Cheltenham Music Festival 2023

THANK YOU to our Partners and Supporters, helping to create a world in which everyone can explore and create culture.

Principal Partner

Major Partners

Festival Partners

Trusts & Foundations

In-Kind Partners

Media Partners

Individual Supporters

The Aquarius Group

The late John Harvey Hooper

Elizabeth Jacobs

Mary Mackenzie, Richard Walton & Friends

In memory of Lady June Marychurch

Sir Michael and Lady McWilliam

Dame Patricia Routledge DBE

Diana Woolley

Thank you to all the individuals who donated through the Big Give Christmas Challenge 2022.

We would also like to thank our individual supporters who have chosen to remain anonymous.

WELCOME

We’re back this year with eight days of tantalising music for the 78th Cheltenham Music Festival. This year’s programme is a smorgasbord of musical delights, from glorious chamber music with trailblazing next generation artists, such as Mark Simpson and Laura van der Heijden , to the sweeping expanse of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra . We welcome ensembles who are rewriting the rules including Manchester Collective, 12 Ensemble and Scottish Ensemble, who close this year’s Festival with a reimagining of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with genre-defying artist Anna Meredith .

Celebrating the new, the Festival boasts plenty of music by composers of today. Newly commissioned works come from Soosan Lolavar, James MacMillan , Laurence Osborn , Aileen Sweeney and James B Wilson, alongside the 10th edition of our Composer Academy

For those looking for something a bit different, you’ll find one-off experiences from intimate performances in Byrdwatching, to a special edition of our Festival favourite Mixtape at DEYA Brewery, late night performances and a beautifully poignant installation, Sound Voice.

We look forward to seeing you in Cheltenham this July!

Michael Duffy Head of Programming, Cheltenham Music Festival

Need help deciding? Whatever you’re feeling, there’s so much to explore in our programme. Discover family fun from page 6, explore the full programme from page 8 and plan your visit with our handy planner on page 30.

Uplifting

Maxwell Quartet & Alasdair Beatson page 10

Dunedin Consort I and II page 13

Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha & Kunal Lahiry page 14

Scottish Ensemble: ANNO page 24

Adventurous

Mark Simpson & Doric Quartet page 8

Mixtape page 19

12 Ensemble & GBSR Duo page 23

Rakhi Singh page 23

Reflective

Laura Cannell: Antiphony of the Trees page 9

The Carice Singers page 11

Pavel Kolesnikov: Celestial Navigation page 24

Inspiring

Sound Voice page 16

James Newby page 20

Manchester Collective page 21

MUSIC FOR SCHOOLS

Our year-round and Festival school programmes engage thousands of young people from schools across Gloucestershire and beyond.

Friday 14 July 11.15am–12pm

Relaxed Concert for Schools

Cheltenham Town Hall, Main Hall

M 21

Thursday 13 July 10.30–11.30am

M17

Concert for Schools

Followed by Music Explorer sessions

Cheltenham Town Hall, Main Hall

Primary school children from across Gloucestershire are guaranteed a thrilling introduction to live classical music at this vibrant and interactive concert featuring Gloucestershire Youth Chamber Orchestra alongside professional musicians. Following the concert every child will get their hands on a selection of orchestral instruments in the ever-popular Music Explorer sessions.

Musicate

Musicate is our flagship programme to support music making in primary schools. We’ll be launching the updated programme at this year’s Festival. Now even more teachers, young music leaders and children will benefit from the bespoke training and development that Musicate offers.

Our Relaxed Concert for Schools is specifically devised to welcome children, young people and teachers from SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) schools. The relaxed atmosphere allows children to respond naturally to the music, and they can interact with the musicians both during and after the concert.

School Workshops

Musicate alumni have created engaging and interactive workshops for primary school pupils to make and enjoy music. With inspirational music as the starting point, children will explore musical building blocks, and delve into their imaginations to create and perform their own pieces.

For more information and how to book please visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/music-for-schools

Image: Still Moving Media

Image: Still Moving Media

SPOTLIGHT

Supporting the next generation of artists and thinkers is at the heart of Cheltenham Festivals’ mission. Every year we work with writers, musicians, scientists and composers to give them the space to develop as they forge their careers. This Festival we’re delighted to showcase emerging performers and composers throughout the programme.

Composer Academy

Celebrating its 10th year, Composer Academy will bring a number of outstanding, early-career composers to Cheltenham. With mentorship from composer Daniel Kidane and resident ensemble, The Carice Singers, participants will have their compositions workshopped, performed and recorded, alongside insights from industry guests. Be the first to hear their work at our two Composium showcases on 13 and 14 July (see pages 20 and 22 for details).

