Thanks to the generous support of the Britten Pears Trust, the Festival has been able to commission a new work by John Woolrich, the Festival's Composer in Residence, for oboe d'amore and string quartet. It will be played in the Festival Finale concert in place of John Woolrich's 3 Capriccios from the Book of Disquiet on Sunday 19th September at 7.30 in Leicester Cathedral.

Festival tickets will be on sale from June 1st.. You can book online, by phone or in person at the New Walk Museum Shop. Click on the Festival Tickets Button for further information and online link.

Festival Tickets go on sale from June 1st. . Click on the FESTIVAL TICKETS box and book ONLINE (NO booking fee), BY PHONE or IN PERSON from the New Walk Museum and Art Gallery Shop.

Festival Tickets go on sale from June 1st. . Click on the FESTIVAL TICKETS box and book ONLINE (NO booking fee), BY PHONE or IN PERSON from the New Walk Museum and Art Gallery Shop.

This recording of the Schubert String Quintet is performed by the Emerson String Quartet with Mstislav Rostropovich. Unusally the Schubert Quintet has a second cello as opposed to a second viola which is characteristic of string quintets.

 Nicholas Daniel performs the first movement from Mozart's Oboe Concerto at BBC Proms with Jiří Bělohlávek and the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 2008.

PRESS RELEASE

Leicester International Music Festival ‘Take Five Composers’

 For immediate release: June 2010

Following the critical acclaim of the 2009 Festival, artistic director Nicholas Daniel has announced the theme and artists for the 2010 Leicester International Music Festival which will run from16^th to 19^th September at Leicester New Walk Museum and Leicester Cathedral.  Under the title ‘Take Five Composers’ the Festival will explore the chamber works of Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, and contemporary composer John Woolrich. 

Festival-goers will be encouraged to attend as many of the nine events as they can, as Nicholas Daniel explains;  “The Festival could be viewed, and attended, as a single extended concert in its own right, with a small amount of time-travelling required both backwards and forwards to achieve the single composer effect!  It is the intention that by the end of the Festival everyone will have an increased understanding and appreciation of the five composers”, he went on.

This year’s international artists include James Gilchrist (tenor), Priya Mitchell (violin), Ayako Tanaka  (violin), Guy Ben-Ziony (viola), David Cohen (cello), Lars Hoefs (cello) and concert pianists Charles Owen, Alexander Lonquich and Cristina Barbuti, all of whom will be joining oboe virtuoso Nicholas Daniel in this series of stunning concerts in the heart of Leicester.

The programme includes Mozart’s Piano Quartet in G Minor, in the delightful setting of the Art Gallery at New Walk Museum, and Schubert’s exquisite String Quintet, in candlelight at Leicester Cathedral.  Other works featured will include Schubert’s; ‘Winterreise’, sung by James Gilchrist, Schumann’s Piano Quintet, and works for solo violin and cello as well as ensemble pieces by J. S. Bach. 

The music of the contemporary composer, John Woolrich - who is this year’s ‘composer-in-residence’ -will also be a special feature of the festival. “He is the living composer with whom I have collaborated most closely and who has written so many important and beautiful pieces for me”, said Nicholas Daniel.  “The Festival commissioned and I performed his staggering and haunting Oboe Quintet a number of years ago, and we will be reviving this piece in 2010 with a special pre-concert talk about the work.”

Regular festival favourites will include a ‘Shoppers’ Concert in John Lewis’ Highcross store; a Masterclass with Nicholas Daniel and young musicians of Leicester-Shire Arts in Education, and the ever popular Family Concert, this year featuring the Carducci Quartet.

.Full details of the programme are available on the website www.musicfestival.co.uk

Festival booking opens on 1^st June when tickets will be available from New Walk Museum Shop;

tel: 0116 225 4920 or online at www.musicfestival.co.uk

 Notes for Editors

Review of last year’s Festival

 …I was astounded by the quality and boldness of the chamber music programme…

Richard Morrison, The Times, on the 2009 Leicester International Music Festival

Charles Owen

The Festival is delighted to welcome back Charles Owen who was much missed last year. Charles' virtuosity and fluid playing have been a hallmark of recent festivals.Charles will be performing a solo recital at the Wigmore Hall on 21st April.

Alexander Lonquich and Cristina Barbuti

And, new to the Festival, legendary Schubertian Alexander Lonquich and his wife Cristina Barbuti. Alexander will be accompanying the superb tenor James Gilchrist in Schubert songs including the song cycleWinterreise and will be joined by Cristina in our Saturday lunchtime concert where they will be performing as a piano duo.