Monday 4 November 2019

Nadine Benjamin & Nicole Panizza - Emergence

Nadine Benjamin

Nadine Benjamin
Nicole Panizza

Listen here  https://www.mixcloud.com/Resonance/a-world-in-london-30th-october-2019/

It was a privilege to welcome back super soprano Nadine Benjamin and her partner-in-rhyme, pianist Nicole Panizza! Together, the pair have crafted a new album illuminating the works of nineteenth century American poet Emily Dickinson and it's a beaut! 'Emergence' is a complex album in many ways. Firstly because of its central muse, Emily Dickinson, and her own multifaceted, connected yet disconnected story of empathy with nature and humanity, yet latter years spent in solitude. Nicole and Nadine identify with Emily on many levels and applaud her as ‘a voice for what it means to be human.’ They describe their own reclusive periods required to enable the creative process, counterpointed with performances in front of huge audiences. Secondly, Emergence features a surrounding cast of five composers plus our two intrepid interpreters - Nadine and Nicole, not to mention studio engineers and various technical bods. A lot goes on behind the scenes in the making of most music and some of that is explained in this interview. Nadine and Nicole shed light on their process of releasing Emergence - raising funds, engaging sponsors and supporters, steering the PR campaign, but finding freedom and liberating self-determination along the way. As Nicole says, ‘The power of creating your dream.’

Nicole Panizza
The synchronicity between Nicole and Nadine is apparent, and since they formed a partnership two years ago, it's blossomed into Emergence Music. Nicole has the piano, her classical music credentials, plus a scholarly lust for in-depth research into her subject matter. Nadine has that rare & incredible voice  plus unique charisma that can shift mountains and hearts. She has no classical music training yet has forged a path into the upper echelons of the opera world from her council estate background. Whilst we were both working in Greece in September, I saw Nadine move people to tears with her singing, and witnessed her powerful voice fill the sky in a large open-air theatre, unamplified by a microphone. People relate to Nadine because 'she's one of us', bringing ‘opera to the masses’, and she affirms this by describing herself as a people's person.
Emergence is out now on Stone Records and Nadine & Nicole will be launching it at a concert near you soon, but meanwhile catch them on Dec 1st at Blackheath Halls at what they refer to as 'just a performance'. It'll be way more than that, and well worth emerging for at 11am on a Sunday morning!


Also on this show, tracks by Brazilian choro masters Alvorada Music & young Hackney soul-jazz band Kiki and the Tiger. Production & pics by Norman Druker, artist Alban Low, Sophie Darling, and DJ Ritu. Sound by Patrick Bernard and Resonance 104.4fm.
#London #globalmusic #livemusic #music #radio #djritu #Emergence #NadineBenjamin #NicolePanizza #singer #soprano #vocalist #pianist #piano #ClassicalMusic #poetry #poems #coach #mentor Karen Pitchford Women in Music #WomenInMusic #EqualisingMusic

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