Spotlight Concerts

Our Two Spotlight concerts feature Festival debuts from musicians at the very start of their careers. In the serene surroundings of St Gregory’s Church, get to know BBC Music Young Musician of the Year 2022 Jordan Ashman and local Gloucestershire prize-winning musicians on 11 and 12 July (see pages 14 and 18).

BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists

We’re delighted to continue a partnership with the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme which nurtures some of the world’s finest young musicians as they launch their international careers. Many go on to be well-known names, with alumni including pianist Igor Levit, guitarist Sean Shibe, and the Pavel Haas Quartet. Enjoy fantastic performances from the current cohort at Pittville Pump Room every morning, 10–13 July.

FESTIVAL PREMIERES

Spark your musical curiosity and be one of the first people to hear newly commissioned music throughout the Festival. Look out for new and exciting works from these composers:

• British-Iranian composer Soosan Lolavar writes for The Carice Singers (page 11)

• Laurence Osborn creates a 21st-century tombeau for the 12 Ensemble with GBSR Duo (page 23)

• Sir James MacMillan’s We Are Collective, a piano quintet for the Maxwell Quartet and Alasdair Beatson (page 10)

• Composer Academy alumna Aileen Sweeney writes a new work to be heard in a Regency-era drawing room (page 11)

• James B Wilson responds to the life and work of Ralph Vaughan Williams in a piece for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (page 9)

Image: Still Moving Media

Image: Still Moving Media

...around town

in association with Cheltenham BID

Ignite your musical curiosity and listen out for extra-special pop-up performances on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 July as we take over the streets of Cheltenham.

Step into the Song Surgery for a dose of musical magic, reflect and recharge with Music and Mindfulness, or taste sweet new melodies in a multi-sensory mini-concert.

Song Surgery

Take a moment out of your day to recharge, escape, or nourish – whatever you’re in need of. Drop into the Song Surgery to request your own prescription and receive a dose of song performed specially for you. With soprano Bibi Heal .

Music and Mindfulness with quietnote

Join musician Will Crawford in a unique blend of meditation, mindfulness and the power of music. Explore the connection of the body, mind and breath through guided exercises and music to help aid relaxation, manage stress, and calm busy minds.

Sensory Moments

A blindfolded, multisensory mini-concert with Bittersuite and Phaedra Ensemble. Experience music as you never have before as the performers stimulate your senses with movement, taste and smell to take you on a deeper journey of listening.

Image: Still Moving Media

Saturday 8 July 10–10.50am

Musical Storytime: The Way Back Home

Cheltenham Town Hall, Pillar Room

£10 adults, £6 children

Recommended for ages 4-7

Explore Oliver Jeffers’ book The Way Home Back Home as musicians from City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra weave a new musical world. Using your listening skills, help the musicians create music inspired by different characters, locations and words from the story. An interactive experience that will leave you with plenty of music-making ideas to take home.

Saturday 15 July 11–11.50am M27a 2–2.50pm M27b

MishMash Ensemble

Cheltenham Town Hall, Pillar Room £10 adults, £6 children

Recommended for ages 7–11 and their families

Join musical storytellers MishMash Ensemble on a magical journey through evocative music across the ages. In this bold, brand-new performance from MishMash Productions, five exceptional woodwind players bring you up close and personal to wonderful music, musicians and instruments.

Mark Simpson & Doric Quartet

Pittville Pump Room

£30, £26, £18

Mark Simpson clarinet

Doric Quartet

Alban Berg String Quartet, Op. 3

Thomas Adès Alchymia

Andrea Tarrodi String Quartet No.3 ‘Light Scattering’

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Clarinet Quintet, K581

Clarinettist and composer Mark Simpson joins the Doric Quartet to open the Festival with a concert that begins and ends with landmark works for clarinet quintet. Adès’s Alchymia has been described as one of his ‘finest achievements of recent years’ (Guardian), while Mozart’s quintet remains a lyrical, beloved classic. Alongside are two shorter works for string quartet that contain multitudes: Berg’s dramatic and expressive String Quartet and Andrea Tarrodi’s captivating third quartet. Kindly supported by Sir Michael & Lady McWilliam

Image : George Garnier

7–9pm M03

City of Birmingham

Symphony Orchestra

Cheltenham Town Hall, Main Hall £48, £38, £28, £18, £10

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Tamsin Waley-Cohen violin

Andrew Gourlay conductor

James B Wilson New work (world premiere –Cheltenham Music Festival commission)

Richard Rodney Bennett Partita

Ralph Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 6 ‘Pastoral’, Op. 68

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra invoke the wild and pastoral in our opening night concert. Celebrating the work of Ralph Vaughan Williams through the much-loved The Lark Ascending, the concert features a new work from James B Wilson (Last Night of the Proms composer 2022) responding to Vaughan Williams’s ideas and philosophies. Plus, enjoy Richard Rodney Bennett’s joyful Partita and a vivid performance of Beethoven’s lyrical sixth symphony.

