Jersey Symphony Orchestra’s Spring Concert; Saturday 12 April 2025 – Les Quennevais School Concert Hall – 7.30pm
Jersey Symphony Orchestra invites you to its Spring concert under the baton of guest conductor, Jersey born, James Southall. Entitled ‘Serenade for Spring’, it will take place at Les Quennevais School Concert Hall on Saturday 12 April at 7.30pm. The Orchestra will be led by Martin Smith and will be joined by guest soloist, Matthew Lombard.
James Southall was born in Jersey and educated at Victoria College. He was twice the winner of the PWC Jersey Young Musician of the Year competition, firstly as a pianist and the following year as a cellist. He studied music at Queens’ College, Cambridge, where he was an Organ Scholar, and piano accompaniment at the Royal College of Music, London. He is both a conductor and a pianist.
James is currently Music Director of the David Seligman Opera School at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, having spent 15 years with Welsh National Opera. There he conducted a wide range of productions, including Madama Butterfly, Carmen, La Traviata and The Barber of Seville. He has also worked with the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Teatro Madrid and La Monnaie in Brussels.
As a pianist, James has performed at venues including Wigmore Hall and Cadogan Hall. He has received recognition as a former winner of the Accompanist’s Prize at the Kathleen Ferrier Awards and the Maggie Teyte Competition and has since gone on to collaborate with Sir Bryn Terfel, Elizabeth Watts and others.
James says that he has fond memories of playing cello with the JSO when he was younger and is delighted to be making his conducting debut with the Orchestra on 12th April.
Matthew Lombard is a South African concert saxophonist currently living with his young family in Jersey. He holds a doctorate from the University of California, a Master’s degree from the Royal Northern College of Music and has gained international recognition as a performer and as a teacher. Matthew has performed as a chamber musician and soloist worldwide and has presented masterclasses in South Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom. Since coming to Jersey, Matthew has founded the Jersey Saxophone Collective and regularly plays with local bands and ensembles as well as teaching Woodwind full-time for Jersey Music Service.
Serenade for Spring will begin with Tchaikovsky’s Hamlet Overture before Matthew takes the solo spot in Milhaud’s Scaramouche, a suite of three movements composed as a piano duo and premiered in 1937. Its popularity led to later arrangements including one for alto saxophone with orchestra. The second half of the concert will feature the ever popular Mussorgksy’s Pictures At An Exhibition
Of the forthcoming concert Nick Cabot, President of JSO, commented: ‘The JSO family is delighted to be welcoming one of our own back to the fold and we are all very much looking forward to the Orchestra being conducted by a Jerseyman for the first time. Serenade for Spring is guaranteed to put a spring in everyone’s step!’
Tickets for the Concert are available via the JSO website at jso.org.je, which provides a direct link to TicketSource. Tickets are £28.00 and £10 for 18s or under + the TicketSource booking fee. The ticket price includes a glass of wine or soft drink in the interval.
For further details: contact Judith Scott on 720254 or e-mail judithscott.jss@gmail.com
