Concert in two halves with an optional pre-concert dinner*
TICKETS: Member/Guest tickets are £25 each. Pre-concert dinner for £29. Contact AL below for purchase instructions.
This is a sweeping, impassioned work once dismissed by critics for lacking "feminine charm." An inspiring celebration of women in classical music not to be missed.
Artists: Dr Sofia Yatsyuk, violin and Ziteng Fan, piano.
The programme centres around Dame Ethel Smyth’s monumental A minor Violin Sonata. Following its premiere in Leipzig, critics described the work as "music devoid of feminine charm and therefore unworthy of a woman." Smyth’s legacy is significant for her substantial and critically acclaimed body of work, in addition to her trailblazing activism in the women's suffrage movement. She is a foundational and instrumental figure in the celebration and study of women composers, and this turbulently dreamy work showcases her brilliance through the experimental period of British music at the turn of the twentieth century.
In contrast to the first half, the second showcases a kaleidoscope of miniature gems by historical figures and contemporary talents: the African-American Florence Price and her Elfentanz, the Ukrainian Bohdana Frolyak and her Nocturne, the American Amy Beach and her Three Compositions, Bloom by the British composer Cheryl Frances-Hoad, another Nocturne by the French Lili Boulanger, and Emotiva by the Brazilian-American composer Clarice Assad. These radiantly contrasting miniatures portray light-hearted wit, delightful playfulness, emotional depth, solitude, and nostalgia, while providing inspiring insight into the rich and diverse stories of the composers.
Much of this music remains an exquisite collection of untapped material that is fundamental to understanding the history of classical music, showcasing its monumental breadth and its diversity. An inspiring celebration of women in classical music not to be missed!
Purchasing tickets: Step 1) sign-up for a "free" ticket on this sight, then . . .
Step 2) Please email the event organiser Maria Puleio at music1@kcwc.org.uk for instructions on how to make your booking.
*A two-course express menu, priced at £29, will be available from 5.00 pm to 6.30 pm before the concert. Bookings must be made in advance of the concert day.
