Now in its fourteenth year, Cowbridge Music Festival has established itself as one of the most exciting music festivals in Wales, bringing world-class musicians to the community. With a mission to make classical music approachable and enjoyable, the festival also boasts an extensive community programme, which over the years has engaged over 11,000 local pupils and care homes.
Cowbridge Music Festival is proud to celebrate and preserve Welsh cultural heritage through performances in both Welsh and English, and featuring numerous artists with Welsh roots.
Festival Co-Artistic Directors Joseph Fort and Rosalind Ventris comment: “We are delighted to present such a diverse and exciting programme for the 2024 Cowbridge Music Festival. From world-class artists and rising stars to unique genre-defying performances, this year’s festival truly offers something for everyone. We are particularly proud to highlight the incredible talent from Wales, celebrating this rich cultural heritage and bringing this wonderful music to as many people as possible.”
Highlights this season include:
A Celebration of Welsh Heritage and Talent
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Bilingual Welsh/English artist Eädyth Crawford will captivate audiences with her electronic soul pop, inspired by the landscapes of Merthyr Tydfil (14 Sept).
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Beloved Welsh pianist Llŷr Williams returns with a programme featuring Beethoven and Brahms, showcasing his profound interpretative skills (14 Sept).
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The festival continues to support emerging talent with a concert by young Welsh chamber musicians and a recital by rising stars Edgar Francis and Jâms Coleman (18 Sept).
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Welsh folk group Pedair makes its festival debut, bringing a fresh interpretation of the Welsh folk tradition to Holy Cross Church (19 Sept).
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The Cardiff-based Cantemus Chamber Choir celebrates Welsh folk songs, including Gustav Holst’s Twelve Welsh Folk Songs, in celebration of the composer’s 150th birthday (21 Sept).
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The festival concludes with a Choral Evensong featuring beloved Welsh hymns (22 Sept).
Welcoming World-Class Artists to Wales
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The festival opens with a performance by the Castalian Quartet, one of the UK’s most acclaimed string quartets, joined by renowned violist and Festival Co-Artistic Director Rosalind Ventris (13 Sept). The programme includes Beethoven’s ‘Serioso’ Quartet, Coleridge-Taylor’s Fantasiestücke, and Dvořák’s Quintet in Eb major, promising a night of evocative and life-affirming music.
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Acclaimed soprano Mary Bevan makes her festival debut, leading a celebration of French song with a stellar lineup, including pianist Christopher Glynn and BBC NOW principals Alice Neary and Matthew Featherstone(15 Sept).
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International concert pianist Libby Burgess will perform a selection of Bach’s ‘Well-Tempered Clavier’ by candlelight, promising an intimate and reflective evening at Holy Cross Parish Church (20 Sept).
Eclectic and Genre-Defying Performances
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Genre-defying violinist and composer Simmy Singh will present a unique concert blending classical and electronic music, featuring her own compositions and this year’s festival commission (13 Sept).
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Dynamic young ensemble Connaught Brass will perform a varied programme ranging from Gershwin to Vivaldi, showcasing their virtuosic talent (20 Sept).
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The 2024 festival is brought to a close by Acoustic Triangle, a ‘trio of world-class virtuosi…exquisitely passionate and inspired’ (BBC Music Magazine). Their music blurs the boundaries between classical music and jazz, and will no doubt prove a mesmerising finale for the festival (22 Sept).
Music For The Community
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Toscana Strings will present a family-friendly adaptation of Prokofiev’s ‘Peter and the Wolf’ and ‘The Tortoise and the Hare’ at Cowbridge Comprehensive School Theatre (22 Sept). With live music and dancing, this is a performance for all ages to enjoy.
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The festival continues its Young Ensembles’ Programme this year, offering exceptional emerging Welsh chamber musicians the opportunity to work with established artists. The programme culminates in a main festival performance (17 Sept). An eclectic mix of works will be introduced live by these emerging Welsh performers.
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Providing the opportunity for children to experience first-rate classical music has been an integral part of the Festival since the beginning, and over 11,000 local school children have benefited from Cowbridge Music Festival outreach workshops and concerts. The programme, which is offered free of charge, continues to expand this season reaching schools in all parts of the Vale and Bridgend.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit cowbridgemusicfestival.co.uk
