Quality 2020 programme ahead for Funtington Music Group

They will set the ball rolling for a busy year ahead, with a wide range of musical events lined up.

Club chairman Chris Hough said: “The Navarra Quartet has appeared at major venues throughout the world, and this is a wonderful opportunity to hear them in Chichester where their programme will include Beethoven’s 1st Razumovsky Quartet – a brilliant start to FMG’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth!

“Since its formation in 2002, the Navarra Quartet has built an international reputation as one of the most dynamic and poetic string quartets of today.

“Selected for representation by the Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) from 2006 to 2010, they have been awarded the MIDEM Classique Young Artist Award, a Borletti- Buitoni Trust Fellowship, a Musica Viva tour and prizes at the Banff, Melbourne and Florence International String Quartet Competitions.

“The Navarra Quartet has appeared at major venues throughout the world including the Wigmore Hall, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Lxembourg Philharmonie, Berlin Konzerthaus, Sydney Opera House and international festivals such as Bath, Grachten, Sandviken, Schwetzinger, Rheingau, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Huntingdon (Australia), Aix- en-Provence, Bellerive and the BBC Proms.

“Formed at the Royal Northern College of Music, their development continued with studies in Cologne with the Alban Berg Quartet, Pro-Quartet in Paris, the International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove and from residencies at the Britten-Pears School in Aldeburgh and at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland.

“The quartet plays on a variety of fine instruments which include a Hieronymus II Amati and F Cuypers generously on loan from the Nationaal Muziekinstrumenten Fonds in the Netherlands, an unknown, old English viola and a Grancino cello made in Milan in 1698, generously on loan from the Cruft – Grancino Trust which is administered by the Royal Society of Musicians.”

FMG meetings are held at 7.30pm on Wednesdays in the Chapel of the Ascension, Bishop Otter Campus, University of Chichester PO19 6PE. Parking is free on campus after 5pm.

Also coming up this year:

February 12: The Fujita Piano Trio return with a programme including Beethoven’s Archduke Trio.

March 11: The Parnassius Piano Duo with Simon Callaghan play works for two pianos by Sherwood and Rachmaninov.

April 15: University of Chichester Student Showcase Concert – six selected undergraduates compete for the £1,500 prize fund (first prize £600).

May 13: Ashworth & Rattenbury Guitars - A Shared Resonance, guitar duets across three centuries, from Corbetta to Rodrigo and Duarte.

June 10: Summer Buffet Concert – Erin Alexander (soprano) and Nick Miller (piano) present On a High Note.

September 9: Pavlos Carvalho (cello) discusses the Bach Cello Suites and gives complete performances of two of them.

October 14: Beethoven the Revolutionary – Angela Zanders examines Beethoven’s life and place in the history of Western music.

November 11: The Rosamunde Trio makes their first visit to FMG playing celebrated piano trios.

December 9: Christmas Special – David Owen Norris discusses and plays Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata.

For further details, visit www.funtingtonmusicgroup.org.uk.

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