The Lammermuir Festival14 - 23 September 2018

Beautiful music in beautiful places

www.lammermuirfestival.co.uk

• Mark Simpson, composer and clarinettist, is artist in residence• Scottish Opera’s first visit to Lammermuir Festival• BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra & Scottish Chamber Orchestra• Mezzo Anna Stéphany in recital• Return of Danish String Quartet • Coffee concerts with Van Kuijk Quartet and Maxwell Quartet• Series from the Prince Consort and jazz pianist Jason Rebello• Year two of ‘Prometheus’ composition project with Stuart MacRae• Specially commissioned community opera by Matthew Rooke • Dunedin Consort and John Butt• Pianists Mikhail Rudy & Yulianna Avdeeva

From Friday 14 to Sunday 23 September 2018 Lammermuir Festival brings ten days of superb classical music to the unspoilt tranquility of East Lothian in Scotland. This relatively undiscovered region is just an hour from Edinburgh, and provides a wealth of historic architecture and beautiful landscapes to create ideal and unique settings in which to experience great music.

This year is the 9th festival, and is the most ambitious to date. The programme features a host of song, opera, new commissions, chamber, orchestral and choral music performed by some of the finest international and UK artists, as well as some exciting new names on the scene.

Artistic Directors James Waters and Hugh Macdonald said, “This year’s festival is an intoxicating mix of old and new both in performers and the music they play. Clarinettist and composer Mark Simpson is an extraordinary musical personality as artist in residence and his involvement has sparked a programme ranging from Stockhausen to Schütz and presenting some of our favourite artists as well as featuring some thrilling festival debuts. We have had a lot of fun planning it and really look forward to sharing it with our audiences.”

Alan Morrison, Head of Music at Creative Scotland, said: “Lammermuir Festival’s programme spans centuries and styles, from sparkling early music to dynamic contemporary works that have only just leapt from the composer’s pen. It’s great to see so many favourite artists making a return visit but also to welcome performers who will play here for the first time, ready to be embraced by the passionate East Lothian audiences. Lammermuir has a refreshingly international outlook, attracting big names from beyond our borders, but also knows how well Scotland’s talented

musicians and composers fit into that worldview. It’s particularly pleasing to see Matthew Rooke’s new opera project drawing local communities into the fabric of this vibrant festival.”

Angela Leitch, Chief Executive of East Lothian Council said, “The ninth Lammermuir Festival promises to be another memorable celebration of classical music, in the wonderful surroundings of East Lothian. This event has become a real highlight of the county’s cultural calendar. With some renowned artists and up-and-coming performers, there’s plenty for audiences to look forward to.”

Artist in residence 2018 is Mark Simpson appears both as composer and clarinet soloist in three concerts: firstly with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra for the Nielsen Clarinet Concerto, and then with Red Note Ensemble in works by Mark Simpson himself and John Adams, ending with Adams’ virtuosic clarinet concerto Gnarly Buttons. Mark concludes his residency directing and playing with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra Winds in one of Mozart’s masterpieces, The Gran Partita. Also in the programme is Mark’s own work, Geysir, which is a tribute to the Mozart.

The Festival opens with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Karl-Heinz Steffens with Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7, and Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C Major with solo cellist and another BBC Young Musician of the Year, Laura van der Heijden. This concert will be recorded for broadcast at a later date on BBC Radio 3.

As with the BBC SSO, The Dunedin Consort and John Butt have performed at every Lammermuir Festival since it began in 2010. This year the Dunedin Consort bring Bach’s Musical Offering with unique insights into the work from John Butt, one of the world’s leading Bach experts.

Scottish Opera come to the Lammermuir Festival for the first time bringing Britten’s The Burning Fiery Furnace to St Mary’s Haddington in a new semi-staging directed by Jenny Ogilvy, conducted by Derek Clark.

Opera continues with a specially commissioned community opera by composer Matthew Rooke involving over 150 people from the communities of Dunbar and East Lothian, performing alongside professional singers, and instrumentalists of Music Co-OPERAtive Scotland. Entitled An Cadal Trom (an old Gaelic song meaning A Deep Sleep), it is conducted by Sian Edwards and directed by rising-star opera director, Jack Furness.

Critically acclaimed mezzo-soprano Anna Stéphany appears in the world’s major opera houses, and gives her debut Lammermuir recital with pianist Sholto Kynoch. Nature’s Songbook includes music linked to nature including songs by Debussy, Ravel, Schumann, Sibelius, Fauré and more.

The surprising and unusual combination of great British jazz pianist, Jason Rebello and the Prince Consort (soprano Claire Booth, mezzo-soprano Anna Huntly, tenors Nicholas Mullroy and Joshua Ellicott, and pianist Alisdair Hogarth give

three concerts exploring the influence of jazz on classical song, and vice versa. These concerts are presented in partnership with BBC Radio 3.

Lammermuir Festival has a superb line-up of four string quartets for 2018, including the return of the Danish String Quartet in a programme of Bach, Mendelssohn and Beethoven Quartet in A minor, Op 132. The morning Coffee Concert series based around the music of Haydn - and with cake by East Lothian’s Konditormeister, Falko - continues with the Van Kuijk Quartet from Paris and the Maxwell String Quartet from Scotland; and the young British Consone Quartet make their festival debut in the historic Lennoxlove House. Lennoxlove is the home of the Duke of Hamilton, and not normally open to the public.

