iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 23/08/2025

How glorious to see & hear Judith Weir’s gorgeous 2000 song cycle woman.life.song transformed into a chamber opera by Birmingham Opera. Great staging, singing, playing & conducting (Alpesh Chauhan), with lots of past & present musicians from @royalbirmcons.bsky.social & @thecbso.bsky.social involved

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

This is excellent news. The fall in A Level Music remains a concern, but a second material increase in GCSE music numbers is a cause for celebration. Young people still want to make music and compose IF their school gives them that opportunity!

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

I think if I lived here I might not get round to composing any more masterpieces either.

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

Serendipity Festival Day 4: 28 years after it was founded by the genius Joe Broughton, the @royalbirmcons.bsky.social Folk Ensemble finally took to the stage at Symphony Hall!

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 25/05/2025

Serendipity Birmingham Day 3: @royalbirmcons.bsky.social @mybcu.bsky.social Banda Brasileira entertaining a large audience in the JBPS @bmusicltd.bsky.social Symphony Hall. Portuguese music (as heard in Friday’s Fados) travelled to Goa & Brazil & now we’re uniting the traditions!

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

Standing ovation for Sempre Fado at @royalbirmcons.bsky.social last night, a brilliant opening to Serendipity Festival Birmingham. Lots more events between now and Monday!

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

Serendipity Arts Festival Birmingham Day 1: the exhibitions are up @royalbirmcons.bsky.social and looking stunning! Events today at 1100, 1500 & 1900 @mybcu.bsky.social

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

Delighted to appear on BBCWM this evening to talk about the amazing Serendipity Birmingham Festival taking place this weekend at @royalbirmcons.bsky.social @mybcu.bsky.social and @bmusicltd.bsky.social Full details: Serendipityartsfestival.com/birmingham And www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoir...

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 10/05/2025

Congratulations to all at WNO for a magnificent Peter Grimes tonight at Birmingham Hippodrome. Chorus, Orchestra were tremendous and the splendidly detailed performances from a great cast (with terrible 80s hair) were spellbinding. Full house too. #WNOGrimes

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

“A Pope from Chicago? Yes, I’m available. And here are my conditions”

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

What a joy to start the afternoon at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with a recital by the great Roderick Williams (& Andrew West) who gave us a gorgeous tour of Victorian (and later) orientalism ending with songs by Harry T Burleigh, the composer who introduced Dvorak to African-American music.

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 22/03/2025

The last @royalbirmcons.bsky.social Yr3 Acting production of the year: a mesmerising, musically rich version of Pam Gems’ Piaf with brilliant ensemble cast. Great movement & singing, and at its centre an astonishing performance by Bella Gabor as Piaf. Great arrangements by Daniel Blanco Albert too!

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

Big congrats to the @BirmCons @MyBCU actors who recreated 1936 Ireland in Brian Friel’s bittersweet Dancing at Lughnasa. A superb evening. NB to @Apple: I’m sure there ARE people Dancing at Lufthansa tonight now that Heathrow is reopening, but your autocorrect read my mind incorrectly.

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

Hello @bristolbeacon.bsky.social! Well this is nice! My first visit since CBSO & Mirga gave the final orchestral concert in the Colston Hall in 2018.

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

Two tremendous casts, one magnificent comic opera: Britten’s Albert Herring looking and sounding absolutely brilliant last night & today with both casts of @royalbirmcons.bsky.social singers (and the superb orchestra) on top form. And all 4 performances sold out, too! @mybcu.bsky.social

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

RBQ 2025: the Midlands team’s battle to defend our title begins this afternoon with two matches against Northern Ireland. I will be sworn to secrecy either way until the broadcasts….. @bbcradio4.bsky.social

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

So the reviews & word of mouth were right: Festen @royaloperahouse.bsky.social is sensationally effective and moving. I can’t remember a new opera in my decades of going that has been quite such a hit both with critics and the public. Bravi tutti especially Allan Clayton & Ed Gardner + Orchestra

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

Fantastic French concert this evening by @royalbirmcons.bsky.social Symphony Orchestra & Karen Ní Bhroin. A Berlioz UK premiere (sic!), Satie, Mel Bonis, La Valse & Ravel Left Hand played magnificently by RBC’s Georgian star pianist Salomé Chitaia. Tomorrow: Boulez’s Sur incises! @mybcu.bsky.social

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

So with this much notice is it easier to teach some astronauts how to drill, or teach some oilmen how to become astronauts?

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

After a long day, it’s great to unwind in the company of our brilliant @royalbirmcons.bsky.social Percussionists & Stage Managers. And what a programme! @MyBCU

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

To be honest it was brave of Pep to pick a defender who hasn’t yet had his 6th birthday. #MCICHE

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

Next up: Republicans vote to confirm their new Education Secretary

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

Great account of BBC Proms audiences from this 1945 book on ‘The Orchestra in England’. How much has changed?

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Post you from a different era? 1980s on top of the Pont du Gard. Before that was banned by the woke French authorities….

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Delighted to be back in one of my happy places! RBC Salsa Orchestra at Hockley Social Club.

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

Even the hard-working CBSO musicians would balk at this much music in this short a time….

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

Nice little church they have in Milan

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

Really enjoying the conference of the Association of European Conservatoires, on my 1st visit to the amazing, historic Milan Conservatorio, named for a young composer (Verdi) they turned down (!). Delighted to talk about some of the initiatives we have at RBC to connect students & the music world.

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Stephen Maddock @stephenmaddock.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

Absolutely brilliant evening at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with the force of nature that is Abel Selaocoe and Manchester Collective. Totally inspiring for our current students - and hopefully some future students who were there tonight having done their auditions today!

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