James B Wilson’s new work is an RVW150 commission supported by the Vaughan Williams Foundation

9.30–10.45pm M04

Laura Cannell:

Antiphony of the Trees

The Old Courthouse

£17, £10 early bird (limited release available from 31 March) Add a Late Night: receive £5 off your late night ticket when also booking for a 7pm concert on the same day

Experience the beauty of birdsong, from breathy, slow chordal drones to the sound of rapidly beating wings with this atmospheric and immersive concert from composer and improvisor Laura Cannell . Laura first tuned into the sound of birdsong during lockdown, and turned it into beautiful, layered melodies using just recorders and electronics. Inspired by nature and the fen valley where she lives, join Laura at The Old Courthouse for a midsummer evening of birdsong and soundscapes that captures the essence of birds.

Image: Still Moving Media

Maxwell Quartet & Alasdair Beatson

Pittville Pump Room

£30, £26, £18

Maxwell Quartet

Alasdair Beatson piano

James MacMillan We Are Collective (Cheltenham Music Festival co-commission)

Maxwell Quartet Gather (Folk music from Scotland)

Eleanor Alberga String Quartet No. 2

César Franck Piano Quintet in F minor

Praised for their ‘superb storytelling’ (The Strad ), the Maxwell Quartet are joined by pianist Alasdair Beatson for a new commission for piano quintet by James MacMillan. Rounding out the programme is Eleanor Alberga’s vivacious second quartet, Franck’s explosive quintet and the Maxwell Quartet’s own arrangements of lilting traditional melodies.

Kindly supported by Mary Mackenzie, Richard Walton and Friends

Image: Rich Watson

The Carice Singers

Cheltenham College Chapel

£20

The Carice Singers

George Parris director

A Prayer of Peace and Light

Ralph Vaughan Williams A Prayer to the Father of Heaven

Galina Grigorjeva ‘O gladsome light’ from Vespers

Arvo Pärt Nunc Dimittis

Valentyn Silvestrov Prayer for the Ukraine

György Ligeti Lux aeterna

Soosan Lolavar New work (world premiere)

Jonathan Harvey Plainsongs for Peace and Light

William Byrd O lux Beata Trinitas

The Carice Singers return to Cheltenham in a summer sequence inspired by light and luminosity. Fast making a name for themselves among the UK’s next generation, the vocal ensemble journeys through music from Vaughan Williams at his most mystical to one of Byrd’s radiant motets. Among moments of hope and stillness are works by Arvo Pärt and two Ukrainian composers - Galina Grigorjeva and Valentyn Silvestrov - a new piece by British-Iranian composer Soosan Lolavar and Ligeti’s extraordinary Lux aeterna, in honour of his 100th anniversary.

Soosan Lolavar’s new work is commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society as part of its 2023 Composer programme

supported by Diana Woolley

Byrdwatching

A musical tour of historic Cheltenham drawing rooms

£40 including a post-concert reception

Please be aware that this event is not wheelchair accessible

Musicians from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

Venture on an exclusive tour of Cheltenham’s beautiful, historic drawing rooms in a series of intimate performances. Inspired by the 400th anniversary of English Renaissance composer William Byrd, discover mournful melodies and playful pieces from Byrd and his contemporaries before journeying on to more extraordinary musical surprises, including a newly commissioned work from Aileen Sweeney

Kindly

Image: Still Moving Media

Leonkoro Quartet & Elisabeth Brauß

Pittville Pump Room

£26, £21, £16

Pump Room Mornings Multi-buy: Enjoy 10% off three or more concerts (Monday to Friday only)

Leonkoro Quartet

Elisabeth Brauß piano

Anton Webern Slow Movement for String Quartet (1905)

Erwin Schulhoff Five Pieces for String Quartet

Robert Schumann Piano Quintet in E flat major, Op. 44

In partnership with BBC Radio 3

In the first of our series in partnership with the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme, we welcome the Leonkoro Quartet, hot off the heels of winning the Wigmore Hall’s International String Quartet Competition. Joining forces with Elisabeth Brauß, praised for the ‘sophistication of her thoughtful interpretations’ (Gramophone), they present Schumann’s exuberant quintet. In counterpoint are the dramatic yearning of Webern’s early Slow Movement and playful dance forms from Erwin Schulhoff, a composer whose career was tragically cut short by the Second World War.

