From Glasgow to Greenock: emerging voices from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland to serenade Beacon audiences in new Sunday concert series
Sunday serenades featuring the sound of Scotland’s finest young voices will entertain audiences in a new monthly concert series at Greenock’s Beacon Arts Centre.
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland at the Beacon brings a string of Sunday afternoon performances to the riverside venue from February 23 until May.
The concerts will showcase students from Scotland’s national conservatoire – one of the world’s top ten institutions for performing arts education – who’ll perform a diverse blend of repertoire from Schubert and Schumann to Lehár and Leonard Bernstein.
Julian Tovey, lecturer on the Vocal Performance degree programme and musical director said: “This new series is a platform to hear some of the most exciting, emerging vocal talents who are honing their craft at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
“Set within the Beacon’s waterfront Gallery Suite – with its magnificent views over the Clyde and the mountains of Argyll beyond – the concerts are the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon, where music lovers can enjoy a mix of classical and contemporary pieces. It’s also an opportunity to support young singers who are on the cusp of their professional careers.”
The series begins on Sunday 23 February at 2.30pm featuring Greenock natives Sophie Bysouth and Austin Smith.
The pair were originally cast in a 2020 production of West Side Story at the town’s Notre Dame High School, which was cancelled due to Covid restrictions. Now, they’ll get to reprise their leading roles as Tony and Maria.
“I’m looking forward to being back in my hometown – it’s where my passion for singing was sparked,” said Austin, 21, who is in the fourth year of his undergraduate degree.
“The concert series is an opportunity to perform the pieces I’ve studied throughout my life as a singer, from current works from my studies and going all the way back to songs I’d sing in my childhood.”
Austin was six when he started singing, when he won third place in a Robert Burns competition. He has been involved in a variety of local music groups, including Inverclyde Choir and vocal group VOX.
As well as the Greenock series, Austin is also working towards two RCS performances – The Magic Flute opera in April and Opera Scenes in May.
“I’m enjoying the experience of studying at RCS and the hands-on work, especially when it comes to performance opportunities like these.”