Dear Blogger
Message from Whittington Music Festival
| Festival News
We are hugely excited to confirm the return of distinguished tenor Mark Padmore in 2025 to sing Schumann's beautiful 'A Poet's Love' ('Dichterliebe') with its most apt opening line for Whittington Festival; 'In the wondrous month of May, when the buds sprang into bloom, love sprang up in my heart'.
Those of you who were present for the thrilling performance of Brahms' Piano Quintet this year will be glad to know that the string quartet of festival players formed for that occasion will return by popular demand, this time to play Schubert's well-loved Death and the Maiden quartet. During festival week, the quartet will benefit from coaching with Mark Padmore whose expertise will be especially valuable given that the Death and the Maiden theme is based on Schubert's own song of the same title. | | |
| Photo Credit: Marco Borggreve | |
| Music Education and Outreach
Did you know that music education and outreach events play a big part in the festival's activities?
This year we ran a hugely successful pilot project at Derwen College, with cellist and music therapist Daisy Vatalaro working alongside several of our musicians to connect through music with students from Derwen. Here's what violist Ami–Louise Johnsson had to say:
"The students at Derwen College were invited to conduct part of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, and the intuition and understanding for music they showed was incredible. This experience is now a very important core memory for me. It showed how there can never be enough outreach projects and how inaccessible classical music still is in most places. I've made it a goal to incorporate outreach activities as much as I can in my own professional life. Whittington made a very big impression on my professional development and that's something that will stay with me for a very long time".
The Trustees and musicians hope to develop this strand of work with Derwen College in 2025, as early results have been so positive both for the students and our musicians. If there is anyone who would like to sponsor this work, which of course has a cost, we would be very happy to hear from you. | | |
| Whittington's Wonderful Musicians
Many of our young professional artists thrive in the nurturing environment that the Whittington Festival residency provides, courtesy of our generous and welcoming hosts.
Congratulations are due to violist and visual artist Christina Schoonakker, a participant at the festival for several years running, who has just been selected through a rigorous audition process for a position in the viola section of the prestigious Netherlands Philharmonic, based in Amsterdam. Christina makes a link between the Whittington experience and her recent happy news;
"Whittington festival provides the ideal conditions to develop on every level, which has undoubtedly contributed to wider professional success for me." | | |
| Photo credit: Jean-Marc Guillemaut | |
| And Finally
Each year the festival seems better than the last, so next year will be fantastic! The festival can't survive without you, our supporters, so encourage your friends to join, and please renew your subscription now. You will then be able to take full advantage of priority booking. If you have any questions about how to pay, please email friendsec@whittingtonmusicfestival.org.uk | | |
