Trinity Laban

The UK's second Greenwich International String Quartet Festival will take place at the home of Trinity Laban's music faculty, the spectacular setting of the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London SE10 (with one event at the nearby National Maritime Museum) from 29 April to 1 May 2011.  The Festival is a highly concentrated long weekend of events of international interest, including concerts, master classes, talks, competitions and a music-art installation.  One of the largest string quartet events to be held anywhere in the world, the Festival enhances Trinity Laban's reputation for excellence in chamber music.

For booking and event information see our Trinity Events listings (events appear in chronological order and free events do no need to be booked online) or call the Box Office on 020 8463 0100

"The string quartet with its extraordinary repertoire, is arguably the most important form in all classical chamber music.

The Festival offers a unique opportunity to support, promote and celebrate all that is exceptional about the genre among a new generation of musicians."

Artistic Director David Kenedy,

PROGRAMME DETAILS, THEMES AND PERFORMERS

The Greenwich International String Quartet Festival 2011 focuses on examining the breadth of existing repertoire and how the genre is developing and moving forward, experimenting and exploring new work.  There will be six world premières including commissioned works, the London debut performance of the groundbreaking American Turtle Island Quartet in a programme featuring the music of Jimi Hendrix, and a 'Marathon' collaborative event at the National Maritime Museum with music and dance students from Trinity Laban.  Other additions to the Festival include an audience participation event and workshops for younger children, introducing young musicians from the age of three or four to the genre.

The Festival programme is made up of concerts (afternoon, evening and late night), workshops, talks, masterclasses and the Cavatina Inter-Collegiate Quartet Competition, and features nine participating string quartets including The Allegri Quartet, one of the longest-standing and most respected British chamber music ensembles, Trinity Laban Quartet in Residence The Wihan Quartet, arguably the greatest exponent of its native Central European repertoire, The Kopelman Quartet, renowned for its performances of Russian repertoire, The Smith Quartet, at the forefront of new music and the Turtle Island Quartet, a singular force in the creation of bold new trends in chamber music for strings and improvisation.  In addition, the new wave of up-and-coming quartets is represented by Trinity Laban's String Quartet in Residence and winner of the prestigious New York Concert Artists Guild Competition, the Carducci String Quartet, and recent winner of the Royal Overseas League Chamber Music Competition the Brodowski Quartet.

Programme of events

Artist biographies

Concerts:
Friday 29 April
1.05pm
Trinity Laban & Wells Cathedral School String Ensembles
Beethoven (arr. Mahler) String Quartet Op. 95 'Serioso' for String Orchestra
Schubert (arr. Mahler) String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor 'Death and the Maiden' for String Orchestra
Conductors Nic Pendlebury & Matthew Souter
Venue: ORNCC
Admission free

7.00pm
Carducci String Quartet
Haydn Op 33, No 2 'The Joke'
Mendelssohn Op 80
Schubert String Quintet in C
With Vanessa Lucas-Smith, cello
Venue: ORNCC
£15 (£10) Book now

9.30pm
Turtle Island Quartet
'Have You Ever Been…?'
Music by Jimi Hendrix and David Balakrishnan
Venue: Queen Mary Undercroft
£10 (£5) Book now

Saturday 30 April
7.00pm
Wihan Quartet
Schumann Op 41 No 2
Smetana No 2 in D minor
Dvořák Op 96 "The American"
Venue: ORNCC
£15 (£10) Book now

9.30pm
The Allegri Quartet
Beethoven Op 130
Venue: Queen Mary Undercroft
£10 (£5) Book now

Sunday 1 May
4.45pm
The Kopelman Quartet
Prokoviev Op 92
Shostakovich Elegy and Polka
Tchaikovsky No 2 in F
Venue: ORNCC
£15 (£10) Book now

7.30pm
The Smith Quartet
Terry Riley Good Medecine
Jo Cutler Daithi's Dumka
Jon Lord Zarabanda
Andrew Poppy Definitely Disco
Donacha Dennehy Stamp (to avoid erotic thoughts)
Tunde Jegende Dancing in the Spirit
John Adams Pavane
Eleanor Kats-Chernin Naïve Waltz
Gabriel Prokofiev Bogle Move
Michael Nyman String Quartet No 2
Venue: ORNCC
£15 (£10) Book now

Workshops
Saturday 30 April
11am BANG family workshop for young children with the Brodowski Quartet
Venue: Trinity
Admission free

12pm SCRAPE workshop for Junior Trinity with world premiere performance of commissioned work by Rob Fokkens
Venue Trinity
Admission free

4.45pm "Romp"
A performance of the Mendelssohn Octet with audience participation.
Venue: Trinity
Admission free

Marathon Collaborative Event
Saturday 30 April
2.30 - 4pm
Trinity Laban composers, choreographers and dancers
Wu Quartet
Solstice String Quartet
Venue: National Maritime Museum
Admission free

Talks
Friday 29 April
3.30pm Roderick Swanston Talk: The String Quartet
Saturday 30 April
12.30pm Rob Cowan Talk: Beethoven's Late String Quartets - a personal view
Venue: Trinity
Admission free (limited numbers)

Masterclasses
Friday 29 April
10am - 1pm Wihan Quartet
Saturday 30 April
10am - 1pm The Smith Quartet
4.30 - 6.30pm The Kopelman Quartet
Sunday 1 May
10am - 1pm Carducci String Quartet
10am - 1pm Turtle Island Quartet
Venue: Trinity
Admission free

Cavatina Intercollegiate Quartet Competition
Sunday 1 May
Cecilia McDowall world premiere
10.30am - 4.15pm
Venue: Trinity
Admission free (limited numbers)