Since 2010, the Cowbridge Festival has been bringing classical music, jazz and folk to the community in the Vale of Glamorgan. The festival, which is now under the direction of the husband and wife team of violist Rosalind Ventris and conductor Joseph Fort, runs this year from 13 to 22 September, opening with the Castalian Quartet and Rosalind Ventris in Schubert, Coleridge Taylor, Beethoven and Dvorak.
Ahead of this, the festival has announced its 2024 Young Artists Programme, showcasing the talents of young Welsh musicians in two emerging ensembles, the Bute Wind Quintet and Quartet Draig.
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| Bute Wind Quintet |
Based in Cardiff, the award-winning Bute Wind Quintet (Gabriella Alberti, Sam Willsmore, Hannah Harding, Nathan Barker, Meg Davies) promotes contemporary and underperformed chamber music, delivering an uncompromising artistic image to a range of audiences. In addition to their festival performance, the quintet will receive masterclasses from renowned musicians and mentorship in areas such as stage presence and the business aspects of a musical career.
Quartet Draig (Elliot Kempton, Jessica Meakin, Ben Norris, Tabitha Selley) formed in 2020 at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, winning several prizes, and performing at the Wigmore Hall as well as being Junior Quartet in Residence at the 2021 ESTA Conference. From 2021-2023, they developed creative programming at Saxon Barn with concerts on various themes to engage broader audiences.
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| Quartet Draig |
Both ensembles will be performing at the festival on 17 September, with an eclectic programme of music by Ross Edwards, Mervyn Burtch, Valerie Coleman, Imogen Holst, Dilys Elwyn-Edwards, Edward Kempton, Ernest Bloch, and Percy Grainger. Further details from the festival website.
