Orchestra of the Swan has teamed up with Stratford-on-Avon Music Festival to offer a week of exciting music-making by established musicians and members of BBC Radio 3’s new Generation Artists scheme.
22 years ago, the Stratford on Avon District English Music Festival opened its doors for the first time. In need of a conductor and musicians, David Curtis, viola player with the Coull Quartet, was invited to form an orchestra for the festival and Stratford’s own Orchestra of the Swan was born.
This year, after more than two decades, Orchestra of the Swan has formed a close partnership with what is now known as the Stratford-on-Avon Music Festival which takes place from 26th Sept to 3rd October. Newly appointed Festival Artistic Director David Mills is taking this 22-year-old festival back to its classical roots with a fabulous programme centred on Orchestra of the Swan and its principals. It will give some prominence to the wonderful and varied repertoire for wind instruments – the only national music festival to do so – and featuring familiar soloists Roderick Williams, Leon McCawley, Tamsin Waley-Cohen and Julian Bliss, alongside BBC New Generation Artists Pavel Kolesnikov (piano), Annelien Van Wauwe (clarinet), the Van Kuijk String Quartet and the Amatis Piano Trio.
With BBC Radio 3 recording two lunchtime performances and Classic FM recording the final concert with Orchestra of the Swan and Julian Bliss in the ArtsHouse, David Curtis, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Orchestra of the Swan, is thrilled to be launching his 22nd season of leadership of one of the most imaginative and successful chamber orchestras in the UK with an immersive week of music.
