Cheltenham Music Festival Brochure 2018

30 June – 15 July 2018 Box Office 01242 850270 cheltenhamfestivals.com/music #cheltmusicfest

THANK YOU to our Partners and Supporters National Radio Partner

Major Partners

Festival Partners

Strategic Partner

Media Partners

Marketing Partner

Individual Supporters Aquarius Group Jack and Dora Black The Chairman’s Friends Elizabeth Jacobs Graham and Eileen Lockwood Mary Mackenzie, Richard Walton and Friends The Marychurch Fellowship Sir Michael & Lady McWilliam Chris Morgan

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In-Kind Partners

Trusts and Foundations John Mumford and Penny McCracken Patricia Routledge DBE Diana Woolley 70th Festival Appeal Donors In memory of Dominic Cain

We would also like to thank our individual supporters who have chosen to remain anonymous.

The Ambache Charitable Trust Colwinston Charitable Trust The Gandel Trust The Garrick Charitable Trust The Herbert Howells Trust The John Armitage Charitable Trust The Leverhulme Trust The Michael Tippett Musical Foundation The Quenington Sculpture Trust

The Radcliffe Trust The Reed Foundation The Thistle Trust The William A Cadbury Trust The Williams Church Music Trust

WELCOME The 2018 Music Festival promises to take us on two notable journeys. The first is a journey of change; following a wonderful decade under Meurig Bowen, to a new era under trumpet virtuoso Alison Balsom. I warmly welcome Alison and look forward to introducing her to our audiences this summer.

Alison Balsom Artistic Director, Cheltenham Music Festival

The other journey takes us from the intimate serenity of Syde Manor with renowned harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani, to a packed closing weekend with the Kolobov Novaya Opera Theatre of Moscow in the Town Hall and Berlioz Requiem in the splendour of Gloucester Cathedral.

The true value of our Festival is the opportunity to plan a route that blends familiar and unfamiliar repertoire and performers. With The Hallé, Maxim Vengerov, The King’s Singers, Candide, the return of Classical Mixtape and our morning concert series with Sarah Connolly, Benjamin Grosvenor, Steven Isserlis among many others, you are well advised to reserve two whole weeks for the finest musical experiences in spectacular settings.

We look forward to welcoming you aboard.

Edward Gillespie Chairman, Cheltenham Music Festival

Aged 16-25?

Sign up today for our free 16-25 Membership and receive priority booking and an exclusive 50% discount on walk up tickets 45 minutes before the event.

See cheltenhamfestivals.com/16-25 for details.

“I am delighted to be joining Cheltenham Music Festival, which has such a strong commitment to bringing classical music to the widest possible audience, and to supporting young talent.

I know that the board and management of Cheltenham Festivals share my belief in the importance of good music education, so I am very much looking forward to working alongside them to develop this side of the Festival’s work even further.

Most of all, I relish the opportunity to invite the world’s greatest artists and ensembles to the Festival and to lead it joyfully into this next exciting chapter.”

Alison Balsom Artistic Director, Cheltenham Music Festival 3

FIND YOUR STYLE Rising Stars Eternal be the Sleep page 16 BBC Young Musician Rush Hour pages 18, 29 & 30 BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists pages 28, 30 & 32 Quenington Recital page 34 Composer Academy Showcase pages 40 & 43 Chineke! Chamber Orchestra page 42

New Music Carducci Quartet & David Cohen page 18 The Strings of BBC NOW page 20 Hansel & Gretel (World Premiere) page 21 Quartet Premieres page 33 Eddie Parker: Debussy Mirrored page 37 Chamber Opera: Juliana page 43

Grand Nights Out Sir Mark Elder & The HallĂŠ page 15 Maxim Vengerov page 17 Sir AndrĂĄs Schiff & The OAE page 27 Iford Opera Candide page 35 Kobolov Novaya Opera Theatre of Moscow page 38

Pittville Chamber Encounters Sarah Connolly page 14 Sitkovetsky Piano Trio page 16 Haffner Wind Ensemble page 20 Benjamin Grosvenor page 23 Eberle Masurenko Helmchen Hecker Quartet page 34 Steven Isserlis page 36 Berkeley Ensemble page 39 4

FIND YOUR STYLE

The Best for First Timers BBC NOW, Brabbins & Kanneh-Mason page 19 Thrones, Swords and Fantasy page 22 The King’s Singers page 29 Classical Mixtape page 31 Nutcracker & I page 40

Spectacular Sounds & Spaces Bach at the Café Zimmermann page 13 Parisian Choral Works by Candlelight page 17 The Choir of King’s College Cambridge page 32 Bevan Family Consort page 38 Berlioz: Grand messe des morts page 41

Something Different An A-Z of Orchestral Triangle Playing page 19 Colin Riley: In Place page 26 Bernstein Double Bill page 31 Verbal: Poetry Infused Music page 35 Music & Yoga Waves page 39 5

PRINCIPAL VENUES ‘The Festival’s morning recitals at the Pump Room are its continuing glory.’

The Sunday Times

Pittville Pump Room 1820s Regency elegance — a crystal-clear acoustic, the wow factor of a high central cupola, and in 2018 a return of pre-concert and interval coffee and cake on the lovely colonnade over-looking the stunning park.

‘One of the best acoustic spaces anywhere.’

The Sunday Times

Cheltenham Town Hall Early 20th century Edwardian elegance — the classic ‘shoebox’ concert hall. Enjoy our all new tiered seating in 2018: extra leg room guaranteed!

Seating capacity: 400

Seating capacity: 950

Perfect for: the world’s finest pianists, singers and chamber ensembles.

Perfect for: orchestras at full throttle — thrilling clarity and impact.

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre

Cheltenham College Chapel

State-of-the-art 21st century theatre meets 19th century foyer and gallery space.

Intimate, versatile and classy.

High, soaring late-Victorian Gothic – externally based on the chapel of King’s College Cambridge.

Seating capacity: 300 Perfect for: everything from song cycles and world premieres to opera, mixed media and family events.

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Seating capacity: 500 Perfect for: outstanding college choirs.

PRINCIPAL VENUES Tewkesbury Abbey

Gloucester Cathedral

A stunning Abbey church, consecrated in 1121.

Elementally huge pillars supporting Norman arches in the nave, beautifully located on the edge of town.

Founded in 1089 and remodelled over four centuries, its architectural magnificence encompasses Norman and English Gothic styles. Steeped in history — from royal coronations and burials to Harry Potter film sets.

Seating capacity: 750

Seating capacity: 1000

Perfect for: roof-raising, bliss-inducing choral and instrumental music.

Chapel Arts An intimate Georgian chapel in the heart of Cheltenham, recently converted into a stylish gallery and arts space.

Seating capacity: 100 Perfect for: relaxed daytime events, evening encounters, chamber music and family events.

Perfect for: grand musical events featuring choirs and orchestras.

Getting to the Festival For information on public transport and car parks go to cheltenhamfestivals.com/your-visit

Postcodes of principal and other venues Within Cheltenham All Saints’ Church, Pittville GL52 2HG Boston Tea Party GL50 3JS Cambray Baptist Church GL50 1JS Chapel Arts GL50 3QQ Cheltenham College Chapel GL53 7LD Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre GL50 3AA Cheltenham Pilates & Yoga Studios GL50 1HX Cheltenham Playhouse GL53 7HG Cheltenham Town Hall GL50 1QA Pittville Pump Room GL52 3JE

Beyond Cheltenham Gloucester Cathedral GL1 2LX Holy Innocents Church, Highnam GL2 8DG St Swithin’s Church, Quenington GL7 5BN Tewkesbury Abbey GL20 5RZ Tithe Barn, Syde Manor GL53 9PN To find out more about access to our venues and how to get to Cheltenham, please visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/ your-visit

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FAMILY EVENTS

Box Office 01242 850270

Sunday 8 July

Monday 9 July Our first ever family concert with a professional symphony orchestra offers an introduction to the instruments and orchestral sections through popular classics including music from BBC Ten Pieces and our very own Musicate** Playlist. Performed by the wonderful BBC National Orchestra of Wales and presented by CBBC’s Naomi Wilkinson from Marrying Mum and Dad, this event will offer plenty of audience participation as well as the chance to take part in a live vote – choose between music from Pirates of the Caribbean and The Simpsons! An unmissable treat for all the family. ** For more information on Musicate see page 10.

1–2pm

Family Concert with BBC National Orchestra of Wales

2.30–4.30pm

Cheltenham Town Hall £10 adults £5 children *

Cheltenham Town Hall, Pillar Room Free ticket required

BBC National Orchestra of Wales Grant Llewellyn conductor Naomi Wilkinson presenter Programme includes Rossini William Tell Overture Bizet Carmen Suite 2: Chanson du Toréador Beethoven Symphony No 5, first movement Lenny Sayers Plinky Plonk Polka John Williams Main Theme from Star Wars Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture Plus a live audience vote!

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*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

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Alison Balsom Masterclass Applicants must be Grade 6+ or equivalent. Please see cheltenhamfestivals.com/masterclass for application form.

Trumpeters of all ages are invited to apply for a one-off free masterclass with trumpet virtuoso and Cheltenham Music Festival’s new Artistic Director Alison Balsom. A lucky few will be selected to join Alison on stage for a one-to-one session sharing ideas and tips to improve their performance drawn from Alison’s wealth of experience on the concert platform. Often as inspiring for the audience as the participants, this masterclass is free to attend.

10.30–11.30am

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Lilliput Concerts – Music for Tiny People Chapel Arts £6 per adult/child pair £4 for additional family members Ideal for ages 0–4, older siblings welcome

Lilliput Concerts are back with their delightful mix of classical music in a relaxed setting. During a 40 minute performance the Astaria String Quartet will present a traditional story in music along with some classics, followed by a taster session with mini violins and time for tea and cake in the lovely café.

