McGill Shines in Kahane's Clarinet Concerto Premiere

Clarinetist Anthony McGill performed the European premiere of Gabriel Kahane's clarinet concerto on August 18, 2026, at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The concert, conducted by Ryan Bancroft with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW), also featured works by Igor Stravinsky and Aaron Copland, presenting a program that explored the use of vernacular influences in musical composition. Kahane's concerto, written for McGill, incorporates elements inspired by folk music without direct quotation, aiming to lend authenticity and atmosphere to the piece. The concerto opened with McGill joining the orchestra over shimmering tuned percussion and string glissandi, progressing through elegant scalar passages and a songful section described as having a jazz-meets-klezmer character. The music was characterized as "immensely likable," with McGill noted for his confident and stylish solo performance. The orchestral textures included both grand and muted upright pianos, celesta, and percussion played in unconventional ways. The slow movement highlighted McGill's "cucumber cool" demeanor with drawn-out lyrical lines, leading into an eerie bowed vibraphone passage and a cadenza before a finale with a suggestion of an Irish jig. Gabriel Kahane himself participated in the concert, joining McGill on stage to sing and play piano for a "silky smooth" encore performance. The concert was described as "lively if uneven," with Stravinsky's "Petrushka" and Copland's "Billy the Kid" serving as contextual examples of composers using vernacular elements in ballet scores. Stravinsky's "Petrushka" incorporated folk tunes and popular songs to depict a bustling fair, while Copland's "Billy the Kid" used cowboy songs to evoke a wild west setting. Kahane's concerto, developed approximately 80 years after these works, similarly draws on folk music influences to enrich its thematic content. The performance at the Royal Albert Hall showcased McGill's technical proficiency and expressive range, particularly in the concerto's varied movements and demanding cadenza. The inclusion of Kahane himself for the encore added a personal dimension to the evening's program, underscoring the collaborative nature of the commission and premiere. The BBC NOW's performance under Bancroft's direction was noted for its visible enthusiasm, contributing to the overall energetic atmosphere of the concert.