News
Wigmore Hall’s Fauré Song Gala: a showcase for the composer’s mélodies (Bachtrack)
✬ ✬ ✬ ✬ Bachtrack Mark Valencia "Both [Susan Manoff and Julius Drake] playing with secure, idiomatic familiarity... a generosity of spirit both to their singers and to each other." "A concert of heavenly length that grouped songs from the composer’s early, middle, and...
Wigmore Hall Fauré Song Gala review (The Guardian)
✬ ✬ ✬ ✬ The Guardian Andrew Clements "A beautifully conceived, finely executed centenary tribute." To read the full article please click the following link: Fauré Song Gala review – subtlety and sensitivity mark centenary of composer’s death
2024 Jean Meikle Duo Prize Winners: Clara Barbier Serrano & Joanna Kacperek
2024 Jean Meikle Duo Prize Winners: Clara Barbier Serrano & Joanna Kacperek The Jean Meikle Duo Prize at the Wigmore Hall/Bollinger International Song Competition has been awarded to soprano Clara Barbier Serrano and pianist Joanna Kacperek. About the Artists:...
Album Review: Robert & Clara Schumann Works for Oboe and Piano (The Guardian)
✯✯✯✯✯ Nicholas Daniel/Julius Drake (Chandos) This eight-work record, some pieces arranged by Daniel, is a dream – despite most of the pieces not being originally written for the performers’ instruments But it’s a measure of the care and sensitivity that Daniel and...
2024 Aldeburgh Festival Review: Andrè Schuen and Julius Drake (The Arts Desk)
"The recital as a result felt epic: an unpredictable heart of cosmic darkness and strange lights flanked by two Schumann trajectories on the personal level of love found and bitterly, desperately lost in the Op. 24 Liederkreis before the Larcher and Dichterliebe after...
Winterreise Review: Agony and ecstasy as Bostridge and Drake bring Schubert’s song cycle to dramatic life (The Guardian)
"Against this stark background, Bostridge and Drake carefully ratchet up the cycle’s intrinsic drama, unconstrained by the parameters of a recital realising a far wider range of dynamics and instrumental colour than usual. The piano felt like a whole orchestra,...
Mahler Festival 2025: Het Concertgebouw, Amsterdam
Mahler Festival 2025 at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam The Mahler Festival 2025 at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam will feature a series of performances by distinguished vocalists, accompanied by pianist Julius Drake. From May 9 to May 17. May 9 – Catriona Morison and...
Review: Fear No More with Brindley Sherratt BBC Music Magazine
BBC Music Magazine CD Review: Fear No More"Pianist Julius Drake’s contribution is superb, sensitive to every dynamic shift in the singer’s performance. This is a true partnership of two experienced musicians at the peak of their powers." Ashutosh KhandekarPlease click...
Julius Drake Kunstuniversität Graz Farewell Concert
After fourteen rewarding years as a half-time Professor at Graz University, Julius has decided to step down this summer. By way of a farewell, former students from various cohorts are collaborating with excellent young singers for a special concert next Monday at the...
“Morgen” by Richard Strauss: Teatro San Felice, Genoa, March 2024, by Nikola Hillebrand and Julius Drake
"Morgen" by Richard Strauss was included in the encore during the recent recital with Nikola Hillebrand at Teatro San Felice in...
Lieder Masterclass – Pollini Conservatory, Padova
Photographs captured during the "Piano in Lieder Repertoire" masterclass held at the Pollini Conservatory in Padova, Italy, on February 7th, 2024.
“I do mind the word accompanist. I don’t think it’s fit for purpose” – Julius Drake, Interview with The Irish Times
'Julius Drake is not just a pianist. He’s a specialist pianist. His great achievement is his work with singers and as a chamber musician. Talking to him about how he ended up as a professional pianist, he makes it sound as if it was something that just happened by...
Gerald Finley and Julius Drake European Tour 2023
“A diva bares all, from Bach to Bowie” – Wigmore Hall with Alice Coote
'Could, would, should Alice Coote give a Tina Turner encore at the end of this recital? It wasn’t a totally ridiculous idea. The magnificently mercurial British mezzo had already stood and delivered Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, and Elvis Costello and Burt...
Concertgebouw Medal for pianist Julius Drake
Last night in the Recital Hall the British pianist & song accompanist Julius Drake received the Concertgebouw Medal at a concert with mezzo-soprano Feride Büyükdenktas. The presentation came as a complete surprise. At the close of his concert, this medal was...
Another glowing review for Die schöne Müllerin
Please click the link to read an outstanding review of this recent recording with Gerald Finley. http://www.musicweb-international.com/Classrev/2022/Oct/Schubert-mullerin-CDA68377.htm
Watch Julius and Christoph Prégardien in recital at the Wigmore Hall
This lunchtime concert, which was also broadcast on BBC R3, can be viewed by clicking the link below: https://wigmore-hall.org.uk/live-streams/christoph-pregardien-tenor-julius-drake-piano Also available to hear on BBC Sounds:...
