Classical by the Castle: Internationally Acclaimed String Quartet perform at Muncaster
Classical by the Castle: Internationally Acclaimed String Quartet perform at Muncaster
Wednesday night last week saw Muncaster’s musical events programme expand further still with the first ever ‘Classical by the Castle’. An audience of over 100 gathered in the stunning setting of the castle drawing room for a performance by the renowed Wihan Quartet.
The Czech quartet are truly world class, described by BBC Music Magazine as “one of the world’s finest chamber ensembles”, and by the International Record Review as “one of the best quartets in the world today”. They have won both First Prize and the Audience Prize at the London International String Quartet Competition and have also won awards at many other international competitions including the Prague Spring Festival and the Osaka Chamber Festa.
The audience were treated to a variety of pieces beginning with Josef Suk’s Meditation on an Old Czech Hymn ‘St Wenceslas’ before moving on to play Bedřich Smetana’s Quartet no. 1 in E minor, From My Life and finally finishing with Antonin Dvořák’s Quartet no. 10 in E flat major, op. 51, Slavonic. The evening showcased the depth of Czech classic music spanning everything from the brooding and moody Slavic influenced styles to joyful and energetic moments drawing inspiration from local, traditional, folk music.
The event formed part of The Muncaster Fringe, a festival of combined arts events running throughout the full month of August at Muncaster and throughout the west coast of Cumbria. The festival is proudly supported with public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and aims to bring creativity and culture to new audiences, celebrating both local, national, and in this case, international talent, community partnerships, and accessible performance.
One of the producers of The Muncaster Fringe, Joshua Payne, said that “it was fantastic to welcome The Wihan Quartet to Muncaster. Being able to enjoy the work of incredibly talented musicians, who have performed across the world, here in West Cumbria is part of what makes The Muncaster Fringe so special. We hope this event will be the first of many Classical by the Castle events.”
There are many more events left to come at The Muncaster Fringe throughout August, for a full and up to date list head to: www.muncaster.co.
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