Published: 25 Jan 2019
Now in its 15th year, East Neuk Festival continues to be both local and international, and to pursue three key areas of activity, all of which culminate in the festival programme. Its core programme welcomes the finest artists from across the globe and creates opportunities for them to create unique and ambitious projects especially for ENF in beautiful and intimate locations across fishing villages and towns.
In 2019, old friends make welcome returns, including pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja, the Pavel Haas, and Belcea String Quartets, John Wallace with the Tullis Russell Mills Band and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, while new faces also perform at the festival for the first time, including percussionist Colin Currie, pianist/composer Huw Watkins, harpist Catrin Finch and kora plater Seckou Keita.
The festival supports young artists through its ENF Retreat programme and by championing young artists both within its own programme and elsewhere: this year violinist Benjamin Baker and viola player Diyang Mei feature in three concerts. ENF also commissions annual Big Projects: work from leading composers for performance by amateur and professional musicians side by side: Graeme Leak will create this new work in 2019.
Music by Fife composer The Earl of Kellie launches the carefully curated programme spanning the 17th to 21st Centuries: ENF 2019 sees masterpieces from Bach, Dvořák, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Brahms and Haydn nestled amongst works by Britten, Halvorsen, Jörg Widmann, Helen Grime, Steve Reich, and the world premiere of a new work by Huw Watkins performed by the composer on the piano alongside percussionist Colin Currie.
Unique collaborations remain a mainstay of the festival with artists coming together to create one-of-a- kind musical experiences that can be heard nowhere else. Pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja, the Pavel Haas Quartet and Belcea String Quartet join forces to present a series of five concerts – solo, quartet, quintet and octet. Three ENF regulars appear with their new bespoke ensembles created especially for the festival: Alec Frank-Gemmill and Alexander Janiczek’s Camerata Janiczek perform Mozart and Handel concerti on period instruments, and Peter Whelan’s handpicked Ensemble Marsyas of wind players from all over Europe promises a magnificent performance of Mozart’s Serenade for 13 Winds.
Intimate music making lies at the heart of ENF across the widest range of styles and traditions including the music of Erik Satie paired with the hot jazz of Stéphane Grappelli in a special concert from pianist Euan Stevenson and the Tim Kliphuis Trio, and a late-night performance of Senegalese music by kora master Seckou Keita. As part of their three-concert residency at the festival, Keita also joins Welsh harpist Catrin Finch for a concert featuring material from their award-winning latest album, SOAR, and Finch closes her stay in East Neuk with a solo recital of music of Debussy, Bach and Piazzolla.
ENF is firmly rooted in its local area of Fife and 2019 features ambitious projects to celebrate and explore the East Neuk’s history and heritage and draw community participants to perform. The Drying Green is a large-scale art installation inspired by the communal drying greens of yesteryear – many of which can still be seen in the villages of East Neuk – set within the beautiful grounds of the National Trust for Scotland’s Kellie Castle.
It culminates in an afternoon of family activities and pop up performances from the Tullis Russell Mills Band. ENF also continues its tradition of bringing together professional artists with amateur and local performers and musicians with renowned Scottish percussionist Colin Currie teaming up with massed percussionists of the East Neuk to perform a set of sea interludes created by Graeme Leak reflecting the craggy coastline of the local area for ENF’s 2019 Big Project. Returning for its fifth year, ENF Retreat runs from 23 – 28 June 2019 and in an evolution of the programme and its relationship with its musicians, two past Retreatants who have gone on to establish internationally celebrated careers since their time at the Retreat – violinist Benjamin Baker and violist Diyang Mei – return to the festival to take part in three concerts in the main festival programme.
Music is always carefully matched to every venue at ENF and following the successful launch of The Bowhouse as an ENF venue over the last two years, the festival presents a full series of concerts at the converted barn located in Anstruther.
Beyond the performances, ENF also offers ways for audiences to get closer to the music and in two special talks, the music critic of The Times, Richard Morrison, discusses the future of music education with John Wallace and asks members of the Belcea and Pavel Haas Quartets for the inside story of what life is like as a member of the world’s top quartets.
ENF Founder and Chair, Donald MacDonald said: “When we founded ENF in 2004, we wanted to create a unique marriage of a beautiful place and wonderful music. As we launch this 15th festival, I am delighted to note the many different ways that ENF has made itself a part of the East Neuk community since then: in its partnerships with venues, schools and businesses, in its Big Projects that put East Neuk musicians on-stage and in the way it celebrates the history and heritage of this place. It gives the ENF its unique flavour and style and I look forward to sharing 2019’s rich mix of events with our audience from near and far.”
Alan Morrison, Head of Music, Creative Scotland, said: “For 15 years, the East Neuk Festival has brought world-class music to some of the most atmospheric venues in the country. Woven into this excellent programme is an increasingly close relationship with local communities, which this year will see massed percussionists beating the drum for Fife alongside the amazing Colin Currie. It’s also great to see the festival expand its international dimension with a residency from Welsh harpist Catrin Finch and Senegalese kora player Seckou Keita, as well as hosting global stars of the future through the Retreat programme.”
See the full programme and more details about this year’s festival at eastneukfestival.com.