Kindly supported by the Aquarius Group

Image: Nikolaj Lund

6–7pm M09

Dunedin Consort I

Pittville Pump Room

£26, £21, £16

Johann Sebastian Bach

Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067

Cantata Widerstehe doch der Sünde, BWV 54

Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major, BWV 1050

8–9pm M10

Dunedin Consort II

Pittville Pump Room

£26, £21, £16

Johann Sebastian Bach

Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041

Cantata Vergnügte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust, BWV 170

Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G major, BWV 1049

Two-concert special: Receive 20% off when booking for both Dunedin Consort events.

Hugh Cutting countertenor, Dunedin Consort, John Butt director

Enjoy a midsummer evening with one of the country’s finest baroque ensembles. In a two-concert special, Scotland’s Dunedin Consort join forces with rising star and BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist, Hugh Cutting, for their Festival debut. Together they celebrate J S Bach’s glorious music, including contemplative solo cantatas and the iconic Brandenburg Concertos. Come along for an hour of sumptuous music or make a full evening of it and join us for both parts.

Image: David Barbour

11am–12.15pm

Masabane Cecilia

Rangwanasha & Kunal Lahiry

Pittville Pump Room

£26, £21, £16

Pump Room Multi-buy: Enjoy 10% off three or more concerts (Monday to Friday only)

Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha soprano

Kunal Lahiry piano

Franz Schubert Gretchen am spinnrade Du bist die Ruh Nacht und Träume

Franz Schubert arr Franz Liszt Des Mädchens klage

Earl Wild Virtuoso Etude No. 3 ‘The Man I Love’

Jerome Kern ‘Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man of Mine’ from Show Boat

Frederick Loewe ‘I Could Have Danced All Night’ from My Fair Lady

Mzilikazi Khumalo Sengiyeza

B P Tyamzashe Isthandwa Sam American Spirituals Medley

BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists Masabane Cecilia

Rangwanasha and Kunal Lahiry present a recital full of charm and warmth. Alongside the beautiful miniatures of Schubert Lieder are works from Rangwanasha’s native South Africa and a nod to the golden age of musical theatre, culminating in a selection of heartfelt American spirituals.

In partnership with BBC Radio 3

Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3

The Times on Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha at the BBC Proms 2022

“…it’s as if you’ve died and (sins allowing) gone straight to Heaven”

Image: Vera Elma

5.30–6.30pm

Spotlight:

BBC Young Musician

St Gregory’s Church

£10 Book both Spotlights for £18

Jordan Ashman percussion

Anna Meredith Flex

Iannis Xenakis Rebonds B

Anna Ignatowicz Toccata

Alexej Gerassimez Asventuras

Gary Burton Chega de Saudade

Pius Cheng Etude in E minor

Keiko Abe Dream of the Cherry Blossoms

Gene Koshinski Caleidoscópio

Fresh from the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2022 competition stage, hear from this year’s winner, percussionist Jordan Ashman, as he follows in the footsteps of Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Jess Gillam, Mark Simpson and many others.

In memory of Lady June Marychurch

Chineke!

Pittville Pump Room £30, £26, £18

Chineke! Wind Quintet

György Ligeti Six Bagatelles

William Grant Still Summerland

Paquito D’Rivera Lecuoneras

Paul Hindemith Kleine Kammermusik

Arturo Marquez Danza de Mediodía

Maurice Ravel (arr Jones) Le Tombeau de Couperin

Gilles Silvestrini Le Ballet Espagnol

Valerie Coleman Red Clay and Mississippi Delta

TUESDAY 11 JULY cheltenhamfestivals.com 15

Takes place hourly M30-M37 between 10am–8pm

Sound Voice

Everyman Theatre, Irving Studio Theatre

£8, £5 previews (Saturday 8 July)

What is a voice and what happens when it’s gone?

Sound Voice is an award-winning collaboration between professional musicians and individuals who have faced voice loss. A powerful audio-visual experience combining reflective and hopeful song with delicate visuals, it tells their stories and examines the relationship between voice and identity.

Journey through a series of moving and personal portraits, featuring real-life experiences and explore what it means to find a new voice.

