Chichester Chamber Concerts promise strong 2020-2021 season

Chichester Chamber Concerts are hoping to get back to normal as soon as possible as they confirm an exciting season ahead for 2020-2021.
The Dudok QuartetThe Dudok Quartet
The Dudok Quartet

Events will all be subject to the government restrictions in place at the time, but the series organisers are hoping for the best – and are even planning on catching up. The two concerts which the series lost during lockdown will now bookend the new programme.

The series will begin on Thursday, September 10 with an almost sold-out concert from the Trinity Ensemble – a date rescheduled from March 26. The series’ April concert, which was also postponed, will go ahead exactly a year later, in April.

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In between, the series will welcome performers including the Dudok Quartet, the Sitkovetsky Trio, the Bach Players and the Armida Quartet.

Chairman Anna Hill said musicians and agents alike were as “keen as mustard” to get back to business.

“We are very lucky in that we don’t have concerts in the summer, and the two concerts that we had to postpone we have been able to rearrange.

“Also we are lucky that I book so far ahead. I am mostly booking two years ahead.

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“For now, it is just a little bit nail-biting to know exactly how we are going to be able to do it.

“But we have got various ideas. It might be that we can hold a concert but the numbers in the audience might be quite limited, in which case we will hold two concerts instead of one, on the same day.

“The artists who are coming on September 10 have indicated that they are happy to do that. The Trinity Ensemble (leader Ofer Falk violin) are all professors at Trinity College of Music.

“They are all soloists and decided that they would like to make an ensemble in order to be able to play together. We sold all the tickets back in March. We told people that the concert was postponed and we have told them about the new date. Only a few people have asked for refunds.”

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Anna concedes some people might be a little nervous about going out to a concert: “But we will say to them that either they can have a refund or it would be very much appreciated if they would like to make a donation of their ticket.

“The artists will get their fee because they will either play live for us or, if they don’t, they will stream the concert.”

Anna said she was hoping by then there would be clearer guidance from the government.

“There seems to be a theory that singing is particularly risky.

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“Very occasionally we have had singers, but it has not been a success, I must say.

“Our audiences love the instruments. They don’t seem to want to come out quite so much to listen to singers.”

Anna added that she was very pleased with the programme she had assembled for the months ahead: “I think it is a very good selection, particularly with the two larger groups that are coming. There is a programme next March (from the Arcadia Quartet) when we will have the Elgar Piano Quintet, which will be very lovely.”

General booking opens on August 20. All tickets are available from Chichester Festival Theatre on 01243 781312 or www.cft.org.uk. The Chichester Chamber Concerts take place monthly in the Assembly Room, North Street, Chichester, on Thursdays at 7.30pm.

The full Chichester Chamber Concerts season 2020-2021 is:

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Thursday, October 1 – The Dudok Quartet: Judith Van Driel violin, Marleen Wester violin, Marie-Louise de Jong viola, David Faber cello. Winner of a prestigious Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award 2018, and prizes at the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition, the Dudok Quartet of Amsterdam is forging a reputation as one of the most creative and versatile young quartets of their generation. They will play Brahms – Czardas Programme; Bartók – Quartet No. 5; Dance arrangements by Kurtág, Kalman, Vigh, Ligeti and Brahms; Brahms – Quartet No. 3 in B flat major.

Thursday, November 5 – The Sitkovetsky Trio: Alexander Sitkovetsky violin; Isang Enders cello; Wu Qian piano. The Sitkovetsky Trio is established as an exceptional piano trio of today, with performances in the foremost concert halls around the world to their credit. Alexander Sitkovetsky (violin) and Wu Qian (piano) were joined last season by German-Korean cellist Isang Enders. They will play: Schumann Fantasiestücke in A minor Op. 88; Beethoven Piano Trio in E flat Op.70 no. 2; Arensky Piano Trio No 1 in D minor Op. 32

Thursday, December 3 – Zoltán Fejérvári piano. Zoltán Fejérvári has emerged as one of the most intriguing pianists among the newest generation of Hungarian musicians. Winner of the 2017 Concours Musical International de Montréal and recipient of the prestigious Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship in 2016, Zoltán has appeared in recitals throughout the Americas and Europe, at prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, Gasteig in Munich, Lingotto in Turin and Liszt Academy in Budapest. He has performed as a soloist with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, Hungarian National Orchestra, Verbier Chamber Orchestra and Concerto Budapest. He will play: Tchaikovsky – The Seasons Op. 37a; Mussorgsky – Pictures at an Exhibition.

Thursday, January 28 – The Bach Players: Marion Moonen flute, Nicolette Moonen violin, Oliver Webber violin, Anna Curzon viola, Kinga Gáborjáni cello, Silas Wollston harpsichord. The Bach Players are known for their engaging programmes of 17th- and 18th-century music. Founded in 1996 by Nicolette Moonen, the group’s artistic director, their main focus at first was on J S Bach’s sacred cantatas, performed with small forces. Gradually horizons were expanded to a broader picture of Bach’s time and the circumstances in which these pieces were composed. They will play: Bach and Goldberg – Master and Student; Bach – Orchestral suite no. 2 in B minor BWV 1067; Bach – Canons from the Goldberg Variations; Goldberg – C major Trio Sonata No. 4; Bach – Brandenberg No. 5

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Thursday, February 25 – Armida Quartet: Martin Funda violin, Johanna Staemmler violin, Teresa Schwamm viola, Peter-Philipp Staemmler cello. Winning the ARD International Competition in 2012 propelled the Armida Quartet onto the international concert platform. Between 2016-2018 they participated on the BBC New Generation Artists Scheme, made their BBC Proms debut and celebrated their tenth anniversary. In 2017 the Quartet completed a season as ECHO Rising Stars and in 2018 made their debut in the USA. They will play: Mozart – Quartet in G major K387; Janácék – Quartet No. 2 Intimate Letters; Beethoven – Quartet in A minor Op.132.

Thursday, March 25 – Arcadia Quartet with Katya Apekisheva piano: Ana Török violin, Rasvan Dumitru violin, Traian Boala viola, Zsolt Török cello. The Arcadia Quartet is now firmly established as one of the most exciting string quartets of their generation. Formed in 2006, they have appeared at all the major music festivals of Europe and have toured Japan and the USA.

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