Glowing Review in Belgian Crescendo Magazine
Le 8 août 2022 par Patrice Lieberman Franz Schubert(1797-1828) An den Mond, D.259; Wandrers Nachtlied I (Der du von dem Himmel bist), D.224; Im Frühling, D.882, Der Zwerg, D. 771; Ständchen, D. 957; Seligkeit, D.443; Abendstern, D.806; Der Tod und das Mädchen,...
Die schöne Müllerin Review in Gramophone Magazine
Excellent review for Julius and Gerald Finley's new recording on Hyperion: 'Finley makes the music compellingly his own: with his Rolls-Royce bass-baritone on smooth, luxurious form throughout, there’s no sense of him trying to capture the youthfulness of the Miller...
Recent interview in the Irish Times with Julius
Julius was interviewed recently before his concerts at the West Cork Music Festival. Follow the link to read the article. https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/2022/06/20/julius-drake-i-do-mind-the-word-accompanist-i-dont-think-its-fit-for-purpose/ ...
Wigmore Hall recital with Julius and Catriona Morison online
Click the link to watch Julius and Catriona Morison in their recent Wigmore Hall recital which was streamed live on Monday 23 May. Also available to hear on BBC Sounds https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0017drl https://youtu.be/LVnpCBNLvW8
Gramophone Editor’s Choice: May 2022
Julius's new CD with Nicky Spence, Timothy Ridout and the Piatti Quartet is one of the choices of the Gramophone Editor this month: 'Celebrating another of the year's musical anniversaries, Nicky Spence, Julius Drake and the Piatti Quartet present On Wenlock Edge...
Five stars for Julius with Alice Coote and Stuart Jackson at Middle Temple Hall
Sometimes you know the quality of music by the depth of the silence when it ends. Last night at Middle Temple Hall – and thank Mahler’s mystical heavens for it – the final ghostly “Ewig” of Der Abschied faded away into a soundless void that lasted just as long as it...
Julius on Inside Music BBC Radio 3
Pianist Julius Drake on perfection and partnerships Inside Music Pianist Julius Drake explores how various pianists make the piano sing, with a selection of performers including Walter Gieseking, Sviatoslav Richter, Dinu Lipatti and Benjamin Britten. Julius's...
Julius interviewed for German media
Julius appeared in the German news media in an article concerning freedom of movement for artists across the EU in the wake of Brexit. https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/brexit-pianist-julius-drake-regeln-fuer-kuenstler-sind.2849.de.html?drn:news_id=1217024 The renowned...
The Gramophone Award
A very happy Julius with his Gramophone Award for The diary of one who disappeared with Nicky Spence. https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA68282
Gramophone Awards Ceremony 2020
Watch Julius Drake and Nicky Spence receive their Gramophone Award in a windy Deptford Garden. https://vimeo.com/466590684
Gramophone Awards 2020 announced
Solo Vocal JANÁČEK The diary of one who disappeared, Nicky Spence & Julius Drake with Václava Housková and Victoria Samek (Hyperion) The Gramophone Review Nicky Spence’s last solo Hyperion outing, on the final volume of the label’s Strauss Lieder series, revealed...
Julius Drake Nominated for the 2020 Gramophone Awards in Solo Vocal Category
Gerald Finley and Julius Drake for Schubert, Brahms (Hyperion) “Gerald Finley is never an artist, one feels, to let himself be rushed, allowing his interpretations to mellow and mature in their own good time. It’s been five years since his superbly eloquent and...
Julius Drake Nominated for the 2020 Gramophone Awards in Solo Vocal Category
Janáček: The Diary of One who Disappeared (Hyperion) “The tenor, Nicky Spence, is brilliantly supported throughout by Julius Drake, who is ever alert to Janáček’s piano-writing – delicate and piercing by turns – and conjures up the cycle’s sound world superbly from...
Trout Quintet from Middle Temple Church
Julius Drake and friends perform Beethoven’s Allegretto in B flat and Schubert’s ‘Trout’ Quintet in the stunning surroundings and acoustic of an otherwise empty Temple Church.
Blackheath Halls recital with Julius Drake and Mark Padmore
Streamed as live from Blackheath Halls, Mark Padmore & Julius Drake perform Beethoven and Schumann as part of ‘The Wanderlust Series’
The Guardian view on the return of live music: hope and longing
The BBC can help British classical music recover – if the government steps in too
BBC Music Magazine Awards 2020: DVD Award from BBC Music Magazine on Vimeo.
Julius Drake has won the Vocal Award of the BBC Music Magazine for his Hyperion recording of Janáček: The Diary of One Who Disappeared; Nursery rhymes; Moravian folk poetry in songs with tenor Nicky Spence, mezzo-soprano Václava Housková and clarinettist Victoria...
‘Paradise Lost’ The New Album from Julius Drake and Anna Prohaska is Out 10 April
Paradise Lost, the new album from Julius Drake and soprano Anna Prohaska is available 10 April, 2020 on Alpha Classics. The gestation of this project lasted two years. Anna Prohaska and Julius Drake finally concentrated their research on the themes of Eve,...
