Ireland’s biggest and most prestigious chamber music festival is back in style for its 26th incarnation with six concerts a day and a multitude of masterclasses. Headlined by four outstanding violinists, Alina Ibragimova, Viviane Hagner, Nurit Stark and young Mairéad Hickey, they are complemented by four international string quartets, Pacifica, Armida, Ardeo and Ragazze plus the exciting young Trio Gaspard. The Baroque and early music ensembles also feature two outstanding violinists, Ariadne Daskalakis and Johannes Pramsohler.
Thematically the great Bach and Mozart will run as threads throughout the Festival, while Ibragimova and Cédric Tiberghien will be exploring Schumann, in particular the late works. Mozart will come in several guises but especially the string quartets including the Six for Papa Haydn. Bach will be presented in many forms, the sonatas for violin and harpsichord, the Goldberg Variations in a new arrangement for string quartet, solo sonatas for both violin and lute and the wonderful gamba sonatas. Another theme will be a series of musical portraits of famous women using their own words mostly from letters, both sent and unsent, diaries, a will, a poem and speeches from the dock.
There will be world premieres from Donnacha Dennehy and Sally Beamish, three new works from our Composition Competition and a flurry of European and Irish premieres. A selection from Kronos Quartet’s Fifty for the Future will be exciting as will a rare performance of George Crumb’s Black Angels that dates back to the Vietnam War. There will be six young quartets at the Festival, receiving masterclasses and giving performances both in the main programme and in Fringe concerts all around West Cork. For them it will be an intense experience of both the beauties and the pressures of chamber music at the highest level.
The festival takes place in Bantry, Co. Cork, Ireland – a small town on the shores of Bantry Bay, one of the world’s deepest harbours, and located on the Wild Atlantic Way.
Bantry is accessible through Cork Airport and Kent Street train station. Cork is 90 minutes’ drive away. If arriving by car from Cork, visitors should take the N71 west. Bus details can be found on westcorkconnect.ie/timetable/
The festival’s venues include the intimate library of historic 18th century mansion Bantry House, St Brendan’s Church in the town square and the Christian Fellowship Church in Bantry. All venues are within short walking distance of each other and of the Maritime Hotel, Bantry’s main hotel. There is also a Festival Fringe with concerts in unusual venues such as Whiddy Island, Skibbereen Arts Centre and Heron Gallery in Ahakista.
Bantry has two hotels – Westlodge Hotel and Maritime Hotel – as well as some Airbnb rentals. Hotel accommodation can be found further afield in Skibbereen and Glengarriff. Local accommodation is quickly booked so the Festival organisers recommend early booking.
Magnificent landscape of the Wild Atlantic Way – the town is on the shores of Bantry Bay, overlooking the Caha Mountains. Bantry is located at the head of three peninsulas – Mizen, Sheeps Head and Beara. One of the Festival’s main venues is Bantry House, an 18th century mansion with formal gardens, which is open to visitors during the day. West Cork has also become well known for its artisan food producers.
There is no official dress code.
Local restaurants include O’Connor’s Seafood Restaurant, the Fish Kitchen and the Brick Oven.
