Oxford Lieder Festival 2019
Tales of Beyond - Magic, Myths and Mortals
The eighteenth Oxford Lieder Festival (11-26 October 2019) inhabits a world of storytelling and fairy tales, from Norse legend to the Brothers Grimm, from the Grim Reaper to Greek myth. Concerts, talks and study days will explore life, death and the mysterious areas between and beyond, with other events including live magic, a film screening, a ghost trail and more.
World-leading singers appearing at the festival include Louise Alder and Nikolay Borchev (26 October), Ilker Arcayürek (25 October), Benjamin Appl (20 October), Katherine Broderick and Marcus Farnsworth (17 October).
Top names also include Stéphane Degout (12 October), Tara Erraught (13 October), Maria Forsström (16 October), James Gilchrist (19 October), Ben Johnson (15 October), Sophie Karthaüser and Stephan Loges (22 October), Thomas Oliemans (15 October), Christoph Prégardien (13 October), Dorothea Röschmann (25 October), Katharina Ruckgaber and Ashley Riches (14 October), Carolyn Sampson (24 October), Kitty Whately (18 October) and others, alongside pianists including Eugene Asti, Christopher Glynn, Matti Hirvonen, Hartmut Höll, Simon Lepper, Graham Johnson, Sholto Kynoch, Malcolm Martineau, Cédric Tibérghien, Anna Tilbrook and Roger Vignoles. Many of the most exciting young emerging artists also appear.
The opening-night concert will be given by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, with Camilla Tilling and Neal Davies (11 October) performing orchestral songs by Schubert and Grieg. Roderick Williams will be in residence for five days (from 19 October) to perform Schubert's three song cycles in the sparkling English translations by Jeremy Sams. There will be two world premieres from newly-appointed Associate Composer Cheryl Frances-Hoad, including a cycle of songs for soprano and string quartet, Endless Forms Most Beautiful (18 October). Other works of hers will feature throughout the Festival, as well as new commissions from composers Martin Suckling (19 October) and Ross Griffey (21 October).
Chamber music concerts include the Albion (21 October), Brodsky (20 October), Doric (15 October) and Gildas Quartets (18 October), the Phoenix Piano Trio (16 October), and pianists, Imogen Cooper (19 October), Ivana Gavrić (13 October), Charles Owen and Katya Apekisheva (24 and 25 October) and Martin Sturfält (14 October).
Choral music features with the Carice Singers (15 October) and the Choir of Merton College (26 October).
General booking now open: www.oxfordlieder.co.uk / +44 (0)1865 591276
Posted 3 September 2019 by Clare Adams
