PERFORMERS

THE AMSTERDAM LOEKI STARDUST RECORDER QUARTET enjoy a reputation as the world's most innovative and exciting recorder consort, bringing an unconventional approach to recorder playing, and exploring and extending the instrument's range with music from the Renaissance to present day jazz. Despite its unusual name and varied repertoire, the Quartet is recognised world-wide as a serious ensemble of unparalleled virtuosity. Since winning the 1981 Musica Antiqua Competition in Bruges, it has appeared throughout Europe, the United States, the Soviet Union, Australia and Japan, and released several recordings with 'Virtuoso Recorder Music' and 'Baroque Recorder Music' receiving the Edison Award, Europe's most prestigious record prize. Many composers have been inspired to write for the Quartet, and its members have worked with instrument makers world-wide, to assemble a unique collection of Renaissance and Baroque recorders, ranging from the 8 inch sopranino to the great bass, measuring over six feet.
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PALLADIAN ENSEMBLE. Described as a "dazzling young ensemble" by the BBC Music Magazine, the Palladian Ensemble has established something of a cult following as one of the very best chamber groups performing baroque repertoire. Constant critical acclaim, a reputation for dashing, intelligent musicianship and a warm, spontaneous on-stage manner has led this virtuoso ensemble to give numerous concert and radio performances in the UK, on tour throughout Europe, North and South America. The ensemble has performed at many prestigious festivals, such as the Prague Spring Festival, Brezice Festival, Slovenia and Innsbruck Early Music Festival, and have made return visits to Austria, Germany and Spain, and given concerts in North and South America and Italy.
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SUSANNA BORSCH was born in Hamburg in 1974. In 1993, she founded the recorder trio "Les Doux Siffleurs", which in 1995 won top prizes at both The German Music competition in Bonn and the International recorder symposium in Calw. She studied at the Sweelinck Conservatorium with Walter van Hauwe, finishing her teaching diploma in 1998.She took a major part in the ‘2nd International Recorder Week’ at "de IJsbreker", the renowned modern music venue in Amsterdam, Her final examination featured new works written especially for her, and in 1999, she became a member of "The Interval Chamber", a large ensemble specialising in microtonal music. and took part in "Wölfli" a multi-media opera written by Rafael Reina. She deputised at short notice, in the "Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet" on their US-tour 2000.
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NED MCGOWAN holds degrees from Cleveland Institute of Music and San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has performed in Europe, and America with the Muzik Fabrik, Scapino Dance Company, the Gene Carl Band, and Kontacten. and has collaborated in Israel with dancer/choreographer Livnat Riaz. He performs with TONK, Bhedam, and Messing Met PVC. and has worked with many contemporary composers. Ned’s style combines elements of classical, jazz, Karnatic, and improvised music, and his compositions, Moonrise and Melting Igloos, have been Gaudeamus Prijs finalists in the Netherlands. In 2001 in Amsterdam he began a monthly concert series with Gijs Levelt called Karnatic Lab, exploring rhythm, microtonality, and use of ornamentation from Karnatic Music (south India).
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KATHRYN BENNETTS and PETER BOWMAN formed in 1985 and have developed concert programmes to reflect a diversity of musical styles, ranging from early English polyphony to contemporary music employing microtonality, electronics and computers. Their creative programming has inspired many new works for recorder including pieces by Ballio, Bokowiec, Cox, Hodson and Rua, from their recent cd "Flights of fancy". In collaboration with composer Donald Bousted, "The Microtonal Recorder Project" resulted in the publication of the “Quarter Tone Recorder Manual” and the subsequent recording of Bousted’s microtonal work ‘A Journey Among Travellers’ received wide critical acclaim: "Remarkable recorder music...really new and significant...breathtaking, edge of seat atmosphere...totally gripping and convincing." The American Recorder.
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FLORIANE CHATEAU-BEAUMONT is one of the rising stars of the French recorder scene. Now in her third year at the Conservatoire Nationale de Versailles, she has received several first prizes for her playing, and we are delighted to have the chance to hear her in Malvern.
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“THE PIERS ADAMS RECORDER ROADSHOW”. - An exciting and stimulating playing opportunity for young recorder players. PIERS ADAMS and HOWARD BEACH present their famous roadshow leading to a performance of a newly commissioned work during the Festival
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"THE REAL DICK WHITTINGTON" - FONTANELLA with NEIL RUCKMAN (storyteller). FONTANELLA with storyteller NEIL RUCKMAN reveal the true story of Dick Whittington. "With two stories to his name-one true and one too extraordinary to be believed",the audience is drawn into a magical world of early English and Mediterranean consort music and words as a traditional English story unfolds. This unique collaboration is a treat for all the family. Age seven upwards.
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ENSEMBLE COMPETITION FOR YOUNG PLAYERS UP TO AGE 25. A challenge for young players to demonstrate their skill in the creation of a performance event. With the full facilities of the Malvern Forum Theatre available to them, they will be asked to give a 20 minute presentation using any performance style, period or technique, the only rule being that they must include at least two recorders used for the purpose for which they were designed! This exciting event is intended to be an inspiration to both participants and audience alike.
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