Tickets are not available through the Festival box office.

Visit buytickets.at/lilliputconcerts from 19 June.

FAMILY EVENTS

cheltenhamfestivals.com

Saturday 14 July 1–2pm Ages 5–6 2.30–3.30pm Ages 7–9

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Royal Academy of Dance Children’s Workshops: The Nutcracker 12.45–1.30pm

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Family Yoga & Sound with Jeni Howland Cheltenham Pilates & Yoga Studios £9 per adult, under 16s free Suitable for all ages; from babies to grown-ups

A class designed for the whole family. Bring cousins, grandparents, teens and toddlers. A fun, relaxing class with a focus on stretching the body, reaching new limits and playing some music. Jeni Howland will use animal characters to help the children visualise the poses and postures, and bells, gongs and rain sticks to slow down the class and direct the mind to breathing.

To book for this class please call 01242 523282 or email info@cheltenhampilatesandyoga.co.uk

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio £10 * If you’ve ever dreamed of being Clara or Fritz, whisked away to the Land of Sweets or dancing with mice and the Sugar Plum Fairy, now is your chance.

Explore a scene from Tchaikovsky’s enduring classic ballet The Nutcracker through dance, music and mime with an expert tutor from the Royal Academy of Dance Registered Teachers. Tutus optional!

Parents are asked to drop and leave their children for this session and must complete a form on arrival with their contact details and any medical information of the child in case of an emergency.

4.30–5.30pm 6.30–7.30pm

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The Nutcracker & I Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £12 adults £8 children * Alexandra Dariescu performer and producer Désirée Ballantyne ballet Nick Hillel director Adam Smith art director and director of animation Jenna Lee choreographer The Nutcracker and I by pianist Alexandra Dariescu is a new and magical story for anyone who dares to dream. Ballerina Désirée Ballantyne joins Alexandra on stage as she tells the story of Clara, following her path from little girl to concert pianist. With beautiful hand drawn digital animations, dance and live music we invite you to take an enchanting journey through Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, including favourites such as Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Arabian Dance and the Flower Waltz. A must see for ballet fans of all ages!

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SUPPORTING EMERGING TALENT

Box Office 01242 850270

Did you know that Cheltenham Festivals is a registered charity? Running alongside the Music Festival is our year round education and talent development programme which offers inspirational opportunities for young people. We introduce music to hundreds of pupils with our Music for Schools programmes, provide in-depth learning and career advice in our residential Composer Academy and create a platform for a new generation of artists to perform on the Festival stage.

School Workshops Engaging, inspiring and educational, our bespoke workshops will roll out to Gloucestershire schools in June 2018.

Gamelan Concert for Schools and Music Explorers Following a thrilling hour of fabulous live classical music in our Concert for Schools, over 600 children will get their hands on and find out about a variety of orchestral instruments.

With 5 new gamelan tutors freshly trained, schools will have unparalleled access to this great music-making resource. An extensive programme of subsidised workshops are available throughout the summer term.

Musicate Our flagship music education programme enables teachers and their pupils to work alongside inspirational conservatoire students to share and develop a deep love of jazz and classical music. To find out more, visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/musicate

For full details, including how to book, go to cheltenhamfestivals.com/music-for-schools

With thanks to all the supporters of Music for Schools 2018

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Colwinston Charitable Trust The John Armitage Charitable Trust

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The Reed Foundation The Sedbury Trust

We would also like to thank all of our generous individual supporters, including the 70th Festival Appeal Donors.

SUPPORTING EMERGING TALENT

cheltenhamfestivals.com

BBC New Generation Artists BBC Radio 3’s New Generation Artist scheme has brought some wonderfully talented musicians to Cheltenham in the past – and the 2018 Festival will be no exception.

We welcome young musicians from across the world to perform in their own morning concert series in the breathtaking surroundings of Pittville Pump Room, recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

Monday 9 July, 11am Calidore Quartet Simon Höfele trumpet Frank Dupree piano

6th Cheltenham Composer Academy

Programme to include Haydn, Janáček and Saint-Saëns

Each year 12 of the most outstanding early-career composers are selected and invited to Cheltenham to have their compositions work-shopped, performed and recorded, attend a range of premiere performances at Cheltenham Music Festival, and have access to industry professionals to discuss craft, contemporary aesthetics and career development.

Tuesday 10 July, 11am

Workshops are steered by a range of composers whose new works are being heard during the Festival. Academy composers have the choice of writing one piece either for the female vocal trio Juice Vocal Ensemble or including fixed media and live electronics for instrumentalists Scott Wilson and the Xenia Pestova, Carla Rees, Heather Roche Trio. Both groups are in residence for the duration of the Academy, and workshop the pieces alongside tuition from Michael Zev Gordon, Professor of Composition at the University of Birmingham and Director of the Cheltenham Composer Academy since 2016.

Programme to include Cassadó, Tchaikovsky and Strauss

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For more details, or to apply (before 30 March 2018), visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/composer-academy

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Details on page 28.

Calidore Quartet Eivind Holtsmark-Ringstad viola Andrei Ioniță cello Details on page 30.

Wednesday 11 July, 11am Mariam Batsashvili piano Programme to include Mozart, Chopin, Liszt and Grieg Details on page 32.

Supported by The Marychurch Fellowship, John Mumford and Penny McCracken, The Michael Tippett Musical Foundation and The Thistle Trust.

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Saturday 30 June – Sunday 15 July Drop in Tuesday–Friday: 3–6pm Saturday–Sunday: 11am–5pm

Virtual Reality: Beethoven’s Fifth

FREE

Cheltenham Town Centre Visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/virtual-reality for details Free Ages 7+ children must be accompanied by an adult.

Last summer over 2,000 people visited our Virtual Reality Orchestra, and in 2018 it’s back with a whole new experience.

This time, travel into space with the Philharmonia Orchestra and their Principal Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen: You will be at the heart of their performance of Beethoven’s gripping Fifth Symphony while marvelling at the mind-bending virtual reality footage shot by Google’s VR team in partnership with NASA. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the launch of the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft, and the Golden Records that they each carried, the orchestral performance is intercut with scenes from interstellar space, imagining where Voyager 1 is travelling now to create an unmissable experience!

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‘A-MA-ZING!’ ‘Fantastic, brilliant, breathtaking’ ‘A shining experience – very emotional’

cheltenhamfestivals.com

SATURDAY 30 JUNE / SUNDAY 1 JULY Saturday 30 June, 4pm & 7.30pm Sunday 1 July, 11am & 3pm

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Bach at the Café Zimmermann Mahan Esfahani & Friends Tithe Barn, Syde Manor £190 Full weekend £110 Day Ticket * Includes dinner (Saturday), lunch (Sunday) and all drinks.

Performers include: Mahan Esfahani harpsichord Dame Sarah Connolly mezzo-soprano Consone Quartet John Crockatt violin Lynda Sayce lute and theorbo Stimulation for the mind, nourishment for the soul…

This four-concert series in the breathtaking surroundings of Syde Manor pays tribute to Johann Sebastian Bach’s favoured Leipzig coffee house, where he led regular musical gatherings – the original Coffee Concerts – throughout the 1730s.

In an intimate concert setting, the incomparably brilliant, charismatic Iranian-American harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani opens the series with the Goldberg Variations, followed with music by Buxtehude, Albinoni and Erlebach as well as plenty more Bach. Mezzo-soprano Dame Sarah Connolly brings this special weekend to a close with a special guest appearance.

Saturday programme 3pm: Gardens open / pre-concert drinks 4pm: Concert I JS Bach Goldberg Variations 6pm: Dinner 7.30pm: Concert II Jan Adam Reincken Sonata Prima JCF Bach Sonata in A for cello from the ‘Musicalisches Vielerley’ Johann Rosenmüller Sonata Settima a 4 JS Bach Sonata in A minor BWV 965 JS Bach Concerto in A, BWV 1055 Sunday programme 10am: Gardens open 11am: Concert III Tommaso Albinoni Trio Sonata Op. 1 No 2 JS Bach Capriccio in B BWV 992 JS Bach Concerto in F minor BWV 1056 for harpsichord and strings Jean-Baptiste Lully / Dietrich Buxtehude from the ‘Ballet de l’Impatience’ Philip Erlebach Ouverture Suite in D 1pm: Lunch 3pm: Concert IV JS Bach Cantata Widerstehe doch der Sünde BWV 54 JS Bach Cantata Vergnügte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust BWV 170 JS Bach Cantata Ich habe genug BWV 82 Plus solo harpischord works by d’Anglebert

Supported by Sir Michael and Lady McWilliam

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

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WEDNESDAY 4 JULY

Box Office 01242 850270 11am–12.30pm

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Sarah Connolly Pittville Pump Room £28 £23 £16 * Dame Sarah Connolly mezzo-soprano Joseph Middleton piano Programme to include works by Stanford, Parry, Vaughan Williams, Holst, Gurney, Howells, Bridge, Britten, Tippett 10–10.40am Talk

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Composers of the Royal College of Music Pittville Pump Room, Oval Room £5 * William Mival Head of Composition Royal College of Music Composer, broadcaster, writer and teacher William Mival explores the extraordinarily rich seam of music that has come from the Royal College of Music since its foundation in 1882.

Including composers such as Vaughan Williams, Britten and Turnage, Mival delves into this great heritage of British choral composition.

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*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

Our chamber music series opens with the first performance of a new programme from Sarah Connolly, the outstanding mezzo of her generation and firm Festival favourite. A survey of composers from the Royal College of Music, of which Sarah is an alumna, these stunning songs showcase British music-making through three generations of composers.

