Top festival provides an inspiring musical landscape
Tuesday, 6 May 2008
The 24th Lake District Summer Music International Festival is aiming for a top three festival rating again this year as it reveals the programme which Festival organizers will paint on the canvas of the Lake District across 17 days this August.
LDSM is affectionately known as the “friendly festival” by more than 10,000 festival-goers each year. This year’s International Festival will bolster its reputation of hosting thrilling concerts in inspiring settings, by staging 52 events, in 12 different locations, across the breathtakingly beautiful county of Cumbria.
Rugged fells, shimmering lakes, and sun-drenched dry stone walls, will provide the backdrop in which the strains of chamber music will be heard across the valleys.
Highlights of LDSM’s offering of top international artists in 2008 include Colin Carr and Thomas Sauer performing the complete Beethoven works for solo cello and piano. The Festival welcomes back old friends such as pianist Leon McCawley, violist Yuko Inoue and mezzo soprano Wendy Dawn Thompson, as well as presenting emerging talent such as pianist Romain Descharmes and the Heath Quartet – MBF Ensemble Associates at LDSM for the past three years. Indeed, with chamber music at the heart of LDSM concerts by the Chilingirian Quartet, BBC New Generation Artists Quatuor Ebène, and Razumovsky Ensemble are likely to prove popular favourites. Early music also continues to flourish in the expanding LDSM programme with performances of Hildegard of Bingen by Vox Animae, and groups such as The Dufay Collective’s East meets West collaboration with Alquimia and vocal ensemble Stile Antico.
Lake District Summer Music is, however, far more than a Festival. Its charitable purposes also focus on training and presenting to audiences some of the most talented emerging professional musicians from around the world. LDSM’s alumni list reads like a roll of honour and firmly places LDSM as one of the first places to hear the next generation of professionals.
With other performances including the fun and wit of Classic Rhythm, three world premieres, world-renowned storyteller Taffy Thomas in his garden of wonders, talks and an art exhibition, and much more besides, there is more variety than ever for audiences to enjoy at LDSM this year.
Tickets go on sale to the public from Monday 12 May. LDSM Special Festival Deals are available as organizers recognise the appeal of arranging a holiday in the Lake District with a special Festival focus. With over 30% of its Patrons going to more than 10 concerts each year, these have proved to be very popular. Tickets for four concerts cost £65, with prices for 8 and 12 concerts being £110 and £155 respectively.
Tickets can be purchased online from www.ldsm.org.uk, or by calling the box office on 08456 44 21 44.
Latest News
