Harrogate Music Festival 2024 Preview Guide

‘24

Harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

HARROGATE MUSIC FESTIVAL At a Glance

Sat8June | City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra RoyalHall

Thurs27June | Grand Symphonic Winds StWilfrid’sChurch

Sun30June | Jo Harrop Spiegeltent

Mon1July | Gildas Quartet Spiegeltent

Tue2&Wed3July | Oddsocks: Julius Caesar RHSHarlowCarr

Fri5July | Mica Sefia Spiegeltent

Sun7July | Maxwell Quartet Spiegeltent

Wed10July | Esther Abrami TheCrownHotel

Thurs11July | Apollo 5 | Concert by Candlelight StWilfrid’sChurch

Sat13July | Braimah Kanneh-Mason and Plínio Fernandes TheOldSwanHotel

Harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

Opening the season is the phenomenal City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. It’s been over a decade since they last performed in Harrogate and they’re back in the Royal Hall, under the expert baton of Ludovic Morlot.

We’ve got string quartets galore, with the Gildas Quartet and the Maxwell Quartet both taking to the Spiegeltent stage. Both of these young and excep�onally talented ensembles are bringing their own take on a classical concert; Maxwell look to their Sco�sh roots for a folk inspired programme and the Gildas Quartet invite you to roam amongst the players.

Ronnie Sco�’s darling Jo Harrop brings us an evening of velvety jazz, performing songs from her new album for the first �me in the UK. Rising star of the violin world Esther Abrami joins us for the first �me, performing a mixture of her favourite classical works and works from her new album Cinema.

In the breathtaking se�ng of St Wilfrid’s Church, amidst candlelight, choral group Apollo5 demonstrate the power of five voices. Described as “faultless” by BBC Music Magazine, it’s not to be missed. Closing out the early Music Fes�val announcements are guitar and violin duo Plínio Fernandes and Braimah KannehMason, two incredibly talented musicians. Having recently toured together they reunite on the Harrogate stage. Tickets won’t last long for this.

This is only a small preview of the season ahead and with family programming, our Young Musicians Series and more s�ll to be announced, there is much to look forward to this summer.

Festival Opening Concert: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

8 June | 7pm| Royal Hall |£18,£28,£35,£45,£48|U18s£5intheGrandHall.

Shaw | Entr’acte

Weber | Clarinet Concerto No.2 in E flat major, Op.74 Sibelius | Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op.43

Conductor | Ludovic Morlot

Soloist | Oliver Janes

Returning to Harrogate for the first �me in over a decade, the inimitable CBSO, led by Guest Conductor Ludovic Morlot, present a programme that spans three centuries. They will open with Entr’acte by Caroline Shaw, the youngest ever recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music. Entr’acte was originally wri�en for string quartet in 2011 and was later adapted for string orchestra. This is followed by Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No. 2 featuring soloist Oliver Janes. Known for wri�ng some of the most significant solo works in the clarinet repertoire, Weber’s concerto gives the perfect opportunityforthesec�onleadertostepintothespotlight.RoundingouttheprogrammeisSibelius’ Second Symphony, which was dubbed the ‘Symphony of Independence’ as it was wri�en at a �me of Russian sanc�ons on Finnish language and culture.

Formorethan100years,theCityofBirminghamSymphonyOrchestrahastakendifferentnamesand forms. Weathering war, recession, and social change and evolving from a part-�me municipal ensemble into a symphony orchestra with a worldwide reputa�on. Throughout it all the CBSO is proud to be Birmingham’s orchestra – the musical embodiment of one of the world’s great ci�es, in all its ambi�on, complexity and diversity.