Supported by Diana Woolley

5.30–6.15pm

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Festival Evensong Cheltenham College Chapel Free no ticket required Cheltenham College Chapel Choir David McKee director Responses: Cheltenham College Canticles: Stanford Evening Service in A Anthem: Bairstow, Blessed City Heavenly Salem Te Deum: Howells Collegium Regale

Post-Concert Lunch Two courses for £32.50 per person (including glass of fizz) Start your Festival in style with a delicious post-concert Champagne Lunch served 1pm in the Oval Room at Pittville Pump Room.

To book contact Fosters at Cheltenham@fostersevents.co.uk or 01242 581486 with guest numbers and dietary requirements.

WEDNESDAY 4 JULY

cheltenhamfestivals.com 7–9pm

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Sir Mark Elder & The Hallé Cheltenham Town Hall £45 £38 £32 £28 £20 £12 * Excellent tiered seating tickets available for under 16s, only £10. Limited availability.

The Hallé Louise Alder soprano Sir Mark Elder conductor Mozart Magic Flute overture A selection of arias by Mozart & Richard Strauss Elgar Symphony No 1 The Town Hall Proms open in style with The Hallé conducted by their celebrated Music Director, Mark Elder. With Elgar’s 1st Symphony The Hallé are revisiting one of the staples of their repertoire, having premiered the work in 1908. In the other half of the concert they are joined by soprano Louise Alder, whose dazzling performance in the 2017 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World final scooped the Audience Prize.

Supported by the Cheltenham Music Festival Society

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THURSDAY 5 JULY

Box Office 01242 850270 2–2.45pm Talk

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In Conversation: Professor Jeremy Dibble & George Parris Holy Innocents Church, Highnam £5 *

11am–12.30pm

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Sitkovetsky Piano Trio Pittville Pump Room £28 £23 £16 * Alexander Sitkovetsky violin Isang Enders cello Wu Qian piano C Schumann ‘Andante’ from Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 17 5’ R Schumann Piano Trio No 1 in D minor, Op. 63 30’ Dvořák Piano Trio No 4 in E minor, Op. 90 ‘Dumky’ 30’ The Sitkovetsky Piano Trio have previously wowed Festival audiences with their thoughtful and committed performances. They bring a perfectly formed programme of three classics of the piano trio repertoire; a movement from what is considered Clara Schumann’s greatest masterpiece; her husband Robert’s first trio written during a ‘time of gloomy moods’, which resolves into a joyous affirmation of faith; and Dvořák’s final, most personal work in this genre, the ‘Dumky’, which shifts with the breeze between melancholy introspection and lighthearted good cheer.

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*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

Seated amongst the beautiful frescoes painted by Parry’s father, join Jeremy Dibble, expert on 19thand 20th-century British music, in conversation with George Parris, director of The Carice Singers, as they discuss the life and work of Hubert Parry; composer, scholar, teacher and Gloucestershire lad.

3–4.15pm

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Eternal Be The Sleep Holy Innocents Church, Highnam £15 * The Carice Singers George Parris director Holst Nunc Dimittis Elgar They are at rest Parry Sorrow and pain Howells Requiem: Psalm 121 Howells Requiem aeternam Gurney Since I believe in God the Father Almighty Cecilia McDowall I know that my redeemer liveth Browne God is our Strength and Song Parry Songs of Farewell The Carice Singers, a vocal ensemble of sixteen young professional singers, gave their first performance in the Cotswolds in 2011. They bring their pure sound and imaginative approach to choral music to Cheltenham for the first time in a programme which pays tribute to Sir Hubert Parry in his home church. Provoked by the events of WW1, Parry’s tender and remarkable Songs of Farewell form the culmination of this concert of remembrance.

Supported by William A Cadbury Trust

‘Few can match The Carice Singers for musicality and beauty of tone’ Gramophone

THURSDAY 5 JULY

cheltenhamfestivals.com 7.30–9.30pm

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Maxim Vengerov and the Soloists of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra Cheltenham Town Hall £60 ** £40 £32 £26 £16 £10 * **Special ticket includes post-concert drinks reception with Maxim Vengerov. Limited availability.

Maxim Vengerov violin Marios Papadopoulos piano The Soloists of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra Brahms ‘Scherzo’ from the FAE Sonata 6’ Brahms Violin Sonata No 3 in D minor, Op. 108 22’ Mendelssohn Octet in E flat, Op. 20 33’ Celebrated as one of the most acclaimed violinists of all time, Maxim Vengerov’s richly burnished tone and gilt-edged virtuosity will be on ample display in this very special performance in Cheltenham Town Hall. He is joined by The Soloists of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra in Mendelssohn’s everpopular String Octet.

9.45–10.45pm

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Parisian Choral Works by Candlelight Cheltenham College Chapel £8 *

Excellent tiered seating tickets available for under 16s, only £10.

Limited availability.

The Choir of Keble College, Oxford Matthew Martin director Edward Higginbottom organ Dupré Laudate Dominum (Quatre Motets, Op. 9) 4’ Fauré Messe basse 10’ Dupré O salutaris hostia (Quatre Motets, Op. 9) 4’ Duruflé Requiem 33’ Join us amongst the towering architecture of Cheltenham College Chapel for an atmospheric late night concert by candlelight from one of Oxford’s leading mixed voice ensembles, directed by composer and Cheltenham native Matthew Martin. The devotional motets of Dupré and simple, ethereal charm of the Messe basse by Fauré lead to a finale of Maurice Duruflé’s gently consoling Requiem.

Supported by The Williams Church Music Trust 17

FRIDAY 6 JULY

Box Office 01242 850270

5–6pm

11am–1pm

Carducci Quartet and David Cohen Pittville Pump Room £28 £23 £16 * Carducci Quartet David Cohen cello Programme to include: Gavin Higgins Gursky Landscapes (premiere) 12’ Schubert String Quintet in C, D 956 48’

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Who better than the peerless Carducci Quartet, celebrated for their mastery of repertoire from Mozart to Stockhausen, and charismatic young cellist David Cohen, to present the world premiere of a Festival cocommission by Gloucestershire-born Gavin Higgins.

Inspired by the boundless reaches and minute details in the photography of Andreas Gursky, Higgins bring his boldly imaginative style to this new work. Paired with Schubert’s posthumously published String Quintet, which features some of his most profound and restrained writing, this recital is set to be a Festival highlight.

Supported by Mary Mackenzie, Richard Walton and Friends.

Gavin Higgins’ Gursky Landscapes supported

by The Garrick Charitable Trust.

Cambray Baptist Church £12 * Sophie Westbrooke recorder David Gordon harpsichord If you thought the recorder was made for school performances of London’s Burning, be prepared to be proved wrong. Following a sold out series in 2017, our Rush Hour concerts return with more of the finest BBC Young Musicians of recent years, with our first recital showcasing the winner of the woodwind category and 2014 finalist, Sophie Westbrooke. She brings us her dazzling recorder playing alongside the striking sounds of harpsichordist David Gordon.

Supported by Clifford Taylor Young Artist Series In memory of Dominic Cain

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*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

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FRIDAY 6 JULY

cheltenhamfestivals.com 7–9pm

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BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Brabbins and Kanneh-Mason Cheltenham Town Hall £45 £38 £32 £28 £20 £12 * Excellent tiered seating tickets available for under 16s, only £10.

Limited availability.

BBC National Orchestra of Wales Martyn Brabbins conductor Sheku Kanneh-Mason cello Daniel Pioro violin Gavin Higgins Velocity 6’ Howells Paradise Rondel 10’ Elgar Cello Concerto 30’ Holst In the street of the Ouled Nails (from Beni Mora) 7’ Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending 13’ Holst The Perfect Fool (ballet suite) 11’ Parry Jerusalem 2’ Hailed as the successor to Jacqueline du Pré, who made Elgar’s Cello Concerto her own, 18-year-old Sheku Kanneh-Mason returns after a sensational debut at Cheltenham last year. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Martyn Brabbins begin their three-day residency with a concert featuring music by composers with strong local connections – from Cheltenham’s Holst and Highnam Court’s Parry to Howells and Higgins, both brought up in the Forest of Dean a century apart. Innovative young violinist Daniel Pioro joins them for Vaughan Williams’ soaring masterpiece The Lark Ascending.

Supported by Diana Woolley, The Herbert Howells Trust and The Oldham Foundation

9.30–10.40pm

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An A-Z of Orchestral Triangle Playing Cheltenham Town Hall, Pillar Room £15 * Mick Doran Join Mick Doran, Principal Percussionist of the English National Opera Orchestra, as he invites you into the real world of the orchestral musician, introducing many colourful characters. Drawn from over 30 years’ experience working with the world’s greatest orchestras, conductors and soloists in the opera house, on the concert platform and in the studio, this irreverent, humorous and moving account will have you glued to your seat and helpless with laughter.

This show is aimed at an adult audience and contains occasional strong language.

‘A brilliant one-man show; a rare insight into life in an orchestra. You will laugh!’

John Suchet, Classic FM 19

SATURDAY 7 JULY

Box Office 01242 850270

2–3.15pm

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The Strings of BBC National Orchestra of Wales Cheltenham Town Hall £18 * 11am–1pm

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BBC National Orchestra of Wales Martyn Brabbins conductor

Haffner Wind Ensemble

Elgar Introduction and Allegro 15’ Richard Blackford Kalon (premiere) 25’ Tippett Concerto for Double String Orchestra 25’

Pittville Pump Room £28 £23 £16 * Haffner Wind Ensemble Nicholas Daniel director Charles Owen piano Debussy Syrinx 3’ Ravel arr. Mason Jones Le tombeau de Couperin 25’ Beethoven Quintet for Piano and Winds, Op. 16 23’ Mozart Adagio and Allegro K 594 9’ Ravel Une barque sur l’océan from Miroirs 7’ Mozart Quintet for Piano and Winds K 452 24’ 20

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

The UK’s leading wind ensemble, each member a soloist in their own right, the Haffners bring their great breadth of experience to bear on a wonderful programme with a nod to the centenary of Debussy’s death. They are joined by the inimitable Charles Owen for the Quintet which Mozart considered his best work to date, and which went on to inspire Beethoven’s own Quintet for Piano and Winds.