Hannah Conway music

Hazel Gould words

Luke Halls video design

David Sheppard sound design

Duration: 30 minutes

Winner at FEDORA Prizes 2022

The Ivors Composer Awards 2022 Sheffield DocFest 2022

11am–12.15pm M14

Mithras Trio

Pittville Pump Room

£26, £21, £16

Pump Room Multi-buy: Enjoy 10% off three or more concerts (Monday to Friday only)

Mithras Trio

Cecilia McDowall Cavantina at Midnight

Frank Bridge Miniatures for Piano Trio, Set I, H.87

Antonín Dvořák Piano Trio No. 4 ‘Dumky’, Op. 90

Playing with ‘a real sense of elemental energy’ (The Arts Desk) the award-winning Mithras Trio are fast making a name for themselves as an exciting chamber ensemble. As BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists they bring to Cheltenham Dvořák’s brooding Dumky Trio and the lyrical birdsong of Cecilia McDowall’s Cavantina

In partnership with BBC Radio 3

Kindly supported by an anonymous donor

5.30–6.30pm M15

Spotlight: Gloucestershire

Young Musicians

St Gregory’s Church £10 Book both Spotlights for £18

Musicians announced in April 2023

Support and celebrate local young talent in the beautiful surroundings of St Gregory’s Church. Join us as we shine a spotlight on the winners of the 2023 Gloucestershire Young Musician of the Year and Keith Nutland Award for an early evening concert.

Kindly supported by Dame Patricia Routledge DBE

8–10pm

Mixtape

DEYA Brewery Taproom

£10

Manchester Collective

The Carice Singers plus further artists to be announced

Mixtape is back and taking over DEYA’s Taproom for an evening of relaxed, rule-free classical music. Grab a drink, sit back and sample a taste of short works from across the classical music spectrum, along with a hint of different flavours where classical music meets other genres.

Image: Still Moving Media

Image: Still Moving Media

James Newby

Pittville Pump Room

£26, £21, £16

Pump Room multi-buy: Enjoy 10% off three or more concerts (Monday to Friday only)

Franz Schubert Der Wanderer an den Mond, D870

Robert Schumann ‘In der Fremde’ from Liederkreis, Op. 39

Fanny Mendelssohn Das Heimweh

Hugo Wolf ‘Heimweh’ from Mörike-Lieder

Max Kowalski ‘Der Panther’ from Lieder, Op. 30

Vítězslava Kaprálová Waving Farewell, Op. 14

Hanns Eisler Excerpts from The Hollywood Songbook

Valentyn Silvestrov Excerpts from Silent Songs

Arnold Schoenberg ‘Der genügsame Liebhaber’ from Brettl-Lieder

Walter Jurmann You and the Waltz and I

Alexander von Zemlinsky My Ship and I

Erich Korngold My Mistress’ eyes, Op. 35 No. 5

Kurt Weill ‘September Song’ from Knickerbocker Holiday

For the final concert in our series with the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists, James Newby and Jan Philip Schulze explore the themes of displacement and exile though composers’ lives and work. Featuring music by Valentyn Silvestrov, Hanns Eisler, Alexander von Zemlinsky, Franz Schubert, Fanny Mendelssohn and composers who left Germany and Austria in the 1930s to move to California.

In partnership with BBC Radio 3

Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3

Kindly supported by Diana Woolley

5.30–6.30pm

Composium I

Francis Close Hall Chapel

£12 Book both Composiums for £20

The Carice Singers

George Parris director

Music by Composer Academy participants

Have you ever wondered how new pieces of music are created? Hear about the process from our Composer Academy participants and their mentor Daniel Kidane, alongside a showcase of compositions they’ve written with The Carice Singers

Celebrating 10 years in 2023, Composer Academy is Cheltenham Music Festival’s intensive opportunity for composers taking their first steps into a professional career, providing workshops, mentoring and industry advice. See page 6 for more information.

Image: Gerard Collett

Image: Still Moving Media

7.30–9.30pm

Manchester Collective

Cheltenham Town Hall, Main Hall

£32, £28, £22, £16, £10

Manchester Collective

Wojciech Kilar Orawa

Dmitri Shostakovich Chamber Symphony in C minor

Caroline Shaw Plan & Elevation

Richard Strauss Metamorphosen

With their fresh takes on classical masterpieces and an energetic exploration of the new, Manchester Collective have earned a reputation for their innovative and compelling performances. Flowing with lush music for strings, this programme features works from exciting composers

Wojciech Kilar and Pulitzer Prize-winning Caroline Shaw, alongside two monumental and poignant works by Strauss and Shostakovich.

