‘Depth, democracy and diversity’: Norfolk and Norwich Festival announces 2024 programme
Florence Lockheart
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
The festival's classical music offering brings together artists from across the world as well as BBC Radio 3 New Generation artists and artist in residence Mahan Esfahani
Norfolk and Norwich Festival director Daniel Brine has today revealed the programme for this year’s edition. The 2024 festival will run from 10-26 May with a programme of concerts, dance, theatre and visual art events featuring talent from across the globe.
Norwich Cathedral will play host to a signature sheet-music-less performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 ‘Eroica’ by Aurora Orchestra (pictured above) as part of the festival’s opening weekend, as well as a performance of composer-performer Laura Cannell’s recorder-focused seventh solo album Antiphony of the Trees. The cathedral will also be filled with Messiaen’s organ music during a late-night performance by Ashley Grote and, later in the festival, with candlelight for a special compline by the girl choristers, lay clerks and choral scholars of Norwich Cathedral Choir.
Festival director Daniel Brine said: ‘We are excited by the depth, democracy and diversity of this year’s programme. There’s an exciting blend of international acts including premieres and new commissions… Importantly though for us, there’s a strong flavour of the East about the Festival with artists like Laura Cannell, Molly Naylor and Luke Wright but also, with our new community collaborations, we’re bringing to the fore the voices of many, many local people.’
The Octagon Chapel will be home to James McVinnie and Eliza Mccarthy’s performance of Jonny Greenwood’s 268 Years of Reverb as well as performances by BBC Radio 3 New Generation artists the Chaos String Quartet, pianists Michael Pandya and Keval Shah and violinist Geneva Lewis. Festival artist in residence Mahan Esfahani brings a solo programme of Dieterich Buxtehude, Kaija Saariaho, Marcus Rock and Jean-Phillipe Rameau before joining forces with Britten Sinfonia for an all-Bach programme to close the festival’s classical offering on 25 May.
Elsewhere, Japanese born composer Hinako Omori presents new arrangements of songs from her recent album for piano, strings and harp, six new music films will be screened for free in Norwich Guildhall, and Ireland’s national chamber choir bring contemporary choral music to the Cathedral of St John the Baptist.