“… with the CBSO conducted by Ludovic Morlot unfolding it so expertly, it was even more remarkable” - TheGuardian

Grand symphonic winds

27 June |7.30pm

StWilfrid’sChurch|£5

Conductor | Ma�hew George

Grand Symphonic Winds is a Twin Ci�es, Minnesota, based wind ensemble with a reputa�on for excellence, well known for bringing original music to a diverse audience. It strives to expand and redefine the percep�on of what cons�tutes a concert band. The ensemble is comprised of music teachers and professional musicians, but members also come from across a wide spectrum of careers such as engineers, physicians, lawyers, publishers - to name a few. Over the past twenty-five years, GSW has had the opportunity to perform throughout the Midwest and na�onally. It also frequently embarks on interna�onal performance tours. Known for performing unique and meaningful literature, GSW performances both entertain and educate audiences and broaden their musical horizons. GSW provides an excellent means to hear music recently composed from around the world. Composers frequently work with GSW and o�en conduct their own work.

Ma�hew J. George is the John Ireland

Dis�nguished Professor of Music, Director of Bands and Orchestras, and previously held the Chair of the Department of Music for twenty years at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.HeisapastrecipientoftheProfessor oftheYearawardatUST.Inaddi�on,hehasheld an appointment as Chair and conductor for the Music Educa�on Center at Xi’an Jiaotong University in Xi’an, China. George holds a D.M.A. degree in conduc�ng from the University of North Texas,an M.M. degreein musiceduca�on from Southern Methodist University, and a B.M. degree in music educa�on and trumpet performance from Ithaca College.

The Gildas Quartet: Surround Sound

1 July |7.30pm

Spiegeltent|£22

Jessie Montgomery | Break Away

Debussy | String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10

Bri�en | Quartet No.3 in G major, Op.94

The Gildas Quartet, praised for their ‘energy, verve and refreshing approach’, invite you to explore the tradi�onal concert experience through their Surround Sound programme. Determined to bring the visceral experience of stringquartetperformance to audiences at close quarters, the Gildas Quartetcreated their immersive project Surround Sound Sessions. For the second half of the concert, experience the drama, sounds and balances as the audience move in the centre of the quartet, who are spacedoutacrosstheroom.

In this performance thequartetwill exploreBri�en’s valedictory and deeply moving third quartet,his last instrumental work. You will get to know the piece as thequartetdeconstruct and demonstrate aspects of the music. A completememorisedperformanceoftheBri�en endstheconcert.

The Gildas Quartet have performed to cri�cal acclaim at major venues including the Bridgewater Hall, Purcell Room, Wigmore Hall and live on BBC Radio 3. Their bold and explora�ve approach to performance has been recognised by the Interna�onal Franz Schubert and Modern Music Compe��on, Graz, where theywonfirstprizeintheAudienceEngagement Award2018.

“Stunning piece, exquisite playing” –TheStrad

For Jo Harrop flip your programme and turn to page 13

Oddsocks

Julius Caesar

2 & 3 July | 7.30pm RHSHarlowCarr

Adults£24|U18s£15|U7s£7 StudentandUCrecipients£17 Families£72*

*2 adults and 2 U18s

Rome 44BC. Ego�s�cal Emperor Julius Caesar is swea�ng (and it’s not just the heatwave). His liberal Senators are a stabbing pain in the backside. They’ve had enough! Rome is in chaos, trust in the government is weak and the emperor’s fate is wri�en in the stars (or the ‘entrails of a goat’). The peasants are revol�ng as the most famous poli�cal coup in literature is given the Oddsocks treatment. Expect the tearing of togas, the swishing of roman swords, some preposterous puppetry and the biggest ba�le scene five actors have ever created.On your marcus, getus setus, let the games begin!

“Outrageously funny, a joy, with neatly engineered slaps�ck”

-No�nghamPost

The maxwell quartet

7 July | 7.30pm|Spiegeltent|£22

Programme to include:

William Ross |Captain Campbell’s March Haydn |String Quartet in E flat major, Op.20, No.1

Nathaniel Gow |Master Francis Sitwell

Niel Gow |The Marquis of Tullibardine

Integral to the Maxwell Quartet’s passion is their shared love of folk music. Colin, George, and Duncan were all steeped in the tradi�onal folk music of Scotland from a young age. A�er kindling a musical camaraderie with Ellio�, they collec�vely forged their own voice in folk music as a quartet. In their Harrogate debut they present a programme combining this love and their admira�on of the classical repertoire.

