Lovers of live music are chord-ially invited to the weekly Lunchbreak Concerts series which returns to Aberdeen Art Gallery’s Cowdray Hall this month.
The season opens on Thursday 12 September with North Sea Sketches by jazz duo Neil Birse and Matthew Kilner, presented in association with Haddo Arts Festival.
The weekly programme continues until May, bringing accessible concerts by local music groups, emerging artists and professional musicians to the city centre. Further highlights include recitals by three of BBC Radio 3’s Next Generation Artists: Alim Beisembayev, Chaos Quartet and Ryan Corbett & Geneva Lewis. These will be recorded for broadcast. Pianist Alim Beisembayev performs on Wednesday 3 October. He made his Royal Albert Hall BBC Proms debut in summer 2023, performing Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2. The link with the BBC continues in February with a concert by Calum McIlroy, BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician of the Year.
This Cowdray Hall was funded by a gift from Annie, Viscountess Cowdray and was constructed to encourage “a taste for art and music in the city of Aberdeen.” It continued the expansion of the Art Gallery (established 1885) and was designed by the same architect, Alexander Marshall Mackenzie, who was also responsible for Australia House and the Waldorf Hotel in London. The Cowdray Hall was opened on 25 September 1925 by King George V and Queen Mary. The redevelopment of Aberdeen Art Gallery (2015–2019) has placed this beautiful venue with its exceptional acoustic at the centre of the Art Gallery complex, a place that celebrates the inspiring power of art and music. Lunchbreak Concerts are just one aspect of a busy programme in the Hall, which also hosts special evening and weekend concerts, talks and lectures, Baby Boogie sessions and Family Ceilidhs
Councillor Martin Greig, Aberdeen City Council’s culture spokesman, said: “As we enter the Cowdray Hall’s centenary year, it is great to welcome back the Lunchbreak Concerts series. These 45-minute performances offer a splendid opportunity to enjoy the power of music in the middle of the day. Over 150 musicians performed at last year’s concerts. The local music groups, emerging artists and professionals who play give a great deal of pleasure to listeners. It is good to know that audience numbers at last year’s concerts was up at 5,000. We look forward to building on that in the year ahead.”
Lunchbreak Concerts
Every Thursday, 12 September–19 December 2024 and 16 January–29 May 2025
12:45–13:30, Cowdray Hall, Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill, AB10 1FQ
Lunchbreak Concerts are offered on a ‘Pay What You Can’ basis to support the programme and everyone is welcome, no booking required. For full programme details, including occasional pre-concert talks, visit www.aagm.co.uk
More music to enjoy at the Cowdray Hall
Lunchbreak Concerts are part of a wider programme of activities across Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums’ venues, including a performance of Fraser Fifield’s album One Great Circle, which was called “dazzling and exquisite” by Songlines magazine, and the launch of French pianist Eloïse Bella Kohn’s new album, Parisian, presented in partnership with the Institut Français d’Ecosse.
One Great Circle
Sunday 17 November, 14:00-15:30, £16 (£12)
Parisian by Eloïse Bella Kohn
Wednesday 28 November, 19:30-21:30, £16 (£12)
Image: Tripple perform on Thursday 26 September. Born from a love of North-East community singing, Tripple create emotive and dynamic arrangements of well-known songs.