Ensemble 360 will appear as resident artists for the relaunch weekend of the Hampstead Arts Festival in December.
Relaunched by new artistic directors violinist Benjamin Nabarro and cellist Gemma Rosefield, the festival brings together world-class musicians to perform chamber masterpieces, jazz, family concerts and new works. Both firmly rooted in Hampstead, Gemma and Ben write that they “feel particularly strongly about the importance of a community-serving festival of the highest quality, involving as many people as possible of all ages, locally and beyond!”
A weekend of concerts to celebrate the festival’s new era is planned for December 19th-21st, over the course of which Ensemble 360 will present five programmes that showcase their artistic diversity and integrity.
Their residency opens with a concert entitled ‘Music Among Friends’ on December 19th at St. John-at-Hampstead. Britten’s Three Divertimenti and Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581 form the first half of the programme, the second of which is devoted to Beethoven’s monumental Septet in E flat major, op. 20. The following day, young listeners and their families are invited to join the ensemble for a performance of Paul Rissmann’s popular Sir Scallywag and the Battle of Stinky Bottom in the Rosslyn Hill Chapel.
In their collaborative piece of theatre ‘Intimate Letters’, the ensemble will play Janáček’s quartet of the same name in the context of a semi-staged performance inspired by the letters between the composer and his muse, Kamila Stösslová, narrated by actor Angus Cooper. Dvořák’s Piano Quintet no. 2 in A major, op. 81 completes the programme, which takes place in the evening of 20th December. This concert is followed by a late night performance by jazz pianist Zoë Rahman and her trio, presented in partnership with Hampstead Jazz Club.
The festival’s final day begins with a morning concert given by the artistic directors and violist Rachel Roberts, who will perform J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations in an arrangement by Dmitry Sitkovetsky. In the closing concert, Ensemble 360 turn their attention to the Romantic era, performing Fanny Mendelssohn’s Fantasia in G Minor for cello and piano, Paul Watkins’ Piano Trio no. 2 and Schumann’s timeless Piano Quintet in E flat major, op. 44.
Further details and ticketing information for each of Ensemble 360’s performances may be found by clicking the relevant links below.
