William Howard is one of Britain’s leading pianists, enjoying a career that has taken him to over 40 different countries. His performing life consists of solo recitals, concerto performances, and guest appearances with chamber ensembles & instrumentalists. In 1983 he founded the Schubert Ensemble, with which he performed for the full 35 years of the Ensemble’s existence (it gave its final concert in June 2018). Winner of the 1998 Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Best Chamber Ensemble, the Schubert Ensemble earned a worldwide reputation as one of the finest piano and string ensembles, as well as setting up several ground-breaking educational projects and commissioning 50 concert works.

His solo career has taken him to many of Britain’s most important festivals, including Bath, Brighton and Cheltenham, and he has been artist-in-residence at several others. He has performed many times in the Wigmore Hall, at the South Bank in London, and has broadcast regularly for BBC Radio 3.

Janacek On an Overgrown Path (Series Two) 

Howard Skempton 24 Preludes and Fugues 

Woolrich Piano Book VII

Fauré Nocturnes No.6 and No.13

Ravel Jeux d’Eau  

Hans Abrahamsen is one of the greatest living composers in the world and we are delighted to welcome him to Folkestone. He will be interviewed by Philip Cashian before a concert of his music, including his Horn Trio, played by Royal Academy of Music students and members of Riot Ensemble, specially coached by Hans for tonight’s event.

Hans Abrahamsen Congratulations Greeting, for horn

Luca Zucchi new work

Alexander Papp new work

Adam Zolty new work

Hans Abrahamsen Horn Trio

The prize-winning Pelléas Ensemble consists of Henry Roberts (flute), Luba Tunnicliffe (viola) and Oliver Wass (harp). Their fascinating programme stretches from 17th century England and Italy  (John Dowland and Barbara Strozzi) to the music of today (Harrison Birtwistle and John Woolrich). They will also play Debussy’s magnificent Sonata for flute, viola and harp.

We are very sorry to inform you that Mark Simpson has a horrible virus and is bed-bound, so we are having to postpone the Helmut Lachenmann talk, performance, and film that was due to take place on Thursday 27th March. We will inform everyone with a rescheduled date soon. Apologies for any inconvenience.

Over the past fifty years German composer Helmut Lachenmann has shaped contemporary music with his ‘Musique Concrete Instrumentale’- a unique noise music in which players use all parts of their instruments to make extraordinary new sounds.

Mark Simpson is introducing and playing Lachenmann’s extraordinary clarinet piece, Dal Niente. The music comes out of silence, from nothing, from the nature of the clarinet itself- wood, breath, and the weight of the keys.

An exclusive film screening will follow - Wiebke Pöpel’s award-winning film, ‘My Way’. The film depicts a portrait of Helmut Lachenmann, approaching the music and its captivating protagonist in a very personal, engaging, and often humorous way.

Adrian Bradbury and David Juritz perform Ravel’s magnificent Sonata for Viola and Cello in a concert that also includes music by Haydn, Villa-Lobos, and Betsy Jolas - plus Stravinsky’s arrangement of La Marseillaise and Sibelius’s Raindrops (written when he was just ten years old).

After leaving the Royal College of Music David Juritz joined the English Chamber Orchestra before being appointed leader of the London Mozart Players (a position he held until 2010). He made many appearances as a soloist with the LMP, including his debit at the 2006 BBC Promenade Concerts. In 2019 he was invited to direct the English Chamber Orchestrate their debut in the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. Other performances have included appearances as soloist and director at the Tonhalle in Zurich, performances of the Beethoven and Brahms concertos in Tokyo, the Tchaikovsky concerto at the Barbican and solos with the ECO and the City of Birmingham SO.

David plays on a violin made by J.B.Guadagnini in 1748.

Adrian Bradbury is a regular guest principal player with orchestras including BBC Symphony Orchestra, English National Opera, Ensemble Modern, London Sinfonietta, London Symphony Orchestra, and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

de Lisle/Stravinsky La Marseillaise
Haydn String Duo in D Hob VI
Villa Lobos Deux Choros
Berio Les mots sont allés
Ligeti Hommage à Hilding Rosenberg
Sibelius Canon
Sibelius Rain Drops
Betsy Jolas Musique pour Delphine
Ravel Sonata for violin and cello

The first of Folkestone New Music's series of 2025 events at kollectiv, Folkestone's exciting new arts and culture hub. Composer Mark Simpson and award-winning environmentalist writer Melanie Challenger discuss their opera, ‘Pleasure’.

Pleasure was co-commissioned by the Royal Opera House, Opera North, and Aldeburgh Music, and first performed in Leeds in 2016 to great acclaim.

’.”…the perfect operatic subject: squalid and earthbound yet imbued with a radiant, almost mythic quality… At the start of what one hopes will be a long operatic career, Simpson has pulled off a genuine coup." - The Guardian

At 18:00, we will be offering a free, celebratory glass whilst the team introduces what is happening in the rest of the full and exciting 2025 Folkestone New Music season. Please join us!