They view 'Folk' music as the founda�on of classical music, aiming to seamlessly merge the two in a dis�nct, libera�ng, and meaningful manner. To them, every melody embodies a song, and every rhythm evokes a dance.

The Maxwell Quartet comprises of four friends, three of whom hail from separate corners of Scotland, with the fourth origina�ng from Surrey, England. Their bond traces back to their early days of sharing rooms during youth orchestra courses, at music schools and as students. This natural and infec�ous friendship is deeply intertwined with their music-making, defining their performance style.

"Brilliantly fresh, unexpected and exhilara�ng... an enlightening and enthralling musical experience" – The Sco�sh Herald

Esther Abrami

10 July | 7.30pm|TheCrownHotel|£24

Programme to include:

Franck | Sonata for violin and piano in A major

Angela Morley | Reverie

Amy Beach | Romance for violin and piano, Op. 23

James Newton Howard | The Hanging Tree from The Hunger Games

Bruno Coulais | Vois sur ton chemin from Les Choristes

Shostakovich | The Gadfly, Op. 97

At just 27 years of age, violinist Esther Abrami is dazzling the social media world with her passion and sensa�onal talent, bringing classical music to the masses and inspiring a community worldwide.

Esther studied at the Royal College of Music and completed her master’s degree at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, for which she received a full scholarship. In 2021, she was signed to Sony Classical and made her Royal Albert Hall debut in 2022. Esther Abrami is considered one of the most promising young classical ar�sts of her genera�on and has been appointed Crea�ve Partner and Ar�st in Residence by the English Symphony Orchestra.

In September 2023, Esther released her second album, Cinema, she said, “I wanted to curate a diverse collec�on that reflects my classical background, my support of women in music, the films and anime that moved me the most and to offer a rich tapestry of music that spans genres, culture and genera�ons.”

Concert by

Candlelight:

Apollo 5

11 July | 8pm

StWilfrid’sChurch|£26

Programme to include:

Byrd | Vigilate

Péro�n | Beata viscera

Byrd | Agnus Dei (from Mass for Five Voices)

Macmillan | O Radiant Dawn

Debussy | Dieu! Qu’il La Fait Bon Regarder

Whitacre, Eric |This Marriage

Tallis | Psalm 2, the Third of Nine Tunes For Archbishop Parker's Psalter

McGlynn | Am gaeth i muir

Experience the exquisite and cri�cally acclaimedvocalgroup,Apollo5inthewonderful se�ng of St Wilfrid’s Church by candlelight. Part of the VOCES8 Founda�on, the group comprises of a soprano, mezzo-soprano, two tenors and a bass, demonstra�ng how dynamic five voices can be. Their programme is based around their album Invoca�on, which was born out of the group’s desire to share fragments of their life stories with audiences.

““★★★★★ – everything here is faultless, from the perfectly balanced pace and imagina�ve choice of repertoire to Apollo5’s excep�onal cohesion and effortless style.”

— BBC Music Magazine

Plínio Fernandes and Braimah Kanneh-Mason

7:30pm | 13 July

OldSwanHotel|£28

PROGRAMME TO BE ANNOUNCED

Bringing the 2024 Music fes�val to a close are two incredible talents, Braimah Kanneh-Mason and Plínio Fernandes.

An exci�ng young duo, both musicians have been hailed for their talents. Plínio was named on Forbes Brazil’s Under 30 list, a Rising Star by Classic FM and more recently he received the Revelação Award at the 30th Annual Prêmio da Música Brasileira. Guitarist Plínio was born into afamilyofmusiciansinSãoPaulo,Brazilandhis musical educa�on led him to receiving a full scholarship to a�end the Interna�onal Campos do Jordao WinterFes�val,thebiggestfes�val in La�n America, where he gave recitals and performed in chamber concerts in around 35 ci�es throughout Brazil and Chile.

Braimah Kanneh-Mason is a dynamic and versa�le young violinist, experienced on the interna�onalstageasamemberoftheKannehMason Piano Trio, Fes�val Academy Budapest Ensemble and Kaleidoscope Collec�ve. Braimah is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music where he was a scholarship student with Mateja Marinkovic and Jack Liebeck, winning the Harold Craxton Prize, the John McAslan Prize and the Dame Ruth Railton Chamber Music Prize.

