Welcome to Music at Paxton 2023!

It is always a delight for us when, after spending the winter months planning and preparing the Festival, we can reveal the artists and programmes we have lined up for what we are confident will be an exciting summer of great music.

We are excited to introduce our new Associate Ensemble, the Consone Quartet , multiple award-winners (Royal Over-Seas League, Borletti-Buitoni Trust, and more) and current members of the prestigious BBC New Generation Artists scheme. The Quartet’s core repertoire spans the Classical and Romantic eras – this year from Mozart to Sibelius – and they produce an exquisitely warm and vibrant blend on their period instruments that promises to be a beautiful match for the acoustic of the Picture Gallery. This year’s song recitals are performed by exceptional young artists in partnership with superb accompanists – soprano Rowan Pierce with Christopher Glynn , and bass William Thomas with Malcolm Martineau – and instrumental concerts will feature pianist Paul Lewis , Chlöe Hanslip (violin) and Danny Driver (piano), the Katona Twins (guitar duo) and the Piatti Quartet . We are also thrilled that Guy Johnston (cello) and Melvyn Tan (piano) will present a special 2-concert feature of Beethoven’s sonatas.

Together with choral music, a unique piano masterclass, relaxed performances for families and toddlers, and folk music, we really believe we have something for everyone.

Angus Smith Artistic Director

Piatti Quartet

Michael Trainor Violin

Rebecca Chan Violin

Tetsuumi Nagata Viola

Jessie Ann Richardson Cello

Purcell

Chaconne in G minor, Z.730

Charlotte Harding

Iorsa (Scottish première)

Mendelssohn

String Quartet No.1 in E flat, Op.12

Smetana

String Quartet No.1 in E ‘From My Life’

The Piatti Quartet, prizewinners at the Wigmore Hall International String Quartet competition, open the festival with a captivating programme of beauty and contrast. Charlotte Harding’s Iorsa, commissioned by the Quartet and the Three Choirs Festival, evokes the scenic glen on the Isle of Arran and Mendelssohn’s early quartet is full of invention. Smetana’s dramatic first quartet is an intensely personal and sometimes painful description of his life.

Tickets £30/£25 (concessions £18/£16)

Limited free tickets for under 26s (see p.2)

PRE-CONCERT:

Festival Introductory Talk:

Angus Smith, Artistic Director

6.45pm · 15 min

Angus will present a short overview of the festival and set the scene for the exciting programmes and musicians that can be enjoyed over the coming ten days.

FREE EVENT to opening concert ticket holders

Sat 22 July, 10am · 45 min

Family Concert: Piatti Quartet

What exactly is a String Quartet? What is ‘Rhythm’? What does a conductor do and can anybody become one?

This relaxed concert will delight and thrill the whole family and features music by Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn and Ravel. With informal introductions and games led by the players from the stage, this event is highly recommended for all ages from 5 upwards.

Tickets £10 (conc £6)

FREE ENTRY for accompanied children

Sat 22 July, 2pm · 1 hr

Marquee

Andante Chamber Choir

The Scottish Borders-based Andante Chamber Choir presents a wonderfully varied selection of uplifting classical and popular a capella choral music ranging from Purcell and Rutter to Sullivan and Billy Joel. Perfect entertainment for a summer afternoon!

FREE EVENT Sat 22 July, 5pm · 1 hr

Marquee

Breanna Wilson Fiddle

Sophie Joint Keyboard

BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional

Musician 2022 finalists Sophie and Breanna present a mixture of contemporary and traditional styles rooted in the vibrant folk culture of the West of Scotland.

Tickets £10 (conc £6)

In association with Live Music Now Scotland

Paul Lewis Piano

“

Every now and again a recording comes along that makes you want to dance in the street, handing out copies to complete strangers”

Gramophone + POST-CONCERT: Stay on for a short informal Q&A immediately after the concert.

Sun 23 July, 12 noon · 50 min

Siannie Moodie Clàrsach

Schubert

Piano Sonata No. 7 in E flat, D.568

Piano Sonata No. 14 in A minor, D.784

Piano Sonata No. 17 in D, D.850

We are delighted to welcome Paul Lewis to Paxton again for an evening of immense and profound sonatas by Schubert. This concert is part of Paul’s return to Schubert, 20 years on from his first immersive series, and he comments that “when you come back to something you haven’t played for a long time, you see things in a different way, in a different balance. You let music rest and you live your life, experiencing things and playing other music, and it all feeds in and influences your interpretation.”

