HERE IS MY COUNTRY
John Woolrich in context
Friday 19 - Sunday 21 July 2024
John Woolrich has championed new music both as an acclaimed composer and as an artistic director, collaborator and curator, throughout his esteemed career.
John’s work has been performed by some of the world’s leading musicians and ensembles such as Academy of St Martin in the Fields, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Britten Sinfonia, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and the London Sinfonietta.
John has been instrumental in supporting new music as co-founder of the Composers Ensemble, Artistic Director of Aldeburgh Festival, Dartington International Summer School, Mirepoix Musique in France, the Gulbenkian Arts Centre, iCCi, University of Kent, and now Artistic Director of Folkestone New Music.
This weekend we’ll hear from acclaimed performers, showcasing music that John loves alongside a selection of his own work too.
Ticket Disclaimer:
If you purchase a Woolrich at 70: Weekend Pass, you'll have access to all five events. If you wish to attend only one event, simply purchase an individual ticket for that event. As always with Folkestone New Music events, there are options to Pay What You Can and Free tickets for those under 25. If you choose these options, please let us know which events you'll be attending by reserving a separate free ticket for each event on Ticket Tailor. Similarly, if you can attend only a few events over the weekend and wish to pay, please buy separate tickets for each event on Ticket Tailor.
19-21 JUL 24
19-21 JUL 24
The Green Room
The Grand, Folkestone
CT20 2XL
19:30
£15 per concert, £30 for weekend
Pay what you can
Free for 25s and under
Fri 19 Jul
Huw Watkins: Performance
Huw Watkins is a British composer and pianist, who has written for the London Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Hallé Orchestra to name a few. Watkins regularly performs across Europe and North America and has appeared as a soloist with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Britten Sinfonia, and the London Sinfonietta, and composers such as Philip Cashian, Tansy Davies, and Helen Grime have written concertos for him. Huw will perform works by Schumann, Ravel, John Woolrich, Stravinsky, Oliver Knussen and his own work.
Listen to Spotify HERE.
The Green Room
The Grand, Folkestone
CT20 2XL
19:00
£15 per concert, £30 for weekend
Pay what you can
Free for 25s and under
Sat 20 Jul
Chamber Domaine: Performance
Under its artistic director, Thomas Kemp, Chamber Domaine has become internationally recognised for its virtuosity and its ambitious and distinctive approach to programming - illuminating the music of the 20th and 21st centuries. A project-based orchestra, its programmes feature outstanding musicians that bring passion and commitment to a diverse repertoire that makes the music of today come alive whilst placing it into its historical context.
Chamber Domaine will perform works by Oliver Knussen, Harrison Birtwistle, John Woolrich, Morgan Hayes, Thomas Ades, Ruth Crawford, and Tansy Davies.
Listen to Spotify HERE.
The Green Room
The Grand, Folkestone
CT20 2XL
11:00am
£15 per concert, £30 for weekend
Pay what you can
Free for 25s and under
Sun 21 Jul
Sarah Dacey, Gamal Khamis, and Sarah Parkin: Performance
Sarah Dacey (soprano), Sarah Parkin (soprano), and Gamal Khamis (pianist), join us for a Sunday morning concert featuring Brahmns, John Cage, Feldman, Ravel, Stravinsky, Hugo Wolf, and John Woolrich.
Sarah Dacey is a versatile performer with interests spanning a wide array of art forms and musical genres. Recent solo performances include Wigmore Hall, Dartington Music Festival, and Gaudeamus Festival (NL). She has performed live on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4, and her work has been broadcast on Classic FM, WNYC (US), and Deutschlandfunk (DE).
Gamal Khamis has performed at Carnegie Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and Sage Gateshead, as well as across the world. Making his Wigmore Hall debut at ten, he has won major prizes, premiered works by leading British composers, and regularly collaborates with the likes of international orchestras to BBC Radio 3.
Canadian/French soprano, Sarah Parkin, specialises in new music and contemporary opera. She is an experienced deviser of new, immersive pieces and regularly incorporates physical theatre practices into her work and across the world.
Sun 21 Jul
The Green Room
The Grand, Folkestone
CT20 2XL
16:00
£5 for this concert only, £30 for weekend
Pay what you can
Free for 25s and under
Young violinists with Haim Choi, Floriane Peycelon, and Jo Saul: Performance
Berio’s Duetti is for young violinists. Join us to witness a special collaboration on Sunday afternoon, where you will hear Floriane Peycelon and Jo Saul’s violin students with the Salomé Quartet’s Haim Choi.
The Green Room
The Grand, Folkestone
CT20 2XL
18:00
£15 per concert, £30 for weekend
Pay what you can
Free for 25s and under
Sun 21 Jul
Salomé Quartet: Performance
To round off our Woolrich at 70 weekender, we are gifted with a stunning Salomé Quartet performance - a programme of Nielsen, Puccini, Purcell, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Webern, and John Woolrich.
Described as ‘strikingly intelligent and expressive’ by The Strad, the Salomé Quartet are recognised for their heartfelt interpretations and electric sense of communication, and are quickly establishing a reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting young string quartets.
Their engagements this season include appearances at the Wigmore Hall, Conway Hall, Wye Valley Music, Bayle Music, and more; devising and performing in a Bristol Old Vic theatre production ‘Dr Semmelweis’ revolving around Schubert’s ‘Death and the Maiden’, and a recording project of new music for string quartet by John Woolrich.
Salomé Quartet are grateful for the generous support from the Leverhulme Trust, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Orpheus Award, and Joan Weller & Jessie Sumner Scholarship.