HARROGATE MUSIC FESTIVAL How to Book

Phone: 01423 562 303

Online: harrogateinterna�onalfes�vals.com

In Person: Harrogate Interna�onal Fes�vals, 32 Cheltenham Parade, Harrogate, HG1 1DB

Opening Times: Monday to Friday 10am – 5pm.

Ticket Collec�on

Tickets are available to collect from our Box Office on Cheltenham Parade, at the event, or can be posted for an extra £1.50. E-tickets are available.

Payment: Harrogate Interna�onal Fes�vals accept all major credit/debit cards (except American Express), as well as cash..

Booking Fee: Harrogate Interna�onal Fes�vals charges a £2.50 transac�on fee for all bookings.

Ticket sales alone do not cover the costs of our Box Office and booking fees are vital to development, maintenance and running of our in-house Box Office. We endeavour to keep our booking fees as low as possible and this charge is per order, not per individual �cket. For more informa�on and for full booking Terms and Condi�ons please visit our website: www.harrogateinterna�onalfes�vals.com/box-office

Visitors with Disabili�es: All Fes�val venues have wheelchair access and we offer free �ckets for carers. For more informa�on and to book wheelchair sea�ng please call our Box Office.

Tickets on the Door: Subject to availability, �ckets will be sold at the venue 30 minutes prior to the performance, and a £2.50 transac�on fee will apply. Please be aware �ckets can sell out in advance and booking early is recommended.

Returned Tickets: The Box Office cannot refund money or exchange �ckets, except in the case of a cancelled event.

Concessions: Concessions are available for under 18s, students in full �me educa�on and those receiving unemployment benefits. Appropriate ID must be provided. May not be used in conjunc�on with any other offers.

Terms and Condi�ons can be viewed on our website, alongside our Privacy Policy.

Booking Fees Apply | harrogateinterna�onalfes�vals.com

Spiegeltent At a Glance

Fri28June | DivinadeCampo

Sat29June | Jimmy’sNight

Sun30June | JoHarrop

Mon1July | TheGildasQuartet

Wed3July | GypsyQueens

Thurs4July | HouseofBurlesqueandSilentDisco

Fri5July | MicaSefiaandherBand

Sat6July | PunjabiRootsParty

Sun7July | MaxwellQuartet

S�ll to be announced:

Spiegeltentday�mesessions | music,wellbeing,andentertainmentduringtheday. Harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

Spiegeltent

2024 festival

Hold on to your hats, the Spiegeltent is back! We’re over the moon to release the lineup of headliners, jam packed with Festival favourites (Gypsy Queens, I’m looking at you) and fresh new talent, such as sublime blues singer Mica Sefia. If you’re feeling nostalgic, we’ve got Jimmy’s back on the menu, or experience classical music in a new light as the Gildas

Quartet present their surround sound programme. If it’s a party you’re looking for, superstar Divina de Campo takes to the stage on the opening night, House of Burlesque return with their sell-out show and Silent Disco, and Punjabi Roots will be bringing the house down with their east meets west party. Whether you need to recover from Saturday or just want to relax on a summery Sunday night, Jo Harrop returns to Harrogate after selling out Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, and the Maxwell Quartet bring a folk-inspired programme to close the Spiegeltent.

Want to upgrade your Spiegeltent experience? Booking a booth grants entry to the event for six people, guarantees your space for the evening, and for certain events includes a bottle of fizz on entry – look out for the in the event listings. Most of the events are unreserved seating and our Friends of the Festival have priority entry for their choice of seats. Check our website for more information.

In associa�on with

Divina de Campo

28 June | 8pm | £25

VIP booths £168 & £180

Unreserved cabaret sea�ng.

START. YOUR. ENGINES.

Drag queen superstar Divina de Campo is here to open the 2024 Spiegeltent with a night of comedy and cabaret, accompanied by her pianist, before we hit the dancefloor. Expect naughty tales, laugh out loud moments, and showtunes as we descend into pure revelry.

Support to be announced..