Tickets £30/£25 (conc £18/£16)

Siannie Moodie plays the wonderfully versatile clàrsach (Scottish harp). She explores the historical and modern folk traditions from her childhood home in the Highlands, adding new melodies of her own to continue the work of her forebears. The recital promises to be a soothing and relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Tickets £15 (conc £10)

Sun 23 July, 4pm · 1 hr 45 min

Rowan Pierce Soprano

Christopher Glynn Piano

An Entertainment

Arne

O Ravishing Delight

Haydn

The Mermaid’s Song; A Pastoral Song; O Tuneful Voice; She never told her Love

Beethoven

Since Grey Beards Inform Us; To the Aeolian Harp

Schubert

The Lonely One; Listening to Love; To Music

Walton

The Lord Mayor’s Table

Poulenc

Banalités

Noel Coward

Spinning Song; A Bar on the Piccola

Marina; London Pride; Sail Away

Rowan Pierce’s special programme for Paxton replicates musical entertainments that people performed themselves in homes – both grand and humble – over the last 250 years. Haydn and Beethoven arranged dozens of traditional Scottish and Irish airs, and Noel Coward’s enchanting songs were a huge favourite with radio, theatre and concert audiences over many decades.

BBC Music Magazine

Tickets £25 (conc £16)

Sponsor: Andrew & Hilary Walker

Rowan has enjoyed a rapid rise to international prominence both on the operatic stage and in recital – this year alone she has made debuts at the Royal Opera House and Glyndebourne.

Christopher Glynn is a Grammy-award winning pianist and Artistic Director of the Ryedale Festival.

Tue 25 July, 11am & 2pm · 40 min

On the Lawn / Marquee (if wet)

Traditional Tunes for Tiny People

Ruaridh Geddes Fiddle

Neil Sutcliffe Accordion

Tue 25 July, 7pm · 2 hr 30 (30-min interval)

Please note early start time

Guy Johnston Cello Melvyn Tan Piano

Back by popular demand! Roo and Neil present an interactive and fun performance of music and storytelling designed to introduce traditional Scottish tunes and songs to young children.

Recommended for families with children aged 3–7. Please note: children must be accompanied by an adult (max 3 children per adult).

Tickets £6 per child (Single sibling rate £3)

In association with Live Music Now Scotland

Beethoven

The complete Cello Sonatas (Nos 1–5)

Hearing all these great cello sonatas in one evening is an exceptional opportunity to witness how Beethoven’s music evolved from youthful confidence to the revolutionary brilliance of his full maturity. Guy Johnston came to prominence upon winning the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. A regular soloist with major symphony orchestras worldwide, Guy also presents chamber music and recitals, directs Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival, and supports several charities promoting music education.

Tickets £30/£25 (conc £18/£16)

Limited free tickets for under 26s (see p.2)

Sponsor: Wynne Harlen

PRE-CONCERT: 6.15pm · 20 min

Join Guy and Melvyn for a short introduction to this evening’s performance

Wed

Melvyn Tan Piano

“ the most thoughtful, elegant and refined of pianists … everything seemed to illuminate everything else”

The Guardian

Tickets £25 (conc £15)

Thu 27 July, 11am · 1 hr 30

MASTERCLASS for amateur pianists of all ages

Beethoven

Piano Sonata No.30 in E Op.109

Piano Sonata No.31 in A flat Op.110

Piano Sonata No.32 in C minor Op.111

Beethoven’s final three piano sonatas have acquired an almost mystical status. They are entirely different from each other yet, heard together, they provide an extraordinary emotional journey that not only embraces chaos and disorder but also wit and humanity.

Melvyn Tan is a regular performer at London’s Wigmore Hall and Royal Festival Hall, New York’s Lincoln Centre, Vienna’s Konzerthaus and Musikverein, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and festivals such as Salzburg and Edinburgh. Reviews unanimously acknowledge his phenomenal technical skills and scintillating virtuosity as well as the exquisitely balanced clarity, delicacy and grace of his interpretations.

Melvyn Tan Piano

We are delighted to invite amateur pianists to participate in a masterclass with Melvyn Tan featuring ‘Variations for Judith’, a collection inspired by Bach’s beautiful melody ‘Bist du bei mir’. The short pieces are specially written to Grade 5/6 standard by some of Britain’s finest composers, including Judith Weir, Peter Maxwell Davies, Tarik O’Regan, Thea Musgrave and Richard Rodney Bennett. Pianists of any age are encouraged to apply. More info & audio extracts: nmc-recordings.myshopify.com/products/ various-variations-for-judith

Please contact General Manager Elizabeth Macdonald if you would like to know more about participating: info@musicatpaxton.co.uk

Tickets £10 (conc £6)

FREE ENTRY for accompanied children

The Katona Twins:

Peter & Zoltán Katona

Guitar Handel

Chaconne in G

Piazzola

Introducción – Otoño – Porteno

Peter Katona

Tarrega for Two; Scandal

Reinhardt

Nuages; Minor Swing

Maxwell Davies

Farewell to Stromness

Bernstein

West Side Story (selection)

Albéniz

Mallorca; Asturias

The Katona twins are acclaimed worldwide for their presentation of classical and popular musical genres. Winners of major international competitions in the USA, Germany and France, they have also enjoyed a 4-year residency with the prestigious San Francisco Performances organisation in California. They have appeared in recitals at Carnegie Hall in New York, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, Suntory Hall in Tokyo and Philharmonie in Cologne, and collaborated with musicians including cellist Yo Yo Ma and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Having originally studied in Budapest, Frankfurt and London, the brothers now live in Liverpool. “

The Daily Telegraph

Tickets £25 (conc £16) +

POST-CONCERT: Stay on for a short informal Q&A immediately after the concert.

