Hatfield House
Chamber Music
Festival
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Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival 2021
TUESDAY 29 SEPTEMBER – SUNDAY 2 OCTOBER 2022
Artistic Director Guy Johnston announces the 11th annual Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival, A World of Music, drawing together musicians from around the globe to the historic rooms of Hatfield House, the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth I.
The Festival features world premieres including a new Flute Quartet by Robin Holloway, and chamber works by Joseph Phibbs, Shruthi Rajasekar and Ivan Mosley in a diverse programme including contemporary chamber works from around the world that this year celebrates Gandhi Day (2 October), John Dowland’s musical connections to the House, and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Concerts predominantly take place in the House’s striking Marble Hall, home to the famous Rainbow Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, moving to the Old Palace for the Finale Concert.
South American bandoneon player JP Jofre, Indian veena player Nirmala Rajasekar and Mexican guitarist Morgan Szymanski join esteemed chamber musicians Mishka Rushdie Momen, Adam Walker, Julian Bliss, Kathryn Stott, Mark Padmore and Guy Johnston across the long weekend, with featured ensembles the United Strings of Europe, ORA Singers and music director Suzi Digby OBE, and The Lodestar Trio with UK’s own Max Baillie.
Guy Johnston commented:
“Each year is unique at the Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival, and our 2022 theme, A World of Music, is no exception. With musicians gathering from around the globe – including Argentina, Mexico, India and Sweden – we offer a whole range of sound worlds and influences. It’s hard to imagine a more diverse programme and, with our Artists in Residence, I am excited to offer such an unprecedented variety of music.”
For further information see: https://hatfieldhousemusicfestival.org.uk/
Guy Johnston
Projects
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2017#tecchler300
My cello was made in Rome in 1714 by David Tecchler. 300 years on, I decided to mark this special anniversary by commissioning 3 new works as gifts for the cello and to take the cello back home all these years later.
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Jane Cowan Remembered, Royal Academy of Music 26/2/17
Jane Cowan Remembered, Royal Academy of Music 26/2/17
I’ve come to know Jane through the stories I’ve heard. My Uncle use to go to the cello centre here in London and I was fortunate enough to study with a number of her students including Nicholas Jones, who is sorry not to be here today, Steven Doane, David Waterman and Steven Isserlis. All of them are sitting on my shoulders here at the Academy where I have the honour of teaching a vibrant class of cellists – Joel was playing in the ensemble just now – and I like to think that Jane’s influence continues to live on from the wisdom I have picked up along the way through these extraordinary people. If they are anything to go by, Jane clearly must have been a one off! I was having dinner with Steve and David the other night and we were considering the order of events for today. The stories of Jane were out in all their glory – Steve talks of Jane as a kind of saviour to him during a crossroads in his latter student years and David remembers one of his first experiences in Scotland when Jane apparently shrieked, “Fake!” and “Boring!” at him. If anything sounded unnatural, there were consequences! But these stories, and there are many more that we can look forward to hearing in a moment, also helped me to make sense of some experiences during Steven’s classes at IMS Prussia Cove. As a young aspiring cellist keen to make an impression on my childhood idol, I would often take criticism deeply personally particularly in front of peers who would be watching. “Why do you do that?” “What does it say in the score?” “Vibrato should not be automatic!” “Relax!” and one of the biggest insults of all, and similar to Jane’s outbursts, “Cellist!” In fact, it was not necessarily an attack on me, but rather more about a desire to serve the music first. It was about getting beyond ones instrument in search of the essence of the music and not just about playing the cello. All of these formative experiences studying with Jane’s protégés makes me realise what an impact she had on all their lives and that her influence continues to shine through them and all those for whom her passion, uniqueness and, dare I say it, eccentricities have rubbed off on. Steve, today is an inspired idea and as always the London Cello Society and the Royal Academy have been so enthusiastic in their willingness to make such an event happen. Bringing everyone together in this way to reminisce and share these moments with all of us makes it a particularly special occasion, and so without further ado I’d like to invite our panel of past students to the stage to share their memories of Jane with us.

Contact
Ikon Arts Management
Nicola Semple
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Nicky Thomas Media consultancy
Nicky Thomas
101 Bell Street
London NW1 6TL
Japan Representation
Aspen Incorporated
Tomoko Kitamura
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Japan