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Our annual visit to Olga Polizzi’s fabled Hotel Tresanton in St.Mawes combines a relaxing escape in Cornwall with a series of world-class chamber music recitals, and is a highlight of the Kirker calendar. Performances in December 2021 will be given by the Maxwell Quartet and in March 2022 by the Karski String Quartet. In addition to the wonderful music on offer we will also enjoy a visit to the private garden at Lamorran, inspired by Lady Walton’s garden on the island of Ischia in March and to Trelissick Garden, with sweeping views over the Fal estuary, in December.
The 5 star Hotel Tresanton enjoys a wonderful position overlooking the sea. Olga Polizzi and her brother Sir Rocco Forte have won accolades around the world for their work as renowned hoteliers. The hotel has 29 bedrooms, a terrace and a cosy bar. The menus for the three candlelit dinners will be carefully selected by the hotel’s chef to ensure guests enjoy the best locally sourced ingredients. Please note that there is no lift at this hotel.
Extra pre-tour night including dinner & breakfast available for £220 per person (single occupancy £360) in March and £180 per person (single occupancy £298) in December. Supplement to stay in a suite is £150 per night in March and £124 in December (subject to availability).
...when you travel with Kirker
Extra pre-tour night including dinner & breakfast available for £220 per person (single occupancy £360) in March and £180 per person (single occupancy £298) in December. Supplement to stay in a suite is £150 per night in March and £124 in December (subject to availability).
Matthew Denton & Michelle Fleming, violins, Eoin Schmidt-Martin, viola Emma Denton, cello. The Carducci Quartet is one of the leading quartets of its generation, performing at venues thought the UK and America. They have their own recording label, Carducci Classics and present their own series of concerts each year in May at Highnam in Gloucestershire.
During 2015 they presented a number of complete cycles of the 15 quartets composed by Shostakovich – this won them the coveted Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Chamber Music in May 2016. Engagements during the 2016 season include performances at the Presteigne Festival, the North Norfolk Music Festival, at the Frick Collection in New York and at Wigmore Hall. The Carducci often take part in the Kirker series of music festivals both on land and at sea.
"Performer, editor, composer and teacher, Simon Rowland-Jones has always led a very busy, all-embracing musical life. He was founder violist of the Chilingirian Quartet, in which he played for a total of ten years, and subsequently performed with many other leading chamber groups.
His solo CDs, on the Meridian and Etcetera labels, include the first-ever complete version of the Bach Cello Suites on viola. Peters Edition published his viola transcription of the suites shortly after the recording was made and he then went on to make a new critical/performing edition of the Haydn String Quartets. His many works include pieces for viola, four string quartets, a string trio, a piano quartet, songs and ‘A Turn Outside’, a musical adaptation of a play by Stevie Smith commissioned by Dame Josephine Barstow. He teaches viola and chamber music at the Royal College of Music and is co-director of the North Norfolk Music Festival."
The concerts are given in the charming Old Methodist Hall in the village. The Hall, which has a fine acoustic ideal for chamber music, was restored and decorated by Olga Polizzi who has donated it to the village for community events. The talks will be given in the Hotel Tresanton. Tea and homemade biscuits will be provided.
Carducci String Quartet: Matthew Denton & Michelle Fleming, violins, Eoin Schmidt-Martin, viola Emma Denton, cello
Simon Rowland-Jones, viola
20 March
Rebecca Clarke: Poem
Schubert: String Quartet in E flat Op.10
Beethoven String Quartet in E minor Op59, No.2 ‘Razumovsky’
21 March
Mozart: String Quartet in B flat K 458 ‘The Hunt’
Shostakovich: String Quartet in C minor No.8
Mendelssohn: String Quartet in F minor Op80
22 March
Haydn: String Quartet in B Flat Op 76 No.4 ‘Sunrise’
Rowland-Jones: String Quartet No. 7 ‘Flock of Knot’
This quartet was commissioned for the Carducci Quartet who gave the first performance in Cheltenham
Mozart: string Quintet in G minor K516
Castalian String Quartet
Simon Rowland-Jones, viola
12 December
Haydn: String Quartet in E flat, Op.20 No.1
Beethoven: String Quartet in B flat, Op.130
13 December
Britten: String Quartet No.1 in D Op.25
Kaija Saariaho: ‘Terra Memoria’
Kaija Saariaho was born in Helsinki in 1952 and in 2019 readers’ poll in BBC Music Magazine was voted as the leading living composer. More well known for her operas, Kaija has written several pieces for chamber groups. This piece was commissioned in 2006 by the Escuela Superiore de Musica Reina Sofia in Madrid and is dedicated to the memories of the departed but who still live on in the lives of others.
Elgar: String Quartet in E minor, op.83
14 December
Janacek: String Quartet No. 2 ‘Intimate Letters’
Schubert: String Quartet No.15 in G, D887.
Schubert’s last quartet published posthumously in 1851, fifteen years after the composer’s death.
Members of the quartet will be in conversation every day with Barry Cheeseman and Simon Rowland-Jones about the pieces included in the holiday and their lives in music.
I enjoyed the holiday experience very much. The Quartet were delightful both musically & socially and the tour leaders were quietly authoritative, helpful & knowledgeable. I shall certainly hope to travel with Kirker again.
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Quartet
Matthew Denton & Michelle Fleming, violins, Eoin Schmidt-Martin, viola Emma Denton, cello. The Carducci Quartet is one of the leading quartets of its generation, performing at venues thought the UK and America. They have their own recording label, Carducci Classics and present their own series of concerts each year in May at Highnam in Gloucestershire.
During 2015 they presented a number of complete cycles of the 15 quartets composed by Shostakovich – this won them the coveted Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Chamber Music in May 2016. Engagements during the 2016 season include performances at the Presteigne Festival, the North Norfolk Music Festival, at the Frick Collection in New York and at Wigmore Hall. The Carducci often take part in the Kirker series of music festivals both on land and at sea.
I enjoyed the holiday experience very much. The Quartet were delightful both musically & socially and the tour leaders were quietly authoritative, helpful & knowledgeable. I shall certainly hope to travel with Kirker again.
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