THE Northern Aldborough Festival will be headlined by the 2015 winner of the Leeds International Piano Competition, Anna Tsybuleva, at Aldborough Church on June 28 at 7.30pm.
The Ukranian-born Tsybuleva, who triumphed in the hard-fought final with Brahms's 2nd Piano Concerto, will perform Liszt’s Rhapsody No. 12, Fantasies by Beethoven and Brahms and Schubert’s Der Wanderer Fantasy, often described as his most technically demanding piano work.
Now in its 23rd year in the North Yorkshire Roman village, the festival will run from June 23 to July 2 with its combination of diverse music and charming rural locations.
Perfect Pitch Opera will open the 2016 festival with a new production of Bizet’s Carmen at Aldborough Church on June 23 at 7pm, followed by the trio of tenor James Gilchrist, viola player Philip Dukes and pianist Anna Tilbrook on June 24 in the same location at 7.30pm. Their Faith, Fate and the Futility of War concert will commemorate the two world wars of the 20th century with a poignant new collection of songs and chamber music.
The Old Hall, at North Deighton, will play host to two concerts on June 25: Oliver Baily, violin, and Lee Jae Phang, piano, at 11am and the award-winning Liane Carroll Trio in a seductive, atmospheric evening of contemporary jazz at 7.30pm.
Lee Jae Phang will be back in action the next afternoon, this time for The Magic Piano & The Chopin Shorts at St Aidan’s High School, Harrogate, at 2pm. For the first time, the festival is embracing a younger generation of music lovers with this family-friendly presentation, where The Magic Piano, an animated film by Oscar-winning BreakThru Films, will be accompanied by Phang's solo piano, introducing the music of Chopin while creating a spellbinding performance for children and parents alike.
The Magic Piano: screening at St Aidan's School, Harrogate, on June 26
Looking forward to this innovation, festival chairman Sir Andrew Lawson-Tancred says: "One of the overriding objectives of the festival is to bring outstanding music to new audiences in locations where it wouldn’t normally be heard. By introducing a family event to the programme we hope to inspire and educate the next generation of music lovers.”
Spreading the festival even farther afield, Farnley Hall, near Otley, will welcome the Lonarc Oboe Trio on June 27 at 11am, and Stockeld Park, near Wetherby, will be the venue for an 11am talk on June 28 by Norman Lebrecht, the renowned commentator on music and culture.
Mexican marimba player Eusebio Sánchez will make his Northern Aldborough debut on June 29 at Bramham Park, near Wetherby, showcasing his Latin flair and virtuosity at 11am.
For theatre lovers, The Three Inch Fools will return to Aldborough for their second year to stage Shakepseare’s As You Like It at Aldborough Church on June 29 at 7.30pm.
Classical guitarist Christoph Denoth will play a 7.30pm concert at Markenfield Hall, near Ripon, on June 30 and The Symphonic Brass of London will close the classical programme with a fanfare from a collection of London’s finest virtuosos at Aldborough Church on July 1 at 7.30pm.
The festival's last evening, on July 2, will be an outdoor family concert from 5.30pm with orchestrated fireworks in the grounds of Aldborough Manor. Taking part will be the Ripon Grammar School Big Band and The Bluejays, who will head back to the vintage rock'n'roll days of Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley and Little Richard.
Tickets can be booked on 01423 900979 or at aldboroughfestival.co.uk
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