The remote venue in North Pembrokeshire is the setting for the first performance of a new string quintet by renowned Welsh composer John Metcalf. Nantwen’s annual festival always features a work by a Welsh composer. That year Nantwen’s musicians commissioned a new string quintet.
Music at Nantwen announced today that their annual chamber music festival will host a world premiere of a new String Quintet by John Metcalf, the acclaimed Welsh composer. Alongside this new work, the exceptional performers will perform Nantwen Schubert’s sublime and haunting String Quintet, as well as string quartet arrangements of Brahms’s Völkslieder by Welsh cellist Daniel Davies. Alongside Daniel, the musicians performing in Nantwen’s small and intimate hall (which seats a maximum of 80 people) are principal cellist Aleksei Kiseliov from the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, violinist Amanda Lake from the Welsh National Opera, Australian violinist Katerina Nazarova and the Spanish viola player Patricia Reinoso.
Concert One, July 1, 2023 – Afternoon concert at 2 p.m with afternoon tea and cakes in our pet friendly gardens. The repertoire includes Haydn’s Hunt String Quartet, Brahms’s Folk Songs and three pieces from Last Leaf by the Danish String Quartet.
Concert Two, July 1, 2023 – evening concert at 7:30 p.m with string quintet by John Metcalf and string quintet by Schubert.
Concert three, 2 July 2023 – Morning concert at 11.30am with Dvorák’s “American” string quartet, 8 pieces for violin and cello by Gliére, homemade cakes and plenty of coffee …
Nantwen sits on a long, tree-lined, potholed track and is surrounded by acres of wild meadows, providing an intimate backdrop for chamber music performances. The small crowd and relaxed atmosphere, with dragonflies flying over the flowers and swifts diving overhead, create a place where music can be enjoyed uninhibitedly.
This festival commission was made possible by Ty Cerddan organization actively promoting the music of Wales through a group of musicians in Nantwen – Tonau.
Cellist Daniel Davies comments: “I am delighted to welcome such fine musicians to Nantwen to perform a new work by John Metcalf. When I performed his piece Ynys Las for cello and piano I was immediately mesmerized by the lyricism of his music and how it pervades the Welsh landscape. Adding a new string quintet alongside existing works in the genre is an exciting development.”
Music at Nantwen was founded in 2015 by Daniel and his wife Jemma. They strive to create a financially and socially sustainable venue for music performance and music education. All of our concerts are fully self-supporting and beautifully designed. They are short and programmed in such a way that the audience can feel enriched. Nantwen hosts a variety of musicians’ courses throughout the year, attracting amateur string players from around the world. It is an environmentally sensitive place that was created from two abandoned farm buildings at Daniel’s family.
For more information about music in Nantwen go to www.nantwen.co.uk/music or by email to info@nantwen.co.uk or by telephone on 01239820768.