William Thomas bass

Piano

Programme to include:

Schubert

L’incanto degli occhi; Auf der Donau; Das Fischermädchen; Du bist die Ruh; Fahrt zum Hades; Am Meer

Wolf

Der Tambour; Bei einer Trauung, 3 Michelangelo Songs

Richard Strauss

Das Tal; Der Einsame

We are delighted to present this fascinating recital with rising star William Thomas, bass, and the peerless Scottish accompanist Malcolm Martineau. William is already taking the singing world by storm having won the Kathleen Ferrier Award, and his commanding voice and stage presence have secured him engagements at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and the Teatro alla Scala, Milan.

We are thrilled that William is joined at Paxton by Malcolm, possibly the most sought-after recital partner working on the world stage today, for a programme of Romantic songs that bloom into vivid life from the rare and beautiful sound of his luxurious bass voice.

Tickets £30/£25 (conc £18/£16)

Concert supported by Henrietta Simpson in memory of her husband Patrick

Sat 29 July, 5pm · 1 hr

Marquee

Miguel Girão Guitar Amy Laurenson Keyboard

Sat 29 July, 7.30pm · 1 hr 40

Consone Quartet

BBC New Generation Artists Music at Paxton Associate Ensemble

BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician 2022 winner Amy and duo partner Portuguese guitarist Miguel explore the music traditions and folklore of Scotland, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe which have been influenced by classical, contemporary, and jazz music.

Tickets £10 (conc £6)

In association with Live Music Now Scotland

Haydn

String Quartet in E flat, Op.64 No.6 Felix Mendelssohn

String Quartet No.6 in F minor, Op.80

Schumann

String Quartet No.3 in A, Op.41 No.3

The Consone’s Paxton debut features Haydn’s joyous quartet from 1790, notable for a dazzling finale, followed by Mendelssohn’s unusually melancholic Quartet in F minor, a work that was clearly influenced by the death of his beloved sister, Fanny. In contrast, Schumann uncharacteristically declared his Quartet in A to be “very decent … I sometimes think it is my best”, and his wife, pianist and composer Clara, stated that it “filled me with bliss down to the last detail!”

Tickets £25 (conc £16)

+

Seenandheard-international.com

POST-CONCERT: Stay on for a short informal Q&A immediately after the concert.

Sun 30 July, 12 noon ·

Consone Quartet

Music at Paxton Associate Ensemble

Sibelius Andante Festivo

Mozart

String Quartet No.13 in D minor, K.173

Puccini

Crisantemi

Fanny Mendelssohn

String Quartet in E flat

This lovely programme is packed with unexpected delights. Sibelius and Puccini, composers best-known for grand symphonic and operatic works, wrote these touching and delicate chamber pieces for specific occasions – Crisantemi (Chrysanthemums) is a serene and dignified elegy on the death of a friend and Andante Festivo, composed in 1922 for an anniversary celebration, was played in an orchestral version at Sibelius’s funeral in 1957. The young Mozart – aged 17 when this quartet was composed – is totally irrepressible, and Fanny Mendelssohn’s quartet explores a wide emotional spectrum before reaching its triumphant finale.

Tickets £15 (conc £10)

Limited free tickets for under 26s (see p.2)

Sun 30 July, 4pm · 1 hr 45

Chlöe Hanslip Violin Danny Driver Piano

Strad on Consone Quartet

Erwin Schulhoff

Sonata for Violin & Piano No.2, WV91

Vítězslava Kaprálová

Legend for Violin & Piano

Josef Suk

Four Pieces for Violin & Piano, Op.17

Schubert

Sonatina No.1 in D, D.384 (Op.137 post.)

Richard Strauss

Violin Sonata in E flat, Op.18

We are delighted to be joined for our festival finale by the outstanding violin and piano duo of Chlöe Hanslip and Danny Driver. Their trio of elegiac pieces by Czech composers from the early 20 th century includes works by Schulhoff and Kaprálová who both died tragically young. Strauss’s Violin Sonata, written in the year when he met his future wife, is an exuberant work full of romantic lyricism and youthful ardour.

Tickets £30/£25 (conc £18/£16)

Limited free tickets for under 26s (see p.2)

Sponsor: Neville & Kathleen Cartwright