Consummate ‘musician’s musician’ Martyn Brabbins conducts the strings of BBC NOW in a world premiere by Richard Blackford, commissioned by Cheltenham Music Festival and dedicated to former Festival Director Meurig Bowen. Taking its name from the Greek concept of combined physical and spiritual beauty, Kalon is scored for the unusual combination of string quartet and string orchestra, as is the Introduction and Allegro which announced the young Edward Elgar as a new and vital force in British Edwardian music. Tippett’s breakthrough work of bracing energy completes the programme.

Supported by Cheltenham Music Festival Society

SATURDAY 7 JULY

cheltenhamfestivals.com 6–7.15pm

M15

Hansel & Gretel (World Premiere) Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £15 * Matthew Kaner music Simon Armitage words Clive Hicks-Jenkins art & visual direction Caroline Clegg dramaturgy Goldfield Ensemble Kate Romano (Goldfield Productions) producer Enter a world of light and shadow, of darkness and deception. A helter-skelter journey into ghostly landscapes and feasts of sugar...

The words of poet Simon Armitage retell this famous story in an extended lyrical poem entwined with chamber music by composer Matthew Kaner, one of the most original voices of his generation. With shadowplay and puppetry by Clive Hicks-Jenkins, this world premiere performance of Hansel & Gretel presents an evocative collection of art-forms, drawing audiences into a mysterious yet curiously familiar landscape.

7.30–8.30pm Talk

MT03

Hansel & Gretel: Post-Performance Reception Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre Free ticket required Join us in raising a glass to the creative team behind Hansel & Gretel, following the world premiere of this extraordinary new production. Learn about the conception of the work and how it was brought to life during an informal panel discussion.

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SATURDAY 7 JULY 8.30–9.45pm

M16

Thrones, Swords and Fantasy

A Celebration of Film and Game Music Cheltenham Town Hall £18 * The Bristol Ensemble Robin A. Smith conductor plus a host of special guest artists Featuring music from Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, Gladiator, Halo, Skyrim and Pokémon Conjuring up Middle Earth or the Seven Kingdoms, interstellar war or ancient Rome, film and game music has the power to whisk us away to other worlds. In this special celebration, composer, arranger and conductor Robin A. Smith (Musical Director 2012 London Olympic Opening Ceremony; RPO Elvis Symphonic Albums) brings together the most beloved and recognisable soundtracks from blockbusters, TV favourites and best-selling games for a thrilling live concert experience with symphonic orchestra, choir and solo musicians. Grab a drink and join us for a journey into the wild west of screen music.

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*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

Box Office 01242 850270

SUNDAY 8 JULY

cheltenhamfestivals.com 1–2pm

MF01

Family Concert with BBC National Orchestra of Wales Cheltenham Town Hall £10 adults £5 children * BBC National Orchestra of Wales Grant Llewellyn conductor Naomi Wilkinson presenter Our first ever family concert with a professional symphony orchestra offers an introduction to the instruments and orchestral sections through popular classics including music from BBC Ten Pieces.

For the full programme see page 8.

11am–1pm

M17

Benjamin Grosvenor Pittville Pump Room £28 £23 £16 * Benjamin Grosvenor piano Bach French Suite No 5 in G, BWV 816 17’ Brahms Four Pieces for solo piano, Op. 119 14’ Brett Dean Hommage à Brahms 8’ Debussy Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune 10’ Berg Sonata, Op. 1 13’ Ravel Gaspard de la Nuit 22’

Aged 25, Benjamin Grosvenor is already at home on the great concert platforms of the world, having reached the finals of BBC Young Musician at just eleven years of age. Acclaimed for his ‘brilliant yet clear-minded’ musicianship, Benjamin flanks his recital with two pillars of the keyboard repertoire by Bach and Ravel, which enclose Brahms’ poignantly melancholic Op. 119 pieces interleaved with Brett Dean’s affectionate homage to both the man and his music.

See other BBC Young Musician finalists in our Rush Hour Series, details on pages 18, 29 & 30.

Supported by Graham and Eileen Lockwood

2.30–4.30pm

MF02

Alison Balsom Masterclass Cheltenham Town Hall, Pillar Room Free ticket required Applicants must be Grade 6+ or the equivalent.

To apply visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/masterclass

Trumpeters of all ages are invited to apply for a one-off free masterclass with trumpet virtuoso and Cheltenham Music Festival’s new Artistic Director Alison Balsom. See page 8 for details.

23

WHAT’S ON GUIDE 10am

11am

12noon 1pm

2pm

KEY AS = All Saints’ Church Pittville BTP = Boston Tea Party PAC = Cheltenham Ladies’ Colle 3pm

4pm

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

10pm

11pm

WEDNESDAY 4 JULY MT01 COMPOSERS

11am

12noon 1pm

2pm

3pm

MF01 FAMILY CONCERT

TH M17 BENJAMIN GROSVENOR

PPR

M02 SARAH CONNOLLY

PAC

MT04 COLIN RILEY

PAC M03 FEST EVENSONG (CC)

Other

MF02 ALISON BALSOM MASTERCLASS (THPR)

Other

THURSDAY 5 JULY

MONDAY 9 JULY M07 MAXIM VENGEROV & THE SOLOISTS OF THE OXFORD PHILHARMONIC

TH

TH

M05 SITKOVETSKY PIANO TRIO

PPR

4pm

SUNDAY 8 JULY M04 SIR MARK ELDER & THE HALLÉ

TH PPR

10am

M20 BBC RADIO 3 NEW GENERATION ARTISTS I

PPR

PAC

PAC MT02 J. DIBBLE & G. PARRIS (HC)

Other

M06 ETERNAL BE THE SLEEP (HC)

M08 PARISIAN CHORAL WORKS (CC)

Other

FRIDAY 6 JULY

TUESDAY 10 JULY M10 BBC NOW, BRABBINS & KANNEH-MASON

TH

TH

M09 CARDUCCI QUARTET AND DAVID COHEN

PPR

MF03 LILLIPUT CONCERTS (CA)

M23 BBC RADIO 3 NEW GENERATION ARTISTS II

PPR

PAC

Other M11 RUSH HOUR 1 (CBC)

Other

M12 A-Z OF ORCHESTRAL TRIANGLE (THPR)

Other

SATURDAY 7 JULY

WEDNESDAY 11 JULY M16 THRONES, SWORDS AND GAMES

M14 STRINGS OF BBC NOW

TH

TH

M13 HAFFNER WIND ENSEMBLE

PPR

M27 BBC RADIO 3 NEW GENERATION ARTISTS III

PPR M15 HANSEL & GRETEL

PAC

MT03 POSTPERFORMANCE RECEPTION

M28 YOUNG MUSICIANS

Other

Other

Other 10am

11am

12noon 1pm

24  CONCERT  TALK/FILM  FAMILY

2pm

3pm

4pm

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

10pm

11pm

10am

11am

12noon 1pm

2pm

3pm

4pm

= Boston Tea Party CBC = Cambray Baptist Church CA = Chapel Arts CC = Cheltenham College Chapel CP = Cheltenham Playhouse CYS = Cheltenham Pilates & Yoga Studio GC = Gloucester Cathedral HC = Holy Innocents Church, Highnam nham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre PPR = Pittville Pump Room SQ = St Swithin’s Church Quenington TA = Tewkesbury Abbey TH = Cheltenham Town Hall THDR = Town Hall Drawing Room THPR = Cheltenham Town Hall Pillar Room 4pm

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

10pm

11pm

10am

11am

12noon 1pm

2pm

3pm

4pm

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

10pm

11pm

THURSDAY 12 JULY M18 SIR ANDRÁS SCHIFF AND THE OAE

TH M32 EBERLE/MASURENKO/ HELMCHEN/HECKER QUARTET

PPR MT04 COLIN RILEY

M19 IN PLACE; A SONG CYCLE

M35 POETRY INFUSED MUSIC (BTP)

Other

N BALSOM SS (THPR)

M33 QUENINGTON RECITAL (SQ)

Other

MT06 BURTON ON BERNSTEIN (THDR)

M34 CANDIDE (THPR)

FRIDAY 13 JULY M38 NOVAYA OPERA THEATRE OF MOSCOW

TH PPR

MT07 SCHUMANN

M36 STEVEN ISSERLIS M37 EDDIE PARKER’S DEBUSSY MIRRORED

PAC M21 RUSH HOUR 2 (CBC)

M39 BEVAN FAMILY CONSORT (AS)

Other

M22 KING’S SINGERS (TA)

SATURDAY 14 JULY TH PPR

MF05 RAD WORKSHOP

PAC

M25 BERNSTEIN DOUBLE BILL (CP) M24 RUSH HOUR 3 (CBC)

M41 BERKELEY ENSEMBLE

Other

M26 MIXTAPE (TA)

M40 MUSIC & YOGA (CYS)

M42 MUSIC & YOGA (CYS)

MF07 MF08 NUTCRACKER NUTCRACKER &I &I M43 COMPOSER M44 BERLIOZ: ACADEMY GRANDE MESSE DES SHOWCASE 1 (CA) MORTS (GC)

MF06 RAD WORKSHOP

MF04 FAMILY YOGA (CYS)

SUNDAY 15 JULY TH PPR M28 GLOS YOUNG MUSICIANS (CA)

M31 QUARTET PREMIERES (CA) M29 CHOIR OF KING’S COLLEGE (CC)

4pm

5pm

6pm

MT05 DIVERSITY (CA)

8pm

M45 CHINEKE! CHAMBER ORCHESTRA M47 CHAMBER OPERA: JULIANA

PAC

M30 CHOIR OF KING’S COLLEGE (CC)

7pm

MT08 TALK

M46 COMPOSER ACADEMY SHOWCASE 2 (CA)

Other 9pm

10pm

11pm

10am

11am

12noon 1pm

2pm

3pm

4pm

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

10pm

11pm

 CONCERT  TALK/FILM  FAMILY 25

SUNDAY 8 JULY 4–4.30pm Talk

MT04

Colin Riley In Conversation Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre Free ticket required Described by The Guardian as ‘wry, understated and slightly bonkers’, composer Colin Riley tells us about the inspiration behind his latest project, In Place; the significance of a particular location in any given moment of time, and the importance of reclaiming how we listen to, and experience music, in a more mindful way.

