Paving the way for a new generation

Talent development programmes are a vital resource for the emerging artist. Across the canon of top musicians who are seen and heard in the classical music world today, many will have passed through schemes designed to help them forge a career in the sector, in particular the BBC’s New Generation Artists (NGA) initiative. In essence, the programme hasn’t changed in the 25 years since it was founded. Since its inception, the producers at BBC Radio 3 have listened out for young talent, monitoring the competition and festival circuits, reaching out to agents and promoters and asking performers to send in recordings or come in for informal auditions.

One of the things which makes NGA special is that unlike a typical competition, the Radio 3 team is not looking to place anyone in a first, second or third spot in order that they get a place – all the auditors take notes if there is an informal audition. As Peter Thresh, producer on the NGA programme for the past 10 years says, ‘the amazing thing is that it really is quite remarkable how all of us seem to alight on one particular artist over another. Of course, most artists have super-human technical skills but somehow it seems that one artist speaks to us.’ The reward of getting chosen for the scheme ‘helps musicians more than the big prize money,’ says cellist Alban Gerhardt.

For Alban Gerhardt, the taste of the Laphroaig Whisky he drank on his first trip to Scotland will always remind him of his time as a New Generation Artist (Image courtesy of Alban Gerhardt)

The relationship between the BBC team and its chosen artist goes two ways. As Emma Bloxham, editor of the scheme since 2014 explains, ‘it’s really about catching an artist at just the right time in their career so that their diaries aren’t too full - we’re looking for people with open minds and curiosity.’ Pianist Paul Lewis was one of the inaugural artists and remembers that, although he was already with a manager, becoming part of the NGA scheme was ‘a huge step up’ because of the exposure it gave him and the sheer volume of music he had to cover, something which all of the past NGA artists have reflected on. ‘We don’t let them repeat any repertoire they’re doing for us,’ explains Bloxham, ‘and if we need something recorded, our New Generation Artists are the go-to. Everyone gets a bespoke experience, and we try to tailor it to their passions. We love it when people come to us with their ideas – it’s a unique space for them to explore those.’ As part of the scheme, each artist gets a Wigmore Hall lunchtime concert and an opportunity to play with most, if not all the BBC orchestras.

For Kunal Lahiry the NGA scheme was an opportunity to has music which reflected his activism performed and broadcast in the UK (©Justin Bach)

Those passions have brought some great collaborations in terms of commissions, writing and concert programming. Through a recent relationship with the Barber Institute in Birmingham, each NGA artist gets a new commission and there are regular opportunities at many of the festivals around the UK such as Snape Maltings, Cheltenham, St George’s Bristol and the Oxford International Song Festival. Clarinettist Annelien Van Wauwe is particularly grateful to the scheme for the ‘precious chance’ it gave her as a woodwind soloist. One of the most exciting projects she was involved with was a new commission of Sutra, a concerto for Basset Clarinet by the Belgian composer Wim Henderickx, which she performed with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and which now forms part of her concert and recording repertoire. For jazz guitarist Rob Luft, who was selected as the sole jazz New Generation Artist for 2019 (the scheme accepts one jazz musician every two years), the ‘culmination’ of his time was writing a three-movement concerto for the BBC Concert Orchestra and Jazz Trio. ‘People usually think of electric guitar with rock and roll so it has been nice to be able to show the versatility of what the electric guitar in jazz can do,’ he says. Collaborative pianist, Kunal Lahiry, found that having the agency to suggest a programme which reflected colonialism and imperialism for his Wigmore Hall concert, and queer and black song for St. George’s, Bristol was a unique opportunity to have that repertoire performed and broadcast in the UK and to expose it to new audiences.

The New Generation Artist scheme accepts one jazz musician every two years. Rob Luft was the sole jazz artist for 2019 ()©Dave Stapleton

With recording as well as performance at the heart of BBC Radio 3, finding artists who are going to be best for listeners and the repertoire of the station is important, and having the right attitude comes into that, explains Emma Bloxham. ‘Whilst the fundamentals haven’t changed in that it’s about quality, the landscape has changed a lot in terms of the people out there. We’re looking for something different and enterprising, we want them to cut through on air as well. Some of our artists have been so open to everything we’ve suggested, for example Geneva Lewis, who learnt so much new repertoire and performed the Grace Williams violin concerto with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in the Proms last year.’ Recording works by female composers and ‘discovering’ new pieces has been an important part of the last few years. Cellist Anastasia Kobekina was particularly thrilled to pair a sonata by Leokadiya Kashperova which had been ‘found’ by the BBC, with Rachmaninov’s Cello Sonata and have members of the audience comment on how they had enjoyed it as much, if not more than the Rachmaninov. Mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston is especially proud of a set of commissioned songs, Knights Dream by Héloïse Werner. Written as a companion piece for Schumann’s Dichterliebe, she gave their premiere in a Monday Lunchtime Recital at Wigmore Hall alongside the Schumann. ‘It’s such a joy to bring new music into the world for the first time, and I was so pleased that the BBC wanted to be a part of these new songs: they shed new light on Schumann’s well-loved songs and have been such an exciting way for me to get to know Dichterliebe for the first time.’

As an NGA mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston commissioned a set of songs by Héloïse Werner: ‘It’s such a joy to bring new music into the world for the first time, and I was so pleased that the BBC wanted to be a part of these new songs' (Image courtesy of Helen Charlston)

The recording aspect of the scheme has probably been the most significant part for all the artists. ‘Being ready for a broadcast, you had a feeling you had to be bullet-proof,’ reflects Paul Lewis. Cellist Alban Gerhardt says that the experience of working with the BBC team completely changed the way he felt about recording because they were so encouraging, something which producer Peter Thresh describes. ‘Our aim is to make the artists feel at home; after all, we are all there because we love music! We do a first take and then – especially in the early stages – allow plenty of time to listen back to things and discuss what is working and what is not. We might look at what works well on the microphone and how you can make things work even if you are feeling tired and to make the microphone your friend. The nice thing about our sessions is that they are set up to be a snapshot of that artist at this moment in their career rather than strive to achieve that all-too-elusive ‘definitive’ performance. Yes, of course, we want all the notes in the right place but that is the easy bit (the housekeeping, if you like). What takes the real energy and skill is preserving the freshness and feel of the live performance at the umpteenth take.’

Previous New Generation Artists have commented not only on the friendliness and community of working with the BBC producers and sound engineers, but also on their experience of meeting and collaborating with other musicians on the scheme, especially through chamber music opportunities. Paul Lewis and fellow pianist Steven Osborne have been lifelong friends since they were paired as duettists 25 years ago. As Bloxham says ‘it’s a big expanding family. If we think they’ll get on, we make it happen.’ There are also some very personal memories which have been made through the NGA scheme: Anastasia Kobekina remembers visiting Britten’s house while she was working at Snape and for Alban Gerhardt, the taste of the Laphroaig Whisky which he drank on his first trip to Scotland will fondly remind him of his time as a New Generation Artist! But it is the opportunities at concert venues across the UK, a taste of new repertoire, the recording and broadcasting environment, collaboration and the welcome arms of the New Generation Artist family which will surely propel this scheme through the next 25 years, shaping the lives of some of the next generation of musicians.