Michael Collins
Clarinettist & Conductor

 

NEWS

 
Michaels Interview on Radio NZ Concert FM
UK based clarinet soloist performing Mozart's Clarinet Concerto with the Auckland Phiharmonia Orchestra. (Interview with New Zealand's Concert FM) Click Logo.
 

Chandos Website
 
 
CHANDOS released a new CD with Michael Collins on 15 February 2013

Michael Collins: British Clarinet Sonatas

Malcolm Arnoldi: Sonatina, Op. 29 (1951)
Arnold Cooke: Sonata (1959)
Edward Gregson: Tributes (2008-10)
Arthur Benjamin: Le Tombeau de Ravel (1949)
Joseph Horovitz : in B flat major - in B-Dur - en si bémol majeur

Michael Collins, clarinet
Michael McHale, piano

CHAN 10758

Available from Presto

 
 
CHANDOS released a new CD with Michael Collins on 15 February 2013

Lutoslawski: Orchestral Works Vol. 4
(Dance Preludes/ Symphony No. 1)
(Edward Gardener, Michael Collins, Tasmin Little) (Chandos: CHSA 5108) [SACD]

Michael plays: Preludia taneczne (1955)

CHSA 5108

Available from Presto


 
 
CHANDOS released a new CD with Michael Collins on 1st October 2012

Michael Collins: British Clarinet Concertos

Charles Villiers Stanford: Clarinet Concerto, Op. 80 (1902)
Gerald Finzi: Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra, Op. 31 (1948-49)
Malcolm Arnold: Clarinet Concerto No. 2, Op. 115 (1974)


Michael Collins (soloist and conductor) with BBC Symphony Orchestra


CHAN 10739

Available from Presto

 

 
 
CHANDOS releases a new CD with Michael Collins on February 27th 2012

Michael Collins: British Clarinet Sonatas Volume 1

Bax: Clarinet Sonata in B flat (1934)
Bliss: Pastoral for Clarinet and Piano
Howells: Sonata for clarinet and piano
Ireland: Fantasy Sonata
Stanford: Clarinet Sonata, Op. 129

Michael Collins (clarinet) & Michael McHale (piano)


CHAN10704

Available from Presto

 
 
CHANDOS released a new CD with Michael Collins on January 31st

Luciano Berio (1925-2003)

Orchestral realisations of Schubert, Brahms and Mahler

Schubert: Rendering
Brahms: Clarinet Sonata, Op.120, No.1
Mahler: Six early songs

Roderick Williams (baritone), Michael Collins (clarinet),
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra

CHSA 5101 - Read Press Release from CHANDOS


Available from Presto

 
 
CHANDOS is released a new CD by Michael Collins
Weber: Clarinet Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 & Concertino.

Weber: Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F minor, Op. 73
Weber: Clarinet Concerto No. 2 in E flat Major, Op. 74
Weber: Clarinet Concertino in E flat major, Op. 26
Weber: Horn Concertino in E minor, Op. 45 with Stephen Stirling (horn)

Michael Collins (clarinet & conductor) City of London Sinfonia

CHAN 10702 - Read Press Release from CHANDOS

Available from Presto

 
 
CHANDOS released a new CD by Michael Collins
and Michael McHale (piano) on 31 January 2011.

BAERMAN, H - Clarinet Quintet No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 23: Adagio
BURGMÜLLER, N - Duo for Clarinet & Piano, Op. 15
FINZI - Five Bagatelles for clarinet & piano, Op. 23
PÄRT - Spiegel im Spiegel POULENC - Clarinet Sonata, Op. 184
READE - Victorian Kitchen Garden Suite
SAINT-SAËNS - Clarinet Sonata in E flat major, Op. 167

The Lyrical Clarinet - CHAN 10637

Available from Presto

A video about the making of this CD is available to watch on the VIDEO PAGE

 
 
CHANDOS released a new CD by Michael Collins and Piers Lane (piano) on 1 October 2010. (Click CHANDOS logo to listen to sound samples on their website)

The Virtuoso Clarinet - CHAN 10615

Available from Amazon
 

We found a charming YouTube clip of September 13, 2009. RNO Festival at The Bolshoi, Gala Concert. Malcolm Arnold - Clarinet Concerto 2 & 3 movements, Michael Collins - Clarinet, conducted by Mikhail Pletnev. Enjoy!
Фестиваль РНО в Большом, Заключительный Гала-Концерт. Малькольм Арнольд - концерт для кларнета (2 и 3 части). Майкл Коллинз - Кларнет. Дирижер - Михаил Плетнев.

   
Thursday, 19th November 2009
Michael is appointed Principal Conductor of City of London Sinfonia
Information about the City of London Sinfonia
 
View the concert diary od the City of London Sinfonia





















Michael is delighted to have been appointed Principal Conductor of the City of London Sinfonia starting September 2010 for a three year period. Today's Press Release from the orchestra has this to say:

"Michael Collins, known globally as a peerless clarinet soloist, has steadily developed his work as director and conductor over the past decade. It stands today as a central part of his musical life. “I’m genuinely thrilled and excited by my appoint-ment with the City of London Sinfonia,” he says. “The CLS, or Richard Hickox Orchestra as it was then, gave me my first professional engagement after I won the woodwind prize in the BBC Young Musician of the Year final in 1978. I’ve worked with the orchestra as soloist many, many times since. I look forward to being able to complement Stephen’s plans for the orchestra and develop my thoughts for repertoire and programming. As well as playing clarinet concertos in programmes I conduct, there will be times when I leave my instrument at home and invite people from my strong list of musical friends to join us in making music together.”

As a Principal Conductor, Collins is determined to present audiences with mature, deeply considered interpretations and compelling programmes. He notes that his move into conducting belongs to the natural evolution of his work, a process fully informed by his experiences as concerto soloist and chamber musician. “Over many years of playing concertos, I’ve always felt that this is a form of chamber music-making. That really comes to life when you play as soloist and direct the performance, because everybody in the orchestra is com-pletely involved. I can’t wait to continue this work with the CLS. It’s very exciting to think of the musical journeys that we could take together.”


   
Thursday, 19th November
Michael signs record deal with Chandos
Michael has just signed a three year deal with Chandos Records and shall be recording a variety of repertoire including Concertos and recital CDs.
   

   
Thursday, 19th November
Michael is Resident Artist at the Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall website
Michael is delighted to announce that he is resident artist at the Wigmore Hall from May 2010 until his Birthday Gala Concert on the 27th January 2012.
   

 
Read the Page from Classic FM Magazine - July 2009 editio CLASSIC FM MAGAZINE
July 2009 edition


100 Best Artists - Section: Clarinettists

Michael is delighted that he is the Top Choice in the July edition of this magazine.

Read about all the recommendations in this section here


   


February 2009

Opening Festival of the exciting new Melbourne Recital Centre

Melbourne's Recital Centre celebrates the opening of an exciting new music venue with a 14-concert week-long festival which began 8th February 2009.

Michael was in Melbourne to take part in the Opening Festival and he played in the first recital titled "Song of the Yarra" on February 8th. Michael played Mozart's Clarinet Quintet K.581 with the Goldner Quartet.

A second performance on February 12, took place in the new Elizabeth Murdoch Hall, and had Michael and Piers Lane (piano) coming together in the first half for two of the best-known works in the repertoire for clarinet and piano, by Brahms and Weber.

Listen to Michael's interview on Australia's ABC Classic FM here:

For details, please visit Michael's concerts page.


The exciting new Elizabeth Murdoch Hall at the Melbourne Recital Centre