Four Stars for “Impeccable” Julius Drake at Wigmore Hall
Julius Drake was “impeccable” (Richard Morrison, The Times) throughout Wigmore Hall’s Monday, 9 March lunchtime concert. Drake performed a programme featuring Tavener’s Akhmatova Songs, Kodály’s Sonatina for cello and piano, Deborah Pritchard’s Storm Song, Debussy’s...
Julius Drake Releases Volume 6 of His Acclaimed Liszt Series
Julius Drake has released the sixth volume of his acclaimed Liszt: The Complete Songs series on Hyperion. This tantalising recital, featuring soprano Julia Kleiter, was named a Gramophone Editor’s Choice in the February issue. Tim Ashley writes in the magazine’s...
Julius Drake Nominated for the 2020 BBC Music Magazine Awards
Julius Drake is nominated for Best Vocal Recording at 2020 BBC Music Magazine Awards. He shares the honour with tenor Nicky Spence, mezzo-soprano Václava Housková and clarinettist Victoria Samek for their Hyperion release, Janáček: The Diary of One Who Disappeared;...
Julius Drake Receives Nomination from the International Classical Music Awards
Julius Drake has received a nomination from the International Classical Music Awards under the “Choral Album” category for his work on the album Dvořák: Stabat Mater. The finalists of the awards will be known by December 16, and the ICMA winners will be...
Julius Drake Nominated for Best Choral Music Recording at the International Classical Music Awards
Julius Drake is nominated in the Best Choral Music category at the 2019 International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) for his recording of Dvořák’s Stabat Mater on BR-KLASSIK. He shares the nomination with his fellow performers: soprano Julia Kleiter, tenors Gerhild...
Julius Drake and Christoph Prégardien were Presented with the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritic
Julius Drake and Christoph Prégardien were presented with the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritic onstage Wigmore hall by Eleonore Buening. Here they are after in the famous Green Room of Wigmore Hall, honoured to receive this for their Schubert disc,...
Julius Drake is Artist in Residence at the Upcoming 92nd St Y New York Series
Julius Drake is to feature in a series of concerts in New York over the coming months. He will be performing with acclaimed singers at the 92nd Street Y in a series that celebrates Beethoven in the 250th anniversary of the composers birth, Beethoven and...
Julius Drake and Gerald Finley Release New Album on Hyperion
Frequent collaborators, Julius Drake and bass-baritone Gerald Finley have released their 12th album together, a new recording of Schubert: Schwanengesang; Brahms: Vier ernste Gesänge. The album, released on 27 September by Hyperion is available to purchase...
Julius Drake is Artist in Residence at the upcoming ‘Life Victoria Festival’ in Barcelona
Julius Drake is to prominently feature in Life Victoria Barcelona 2019 over the coming months. Drake will be performing with acclaimed singers across multiple dates during the festival. This is the first of several projects Drake is involved with,...
Julius Drake Nominated in Gramophone 2019 Awards
Julius Drake has received a nomination in the 2019 Gramophone Awards for his work on the album LISZT: Complete Songs Vol 5 under the category of Solo Vocal. The Winner of the award shall be announced on October 16 at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in...
Julius Drake & Gerald Finley’s New Album Schubert: Schwanengesang; Brahms: Vier ernste Gesänge Available 27 September
Julius Drake and his frequent collaborator, bass-baritone Gerald Finley, will release their new recording of Schubert: Schwanengesang; Brahms: Vier ernste Gesänge on 27 September. The Hyperion release is available for pre-order now.Richard Wigmore, in the...
Julius Drake’s recording of Janacek’s “Diary of One who Disappeared” made Gramophone Recording of the Month
Julius Drake’s recently released album “The Diary of One Who Disappeared and other works” is a collection of works composed by Leoš Janáček. Released on the 28 June under Hyperion Records, the album brings together Janáček’s “Říkadla ‘Nursery rhymes’”,...
Julius Drake’s recording of Janacek’s “Diary of One who Disappeared” Sunday Times Album of the Week
Julius Drake’s recently released album “The Diary of One Who Disappeared and other works” is a collection of works composed by Leoš Janáček. Released on the 28 June under Hyperion Records, the album brings together Janáček’s “Říkadla 'Nursery rhymes'”,...
Julius Drake Shares “A Day in His Life” in Pianist Magazine
Julius Drake invites people behind the scenes with his new ‘A Day in the Life’ blog in Pianist magazine.‘A typical day for me? Today is one: a travel day. Tomorrow I have a concert in Bilbao with my friend, the superb German tenor, Christoph Prégardien. I...
Julius Drake and Ian Bostridge to Perform at the Snape Proms on 20 August
Julius Drake and his frequent collaborator, the tenor Ian Bostridge, will perform at the Snape Proms on Tuesday, 20 August. The programme includes Schubert’s song settings of poetry by Rückert, Mahler’s Songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn and Rückert Lieder, and Henze’s...