The Old Maid And The Thief
The First Opera Written For Radio
Gian Carlo Menotti’s sparkling one-act radio opera The Old Maid and The Thief forms the centrepiece of an evening of American music curated by musicians of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Written as the first opera specifically for radio in 1939, this witty tale of small-town intrigue, gossip and deception is paired with Barber’s radiant Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Gershwin’s Three Preludes for Piano and more to complete an evening of transatlantic mid-century elegance and charm.
The conductor for this performance, Tom Hawkey-Soar, is a musician with deep roots in Mayfield. He began his musical life aged seven as a chorister at St Dunstan’s Church and was a long-time member of the Mayfield Band.
This concert is kindly sponsored by Tester & Jones of Crowborough
