festivals not just in the UK but around the globe on pages eight to

Above: Huw Watkins

Below: ETO Spring 2020 Cosi Fan Tutte L-R Thomas Elwin, Ferrando; Frederick Long, Guglielmo Photo: Richard Hubert Smith

Regular COVID-testing has enabled the London Symphony Orchestra to work together in order to rehearse and perform streamed concerts during the pandemic, and at the time of writing they were hoping to resume concerts with small, distanced audiences at their LSO St Luke’s home in central London. The orchestra is scheduled to perform with its music director Sir Simon Rattle and with the Finnish conductor Susanna Mälkki and the young French conductor Clément Mao-Takacs at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in July. At the time of writing their concerts were still in the festival calendar, though Sir Simon has been outspoken in recent months about the difficulties caused by Brexit, and the complex new regulations that make European tours by symphony orchestras very difficult.

A solo performer, of course, can be much more flexible. Pianist Libby Burgess says she is well on track to perform the whole of J S Bach’s 48 Preludes and Fugues – The Well-tempered Clavier – in each of the 48 ceremonial counties of England during 2021, pandemic or no pandemic, raising money for musical charities as she goes. Venues will range from churches and theatres to shopping centres and stations, with associated educational events taking place in schools and universities along the way. Some performances will be given as traditional concerts, while others will take more unusual formats. Her first dates are in May and June in the East Riding of Yorkshire, Berkshire, Northamptonshire and Lancashire; future dates will inevitably be announced at short notice, as Burgess negotiates changing pandemic regulations, but unless there is another complete lockdown she is optimistic about completing her own personal travelling festival. Perhaps that’s the way to go in 2021!

abudhabifestival.ae/programme_categorymusic afcm.com.au bachproject48.co.uk desmoinesmetroopera.org espafrika.com festival-aix.com festivalestereopicnic.com fujirockfestival.com glyndebourne.com homegrown.net.nz lollapaloozacl.com mahlerfest.org marlboromusic.org oneafricamusicfest.com rhythmandalps.co.nz rhythmandvines.co.nz rockingthedaisies.com salzburgerfestspiele.at santafechambermusic.com westgreenhouseopera.co.uk