HISS brochure 2013

A season of coffee concerts at the Old Swan Hotel

Welcome to the 20th Harrogate International Sunday Series, presented by Harrogate International Festivals.

What better way to start the year than with a Sunday Series containing some of the brightest international talent on the classical music scene.

This season we’re delighted to welcome Leeds Piano Competition finalist Louis Schwizgebel & Festival favourites The Gould Piano Trio. The season also includes world-renowned cellist Adrian Brendel, and one of the most sought after string quartets, The Modigliani Quartet, in their 10th anniversary year. The season draws to a close with extraordinary pianist, Kirill Gerstein.

We look forward to welcoming you to the 2013 Sunday Series in the beautiful surroundings of the Old Swan Hotel.

Louis Schwizgebel, piano Sunday 27th January | 11am Tickets: £17, £15.50

Fresh from the final of the 2012 Leeds International Piano Competition, Louis Schwizgebel opens the 2013 Sunday Series in style. He brings with him a fascinating programme showcasing the keyboard’s virtuoso repertoire, including one of only two sonatas by Haydn written not for his amateur students, but intended for one of London’s leading pianists, and Ravel’s three part suite that forever changed the technical landscape of keyboard music. Schwizgebel also showcases the “modern Schumann” Holliger’s nocturnes, based on the Elis poems of Georg Trakl, and one of only three of Schubert’s piano sonatas published during his lifetime. This sensational pianist and programme is the perfect way to start the season.

Haydn Holliger Ravel Schubert

Piano Sonata in C Major, No. 60, Hob XVI:50 Elis - Three Nocturnes for Piano Gaspard de la Nuit Piano Sonata No. 16 in A Minor, Op. 42, D.845 ‘...a fastidious touch and plenty of sparkle.’ New York Times

Box Office 01423 562 303

Gould Piano Trio Sunday 10th February | 11am Tickets: £17, £15.50

Violinist Lucy Gould, cellist Alice Neary and pianist Benjamin Frith make up this award-winning ensemble. With an enviable reputation for musical integrity and imagination, the trio has continued to evolve over the past 20 years. We are delighted to welcome back the trio with a programme of truly inspired chamber works. From the end of the classical era with Beethoven’s second trio, to the peak of the Romantic era with the chamber music of Rachmaninov and Mendelssohn, this vibrant programme won’t fail to impress.

Rachmaninov Beethoven Mendelssohn

Elegiac Trio in G Minor Trio No. 2 in G Major, Op. 1 Trio No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 66

‘The ensemble not only plays with meticulous technical skill and pristine intonation, but they also manage to put forward convincing, engaging performances...’ The Strad

Adrian Brendel, cello Alasdair Beatson, piano

Sunday 3rd March | 11am Tickets: £17, £15.50 Adrian Brendel has quickly established himself as one of the leading cellists of his generation, performing extensively as a soloist and in chamber music throughout Europe, the US and Japan. Performing with accompanist Alasdair Beatson, Brendel opens with the first of five cello sonatas by Beethoven, widely considered the first great composer of the cello sonata, followed by Stravinsky’s only work for cello, an arrangement of his “Pergolesi” ballet, Pulcinella. Rachmaninov’s sonata allows both the cello and piano to enjoy equal, virtuosic solo parts, and closes the concert in style.

Beethoven Stravinsky Rachmaninov

Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 1 in F, Op. 5/1 Suite Italienne Sonata for Cello and Piano in G Minor, Op. 19

‘Adrian Brendel is everything but a showman; his clear and precise leaning towards classical refinement, always exposing an acute understanding of the composer’s intentions...’ Berliner Tagesspiegel

www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

Modigliani Quartet Sunday 17th March | 11am Tickets: £17, £15.50

Since forming in 2003 the Modigliani Quartet have established themselves as one of the world’s most sought after string quartets.

Following their recent international tour the quartet continue to take the world by storm, and we are proud to invite them to Harrogate’s stage as they celebrate their 10th anniversary this season. Their programme includes the last substantial work written by Beethoven; a poignant reflection on his life’s achievements. They close with Ravel’s Quartet in F, which – having been dubbed a “failure” by his contemporaries – now stands as one of the most widely performed chamber music works in the classical repertoire. An ensemble and programme not to be missed.

Beethoven Ravel

Quartet No. 6, Op. 135 Quartet in F

‘A gripping and persuasive performance, played with awesome individual and communal brilliance.’ The Strad

Kirill Gerstein, piano Sunday 7th April | 11am Tickets: £17, £15.50

Russian-born pianist Kirill Gerstein has rapidly ascended into classical music’s highest ranks. He has proven to be one of today’s most intriguing and versatile musicians, with a masterful technique and a musical curiosity that has led him to explore repertoire spanning centuries and styles. He brings with him a programme that does just that, journeying from Mehldau’s Variations, written for Gerstein in 2011, back to the 18th century with Haydn and Brahms, and the spell-binding piano arrangement of Mussorgsky’s Pictures At An Exhibition. A fitting finale for the series.

