OXFORD CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL 2008

The 2008 Festival took place between 1st and 4th October at the Holywell Music Room, the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building and the University Church of St Mary.

The Festival theme this year was Latin, and the programme focused on the eclectic, immensely colourful spectrum of music from South America, Spain and Italy.

Well-known favourites like Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’ (in the chamber version) were played alongside the ‘Four Seasons’ by the Argentinian composer Piazzolla, in his original version for bandoneón, violin, guitar, bass and piano.

We also had a number of baroque gems including the Boccherini ‘Fandango’ quintet, Tartini’s ‘Devil’s Trill’ and Vivaldi’s ‘La Follia’. There were performances of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Souvenir de Florence’ - one of the greatest pieces written for string sextet, and of a fantastic arrangement of Bizet’s ‘Carmen’ for 4 violins and bass, as well as the World Premiere of Nisinman’s ‘4 o’clock (am) tango’.

Amongst the musicians, there were some familiar friends returning but also some new faces, including violinists Pekka Kuusisto and Sasha Sitkovetsky, cellist David Cohen and the exceptional Argentinian bandoneón player Marcelo Nisinmann.

I hope you enjoyed the Festival.

 

Priya Mitchell, Artistic Director