Box Office 01242 850270 5–6pm

M19

In Place: An Extended MultiMedia Song Cycle Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £15 * Melanie Pappenheim vocals Ruth Goller upright/electric bass guitar Kate Halsall piano/keyboards Nic Pendlebury viola Stephen Hiscock percussion A new kind of song-cycle in ten movements inspired

by Robert McFarlane’s Landmarks, In Place explores how our sense of place informs our cultural identity.

Composer Colin Riley has collaborated with writers Robert McFarlane, Paul Farley, Nick Papadimitrou, Daljit Nagra, Jackie Morris, Richard Skelton and Autumn Richardson, weaving together place names, folksongs, found texts, field recordings and scored music to produce a work which speaks to all corners of the British Isles and crosses art-form boundaries.

Supported by the Cheltenham Music Festival Society

‘Words act as a compass; place-speech serves literally to en-chant the land – to sing it back into being, and to sing one’s being back into it.’

Robert Macfarlane ‘Landmarks’ 2015 26

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

SUNDAY 8 JULY

cheltenhamfestivals.com 7.30–9.30pm

M18

Sir András Schiff & The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Cheltenham Town Hall £45 £38 £32 £28 £20 £12 * Excellent tiered seating tickets available for under 16s, only £10.

Limited availability.

Sir András Schiff keyboard, conductor Choir & Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Haydn Piano Concerto No 11 20’ Haydn Symphony No 94 ‘Surprise’ 24’ Haydn Harmoniemesse 45’ ‘Comic, naughty, astounding, daring’ – this is how Grammy Award-winning pianist András Schiff has described Haydn’s music. One of the world’s most revered keyboard players is joined in this all-Haydn programme by perhaps the most celebrated of ‘period instrument’ ensembles, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Their blend of gutsy playing and joyful experimentalism brings Haydn to vibrant life, celebrating the majesty, originality and wit of this great composer in our closing Town Hall Proms concert.

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MONDAY 9 JULY

10.30–11.30am

Box Office 01242 850270

MF03

Lilliput Concerts – Music for Tiny People Chapel Arts £6 per adult/child pair £4 for additional family members Lilliput Concerts are back with their delightful mix of classical music in a relaxed setting. During a 40 minute performance the Astaria String Quartet will present a traditional story in music along with some classics, followed by a taster session with mini violins and time for tea and cake in the lovely café.

Tickets are not available through the Festival box office. Visit buytickets.at/lilliputconcerts from 19 June.

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*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

11am–1pm

M20

BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists I Pittville Pump Room £24 £18 £12 *

Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3

Calidore Quartet Simon Höfele trumpet Frank Dupree piano Programme to include: Haydn String Quartet, Op. 54 No 1 15’ Janáček String Quartet No 1 ‘Kreutzersonate’ 13’ Saint-Saëns Septet 15’

An annual highlight of the Festival, our BBC New Generation Artist series serves up the crème de la crème of up-and-coming international musical talent. This first recital brings us the exceptional New York-based Calidore Quartet and Simon Höfele, hailed as one of the most exciting trumpeters of his generation. Pairing Haydn at his vivacious and ingenious best with Janáček at his most impassioned, the programme closes with Saint-Saëns’ joyfully ebullient Septet.

Supported by Elizabeth Jacobs

MONDAY 9 JULY

cheltenhamfestivals.com 7.30–9.30pm

M22

The King’s Singers Tewkesbury Abbey £35 £28 £22 £15 £10 * 5–6pm

The King’s Singers M21

BBC Young Musician Rush Hour 2

Programme to include works by Tallis, Palestrina, Byrd, Bob Chilcott, Vaughan Williams, Stanford, Poulenc, Nico Muhly, John Rutter and Paul Simon among many others

Promising a musical adventure to celebrate their 50th anniversary, The King’s Singers continue to be faithful to the unique, maverick spirit that guided the original group in 1968. Their programme, devised specially for the stunning acoustics of Tewkesbury Abbey, celebrates composers, songwriters and singers of all kinds spanning close harmony, sacred and secular music. The King’s Singers’ electrifying signature sound and unparalleled showmanship are as fresh as ever.

Cambray Baptist Church £12 * Laura van der Heijden cello Jâms Coleman piano Beethoven 7 Variations on ‘Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen’ 10’ Janáček Pohádka 13’ Chopin Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 65 25’ Winner of BBC Young Musician in 2012, Laura van der Heijden has gone on to forge an impressive professional career, captivating audiences with her insightful and faithful interpretations. Laura brings us a trio of works, starting with Beethoven’s charming variations on a theme taken from Mozart’s aria for Papageno in The Magic Flute. Joined

by Janáček’s Fairytale, a free-flowing Sonata-fantasy and Chopin’s lyrical Cello Sonata, this programme is a real rush-hour treat.

Supported by Clifford Taylor Young Artist Series In memory of Dominic Cain 29

TUESDAY 10 JULY 11am–1pm

Box Office 01242 850270 M23

BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists II Pittville Pump Room £24 £18 £12 *

Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3

Calidore Quartet Eivind Holtsmark-Ringstad viola Andrei Ioniță cello Programme to include: Cassadó Suite for Solo Cello 15’ Tchaikovsky Souvenir de Florence, Op. 70 34’ Strauss Sextet from Capriccio 10’ For the second of our BBC New Generation Artist series the Calidore Quartet are joined by phenomenal Romanian cellist Andrei Ioniță, and Eivind HoltsmarkRingstad who blew away audiences with his extraordinarily intense musicianship last summer. Passion remembered and recovered is the theme of sextets by Tchaikovsky and Strauss, and they are preceded here by the vibrantly coloured solo sonata of Gaspar Cassadó.

Supported by an anonymous donor

The Festival Guide Your souvenir event-by-event companion to Cheltenham Music Festival: nearly 150 pages packed with feature articles, notes on the music and Q&A-style biographical profiles of all the artists and composers at this year’s Festival. Only £5!

Add to your basket when booking your tickets, and collect at your first Festival event.

30

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

5–6pm

M24

BBC Young Musician Rush Hour 3 Cambray Baptist Church £12 * Our final Rush Hour concert showcases one of the 2018 BBC Young Musician finalists, fresh from the competition platform. Hear them in Cheltenham first, before they go on to become sure-fire star of the future.

Supported by Clifford Taylor Young Artist Series In memory of Dominic Cain

TUESDAY 10 JULY

cheltenhamfestivals.com 6.30–9.45pm

M25

Bernstein Double Bill Walter & Lenny (one-man play)

On The Town (film screening) Cheltenham Playhouse £15 * ‘Walter & Lenny’ Devised & performed by Peter McEnery From Nigel Simeone’s ‘The Leonard Bernstein Letters’ Julia St John director ‘On The Town’ Leonard Bernstein music Adolph Green & Betty Comden screenplay The first event in a three-day celebration of American composer Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday, this double-bill evening features a mesmerising one-man play exploring the unlikely yet sincere friendship that blossomed between Bernstein and Walter Hussey, Dean of Chichester Cathedral, and a film showing of one of Bernstein’s best loved works – the allsinging, all-dancing riotous musical On The Town, starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra.

8–10pm

M26

Classical Mixtape Tewkesbury Abbey Pay what you can from just £1.

There is no booking fee for this concert.

Last year, we threw away the classical concert rule-book and you loved it! Back by popular demand, Classical Mixtape presents short pieces of live music from different stages surrounding the audience in uninterrupted bliss. Stand, sit or lie where you like and let the spine-tingling sounds and amazing architecture of Tewkesbury Abbey transport you to another world.

Two 40-minute sets performed by special Music Festival guests 31

WEDNESDAY 11 JULY 11am–1pm

Box Office 01242 850270

M27

BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists III Pittville Pump Room £24 £18 £12 *

Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3

Mariam Batsashvili piano Mozart Rondo in A minor K 511 10’ Chopin Ballade No 1 in G minor, Op. 23 10’ Liszt Fantasy on themes from Mozart’s ‘Le nozze di Figaro’ and ‘Don Giovanni’ S 697 20’ Grieg Carnival Scene, Op. 19 No 3 9’ Liszt Piano Sonata B minor S 178 25’ Winner of the First Prize, Junior Jury Award, and Press Prize at the 2014 Liszt Piano Competition, Georgian pianist Mariam Batsashvili rounds off our BBC New Generation Artist series with a selection of the greatest composers of the piano repertoire. Her programme is a Romantically-inclined homage to the spirit of Mozart: for both Chopin and Grieg he was an inimitable model of perfection; one of Liszt’s most elaborate and rarely heard operatic fantasias weaves together familiar themes from two of Mozart’s da Ponte operas.

6–7pm 8–9pm Repetition of Concert

The Choir of King’s College Cambridge 4.30–5.30pm

M28

Gloucestershire Young Musicians Chapel Arts £6 * Tenor Laurence Kilsby, winner of the 2017 Keith Nutland Award, is joined in a double recital by the winner of 2018’s Gloucestershire Young Musician Competition.