Mehldau Brahms Haydn Mussorgsky

Variations on a Melancholy Theme Variations on a Theme by Paganini, Op. 35 Andante and Variations in F Minor, Hob.XVII:6 Pictures At An Exhibition

‘…a subtle and intelligent pianist with a deliciously light, delicate touch...’

The Telegraph

Box Office 01423 562 303

Tickets

Ballroom & Garden Room Series Subscription

£76

Rear of Garden Room £69

Series Subscribers enjoy a 10% discount when booking for all five concerts

Louis Schwizgebel

£17

£15.50

Gould Piano Trio

£17

£15.50

Adrian Brendel

£17

£15.50

Modigliani Quartet

£17

£15.50

Kirill Gerstein

£17

£15.50

£17 tickets are situated in the Ballroom and front rows of the Garden Room, and £15.50 seats are situated towards the back of the Garden Room.

Discounts All tickets are available at a 30% discount to children aged 16 and under, the unemployed and students in full-time education.* *Appropriate identification must be shown. Subject to availability.

Please note this offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers.

Coffee and Tea will be available to purchase during the interval for the Festival rate of £1.30.

For more information on the Harrogate International Sunday Series please contact the Festival Office on 01423 562 303 or email info@harrogate-festival.org.uk

www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

Booking Information Tickets can be booked through the Harrogate International Festivals Office by the following methods: Phone 01423 562 303 Online www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com In Person Raglan House, Raglan Street, Harrogate, HG1 1LE The team would be delighted to see you if you decide to come in to the office in person to book your tickets. Please be aware we may be moving premises during the season so if you would like to book in person please check our website for updates or phone ahead to check our location.

Postal Bookings Booking Forms are available to download from our website: www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com.

Please return to Harrogate International Festivals, Raglan House, Raglan Street, Harrogate, HG1 1LE. Please be assured all postal bookings posted here will still reach us if we move premises.

Payment Method Payment can be made by cash, all major credit / debit cards (excluding American Express) or cheques. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Harrogate International Festivals’ and should be for the full value of your tickets. Please ensure you include the appropriate postage fee or a stamped addressed envelope.

Online bookings are subject to a booking fee.

Postage Fees In order to cover the cost of postage, there is an additional 50p charge, however you can choose to pick your tickets up on the door of the concert or at the office prior to the event.

Opening Times The Festival Office is open Monday - Friday, 9.30am - 5.30pm.

The Festival Office will close for the Christmas period on Friday 21st December and re-open on Thursday 3rd January, however you can still buy tickets for the Sunday Series during this time by booking online: www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com. @HarrogateFest

Harrogate International Festivals

Box Office 01423 562 303

Your Support Help secure the future of Harrogate International Festivals by becoming a Festival Friend, and enjoy special privileges exclusively reserved for Friends, including priority booking and invites to year-round events.

Your donation will support the production of our internationally acclaimed portfolio of activity delivered throughout the year and the incredible work of ReachOut, our Learning and Participation Department.

Established in 1966, Harrogate International Festivals has grown into one of the region’s leading cultural providers, attracting the best international, national and local artists to perform each year.

The Festival team works year-round to bring the finest in performing arts, literature and education activities to Harrogate and Yorkshire and we could not do this without the invaluable contribution made by our Festival Friends.

Festival Friends receive many benefits including; advance notification and booking of events, exclusive Festival reception events and regular updates on Festival activities.

The membership scheme starts at just ÂŁ25 annually.

Membership of Harrogate International Festivals also makes the perfect gift for anyone who is passionate about the arts & culture. Give the gift of advanced information, booking and exclusive events.

For more information, or to become a Friend, please contact the Festival Office on 01423 562 303 or download a membership form from the website: www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com You can also donate to Harrogate International Festivals by texting HIFS00 ÂŁ10 to 70070 Harrogate International Festivals is a registered charity no. 244861.

All information in this leaflet is correct at the time of going to print. Harrogate International Festivals reserve the right to make such alterations as may become necessary.

www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

The Old Swan Hotel Dating back to the 1840s, the Old Swan Hotel is one of Harrogate’s oldest and most cherished hotels. The hotel’s Victorian splendour and traditional elegance is complemented by a modern and contemporary environment.

The hotel has 175 free car parking spaces and full disabled access.

If travelling by train, the Old Swan Hotel is located a five minute walk or a short taxi drive from the railway station.

Premier Partners

Regular Supporters

Box Office 01423 562 303