The new Season of ICR’s tribute concerts to Enescu’s artistic legacy is opened by the brilliant Schubert Ensemble, the greatest champions of the Romanian composer in Great Britain. The quintet, made of Simon Blendis (violin), Alexandra Wood (violin), Douglas Paterson (viola), Jane Salmon (cello) & William Howard (piano), is praised for the refined, exquisite execution of difficult scores and has already recorded two illuminating Enescu CDs for Chandos Records.
Since its first concert in January 1983 the Schubert Ensemble has established itself as one of the world's leading exponents of music for piano and strings. Regularly giving around 50 concerts a year, the ensemble has performed in over 40 different countries. It has over 80 commissions to its name, has recorded over 30 critically acclaimed CDs and is familiar to British audiences through regular broadcasts on BBC Radio 3. In 1998 the Ensemble's contribution to British musical life was recognized by the Royal Philharmonic Society when it presented the group with the Best Chamber Ensemble Award, for which it was shortlisted again in 2010.
In the past few years the Ensemble has enjoyed a busy international schedule, with performances in the Czech Republic, Romania, Norway, Gibraltar, Spain, Holland, Canada and the USA as well as first visits to China, Bermuda and the United Arab Emirates. The Ensemble has also released recordings for the Chandos label of works by Martinů, Fauré, Enescu and Dvořák, all of which have been widely praised. The Dvořák disc and the most recent of two Enescu discs were chosen as CD of the month by the BBC Music Magazine.
Engagements in 2014 included performances at the Buxton, Oxford Schubert Lieder, Tunbridge Wells and Belfast Festivals, and at the Pontino and Linari Festivals in Italy. A second concert for the Chamber Classics Unwrapped Series at Kings Place took place on 15th October. In 2015 the Ensemble will return to Bermuda, the USA, Holland, Italy and China and perform two Schumann/Fauré concerts at Wigmore Hall. In March it will record piano quartets by Saint-Saëns and Chausson for its next Chandos CD.
Programme:
Robert Schumann - 3 Canonic Studies Op. 56 Nos. 3-5 (arranged for piano quartet by David Matthews and Orlando Jopling)
George Enescu - Piano Quintet in A minor Op.29
Gabriel Fauré - Piano Quartet No.1 in C minor Op.15
Text source: ICR website
Image: Schubert Ensemble website