Supported by Clifford Taylor Young Artist Series

32

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

M29 M30

Cheltenham College Chapel £20 * King’s College Cambridge Choir Stephen Cleobury director Elgar Great is the Lord 10’ Bernstein Chichester Psalms 20’ Howells Psalm Prelude (organ solo) 7’ Vaughan Williams Lord, thou has been our refuge Michael Berkeley I will lift up mine eyes 3’ Lennox Berkeley The Lord is my shepherd 4’ Parry I was glad 6’

WEDNESDAY 11 JULY

cheltenhamfestivals.com 9–10pm

M31

Quartet Premieres Chapel Arts £15 * Ligeti Quartet New works by Michael Zev Gordon, Sarah Rimkus, Bethan Morgan Williams, Ayanna Witter-Johnson and Christian Mason Our celebration of the centenary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth continues with renowned custodians of the great English choral tradition, the Choir of King’s College Cambridge, conducted by Stephen Cleobury in one of his final performances following a thirty-five year tenure at their helm. A sumptuous programme of psalm settings by composers close to the heart of the Festival, alternates between reflection and celebration, with Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms described by the composer as ‘my youngest child, old-fashioned and sweet’, climaxing in the chapel-filling thunder of Parry’s I was glad.

Supported by Patricia Routledge DBE

Witness the origin story of the Chichester Psalms in ‘Walter and Lenny’ at the Playhouse Theatre on Tuesday 10 July. See page 31 for details.

The Ligeti Quartet have garnered a reputation for intelligent and energetic interpretations of contemporary music. For this performance they bring us four world premieres, with works from Composer Academy Director Michael Zev Gordon, 2017 Academy alumni Sarah Rimkus and cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson (commissioned by Cheltenham Music Festival), and one from 2017 RPS Composition Prize winner Bethan Morgan Williams (supported by the Susan Bradshaw Composers’ Fund). The programme is completed by a new work from young composer Christian Mason, written for the Ligeti Quartet.

Supported by The Steel Charitable Trust

10.15–11pm Talk

MT05

Addressing Diversity in Composition Chapel Arts Free no ticket required An informal post-concert panel discussion with tonight’s composers taking a look at diversity in composition, and the pressures facing young creators more widely, in today’s classical music industry.

33

THURSDAY 12 JULY

Box Office 01242 850270 11am–1pm

M32

Eberle Masurenko Helmchen Hecker Quartet Pittville Pump Room £28 £23 £16 * Veronika Eberle violin Tatjana Masurenko viola Marie-Elisabeth Hecker cello Martin Helmchen piano Brahms Piano Quartet No 2 in A, Op. 26 47’ R Schumann Piano Quartet in E flat, Op. 47 29’ Four charismatic soloists form a dynamic chamber ensemble for this rousing performance of two of the greatest Romantic piano quartets ever written. The bittersweet, changeable moods of Brahms’ second quartet present a sharp contrast with the unbuttoned good humour of the quartet composed almost 20 years earlier by his mentor and first champion, Robert Schumann.

Supported by The Aquarius Group

3–4pm

M33

Quenington Recital St. Swithin’s Church, Quenington £12 * Richard Allen harp Debussy Suite Bergamasque 19’ Debussy Ballade (slave) L 70 7’ Hindemith Sonate für Harfe 11’ Schubert Sonata in F sharp minor D 571 7’ Takemitsu Litany I in memory of Michael Vyner 11’ Renié Pièce Symphonique 11’ Belfast-born harpist and current member of the Countess of Munster Musical Trust’s young artist scheme, Richard Allen, brings a programme inspired by French composer Claude Debussy to the intimate setting of St. Swithin’s Quenington for our annual recital in the church. Noted for his remarkable depth of expression and ability to draw new palettes of shade and colour from the instrument, we are delighted to showcase this multi award-winning young musician.

Tea and cake will be served in the sculpture garden of the Old Rectory, Quenington after the concert, with a chance to meet the artist. Entry to the garden is free; tea and cake is £5.

Supported by The Quenington Sculpture Trust

34

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

THURSDAY 12 JULY

cheltenhamfestivals.com 6–7pm Talk

MT06

Humphrey Burton on Bernstein

7.30–10pm

Candide Cheltenham Town Hall, Pillar Room £65 £55 * Ticket includes a glass of prosecco upon arrival,

Cheltenham Town Hall, Drawing Room £5 *

served in the Regency Café.

Humphrey Burton, classical music expert, television presenter, writer, director, producer and raconteur par excellence takes us on an entertaining journey through the life of the great American composer, conductor, teacher and thinker, Leonard Bernstein. Accompanied by film clips and musical extracts, this pre-concert event will catapult you into the mind of the man who created this evening’s music.

Paula Sides Cunegonde Carl Sanderson Pangloss/Voltaire Rosemary Ashe Old Woman Orpheus Sinfonia Oliver Gooch conductor Jeff Clarke director Nigel Howard & Elroy Ashmore designers A co-production by Iford Arts and Opera della Luna

Book a delicious picnic and drinks to accompany the talk through Fosters: Cheltenham@fostersevents.co.uk

Music by Leonard Bernstein Book adapted from Voltaire by Hugh Wheeler Lyrics by Richard Wilbur New version by John Caird (The 1999 Royal National Theatre version) With additional lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, John Latouche, Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Parker and Leonard Bernstein Performed by arrangement with Music Theatre International (Europe) Limited

M34

This summer, we bring English country-house opera to the Town Hall’s Pillar Room for one night only! The internationally renowned companies of Iford Arts and Opera della Luna use intimate and unique performance spaces to create magical and captivating opera, staged in-the-round, with the best of young British musical talent.

In Bernstein’s satirical masterpiece Candide, the innocent hero – an idealistic optimist – is taken on a whirligig world quest, encountering an absurd series of unfortunate events. Funny, surreal and Pythonesque, Candide contains some of Bernstein’s greatest writing with the enduringly popular I Am Easily Assimilated, Glitter and Be Gay and the radiant finale, Make our Garden Grow.

This sparkling new production from director Jeff Clarke continues Opera della Luna’s reputation for inventive, irreverent, hilarious and high energy shows, which never fail to delight audiences.

8–10pm

M35

Verbal: Poetry Infused Music Boston Tea Party £6 * Featuring music and words from Vinny Peculiar, 5 Mics and Dan Cooper Cheltenham Poetry Festival brings a mind-altering mix of pop, beat boxing, electronica and poetry infused indie to the Music Festival. UK musician and poet Vinny Peculiar has been described as ‘a warm hearted Morrissey’ (Q Magazine) while Dan Cooper offers darkly funny DIY pop, with elements of R’n’B, UK urban music and spoken word. They join the fivepiece hip hop and beatbox collective 5 Mics, known for their electrifying and floor filling live performances.

35

FRIDAY 13 JULY

Box Office 01242 850270 11am–1pm

M36

Steven Isserlis Pittville Pump Room £28 £23 £16 * Steven Isserlis cello Connie Shih piano C Schumann arr. Isserlis Three Romances, Op. 22 10’ R Schumann Fantasiestücke Op. 73 13’ Kapralova Ritornelle for cello, Op. 25 5’ Martinů Cello Sonata No 1 in F, H 277 20’ Holmès arr. Isserlis Recitatif et Chante from the cantata ‘La Vision de la Reine’ 8’ Franck Cello Sonata in A, FWV 8 30’

10–10.40am Talk

MT07

Robert Schumann: Syphilis or Madness?

Pittville Pump Room, Oval Room £5 * By popular consensus, Schumann died of third-stage syphilis, but on closer examination this is rather suspect. Jonathan Noble, a surgeon and author of a new book analysing the illnesses and deaths of great composers, and neuroscientist and philosopher Raymond Tallis debate the other more sinister explanations for his tragic early death.

36

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

Acclaimed worldwide for his profound musicianship and technical mastery, British cellist Steven Isserlis enjoys a unique and distinguished career as a soloist, chamber musician, educator, author and broadcaster. In this fascinating new programme he explores the works of three significant male composers and the less well-known and unfairly overlooked female composers who influenced, inspired and supported them, bringing their extraordinary compositions back to the concert platform where they rightly belong.

Supported by The Chairman’s Friends

FRIDAY 13 JULY

cheltenhamfestivals.com

4.30–6pm

M37

Eddie Parker’s Debussy Mirrored Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £18 *

Cheltenham Music Festival World Premiere

James Gilchrist tenor Brigitte Beraha vocals Eddie Parker, Rowland Sutherland, Jan Hendrickse, Gareth Lochrane, Tori Freestone flutes Simon Limbrick, Akiko Hori percussion James Maddren drums Steve Watts double bass Kit Downes piano/synth

Loose Tubes flautist and composer Eddie Parker holds a life-long passion for the music of Claude Debussy.

To celebrate the composer in his centenary year, Eddie has brought together a unique new ensemble of twelve outstanding jazz and classical performers, with the vocal virtuosity of singers Brigitte Beraha and James Gilchrist at centre stage. Eddie and the group have created a repertoire which takes Debussy’s music as a starting point and leads us on a fascinating journey.

Eddie gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Cheltenham Music Festival, Hawkwood House and Arts Council England.

37

FRIDAY 13 JULY

Box Office 01242 850270

9.30–10.30pm

M39

Bevan Family Consort All Saints’ Church, Pittville £18 * 7–9pm

M38

Kolobov Novaya Opera Theatre of Moscow Cheltenham Town Hall £35 ** £26 £20 £15 £10 * ** Ticket includes a glass of prosecco upon arrival.