Jimmy’s Night

29 June | From 5pm £18 | VIP booths £132 Standing gig.

Back by popular demand! Gone but never forgo�en, Jimmy’s was Harrogate’s most loved nightclub through the mid-90s to the late nough�es. Described as a ‘class night out’, it’s �me to relive the glory days as we bring back the party of the year. We’ve even made it earlier, so no need to panic if you can no longer party un�l the sun comes up. If you can, keep an eye out for official a�er party details coming soon…

Jo Harrop

30 June | 7.30pm | £22

Booths £150 & £168

Unreserved cabaret sea�ng.

Making her return to the Spiegeltent a�er a hit show in 2022 is Jo Harrop, for an evening of velvety jazz, featuring her incredible live band. Fresh from a sell-out show at Ronnie Sco�’s Jo’s voice has been described as “a rare mix of delicacy and boldness”. This special show will see Jo performing songs from her new album The Path Of A Tear for the very first �me at a fes�val following album launch concerts in New York and Los Angeles.

The Gildas Quartet in Surround Sound

1 July | 7.30pm | £22

Unreserved cabaret sea�ng.

Exploring new ways of presen�ng classical music is the Gildas Quartet. With the audience in the centre of the Quartet they play with sound, balance, and new ways of listening and experiencing live music. Flip your programme and go to page 5 for more details.

Gypsy Queens

3 July | 7.30pm | £32

VIP Booths £240

Standing gig.

From humble beginnings to A-list entertainers, Harrogate favourites The Gypsy Queens make their long-awaited return! Bringing their trademark charisma, energy, and riotously entertaining performance back to the Spiegeltent grab your �ckets while you can.

House of Burlesque and silent Disco

4 July | Burlesque 7.30pm |£34

VIP Booths £234 & £258

Silent Disco 9.45pm | £15

Unreserved theatre sea�ng.

The UK's top sa�rical showgirls are thrilledtoreturntoHarrogateforanightoftherisquéandraucous,goingrightbacktothesubversive roots of Bri�sh Burlesque. Join UK Queen Tempest Rose and the stars of HOB straight from London's West End for a glamorous and upli�ing burlesque cabare�ollowed by our legendary Silent Disco a�erparty. As seen on BBC 1, MTV, Channel 4 and ITV. "Like Moulin Rouge on Acid" - Time Out.

Mica Sefia and her Band

5 July| 7.30pm | £22

Unreserved cabaret sea�ng.

Mica Sefia is a contemporary soul singer, combining simplicity of spoken word and heavy rock influences to create atmospheric full sound, powered by her 6-piece band to give full impact of sound and emo�on. Performing a mixture of well-loved covers and original songs, perfect for soundtracking your Friday evening. “What. A. Voice.” – Light Space Leeds

Mica Sefia Late Night Set

5 July | 9.45pm | £5

WeknowthatjoyoftheSpiegeltentisBEINGintheSpiegeltentasmuchasyoupossiblycan.Kickback and keep the drinks flowing as Mica con�nues the entertainment with an acous�c set.

The Maxwell Quartet

7 July | 7.30pm | £22

Unreserved cabaret sea�ng.

A love for folk is at the heart of the Maxwell Quartet’s passion for music. Bask in the final night of the Spiegeltent to the sounds of tradi�onal Sco�sh and Irish folk tunes. For more informa�on.

Punjabi Roots Party

6 July | 8pm | £20

VIP Booths £150

Unreserved cabaret sea�ng.

A�er deligh�ng audiences at the 2023 Harrogate Carnival, Punjabi Roots make their Spiegeltent debut with an East meets West party, complete with DJs, Bhangra dancers and Dohl drummers. Guaranteed to bring the (tent) roof down, this is going to be explosion of colours and sound, sure to get you on the dancefloor.

Harrogate Interna�onal Fes�vals would like to thank the following organisa�ons for their support

Trusts and Founda�ons

Friends of the Festivals | Future 50 Foundation | The Dorothy Parkinson Memorial Award

WW Spooner Charitable Trust | GC Armitage Charitable Trust

Book Now: 01423

562 303 harrogateinternationalfestivals.com