ARTISTS


THE SCHUMANN LETTERS
A STORY OF LOVE AND MUSIC IN THE SHADOW OF MADNESS

GALLERY | DESCRIPTION | BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS | RIDERS


GALLERY

 

Photography   AKAM Studio (Trio); Doug Bailey (Susan solo image)

Click each image to download


SHOW DESCRIPTION

Music by Robert Schumann
Text by Colin Fox Produced by Andrew Kwan Performed by Susan Gilmour Bailey (soprano), Michael Kim (piano), Colin Fox (narrator)
 
German composer Robert Schumann fell in love with a young virtuoso pianist Clara Wieck. Despite adamant opposition from her father throughout their courtship, the couple sought legal consent and were wed in 1840. During this time, thousands of letters were written between them which provide the inspiration for this music-as-theatre performance.

A new musical concept, The Schumann Letters has been enticing audiences with a unique combination of storytelling, piano music and song. Drawn from the thousands of historic letters written between Robert Schumann and his love, Clara, this show explores Schumann’s life, love and music by delicately intertwining narration with Schumann’s original compositions. Written and narrated by JUNO/GEMINI winner Colin Fox, with Michael Kim, piano and Susan Gilmour Bailey, soprano, The Schumann Letters appeals to voice, piano, theatre and new audiences alike.


SHOW BIOGRAPHY

Established in 2008, The Schumann Letters has toured extensively throughout the Prairie Provinces, British Columbia, Yukon and Ontario. With more than forty performances across the country and a featured spot on a national CBC broadcast, it continues to build excitement for an exquisite combination of drama, history and music. The Schumann Letters has seen performances in cities ranging from Outlook SK, to Toronto ON, and Fort McMurray AB to Winnipeg MB. This past season, The Schumann Letters saw its international debut at the Al Maiden Cultural Centre in Kuwait City presented by the Dar Museum. With enthusiastic receptions in centres small and large, the show was selected by Prairie Debut for their 2009.2010 touring roster. It has also taken part in prestigious summer festivals including the Ottawa Chamber Festival, Festival of the Sound and the Elora Festival. The 2011.12 season will see The Schumann Letters throughout the Atlantic Provinces and in Ontario.

Born and raised in Manitoba, soprano Susan Gilmour Bailey emigrated to London in 1999 to complete her Master of Music in Vocal Performance at the Royal Academy of Music. Performing throughout the United Kingdom, Europe and North America, Susan enjoys a varied career of concert, oratorio, and opera. Concert highlights include performances at the Ambronay Early Music Festival in France, Monteverdi’s Vespers in Budapest, solos with the City of London Sinfonia and with the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream under Douglas Boyd. Miss Bailey has also been guest soloist with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, City of London Sinfonia and in Canada both the Vancouver and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, among others. An experienced opera performer, Susan’s recent roles include principal leads in Purcell’s Fairy Queen for Opera de Lille, ‘Iris’ (Semele) for the Early Opera Company, ‘Euridice’ (Orfeo) with Le Concert d’ Astrée, ‘Alice’ in Rossini’s Le Comte Ory for Garsington Opera and Belinda (Dido and Aeneas) with l’opera de Dijon among others.

Michael Kim is a gifted pianist and performer. As a soloist and concerto artist, Michael has brought audiences to their feet with his outstanding technique and refined artistry. Michael is the recipient of a multitude of awards, including the grand-prize of the Canadian Music Competition and the CBC National Radio Competition for Young Performers. He was also silver medallist at the Scottish International Competition in Glasgow, and a prize winner in the Leeds and Ivo Pogorelich International Piano Competitions. An artistic scholar, Dr. Kim received his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts from The Juilliard School where he held the Vladimir Horowitz Piano Scholarship. Michael Kim has toured extensively in North America, South America, the United Kingdom and Korea. His performance highlights include a tour in Peru with Orchestra Sinfonica de Trujillo and the UK tour with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the BBC Scottish Symphony. As a chamber musician, Michael has performed at the Brevard, Aspen, Banff, Huntsville, and Heifetz (Annapolis, MD) festivals to name a few. He frequently collaborates with his wife, pianist Kyungran Kim, in a special four hand - one piano program. In August 2008, Dr. Kim was appointed Dean of Brandon University's School of Music, in Brandon Manitoba, Canada.

A multi-talented artist, Colin Fox has an impressive and extensive list of stage, film, television, and musical narrations to his credit. A Gemini award winner, Colin has appeared in movies alongside Hollywood stars such as Sylvester Stallone, Claire Bloom and Chris O'Donnell. He has also performed in numerous critically acclaimed TV shows, including: PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal, A & E's Nero Wolfe, Wonderfalls, Law and Order, The Equalizer, Relic Hunter and Street Legal. Colin's stage appearances include productions at Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre, Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival and on Broadway. He has also narrated numerous audio books, receiving both a Gemini and a JUNO Award. Colin’s first musical narration was in 1974 with the Boston Symphony and Toronto Symphony Orchestras conducted by Seiji Ozawa. Since then, his collaborations have ranged from large ensembles to soloists with such names like the Hannaford Street Silver Band, guitarist Simon Wynberg, the Mendelssohn Choir, pianist Leslie Kinton, pianist Anton Kuerti, Gryphon Trio and the Elora Festival Singers. Colin has also appeared at music festivals including Huntsville, Parry Sound, Elora, Grand River Baroque and the Toronto Summer Music Academy & Festival.

Short Bio
Download

(as of September 2011)

REVIEWS

"I had the privilege of attending The Schumann Letters last week in Brandon. The concert was simply magnificent. The concept was fresh and the delivery was impeccable. To intertwine words and music with such finesse kept my interest from start to finish. Congratulations to Susan, Michael and Colin for committing to a performance of such high artistic calibre."  

- JAMES EHNES, Grammy/JUNO award winning violinist

“The concept is brilliant…each piece of music took on new meaning in the context of the details of the tortuous lives of Robert and his wife, Clara”

-THE BRANTFORD EXPOSITOR

MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS
PRODUCTION INCLUDES THESE WORKS AND MANY OTHERS

Träumerei (Reverie), Op. 15 No. 7
from Kinderszenen

Kennst du das Land, ( Do You Know the Land…) Op. 98a No. 1
from Lieder und Gesänge aus Wilhelm Meister

Ich hab' im Traum geweinet (I wept in my dream), Op. 48 No. 13
from Dichterliebe

Aufschwung (Soaring), Op. 12 No. 2
from Fantasiestücke

Impromptu on a Theme by Clara Wieck, Op. 5

Piano Sonata No. 3 in f minor, Op. 14

Er, der Herrlichste von allen (He, the Most Glorious of All),Op. 42 No. 2
from Frauenliebe und leben

O ihr Herren (O You Gentlemen), Op. 37 No. 3
from Gedichte aus Liebesfrühling

Schmetterling: O Schmetterling sprich, Op. 79 No. 2
from Lieder-Album für die Jugend

Die Lotosblume (The Lotus Flower), Op. 25 No. 7
from Myrten

Widmung (Dedication), Op 25 No. 1
from Myrten

and other Schumann works

The Schumann Letters is a concert format presentation of 2 halves (approximately 40 minutes) plus intermission


RIDERS

Stage Plot & Technical Requirements
Download