Sacconi Quartet CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL

Friday 19 May at 7.00pm

concert

St Mary & St Eanswythe’s Church, Folkestone

Sacconi Quartet: Ben Hancox, Hannah Dawson (violins), Robin Ashwell (viola), Cara Berridge (cello)

Haydn – String Quartet in D major, Op. 76, No.5
Glass - String Quartet No.2
Schubert – String Quartet in D minor, ‘Death and the Maiden’
SACCONI ENCORE – a selection of the Sacconi Quartet’s favourite movements from the chamber music repertoire

Our opening concert includes a tribute to Philip Glass in his 80th year and one of the Sacconis’ all-time favourite quartets: Schubert’s Death and the Maiden. The Sacconis will also be choosing a favourite quartet movement each, to talk about and perform. This is an extended concert with two intervals.

Saturday 20 May at 7.00pm

concert

St Mary & St Eanswythe’s Church, Folkestone

Sacconi Quartet with the Wihan Quartet: Leoš Čepický, Jan Schulmeister (violins), Jakub Čepický (viola), Aleš Kaspřík (cello)

Enescu - Octet for Strings in C major, Op. 7
Shostakovich – Two pieces for String Octet
Mendelssohn – Octet in E flat major, Op. 20

The Sacconis are joined, for this special octet concert, by the wonderful Wihan Quartet from the Czech Republic. The Sacconis were introduced to the Wihans by Simon and Pamela Majaro of the CAVATINA Chamber Music Trust. The original members of the Wihan played an important role in the Sacconis’ early career, providing intensive and formative coaching on the core Czech repertoire. We would like to dedicate this concert to Pamela Majaro MBE who sadly passed away last year.

Saturday 20 May at 9.30pm

concert

Sacconi Quartet with Lavinia Meijer (harp)

G. C. Menotti - Cantilena & Scherzo for harp and string quartet
Paul Patterson – Armistice: Reflection & Hope, Op. 108
written for Lavinia Meijer
Philip Glass – Etudes 16 and 17 (arr. for harp by L. Meijer)
Philip Glass - The Hours (arr. for harp and string quartet by L. Meijer)
Bryce Dessner - Suite for Harp
L. Einaudi – Divenire (arr. for harp & string quartet by L. Meijer)

We are delighted to have harpist Lavinia Meijer over from the Netherlands to perform in her unique musical style. Having worked closely and performed with Philip Glass, and produced two CDs of his music arranged for harp, Lavinia is an expert interpreter of his work. She will also be performing a piece written for her by Paul Patterson, a great friend of the Sacconis and one of the foremost contemporary composers for the harp.

Sunday 21 May at 3.00pm

concert

St Mary & St Eanswythe’s Church, Folkestone

Sacconi Quartet with Alasdair Beatson (piano) and Leon Bosch (bass)

Satie - Embryons desséchés
Schubert – Piano Quintet in A major, D 667, ‘The Trout’

We welcome back to the Festival the extraordinary pianist Alasdair Beatson for this afternoon concert. He will perform Eric Satie’s Embryons Desséchés, a suite of three short pieces inspired, aptly for this coastal venue, by sea creatures. Carrying on the aqueous theme, Alasdair is joined by members of the Sacconi Quartet and Stacey Watton in a performance of another seminal piece by Schubert: The ‘Trout’ quintet.

Sunday 21 May at 7.00pm

concert

St Mary & St Eanswythe’s Church, Folkestone

Sacconi Quartet with Alasdair Beatson (piano)

Mozart – String Quartet in G major, k.387, ‘Spring’
Beethoven – Piano Trio in B flat major, Op. 97, ‘Archduke’
Dvorak – Piano Quintet in A major, Op. 81 (Friends’ choice)

Our finale concert brings to a close our 10^th Festival! Alasdair Beatson joins the Sacconis in Beethoven’s beautiful Archduke Piano Trio and again for Dvorak’s piano quintet masterpiece, chosen by our very own Sacconi Friends.