Image: Vic Frankowski

11am–12.15pm M22

Laura van der Heijden

Pittville Pump Room

£26, £21, £16

Pump Room Multi-buy: Enjoy 10% off three or more concerts (Monday to Friday only)

Laura van der Heijden cello

Jâms Coleman piano

Alfred Schnittke Suite in the Old Style

Anton Webern Two Pieces (1899)

Elizabeth Maconchy Divertimento for Cello and Piano

Michael Zev Gordon Roseland

Claude Debussy Sonata for Cello and Piano

Since winning the BBC Young Musician competition in 2012, Laura van der Heijden has made her name as player with a sensitivity of sound. Together, Laura and pianist Jâms Coleman move from Schnittke’s playful suite to the poise of Debussy’s sonata, via expressive early Webern, the Cheltenham-commissioned Roseland and Maconchy’s modernist miniatures. Kindly supported by Elizabeth Jacobs

5.30–6.30pm

Composium II

Francis Close Hall Chapel

£12 Book both Composiums for £20

The Carice Singers

George Parris director

Music by Composer Academy participants

M23

Have you ever wondered how new pieces of music are created? Hear about the creative process from our Composer Academy participants and their mentor Daniel Kidane. The second of our Composer Academy showcases.

Image: Stephane Crayton

7–9pm

12 Ensemble & GBSR Duo

Cheltenham Town Hall, Main Hall

£32, £28, £22, £16, £10

12 Ensemble

GBSR Duo

Mica Levi Lonely Void and Love (from Under the Skin)

M24

Fausto Romitelli Flowing down too slow Laurence Osborn TOMB! (Cheltenham Music Festival co-commission)

Brian Eno/Harold Budd Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror

The 12 Ensemble (strings) join GBSR Duo (piano and percussion) for a programme of heavenly and hellish visions by five composers, working between classical and non-classical music. Unsettling film music from Mica Levi leads into Laurence Osborn’s new work TOMB!, which uses the genre of the tombeau to explore classical music’s obsession with death. The performance culminates in Harold Budd and Brian Eno’s shimmering Ambient 2 in a new arrangement.

9.30–10.45pm

Rakhi Singh

The Old Courthouse

£17, £10 early bird (limited release available from 31 March)

M25

Add a Late Night: receive £5 off your late night ticket when also booking for a 7pm concert on the same day

Violinist and leader of the radical Manchester Collective, Rakhi Singh weaves her way through musical influences in this late-night set with electronics. Featuring music by Alex Groves, Emily Hall, Edmund Finnis, Nicola Matteis and Bang on a Can’s Michael Gordon and Julia Wolfe.

Image: Stew Baxter

Image: Raphael Neal

11am–1pm M26

Pavel Kolesnikov: Celestial Navigation

Pittville Pump Room

£30, £26, £18

Pavel Kolesnikov piano

Programme to include

Louis Couperin Pavanne in F sharp minor

Olivier Messiaen ‘Regard de l’étoile’ from Vingt regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus

Frédéric Chopin Nocturne in D flat Op. 27 No. 2

Olivier Messiaen ‘La colombe’ from Préludes pour piano

Frédéric Chopin Nocturne in E minor, Op. 72 No. 1

Olivier Messiaen Prélude (1964)

Frédéric Chopin Nocturne in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 1

Maurice Ravel Une barque sur l’océan

Thomas Adès Darknesse Visible

Franz Schubert Four Impromptus, Op. 142, D935

Pianist Pavel Kolesnikov has been widely praised for his ‘intensely personal interpretations, often daring in their originality’ (Critic’s Circle Awards). Having previously appeared in Cheltenham with the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists, he presents ‘Celestial Navigation’, a musical response to the work of American assemblage artist Joseph Cornell that journeys through the lyrical contrasts of Chopin and Messiaen before culminating in Schubert’s impromptus.

Kindly supported by the late John Harvey Hooper

Scottish Ensemble: ANNO

Cheltenham Town Hall, Main Hall

£38, £30, £24, £18, £10

Scottish Ensemble

Jonathan Morton leader

Anna Meredith electronics

Astor Piazzolla ‘Primavera Porteña’ from Four Seasons of Buenos Aires

Caroline Shaw ‘Moss’ from The Evergreen

Jessie Montgomery Starburst

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (arr. D Matthews)

‘Autumn Song’ from The Seasons

Fredrik Sjölin Shore

Trad. Swedish (arr. Danish String Quartet) Polska from Dorothea

Joanna Marsh (arr. J Azkoul) In Winter’s House

Anna Meredith ANNO

Bringing this year’s Festival to a close is the ever-imaginative Scottish Ensemble with award-winning composer Anna Meredith’s stunning reimagining of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons for string ensemble and electronics. Meredith’s imaginative touch effortlessly blends these two sound worlds heightening the intensity and drama of the much-loved classic. Adding a level of visual drama to the music, a foliage installation by Leaf Creative creates an immersive experience for audiences.

Image: Hugh Carswell

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cheltenhamfestivals.com/membership

You can purchase your Membership via direct debit or pay the fee in full.

