Our 2018 festival explores the theme of composers going to America. We are particularly honoured to celebrate the work of Thea Musgrave, our patron, and to have music by a living female composer in every concert. Exquisite works by Rachmaninov, Dvořák, Martinu, and Prokoviev promises nothing less than a musical feast.
All of this music-making will be to the highest possible standard, with outstanding musicians from around the world. As in previous years, a special musical family will come together for a week. We are thrilled to have a wonderful line-up of artists, including our Artistic Director Nicholas Daniel, and perennial favourites Katya Apekisheva and Marina Chiche. We welcome new musicians including Kristin Lee, Chi-Chi Nwanoku and Nino Gvetadze. It is a particular pleasure that Richard O'Neill is coming back for a second festival by popular demand, after thrilling everyone last year. Explore our website for more information about the artists and programme. http://www.leicesterinternationalmusicfestival.org.uk/. We are proud that the gender balance of the programming is reflected in the wonderful artists coming to perform this music too.
It is also a particular pleasure that we will repeat the highly successful Family Fun event that on the Saturday will see New Walk Museum filled with intinerant musicians captivating children and adults alike. It is open to all, free of admission charges, and is enormous fun. See our video for a taste from last year.
A message from Nick Daniel is below, which contains more information about the design of the festival, and further particulars as well as ticketing information
Maintaining music of this standard in an intimate venue is an expensive business, and we must maintain ticket prices making this art available to all. Last year our festival was made possible through generous sponsorship from many donors, including supporters from crowdfunding. There are many ways to get involved, and some brilliant rewards for those able to support us, offering you real opportunities to be in much closer contact with the music-making process. You are warmly invited to join our extended musical family.
On behalf of the Trustees, we will be very grateful for any help you can offer, and only too happy to answer any questions; please do not hesitate to get in touch. Otherwise I look forward to welcoming you in September.
Malcolm Noble
Trustee
From Nicholas Daniel, Artistic Director
These days musician performers and composers tend to be some of the most frequent flyers on the planet, and composers of the past too have travelled to what may have seemed like greener pastures - especially in times of political strife or personal difficulties. Sometimes, as in the case of Antonin Dvořák, it was a mixed success, but for Rachmaninov, who with his family fled from Russia via Scandinavia in 1917 on an open sledge in the middle of winter, it was a great move. Both of these great composers, who I have chosen as two of the the three central figures in our 2018 Festival, travelled to the United States of America- a country that’s almost a continent, a country that defies generalisation, with a music loving audience and generous patrons, as well as wealthy academic institutions that perhaps seemed, to Dvořák and Rachmaninov particularly, to promise streets paved with gold.
The other major composer we are celebrating is the brilliant Thea Musgrave, who is 90 years old this year and one of our Festival’s esteemed patrons. Thea went to live in America in 1972, but is both American and British and has often travelled back and forward across the Atlantic and between homes in LA and New York City. Thea originally moved for love; her husband the conductor and viola player Peter Mark is American, but she found great success both in Academe and with her writing there. I have programmed some other composers around these major figures, and not specifically pieces written in America. It’s interesting to see that there is sometimes a feeling of yearning for something more, even before they went and, in Dvořák’s case, real relief on his return home. After our superbly lyrical all-Czech festival a few years ago I was determined to programme more Dvořák!
I’ve heard it said about American audiences that you have to lose them rather than win them, that they come with a natural curiosity and will tend to be quite forgiving, determined to have a good night out. This is a generalisation, as I’m sure it’s not quite true of New York, but I think that you also come to the exquisite New Walk Museum with open minds and hearts and we the players feel that warmth and thank you for it. There are a few new faces this year and a slightly larger team. I’m delighted to bring such a fantastic group of great musicians to Leicester and we are all looking forward to sharing a voyage of discovery with you.
P.S. Alfred Brendel recently described Rachmaninov’s music as being ‘music for teenagers’. If that’s the case, then get me in a time machine back to the 70s because I’m ready! Who’s with me?
Leicester International Music Festival
A New World: Composers who moved to America
SEPTEMBER 20TH - 22ND 2108
Thursday 1pm
Rachmaninov: Trio élégiaque No. 1 in G minor
Thea Musgrave: Night Windows for Oboe and Piano
Dvořák: String Quartet No. 12 Op. 96 ‘American’
Thursday 7:30pm
Bartók: Rhapsody No. 2 for violin and piano BB96
Thea Musgrave: Niobe for Oboe and Tape
Rachmaninov: Vocalise for Viola and piano
Martinů: Theremin Fantasy for oboe, string quartet, piano and theremin
Dvořák: Quintet for String Quartet and Bass Op. 77
Friday 1pm
Thea Musgrave: Cantilena for Oboe Quartet
Rachmaninov: 3 of 6 pieces for piano 4 hands Op. 11
Glory, Scherzo, Russian Song
Dvořák: Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor ‘Dumky’ Op 90
Friday 7:30pm
A Musgrave Medley of Miniatures:
Dawn for solo oboe
In the Still of the Night for solo viola
The Egrets have landed for violin and piano
D.E.S. for solo cello
Prelude (Bist du bei mir) for solo piano
Lera Auerbach: Suite for cello and piano from Op. 47
Rachmaninov: Moment Musical in Db Op. 16
Rachmaninov: Prelude in G# minor No. 12 Op. 32
Prokofiev: Number 6 of 10 pieces from Romeo and Juliet
Rachmaninov arr Kreisler: Preghiera for violin and piano
Dvořák: Piano Quintet Op. 81
LIMF FAMILY FUN 2017
Saturday 1pm FREE ENTRY
'Family Fun Event', presented by Nicholas Daniel.
Come and listen to music all around the New Walk Museum, ending with an interactive concert in the Victorian Gallery: a great chance to meet our fabulous Festival Musicians!
Saturday 7:30pm
Thea Musgrave: Snapshots for solo piano
Rachmaninov: Cello Sonata Op. 19
Prokofiev arr Auerbach: Sonata Op. 94 for oboe, cello and piano
Dvorak: Wind Serenade Op. 44
1. The Board would like to thank all those who support the festival. If you donate £20 or more, we’d like to include your name as a list of donors. Please let us know if you do not want this to happen.
2. In order to comply with gift aid regulations, some donations will also include a purchase element to cover the cost of the benefits as stated under each amount. You will pay your chosen amount on this platform, and if you make a gift aid declaration we will be able to claim back tax on this amount. Such claims are processed by our Treasurer manually and will adjust for this.
3. The Board has to look after the artists. This means that any contact with artists is subject to availability, contingent on a range of factors, including the needs of artists. The Board reserves the right to substitute this as necessary.
4. To make sure everything goes well, any meeting with an artist will have at least one Board member present.
5. The Board reserves the right to substitute any and all benefits at its sole discretion; in the event of any such substitution or substitutions, refunds of neither donative or purchase element of any funds given to the Crowdfunding campaign or any other shall be given.