Kobolov Novaya Opera Moscow Jan Latham Koenig conductor Tchaikovsky Letter scene from ‘Eugene Onegin’ 13’ Borodin Polovtsian Dances 13’ Rachmaninov Aleko 63’ 38

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

Catch the full company of the Kolobov Novaya Opera Theatre of Moscow with their nearly 100-strong orchestra and massed chorus and soloists, in their only UK concert performance of 2018.

One of the youngest and most innovative musical theatres in Russia, the company has gained a formidable reputation for its interpretations of Russian and Western classics. They present three masterpieces of the Russian operatic canon, including Borodin’s much-loved Polovtsian Dances, familiar to many from their use in TV adverts, video games and the song Stranger in Paradise. A bombastic, passionate and riproaring night out straight from the Baltic.

The Bevan Family Consort John Butt conductor Programme to include music by Johannes Nucius, Amy Beach, Byrd, JS Bach, Purcell, John Rutter and Tallis Musicality truly runs deep with the Bevans: now known as the Bevan Family Consort, Roger Bevan started the original Bevan Family Choir in the 1970s, creating a musical phenomenon along the way. What started out as a European tour with fourteen siblings has grown into an ensemble featuring numerous Bevan cousins. Bringing their astounding talent to Cheltenham, they have created a one-off programme of contemplative liturgical works, including music from Johannes Nucius, JS Bach, John Rutter and Amy Beach.

Supported by The Williams Church Music Trust

SATURDAY 14 JULY

cheltenhamfestivals.com 10–11.15am 11.15am–12.30pm

M40 M42

Music & Yoga Waves with Mary Devereux Cheltenham Pilates & Yoga Studios (Rodney Road) £9 per class; Suitable for everyone We are thrilled to welcome back Cheltenham Pilates & Yoga Studio to the Music Festival. These special classes created just for us will be held at their new, second studio in Rodney Road, a stone’s throw from the Town Hall.

A Restorative Yoga class suitable for everyone, even beginners. Take some time to slow down as you relax body and mind with music written specifically for this class. Props will be used to support the body, creating space for deep rest with the focus on opening, not stretching. With thanks to local arranger/musician, Robin A Smith for writing the music for this class, inspired by the works of Satie, Debussy and Ravel.

11am–1pm

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Berkeley Ensemble Pittville Pump Room £26 £21 £15 * Berkeley Ensemble Katherine Broderick soprano Ravel Introduction & Allegro 11’ Debussy Sonata for flute, harp, viola 18’ Ravel Chansons madécasses 14’ Debussy Musique de scène pour les Chansons de Bilitis 9’ Kenneth Hesketh The Singing Bone (Premiere) 9’ Debussy, arr. Hesketh Les soirs illuminés par l’ardeur du charbon (Premiere) 3’ Debussy, arr. Hesketh Deux Arabesques (Premiere) 9’ Michael Berkeley Nocturne 12’

A welcome return for the Berkeley Ensemble, named for father and son Lennox and Michael Berkeley, the latter a previous Festival Artistic Director whose music closes the programme. They are joined by radiant soprano Katherine Broderick for chamber works by Debussy and Ravel, which paint canvases of intimate seduction. Kenneth Hesketh invites us into the woods of a darker sound-world with his setting of a Brothers Grimm tale, shortly followed by world premieres of Hesketh’s Debussy arrangements (Cheltenham Music Festival commissions) Supported by The Gandel Trust

To book tickets for these sessions please call 01242 523282 or email info@cheltenhampilatesandyoga.co.uk

12.45–1.30pm

MF04

Family Yoga & Sound with Jeni Howland Cheltenham Pilates & Yoga Studios £9 per adult, under 16s free. Suitable for all ages; from babies to grown-ups See page 9 for details.

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SATURDAY 14 JULY

1–2pm

Box Office 01242 850270

MF05

recommended for ages 5–6 years

2.30–3.30pm

5–6.30pm

MF06

Composer Academy Showcase I

recommended for ages 7–9 years

Royal Academy of Dance Children’s Workshops: The Nutcracker Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre, Dance Studio £10 * per workshop For more information see page 9.

4.30–5.30pm 6.30–7.30pm

MF07 MF08

Scott Wilson Xenia Pestova, Carla Rees, Heather Roche Trio

Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £12 adults £8 children * per performance

New works created by Composer Academy participants

For more information see page 9. *Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

Chapel Arts Free ticket required

The Nutcracker & I

Alexandra Dariescu performer and producer Désirée Ballantyne ballet Nick Hillel director Adam Smith art director and director of animation Jenna Lee choreographer

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With live electronics and the sounds of flutes, clarinets and piano, Scott Wilson and the Xenia Pestova, Carla Rees, Heather Roche Trio are staging hot-off-the-press compositions by our Composer Academy participants.

Be the first to hear these intriguing and innovative works of music.

See page 11 for details of the Composer Academy.

Supported by John Mumford and Penny McCracken

SATURDAY 14 JULY

cheltenhamfestivals.com 7.30–9pm

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Berlioz: Grande messe des morts Gloucester Cathedral £35 £28 £22 £15 £10 * Nick Pritchard tenor British Sinfonietta South Cotswold Big Sing Group Saint Cecilia Singers Adrian Partington conductor Berlioz Grande Messe des morts, Op. 5 90’ The enormous forces of Berlioz’s Grande messe des morts – including extended orchestra, four off-stage brass ensembles, ten pairs of timpani and a massed choir – make hearing it a rare and unforgettable experience.

Add the exceptional acoustic of Gloucester Cathedral and one of the country’s finest choral directors, Adrian Partington, and it becomes unmissable. Berlioz’s thrilling masterpiece alternates from thundering drama to hushed intimacy.

Supported by an anonymous donor

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SUNDAY 15 JULY

Box Office 01242 850270 11am–1pm

M45

Chineke!

Chamber Orchestra Pittville Pump Room £26 £21 £15 * Chineke! Orchestra Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Nonet 25’ Strauss arr. Franz Hasenoehrl Till Eulenspiegel einmal anders! 9’ Schubert Octet 65’

10–10.40am Talk

MT08

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Pittville Pump Room, Oval Room £5 * Using materials from the Royal College of Music’s extensive and fascinating archive. Anna Maria Barry introduces us to alumnus Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, not just a fantastically talented composer and musical celebrity, but also an important force within the civil rights movements in Britain and the US. 42

*Plus booking fee: charged at £2 per order.

2017 saw their thrilling debuts at Cheltenham Music Festival and the BBC Proms, and this summer Chineke! returns in chamber ensemble formation with a focus on later Classical repertoire. An organisation dedicated to providing career opportunities to Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) classical performers, Chineke! also gives space to composers whose time in the spotlight is long overdue.

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Nonet stands shoulder to shoulder with Schubert’s ever popular Octet, either side of an arrangement of Richard Strauss’ rousing tone poem Till Eulenspiegel.

Supported by Jack and Dora Black and The Steel Charitable Trust

SUNDAY 15 JULY

cheltenhamfestivals.com 5–6.30pm

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Chamber Opera: Juliana Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £20 * Nova Music Opera

2–3.30pm

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Composer Academy Showcase II Chapel Arts Free ticket required Juice Vocal Ensemble New works created by Composer Academy participants Following a week long residency, rehearsing and refining their compositions with leading ensembles and writers, our second group of composers premiere their works on stage. In this final installment of our annual Composer Academy showcases, see these new and energetic works come to life, presented by the female vocal trio Juice Vocal Ensemble. A treat for fans of new music!

See page 11 for details of the Composer Academy.

Supported by John Mumford and Penny McCracken

Cheryl Enever Juliana Rebecca Afonwy-Jones Kerstin Samuel Pantcheff Juan Nova Music Opera George Vass conductor Richard Williams director Joseph Phibbs composer Laurie Slade librettist Midsummer’s eve on a Swedish water-side estate – the night is short and passions run high in Joseph Phibbs’ intriguing new chamber opera. Juliana is recovering from a broken engagement; with her father away on business, she has only a canary for company. She’s bored and depressed, so goes to the kitchen in search of distraction…

Laurie Slade’s libretto brilliantly transplants Strindberg’s most celebrated play Miss Julie (1899) to a contemporary Swedish setting, exploring the transgression of class, immigration and social and sexual boundaries. Phibbs’ trademark breadth of instrumental colour and vocal expression will make for a stellar world premiere performance.

One Membership supporting four extraordinary Festivals

Supported by The Cheltenham Music Festival Society

Join online today from £25 to enjoy priority booking and discounted Festival tickets.

A co-production between Nova Music Opera, Presteigne Festival and Cheltenham Music Festival. Supported by the Arts Council of Wales, the John S Cohen Foundation, the PRS for Music Foundation and the RVW Trust.

cheltenhamfestivals.com/ membership 43

BEYOND CHELTENHAM MUSIC FESTIVAL If you’re looking for even more music and art in and around Cheltenham, come along to these events.

Run and performed by fantastic local musicians, the listed exhibitions are free and tickets for concerts are available either on the door or direct from the organisers.

Exhibitions 4–15 July

Elizabeth Jacobs Pittville Pump Room, Apse Free An annual Festival highlight, behind-the-scenes photographer Elizabeth Jacobs displays her favourite photos of musicians in action from the 2017 Cheltenham Music Festival.

Saturday 23 June, 7pm

Sunday 8 July, 2.30–3.30pm

Britten: War Requiem

An Enchanting Afternoon with the Steinway

Tewkesbury Abbey £32 £26 £15 Linda Richardson, James Gilchrist, Quentin Hayes Soloists Brian Kay, Leslie Olive Conductors With the Burford Singers, English Arts Chorale, Choristers of Bristol Cathedral and English Arts Orchestra war-requiem2018.org.uk

4–28 July Open Wednesday–Saturday, 10am–4pm

Abstract 7

Last Night of the CSO Proms

Chapel Arts Free

Cheltenham Town Hall £18 £15 £12

The Abstract 7 are a group of five artists all of whom favour the modernists’ approach and a philosophy of abstraction.