Terms and conditions apply – see cheltenhamfestivals.com/ patrons-and-members-terms-and-conditions

PATRONS

Life Patrons

Dr Lynda Albertyn and Pat Gallasch

Mark and Sue Blanchfield

Peter and Anne Bond

Dominic and Jannene Collier

Michael and Felicia Crystal

Colin and Suzanne Doak

Miles and Monica Dunkley

The Eaton Family

Fingerhuth Leung Family

Charles Fisher

Sarah and Darren Gates

Lucy Freeman and Peter Hulett

David and John Hall

Margaret Headen

Diane and Mark Hill

Jeremy and Germaine Hitchins Family

Jonathan and Cassinha Hitchins Family

Stephen and Tania Hitchins Family

Jeff and Keren Iliffe

Elizabeth and Michael Jones and Family

Rick and Lisa Jones

Steven and Linda Jones

David Jones and Amanda Payne

Hugh and Sue Koch

Robert and Moira Leechman

Hazel and Jeremy Lewis

Eileen Lockwood

The McKelvie Family

Fiona McLeod

The McWilliam Family in loving memory of Ruth McWilliam

Keith Norton and Piers Norton

Mark and Elizabeth Philip-Sorensen

Shelley Bence and Felix Robson in memory of Jason Robson

John and Susan Singer

Simon Skinner and Jean Gouldsmith Skinner

Andrew Smith

Phil and Jennifer Stapleton

Liz and Neil Stewart

Sharon Studer and Graham Beckett

Chris and Bridgette Sunman

Fiona and David Symondson

Michelle Thorley

Luanne and Hodson Thornber

The Walker Family

Jaqueline Woof

Director’s Circle

Heather Barrett

Mrs S. E. Bennett

Jack Black

Torie Blythe-Richards

Sarah Cook and Gemma Irvine

Michael and Angela Cronk

Richard Claridge

Arlene Davies

Sally Dimmer

Carol and Adrian Farnell

Ricardo Fearon

Marc and Melanie Gillespie

Jeremy and Alison Halliday

Mark and Moira Hamlin

Jennifer Hayward and Richard Waite

Stephen Hodge

Andrew and Caroline Hope

Graham and Jenny Hopkins

Simon and Emma Keswick

Clive Lewis OBE DL

Emma Logan & KB Beaton

Helen and Iain Lovatt

Andrew and Susanne Malim

Hayden and Tracy McKinnes

Spencer McPherson and Emily Poole

The Miskin Family

Chris Morgan

P. J. Moore

Joanna Morrison

We would also like to thank all our Silver Patrons who are listed on the website: cheltenhamfestivals.com/support-us/patrons/patron-acknowledgements

Oldham Foundation

In Memory Of Edward & Gladys Parker

David Penney

John Phillips

Andrew Pitt and Pamela Odih

Jan and Gill Rowe

Karen Salters and Marcus Freer

Andy and Ali Stalsberg

Peter Stormonth Darling

Charitable Trust

Amanda and Paul Toner

Michael and Rosie Warner

Stephen Wood

Gold Patrons

Nicholas and Alixandra Avery

Sigrid and Ben Atkinson

Geraldine and Jim Beaty

Christopher Bence

Sam Berwick

Stephen Bond

Charlie Chan

Ian Culverhouse

Wallace and Morag Dobbin

Peter and Sue Elliott

Colin and Susan Enticknap

Louise Hewett DL

Mike and Judie Hill

Lord and Lady Hoffmann

Elizabeth Jacobs

Sir Michael and Lady McWilliam

Paul and Kathy Mottershead

Kim Moore

Stuart Palmer

Dr Julia Pearson and Dr Keith England

Adrian and Cassandra Phillips

Martin and Susan Pickard

Zoe and Khal Rudin

Brenda Salters and Harold Longmate

Mat and Patsy Shilling

Esther and Peter Smedvig

Get closer to the Festivals with Patronage

• Advance booking and early programme announcements.

• Access to hospitality areas at our Festivals.

• Invitations to special events and parties.

From £90 per month, your Patronage covers all four Festivals and will support our artistic programme and our learning and participation work.

To find out more please contact patrons@cheltenhamfestivals.com or visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/patrons

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Cheltenham Music Festival is presented by Cheltenham Festivals, a charity and company limited by guarantee. Proud to be a member of PRSF Keychange.

