Highgate International Chamber Music Festival, 23 – 30 November 2019 in Highgate, London.
The theme for 2019, Beethoven 249, sees HICMF celebrate this notable anniversary of the great man, with Beethoven featuring in each of the main concerts.
The festival opens with Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata (arr. for String Quintet) and much-loved String Quintet in C major, performed by Alexander Sitkovetsky, Natalie Klouda, Laurence Power, Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Ashok Klouda. Further highlights include Julian Bliss performing Beethoven’s Clarinet Trio Op.11 and Dohnányi’s Sextet Op.37, and on 28 November Classic FM presenter John Suchet provides spoken introductions to music by Beethoven and Tchaikovsky.
Programme for 2019 Highgate International Chamber Music Festival
Saturday 23 November – 7.30pm, St Michael’s Church
Dvořák: ‘Terzetto’ in C, Op.74
Beethoven: Kreutzer Sonata in A Op.47 arranged for String Quintet
Schubert: String Quintet in C, D.956
Artists: Alexander Sitkovetsky (violin), Natalie Klouda (violin), Lawrence Power (viola), Sheku Kanneh-Mason (cello), Ashok Klouda (cello)
Sunday 24 November – 6.30pm, St Anne’s Church
Beethoven: Selection of Scottish Folk Songs for soprano and piano trio
Sibelius: String Trio movement in G minor
Chausson: Piano Trio in G minor, Op.3
Shostakovich: Prelude & Polka for two cellos & piano
Mozart: Clarinet Quartet in Eb major, K.380 (arr. of violin sonata)
Schubert: ‘The Shepherd on the Rock’, D.965
Artists: Eleanor Dennis (soprano), Peter Sparks (clarinet), Natalie Klouda (violin), Gary Pomeroy (viola), Caroline Dale (cello), Ashok Klouda (cello), Irina Botan (piano), Joseph Middleton (piano)
Tuesday 26 November – Early Evening Concert, 6.15pm, St Michael’s Church
The Salomé Quartet perform Beethoven’s Razumovsky Quartet
Main Evening Concert, 7.30pm, St Michael’s Church
Beethoven: Clarinet Trio in Bb, Op.11
Britten: String Quartet No.1 in D, Op.25
Ludwig: 3 Yiddish Dances for Piano Trio
Dohnányi: Sextet in C, Op.37
Artists: Benjamin Gilmore (violin), Natalie Klouda (violin), Gary Pomeroy (viola), Robert Cohen (cello), Ashok Klouda (cello), Julian Bliss (clarinet), James Pillai (horn), Simon Callaghan (piano)
Thursday 28 November: John Suchet presents the music of Beethoven – 7.30pm, St Michael’s Church
Introduction and insight into the music given by Classic FM presenter and Beethoven expert John Suchet.
Beethoven: Piano Trio in C minor, Op.1 No.3; String Quartet in F minor, Op.95 ‘Serioso’
Tchaikovsky: String Sextet in D minor, Op.70 ‘Souvenir de Florence’
Artists: Alexander Sitkovetsky (violin), Benjamin Gilmore (violin), Natalie Klouda (violin), Benjamin Roskams (viola), Gary Pomeroy (viola), Robert Cohen (cello), Ashok Klouda (cello), Irina Botan (piano)
Friday 29 November – 7.30pm, St Anne’s Church
Poulenc: Trio for oboe, basson & piano FP 43
Coleridge-Taylor: Nonet in F minor, Op.2
Dvořák: 2 Waltzes for String Quintet, Op.54
Beethoven: String Quintet in C, Op.29 ‘Storm’
Artists: Priya Mitchell (violin), Benjamin Gilmore (violin), Gary Pomeroy (viola), Meghan Cassidy (viola), Ashok Klouda (cello), Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE (bass), Nicholas Daniel (oboe), Peter Sparks (clarinet), Amy Harman (bassoon), James Pillai (horn), Simon Callaghan (piano)
Saturday 30 November – 7pm, St Anne’s Church
Haydn: Piano Trio Hob XV:10 in Eb
Beethoven: Duo for viola & cello in Eb WoO 32 ‘Eyeglass’
Schumann: Piano Trio in G minor, Op.17
Finzi: Interlude for oboe & strings, Op.21
Schubert: String Quartet in D minor, D.810 ‘Death & the Maiden’
Artists: Nicholas Daniel (oboe), Natalie Klouda (violin), Benjamin Gilmore (violin), Sara Wolstenholme (violin), Benjamin Roskams (viola), Robert Cohen (cello), Ashok Klouda (cello), Irina Botan (piano)
HICMF’s 2019 ‘Concerts by Candlelight’ late-night short concerts series will feature masterpieces such as Brahms’s Cello Sonata in F major Op.99 and Beethoven’s Piano Trio Op.97 ‘Archduke’ at close quarters in a relaxed setting, with mulled wine, mince pies and a truly festive atmosphere.