Rafael Wallfisch cello David Curtis conductor

thechapelarts.com 44

Saturday 23 June, 7.30pm

Programme to include Delius, Elgar, Wood and Parry cheltenhamsymphonyorchestra.info

Christ Church, Malvern Road, Cheltenham £5 on the door Ashok Gupta piano Programme to include Mendelssohn, Debussy, Bach, Liebermann and Beethoven Donations for Choir With No Name matched by Mainstay Group.

Saturday 14 July, 12pm (tea and cake from 11.15am)

Schumann Recital Bethesda Church, Great Norwood Street Free (donations to Listening Post) John Cox tenor Leon Coates piano Programme to include Schumann’s Dichterliebe and piano music by Schumann

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Cheltenham Music Festival is presented by Cheltenham Festivals, a charity and a company limited by guarantee. Proud to be a member of PRSF Keychange.

Cheltenham Festivals Board of Trustees Dominic Collier (Chair) Diane Savory OBE (Vice Chair) Lewis Carnie Susan Blanchfield Vivienne Parry OBE Edward Gillespie OBE (Chair of the Music Festival) Prof Averil Macdonald OBE Peter Howarth Caroline Hutton Company Secretary Matthew Clayton Registered Office 28 Imperial Square, Cheltenham, GL50 1RH

Artistic Director Alison Balsom Music Festival Manager Camilla King Senior Management Board Ian George (Director of Festivals) Ali Mawle (Director of Education) Adrian Farnell (Director of Finance) Sue Dudley (Director of Marketing and Partnerships) Helena Bibby (General Manager) CF Productions and Box Office Andrew Bate, Elaine Holt, Jo Marsh, Helene Rose, Martin Perks Marketing and Partnerships Kathleen Barnhill, Amy Bates, Samantha Bonnes, John Creedon, James Davis, Sue Dudley, Lisa Garrett, Hanna Goldschmidt, Bairbre Lloyd, Jessica Lowes, Jenna Marks, Arlene McGlynn, Sarah Sharma, Sam Skillings, Ellie Topham, Matthew Walsh, Stacey Yeates Education Philippa Claridge, Sarah Forbes, Ali Mawle, Sharron Pearson, Rose Wood

Company No. 456573 Charity No. 251765 VAT Registration No. 100114013 Main Switchboard No. 01242 511211

Operations and Finance Helena Bibby, Adrian Farnell, Angie Hawkins, Adrian Hensley, Aline Imray, Anna Jukes, Amanda Keane, Laura Popperwell, Pete Riley, Suzanne Stephens, Megan Watt Festival Advisory Group Rob Adediran, Jonathan Freeman-Attwood, Christopher Cook, Kate Johnson, Rosemary Johnson, Mark Kilfoyle, David Sigall With many thanks to the staff and volunteers who provide invaluable support and help make the Festival a success.

Contact If you have any specific comments about any aspect of the Festival, please email boxoffice@cheltenhamfestivals.com Artwork Credits Main programme illustration Š 2018 Sarah Gullen Printed by Orchard Press Cheltenham Ltd. Photography Credits Visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/photos for a full photo credit list.

If you require this brochure in large format please call 01242 850270.

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PATRONS

Get closer to the Festivals with Patronage Join this exclusive group of supporters and make a real difference to our work as a charity.

• Dedicated ticket line with advance booking • Access to hospitality areas at the Literature and Jazz Festivals • Invitations to special events and parties throughout the year From £75 per month*, your Patronage covers all four Festivals and will support our artistic programme and our education work.

To find out more please contact Jessica Lowes on 01242 537263, email jessica.lowes@ cheltenhamfestivals.com or visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/ patrons

*With Gift Aid tax relief, becoming a Patron doesn’t cost as much as you might think and can make your donation go further.

Please ask for details.

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We would like to thank all our Patrons for their generous support, including those who have chosen to remain anonymous.

Life Patrons Dr Lynda Albertyn & Pat Gallasch Mark and Sue Blanchfield Peter and Anne Bond Dominic and Jannene Collier Michael and Felicia Crystal Colin and Suzanne Doak The Eaton Family Fingerhuth Leung Family Charles Fisher David and John Hall Margaret Headen Diane and Mark Hill Jeremy and Germaine Hitchins Family Jonathan and Cassinha Hitchins Family Stephen and Tania Hitchins Family Jeff and Keren Illiffe Elizabeth and Michael Jones Family Rick and Lisa Jones Steven and Linda Jones The Kwintner Family Hugh and Sue Koch Robert and Moira Leechman Hazel and Jeremy Lewis Graham and Eileen Lockwood The McKelvie Family Fiona McLeod The McWilliam family in loving memory of Ruth McWilliam Keith Norton and Piers Norton Mark and Elizabeth Philip-Sørensen John and Susan Singer Simon Skinner and Jean Gouldsmith Skinner

Andrew Smith Phil and Jennifer Stapleton Liz and Neil Stewart Sharon Studer and Graham Beckett Chris and Bridgette Sunman Fiona and David Symondson Ludmila and Hodson Thornber The Walker Family Michael and Jacqueline Woof Directors’ Circle Mike and Kerry Alcock Heather Barrett Jack and Dora Black Richard Claridge Michael and Angela Cronk Nigel and Sally Dimmer Miles and Monica Dunkley Carol Farnell Paul and Caroline Feinson Jeremy and Alison Halliday Mark and Moira Hamlin Stephen Hodge Andrew and Caroline Hope Simon and Emma Keswick Andrew and Susanne Malim Lady Marychurch Hayden and Tracy McKinnes Chris Morgan The Oldham Foundation Jan and Gill Rowe Peter Stormonth Darling Charitable Trust Su-Mei & Marcus Thompson Michele Rodriguez Wise and Dustin Wise Gold Patron David and Hayley Ashley Geraldine and Jim Beaty Christopher Bence

Stephen and Victoria Bond Charlie Chan Colin and Michele Cole Stuart and Gillian Corbyn Wallace and Morag Dobbin Peter and Sue Elliott Maurice Gran and Carol James Mr and Mrs Riff Heber-Percy Lord and Lady Hoffmann Anthony Hoffman and Dr Christine Facer Hoffman Elizabeth Jacobs Sue Jones Jocelyn and Dave McNulty Sir Michael and Lady McWilliam Janet Middleton Paul and Kathy Mottershead Dr Julia Pearson and Dr Keith England Martin and Susan Pickard Shelley and Paul Roberts Sharon and Toby Roberts Khal and Zoe Rudin Brenda Salters and Harold Longmate Elizabeth Saunders Esther and Peter Smedvig Andy and Ali Stalsberg Meredithe Stuart-Smith Michelle Thorley Ian and Liz Topping Michael and Rosie Warner Sarah and John Watkins Stephen Wood William Wyman We would also like to thank all our Silver Patrons who are listed at cheltenhamfestivals.com/ patron-acknowledgements

SUPPORT US

Safeguard the future of Cheltenham Music Festival Please consider a gift in your Will

By remembering Cheltenham Music Festival in your will you can make a lasting difference to our work.

Every year we depend on donations and gifts in wills to create an outstanding programme which premieres new music and fosters the next generation of musicians.

We understand that your loved ones will come first, but a gift of any size would be greatly appreciated and can help to safeguard the future of this magnificent Festival.

To talk in confidence about gifts in wills please contact Arlene McGlynn, Head of Individual Giving on 01242 537252, or email arlene.mcglynn@cheltenhamfestivals.com

Charity No. 251765

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HOW TO BOOK cheltenhamfestivals.com/music Make your online booking quicker and easier by building your Wish List before our on sale dates. Then just click and pay on the day.

Getting to Cheltenham Music Festival Cheltenham is easily accessible from anywhere within UK, by road and rail. For more information on public transport and car parks go to cheltenhamfestivals.com/your-visit

+44 (0)1242 850270 Phones are open Tuesday–Friday, 10am–5pm

Before the Festival: Pop-up Box Office at The Wilson (Clarence Street, GL50 3JT); Wednesday 28 – Friday 30 March & Tuesday 3 – Thursday 5 April, 10am–2pm.

For details visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/booking

During the Festival: At venues, from 45 minutes before the start of an event For queries email boxoffice@cheltenhamfestivals.com For full details about Box Office opening hours, in person and telephone ticket sales, booking fees, terms & conditions and Membership, visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/booking

Special Access Requirements Please book using our online form which will be available from 14 March at cheltenhamfestivals.com/access-requirements

Booking Dates Members’ Priority Booking From 1pm, Wednesday 28 March 2018 Public Booking From 1pm, Wednesday 4 April 2018

Gift Vouchers Cheltenham Festivals Gift Vouchers may be purchased at our Box Office or online at cheltenhamfestivals.com/gift-vouchers and may be redeemed against ticket or Membership purchases online, in person or by phone.

Charity No. 251765

Festival Venues Within Cheltenham All Saints’ Church, Pittville GL52 2HG Boston Tea Party GL50 3JS Cambray Baptist Church GL50 1JS Chapel Arts GL50 3QQ Cheltenham College Chapel GL53 7LD Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre GL50 3AA Cheltenham Pilates & Yoga Studios GL50 1HX Cheltenham Playhouse GL53 7HG Cheltenham Town Hall GL50 1QA Pittville Pump Room GL52 3JE Beyond Cheltenham Gloucester Cathedral GL1 2LX Holy Innocents Church, Highnam GL2 8DG St Swithin’s Church, Quenington GL7 5BN Tewkesbury Abbey GL20 5RZ Tithe Barn, Syde Manor GL53 9PN

One Membership supporting four extraordinary Festivals Join online today from £25 to enjoy priority booking and discounted Festival tickets. cheltenhamfestivals.com/membership Illustration by Sarah Gullen