Rehearsals for the 2016 Summer Season got underway on 20 January with the first Singers’ rehearsal in our new rehearsal room at Stadtteil Kultur 2411, Munich under the direction of Eric Weddle, our Summer Season conductor.

Since Monday 1 February, the orchestra has also been testing the acoustics of the rehearsal space with their conductor, Benedikt Holnaicher.

The first Big Band rehearsal took place on 4 February in their usual rehearsal space, KreativGarage, with Armin Holnaicher leading them through the season.

There is a full programme of ESME events this season including:

The Expat in The City Fair on Sunday 6 March – this year it will be at BMW Welt.

The Spring Concert at Einstein Kultur on Saturday 23 April, featuring the ESME Singers as well as some small ensembles and soloists.

The Summer Concert, featuring all three ESME ensembles, at the Carl-Orff-Saal in Gasteig on Saturday 18 June.

As well as appearing at the Summer Concert, the Big Band will be involved in a number of events in and around Munich. More details to follow soon.

Details of the concerts and other events can be found on the ESME website and on Facebook

 

 

 

The Spring/Summer 2015 season has come to close with a flurry of activity.

The 2015 Summer Concert on June 13 in the Gasteig’s Carl-Orff-Saal brought all three ensembles together with a lively, varied program.

Photos courtesy of Celticon Photography

This concert was somewhat bittersweet for the participants, as it was Orchestra Conductor Andreas Partilla’s last performance with ESME. His position at the Gärtnerplatz Theater has expanded and we always knew that his talents would soon be sought after by Munich’s professional musical community.

Photo courtesy of Celticon Photography

On July 11, ESME was very much in demand! The Big Band played what has become a regular gig as the entertainers for the Lions’ Club Ball at the Künstlerhaus on Lenbachplatz.

Photo courtesy of Mark Davey

That same evening, the Singers were the guest act at the American Music Abroad concert at the Alter Speicher in Ebersberg. The concert’s grand finale had the ESME Singers and the Oneida Chorale combining forces. This was a benefit concert with all donations going to Münchner Tafel e.V., a charity distributing food in Munich.

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Harclerode

All in all, it was a very busy, very rewarding season. We’re taking a break, but still working on some exciting things to share with you in the coming months. Thanks so much for your support and have a great summer!

The 2015 Spring/Summer Season has been a busy one so far both in and outside rehearsals.

A small group of musicians marched and sang in the Annual St Patrick’s Day Parade in Munch in March.

ESME was also represented at the Expat In The City Fair in Munich and members had the opportunity to explain more about who we are and what we do to the many visitors who attended. Some have even gone on to join us.

On 25 April the Spring Concert, ‘Rhythms of Spring’ featuring the Singers and a number of vocal and instrumental ensembles took place at Einstein Kultur.

The Spring ESME Weekend Away (EWA) at Bad Schussenried, Baden-Württemberg (8-10 May) gave the Singers and Orchestra members time for intensive rehearsals as well as the opportunity to for social activities including a very challenging Pub Quiz.

The 2015 Summer Concert is just 2 weeks away!

Summer is Calling

 

Saturday 13 June at 19:00 in Carl-Orff-Saal, Gasteig.

Musical Direction by Andreas Partilla and Eric Weddle
ESME Orchestra, Singers and Big Band

The varied programme will open with a contemporary piece for Singers and Orchestra: Karl Jenkins – The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace. The Singers will also be performing songs including The Seal Lullaby, Amani (Peace) and Oye. The orchestra will perform Danzas Cubanas, Tom and Jerry – Blue Cat Blues and The LionKing. The Big Band pieces this year will include It’s Only A Paper Moon and Don’t Know Why.

Tickets: 10,14 and 18€ are available from München Ticket  (with reductions for children and students)

Hope to see some of you there!

 

While it still feels very much like winter outside, the 2015 ESME Spring/Summer season is well underway. Eric Weddle is back with the Singers, conducting a range of pieces in different languages (Russian, French and Spanish, for starters) and genres (classical, pop, jazz and gospel). Quite a few new singers have shown up, but we still have space (especially for tenors and basses!) The Spring Concert, “Rhythms of Spring”, featuring the Singers and some vocal and instrumental ensembles, is on Saturday 25 April at 7 pm.

Andreas Partilla is conducting the Orchestra, with another eclectic mix of music ranging from “The Lion King” to “Danzas Cubanas“. The Singers and the Orchestra will perform together in the summer concert in Welsh composer Karl Jenkins’ “The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace”. The Summer Concert is on Saturday 13 June in the Carl-Orff-Saal, Gasteig.

Big Band rehearsals are also well underway. This season’s repertoire ranges from swing (It Don’t Mean a Thing) and samba (Brazil) to rock (It’s a Beautiful Day) and vocal jazz (On the Sunny Side of the Street). The Big Band will be performing in the Summer Concert and just four weeks later, on 11 July, will once again be playing at the 2015 Lions Sommerball, in the Münchner Künstlerhaus.

The Singers will also be busy after the Summer Concert with an appearance with AMA’s (American Music Abroad) Oneida Area Civic Chorale from New York. This joint concert, on 11 July, takes place in Ebersberg.

As well as rehearsals and performances, there are a number of other opportunities to see ESME members in action this season:

We will be taking part in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Munich on Sunday 15 March.
Look out for us – we are group Number 36 – and will be carrying the ESME banner. The Parade leaves Münchner Freiheit at 12 noon and makes its way to Odeonsplatz for the After Parade Party.

Also in March, on Sunday 22 from 10:00 to 17:00, ESME will be represented in the ‘Expat in the City Fair’ at the Alte Kongresshalle. ESME members will be on hand to answer questions and perform some short pieces.

 

 

 

After the summer break, the ESME 2014 Winter Season got under way in early September.

All three ensembles — the ESME Orchestra, Singers and Big Band — were delighted to welcome a number of new people who came along to a rehearsal for the first time.

The ESME Orchestra with Andreas Partilla

 

The ESME Singers with Andreas Scyzgiol

 

The ESME Big Band with Wolfgang Roth

You can take a closer look behind the scenes at all of these rehearsals in two short videos

Orchestra and Singers               https://esme-ev.de/the-winter-season-kicks-off/

Big Band                                   https://esme-ev.de/esme-news-eye-on-big-band/

 

The Autumn Weekend Away will take place from 17-19 October in the Bayerische Musikakademie, Schloss Alteglofsheim

This is a brand new venue for us and one that is perfect for music groups.

You’ll be able to see and hear the results of all this hard work at the 2014 Winter Concert
Sunday 30 November at 4pm
Festsaal, Münchner Künstlerhaus

The programme includes The Skaters’ Waltz, A Tribute to Henri Mancini, White Christmas, Sure on This Shining Night and much more.

Hope to see you there!

Many thanks to Daniel Plappert for the rehearsal photos and videos.