CHAMBER DOMAINE
Artistic Direction
Thomas Kemp and
Steven Devine
"Committed performances from Chamber Domaine, definitely an ensemble from which much can be expected under the incisive leadership of Thomas Kemp." The Gramophone
Thomas Kemp is a highly acclaimed musician and one of the most versatile and eclectic conductors of his generation, acclaimed for his innovative programming and passionate advocacy in concerts, opera, ballet and as an award winning recording artist. The Guardian recently commented “…an extraordinary performance…with a fluency that came over brilliantly under the baton of Thomas Kemp.”
Thomas is the Artistic and Music Director of the internationally acclaimed ensemble Chamber Domaine, which is at the forefront of ensembles focusing on 20th and 21st century music. He has directed Chamber Domaine in festivals and concert series in the UK, Europe and North America and has a distinguished discography with the ensemble including world premiere recordings of Britten, Bridge, Bliss, Turnage, Part, Gorecki, Rorem and Bingham. He is a recording artist for Resonus and 2018 releases include recordings of Mozart and Sibelius.
He is Artistic Director and founder of Music@Malling – an international festival that promotes the works of contemporary composers alongside masterworks from the Classical and Romantic periods. The festival is held each September in historic venues in and around West Malling, Kent and has a year around outreach programme that engages hundreds of young people in creative activities from across the county. Music@Malling was recently featured in the annual roundup of The Best Classical Concerts in The Artsdesk.
Thomas is regularly in demand as a guest conductor with orchestras and ensembles in the UK and Europe and is particularly renowned for his interpretation, research and knowledge of late 19th and 20th century repertoire.
Forthcoming engagements include concerts with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment conducting the 1926 film version of Strauss – Der Rosenkavalier with concerts in the UK, Europe and Asia – the first time that Strauss has been performed on period instruments.
In 2012, he made his operatic debut in a new production of Cosi fan tutte for Opera Holland Park with the City of London Sinfonia to widespread praise. “Cosi fan tutte was conducted with real shape and nuance by Thomas Kemp…Altogether this was the most original and idiomatic attempt on this ungraspable work London has seen in a long time.” Opera Now.
Thomas has performed at many leading festivals in the UK and overseas including the Edinburgh, Cheltenham, City of London, Huddersfield Contemporary, Wien Modern, The Proms, Vale of Glamorgan, Aldeburgh and Brighton Festivals. He has broadcast regularly on BBC Radio 3, Classic FM, ORF (Austria), ABC (Australia), WNYC (USA), RNZ (New Zealand) and SR (Sweden).
He has regularly performed at the Wigmore Hall, South Bank Centre and as a guest artist for Bargemusic, New York.
From 1989-92, Thomas read music at St.Catharine’s College, Cambridge and went on to study violin and chamber music at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester. From 2003-2007, he studied conducting at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm with Jorma Panula and Alan Gilbert enabled by a Swedish Academy Award.
Thomas has enjoyed an international career as a guest concertmaster and chamber musician with many renowned orchestras and ensembles and has led many recording sessions for TV and film in London.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. From 2000-2014, he was a professor at the Royal Northern College of Music and has given masterclasses, coached and conducted orchestras and ensembles at leading conservatoires, universities and music schools worldwide.
“fantastic touch and élan”
Gramophone
Steven Devine enjoys a busy career as a music director and keyboard player working with some of the finest musicians.
He is the Principal Keyboard Player with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and also the principal keyboard player for The Gonzaga Band, The Mozartists and performs regularly with many other groups around Europe. He has recorded over thirty discs with other artists and ensembles and made six solo recordings. His recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations (Chandos Records) has received critical acclaim – including Gramophone magazine describing it as “among the best”. The complete harpsichord works of Rameau (Resonus) has received five-star reviews from BBC Music Magazine. Steven has recently released Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier (“it’s the one of all I’ve heard in the past ten years that I am happiest to live with.” Early Music Review) – available on this site.
He made his London conducting debut in 2002 at the Royal Albert Hall and is now a regular performer there – including making his Proms directing debut in August 2007 with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. He has conducted the Mozart Festival Orchestra in every major concert hall in the UK and also across Switzerland. Steven is Music Director for New Chamber Opera in Oxford and with them has performed repertoire from Cavalli to Rossini. For the Dartington Festival Opera he has conducted Handel’s Orlando and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. He is currently conductor and Artistic Advisor for the English Haydn Festival in Bridgnorth.
Steven works regularly with the Norwegian Wind Ensemble, Trondheim Barokk, the Victoria Baroque Players (BC, Canada) and Arion Baroque Ensemble (Montreal).
He is Early Keyboard Consultant to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Royal Welsh Colleges, and teaches fortepiano at the Royal Academy of Music.
Finally, Steven is thrilled to be a member of the ground-breaking Art of Moog: an electronic music group specialising in the performance of Bach.
“He proved to be inspired, directing a performance full of vigour and forward movement and some excellent singing. Church Times May 2019
“one cannot ignore the immensely intelligent and impeccably placed keyboard continuo work of Steven Devine.” International Record Review, January 2012
“He’s building a reputation as an outstanding recitalist; this completion of his ‘48’ is a highly satisfying account.” BBC Music Magzine November 2020