The Up Close and Musical festival announces its 2022 programme following its successful launch in 2021. The festival will take place at London’s Fidelio Cafe, Clerkenwell, presenting an all-female line up of performers in five concerts across two dates, 24th and 25th June 2022, with a candid interview led by Artistic Director Shiry Rashkovsky embedded within each recital. Following each performance, the audience will have the opportunity to enjoy dinner or drinks, rounding off a truly unique and memorable evening of classical music in an intimate space.
Artistic Director Shiry Rashkovsky comments, “Following the success of last year’s inaugural festival, I am delighted to announce the second edition of Up Close and Musical with an all-female line-up. The hiatus to the music world caused by Covid-19 gave me an unprecedented opportunity to reflect on my work as a musician and consider the potential I have to effect change in the industry, and I am thrilled to share my Up Close platform with these wonderful and like-minded artists.”
Award-winning concert pianist Clare Hammond opens the festival on Friday 24th June with a programme of 20th century solo piano pieces by composers with a broad range of influences: Doreen Carwithen (British), Unsuk Chin (South Korean), George Walker (American) and Nikolai Medtner (Russian).
All-female string group Trio Klein comprising violinist Kamila Bydlowska, violist Shiry Rashkovsky and cellist Ella Rundle return to the festival for a second time with a late-night recital on Saturday 25th June. The trio presents an innovative programme entitled ‘80s night’, performing works by John Adams and Duran Duran, newly arranged for string trio by Richard Birchall alongside pre-existing trios by Sofia Gubaidulina and Alfred Schnittke, all written during the 1980s.
Trumpeter Matilda Lloyd makes her Up Close and Musical festival debut on Saturday 25th June with a diverse programme of works written by female composers, ranging from Hildegard von Bingen, one of the first identifiable composers in the history of Western music to contemporary composers such as Sofia Gubaidulina and Deborah Pritchard.
Formed in 2016, the Eusebius Quartet has fast gained a reputation for imaginative performances. The all-female ensemble comprising violinist Beatrice Phillips, violinist Venetia Jollands, violist Hannah Shaw and cellist Hannah Sloane performs at the festival on Saturday 25th June with a more traditional classical music programme: string quartets by Bartók and Elgar.
Critically acclaimed violinist Fenella Humphreys performs a recital on Saturday 25th June based on her recent album release ‘Caprices’ which plays on the traditional solo violin caprice form. Her recital features works by Errollyn Wallen, Freya Waley-Cohen, Grazyna Bacewicz, Roxanna Panufnik, Fritz Kreisler and Niccoló Paganini among others, as well as group of contemporary composers who joined together to create a composite set of variations on Paganini’s famous 24th Caprice.
For full information on timings, repertoire and tickets: https://upcloseandmusical.com/
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Venue for all performances: Fidelio Café, 91-95 Clerkenwell Rd, London EC1R 5BX