10th Anniversary Penarth Chamber Music Festival, Thursday 27 June – Saturday 30 2024.

• Penarth Chamber Music Festival celebrates its 10th Anniversary in Summer 2024.
• World Première from celebrated Welsh Composer and Pianist Huw Watkins, announced as 2024 Composer-in-residence.
• Star of stage and screen, actor, Samuel West brings a touch of drama to the Penarth Chamber Music Festival.
• Acclaimed soprano, and Festival Patron, Rebecca Evans CBE headlines the Festival Gala at Cardiff’s Dora Stoutzker Hall.
• Co-Artistic Directors cellist Alice Neary and violinist David Adams welcome some of the finest chamber musicians from across the UK and beyond.
• Young Musicians programme and Young Composers’ Workshop.
• Free concerts announced in outreach programme.

Penarth Chamber Music Festival has announced its most ambitious summer programme to date, in celebration of the 10th Anniversary. Alongside its well-known line up of resident Penarth and Cardiff musicians, this year, the Festival welcomes instrumentalists from across the UK and beyond for four days of concert activity to appeal to all. Whilst based at Penarth Pier Pavilion, this year, the Festival will celebrate with a day of concerts, talks and art at RWCMD culminating in a Gala Concert featuring Rebecca Evans CBE, Carlo Rizzi, Samuel West alongside the festival musicians.

Co-Artistic Director, David Adams, said: “We are so excited to be celebrating this momentous milestone with a world première and other thrilling collaborations bringing international artists to Penarth and Cardiff.”

10 Anniversary Festival

In 2014, the newly refurbished Penarth Pier Pavilion hosted the first Penarth Chamber Music Festival concerts with cellist Alice Neary and violinist David Adams. Over the last decade, the two Penarth-based musicians and Co-Artists Directors have grown the Festival beyond recognition. This summer, the Festival celebrates its 10th Anniversary with a diverse array of programmes, welcoming artists from across the UK including tenor, James Gilchrist horn player, Ben Goldscheider, and conductor Carlo Rizzi. The programme also includes an exciting new collaboration with superstar folk musicians from Welsh bands Vri and Calan– Patrick Rimes and Aneurin Evans at the Friday late night concert at Penarth Pier Pavilion.

Huw Watkins, String Trio World Première

To mark the celebratory year, acclaimed Welsh Composer and pianist Huw Watkins joins the roster of musicians across the Festival weekend. Saturday 29 June will see the première performance of his new string trio, written for the Festival, at Dora Stoutzker Hall, Cardiff. The trio will will be premièred by Artistic Directors Alice Neary (cello) David Adams (violin alongisde 21-year-old violist Isobel Neary-Adams, who appears at this year’s Festival as Young-Musician-in-Residence.

Actor, Samuel West at Penarth Chamber Music Festival

The Festival has confirmed actor Samuel West, (star of All Things Great and Small, 2020, and known for Howards End, 1992, Van Helsing, 2004, and Nottinghill, 1999) to perform two narrations as part of the programme. Firstly, in a new text setting by Sir David Pountney accompanying Strauss; final scene of his opera Capriccio, alongside soprano and Festival patron, Rebecca Evans CBE. Secondly, at the final concert, West will recite the Byron poem of the same title in Schoenberg’s political Ode to Napoleon Bonaparte at Penarth Pier Pavilion on Sunday 30 June 2024.

Young Musicians Programme

Penarth Chamber Music Festival is committed to providing performance opportunities to showcase some of the area’s finest young musicians in recitals taking place on Thursday 27 June 15:30 at Turner House Gallery and Sunday 30 June 12:30 at Penarth Pier Pavilion. The Festival has also launched its first Composers’ Workshop competition, seeking responses to Huw Watkin’s new commission for the Festival. Successful candidates will have their pieces workshopped by Festival musicians, Huw Watkins and Cardiff-based, South African composer Robert Fokkens at Penarth Pier Pavilion on 26 June 2024.

Family and Relaxed Concerts

Penarth Chamber Music Festival is proud to offer free of charge concerts for families and young people. Party!, this year’s Family Concert at Penarth Pier Pavilion on Sunday 30 June, 10:30, will be presented by Lenny Sayers and feature pupils from Albert Road Primary School, Penarth.

The Festival Musicians will also give a special Relaxed concert for those with special education needs and their carers on Wednesday 26 June, performing repertoire from the main programme in a safe and inclusive environment.

Penarth Chamber Music Festival

Penarth Chamber Music Festival is a small Charity based in Penarth which is generously supported by Friends of the Festival, Colwinston Charitable Trust, Gwendoline and Margaret Davies Charity, Foyle Foundation, The Lottery Fund, Tŷ Cerdd, Cavatina Chamber Music Trust, Arts Council Wales, The Darkley Trust, Leche Trust and Gibbs Trust.

Full 2024 Festival Programme here and for further details, please contact Festival Producer, Catherine Porteus at admin@penarthchambermusicfestival.org.uk