Described by Musical Opinion Quarterly as “an indispensable mainstay of the cultural calendar”, the 2019 Presteigne Festival programme brings together a large number of diverse musical elements, but with an important American strand running throughout.
The festival will be welcoming two exciting composers-in-residence – from the UK, Cheryl Frances-Hoad, and from the United States, composer and virtuoso harpist Hannah Lash.
The festival will also include a mini-feature of works by the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Aaron Copland, one of the most important and highly respected figures in American music.
The festival continues to actively promote the work of living composers with a collection of specially commissioned pieces from James Francis Brown (string trio), Cheryl Frances-Hoad (Clarinet Quintet), Harriet Grainger (a setting of the Missa brevis), Hannah Lash (Concertino for flute and string orchestra), Freya Waley-Cohen (a work for string quartet), Adrian Williams (Concerto for string orchestra, co-commissioned with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta) and 2018 Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Prize winner, Liam Mattison (a work for percussion and piano).
A carefully balanced collection of supporting events extends the American theme further and includes Sarah Gabriel’s hugely entertaining one-woman show, Dorothy Parker takes a Trip, together with exhibitions, a trio of American movies, talks from Stephen Johnson, Ian Marchant and Nick Murray, poetry with Fiona Sampson, Welsh art with Peter Lord and much more besides.
Artists appearing include the Albion Quartet, pianists Tom Poster and Siwan Rhys, virtuoso flautist Katherine Bryan, French clarinettist Rozenn le Trionnaire, string players Mathilde Milwidsky (violin), Alice Neary (cello), Sarah-Jane Bradley (viola) and Hannah Lash (harp), soprano Elizabeth Cragg and exciting young percussionist George Barton. A specially-formed Presteigne Festival Chamber Choir will be directed by Philip Sunderland and the ever-popular Festival Orchestra will appear three times under artistic director, George Vass.
Altogether Presteigne Festival spans 27 events packed into five days at the height of summer from Thursday, August 22 to Tuesday, August Outreach continues to be a vital part of the Presteigne Festival’s work, enabling better engagement with communities both at home and away.
In 2019, the festival will be working with senior members of the community in association with the Bleddfa Centre, and the festival’s autumn tour is to be undertaken by exciting young piano and percussion duo George Barton and Siwan Rhys.