestra is a poetic tribute to the divine power of music. His Symphony No. 6 in F major, also known as the Pastoral Symphony which premiered the same year, embraces every aspect of country life – from birdsong and brooks to thunderstorms and folk dance.” – The British Library

Author: Marta Kakol

Picture: Photo by Kamil Szkopik, Jakub Józef Orliński Portraits