Chamber music continues with festival friends in a trio: Magnus Johnston (violin), Guy Johnston (cello) and Tom Poster (piano) who play two Schubert programmes; and harpist Emily Hoile, who was artist in residence in 2011, plays a late night concert for two harps with French harpist, Marion Ravot, as well as performing with The Hebrides Ensemble (see below).

Stuart MacRae is Lammermuir Festival’s Composer in Association, and over three years, is writing a series of new works based on the Prometheus myth. The first of these was performed by the Gould Piano Trio in 2017, and the second will be premiered in this festival by Hebrides Ensemble with solo tenor, Joshua Ellicott and Emily Hoile, harp. This project is supported by the PRS Foundation Composers’ Fund.

Choral music is brought to us by two of the finest vocal groups in the UK. The Marian Consort sing in the stillness of the medieval country church of St Mary at Whitekirk. Music includes Allegri, James MacMillan, Palestrina, Gabriel Jackson and Victoria.

Stile Antico is recognised worldwide as a one of the great choral ensembles, and along with the added richness of chamber organ and continuo, brings the festival to a close in the majestic setting of St Mary’s Haddington.

Two renowned pianists feature in recital: Yulianna Avdeeva, winner of the 2010 Chopin Competition, plays Chopin, Schubert and Schumann; and Mikhail Rudy brings us music and film as he recreates Kandinsky’s theatrical vision for Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition with the artist’s stunning images in the Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh. This is preceded by works by Chopin, Gluck, Mozart and Wagner.

We have three new venues: Loretto School’s Theatre in Musselburgh, Pencaitland Parish Church and Fountainhall, a 16th century mansion, where we have a most intimate clavichord recital by one of Britain’s leading baroque players, Julian Perkins.

For additional press and media details please contact:Jane Nicolson janenicolson@gmail.com 07887 500977

TICKETSTo book:www.lammermuirfestival.co.uk0131 473 20000Hub Tickets, Castlehill, Edinburgh, EH1 2NE

Buying tickets on the day of the concert: Tickets may be available for cash only from the venue one hour before performance. You can enquire about availability one hour before the performance only on 07876 170888.

notes to editorsMark Simpson : Artist in Residence 2018In 2006, at the age of seventeen, Mark Simpson became the first ever winner of both the BBC Young Musician of the Year and BBC Proms/Guardian Young Composer of the Year competitions. In 2015 Mark was appointed Composer in Association of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. As a clarinettist, he has appeared at Wigmore Hall (debut aged 17), with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Northern Sinfonia. As a composer has written commissioned works for the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra and Britten Sinfonia. His recordings include a new disc of chamber and ensemble works on the NMC label. He performs at the BBC Proms on 16 July 2018.

Stuart MacRae: Composer in AssociationStuart MacRae, one of the most distinctive composers of his generation, became Lammermuir Festival's first Composer in Association in 2017. For Lammermuir, Stuart is writing a specially-commissioned series of three works, over three years, on a theme of Prometheus. The first in the series, entitled Sunrises was premiered at the 2017 Lammermuir Festival by the Gould Piano Trio. The second piece in the set wil be premered at Lammermuir Festival on Wednesday 19 September 2018. This project is supported by the PRS Foundation Composers’ Fund.

His music has been performed at BBC Proms, the Royal Opera House and by groups including Scottish Chamber Orchestra, BCMG and London Sinfonietta, as well as numerous orchestras. Stuart was Composer in Association with the BBC SSO from 1999 - 2003. His opera Ghost Patrol (2012), a collaboration with writer Louise Welsh for Scottish Opera and Music Theatre Wales, won the 2013 South Bank Sky Arts Award for Opera and was shortlisted for an Olivier Award.  

The Lammermuir Festival was founded in 2010, and this year (2018) is the 9th festival. It was the recipient of the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Award in 2017 for the Festivals and Concert Series category. Artistic Directors are James Waters and Hugh Macdonald.

The 2018 Lammermuir Festival is funded by The Lamp of Lothian, Creative Scotland and East Lothian Council. It is supported by sponsors McInroy & Wood, Turcan Connell and Take One Media; by The Fraser Foundation and Penpont Charitable Trust; and by many generous individual donors. Its partners are BBC Radio 3 and Queen Margaret University.

Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits here. We enable people and organisations to work in and experience the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland by helping others to develop great ideas and bring them to life. We distribute funding provided by the Scottish Government and the National Lottery. For further information about Creative Scotland please visit www.creativescotland.com. Follow us @creativescots and www.facebook.com/ CreativeScotland

The Lamp of Lothian is one of East Lothian’s leading charities. It was named after the ancient Franciscan Friary “The Lamp of the Lothians” and was founded in 1967 by Elizabeth, Duchess of Hamilton to restore a group of derelict, historic buildings in Haddington to make them available for community initiatives. Fifty years on, community activities in the buildings are thriving and include the Bridge Centre Motor Cycle and Music projects, Poldrate Arts and Craft Centre, Haddington Camera Club and Poldrate Quilters, along with

other charities and community groups. From the early days, the Lamp has organised concert seasons with international artists including Yehudi

Menuhin and Cleo Laine. Its musical activity was reinvigorated in 2010 by the launch of the Lammermuir Festival, now

regarded as one of the top classical festival in the UK.