Cheltenham Festivals

Board of Trustees

Mark Phillip-Sorensen (Chair)

Lucy Carlton-Walker

Deborah Cogan Thacker

Adrian Farnell

Beverley Grimster

Peter Howarth

Caroline Hutton

Shamil Makhecha

Jonathan White

Andy Williams

Company Secretary

Matthew Clayton

Head of Programming

Michael Duffy

Co-CEOs

Ian George

Ali Mawle

Senior Management Team

Helena Bibby

Suzanne Ross

Marketing and Box Office

Jade Beard, Phil Brook, Hannah Franklin, Dan Hartland, Laura Netting, Martin Perks, Madelaine Richards, Louise Sinclair, Liz Wheatley

Development

Claire Crawford, Katherine Cox, Alice Gilder, Becky Harte, Holly Haynes, Helen Knowles, Teddy Mladenova, Jenna Marks, Rosie Massey, Tara Patterson, Samantha Sandford, Connor Teague, Eleri Thomas

Learning and Participation

Pip Claridge, Sarah Cooksley, Khazana McLaughlin, Rebecca Smith, Kelly Turner, Rose Wood

Operations and Production

Oliver Bradstock, Clive Bremner, Louise Carles, Emily Davis, Adrian Hensley, Melissa King, James Kitto, Andrew Lansley, Rhianna Smith, Mo Soper, Mairead Zielinski

Finance

Ben Bates, Russ Poole

Music Advisory Group

Andy Brydon, Susanna Eastburn, Jennie Henley, Linton Stephens, Harriet Wybor

With many thanks to the staff and volunteers who provide invaluable support and help make the Festival a success.

Contact

If you have any specific comments about the Festival, please email boxoffice@cheltenhamfestivals.com

Company No. 456573

Charity No. 251765

VAT Registration No. 100114013

Artwork Credits

Programme artwork @ 2023 Ruth Brown, 10:AM

VISIT & BOOKING INFORMATION

cheltenhamfestivals.com/music

01242 850270

For queries email boxoffice@cheltenhamfestivals.com

For full details about Box Office opening hours, booking fees, terms & conditions and Membership and Patronage, visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/booking

2023 Booking Dates

Life Patrons

Director’s Circle Patrons

Gold Patrons ................................................................

Silver Patrons

Members’ Priority booking

18-30 Members .............................................................

Public booking

Getting to the Festival

Tuesday 14 March

Friday 17 March

Monday 20 March

Wednesday 22 March

Friday 24 March

Saturday 25 March

Friday 31 March

Cheltenham is easily accessible from all over the UK, by road and rail. For more information on public transport and car parks go to cheltenhamfestivals.com/your-visit.

Access Requirements

Please book using our online form at cheltenhamfestivals.com/access-requirements or call the Box Office phone line from 22 March.

Family Events

For safety, children 11 years and under must be accompanied by a ticket holder aged 16 or over. Everyone over the age of 12 months is allocated a seat and requires a ticket, while babies in arms (12 months and under) do not require a ticket unless otherwise stated. For more information, visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/your-visit

Gift Certificates

Gift certificates may be purchased at our Box Office or online at cheltenhamfestivals.com/gift-certificates and may be redeemed against ticket or Membership purchases.

Refunds

Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable, except in the case of a cancelled event. See cheltenhamfestivals.com/booking for details.

Special offers

 Receive 20% off when booking for both Dunedin Consort events

 Pump Room multi-buy: Enjoy 10% off three or more concerts (Monday to Friday only)

 Book both Spotlight performances for £18

 Book both Composium performances for £20

 Late Night early bird tickets - enjoy our late night events for just £10 (limited release available from 31 March - first come, first served)

 Add a Late Night - receive £5 off your late night ticket when also booking for the 7pm concert on the same day

Cheltenham Town Hall, Pillar Room

£26, £18

available separately for schools only

Pittville Pump Room £26, £21, £16 Enjoy 10% off three or more concerts (Monday to Friday only)

Francis Close Hall Chapel £12 Book both Composiums for £20

Cheltenham Town Hall, Main Hall £32, £28, £22, £16, £10

Pittville Pump Room £26, £21, £16 Enjoy 10% off three or more concerts (Monday to Friday only)

Cheltenham Town Hall, Main Hall Booking available separately for schools only

Francis Close Hall Chapel £12 Book both Composiums for £20

Cheltenham Town Hall, Main Hall £32, £28, £22, £16, £10

The Old Courthouse £17, £10 early bird (limited release available from 31 March)

Cheltenham Town Hall, Pillar Room   £10 (adult), £6 (child)

Pittville Pump Room £30, £26, £18

Cheltenham Town Hall, Pillar Room   £10 (adult), £6 (child)

Cheltenham Town Hall, Main Hall £38, £30, £24, £16, £10

Everyman Theatre, Irving Studio Theatre £8, £5 previews (Saturday 8 July)

Charity No. 251765

Programme artwork

© 2023 Ruth Brown, 10:AM