Description
The 2026 Festival ‘dawns’ with Haydn’s radiant Sunrise Quartet, which was part of the composer’s creative outpouring during his years at the Esterhazy court in the 1790s. We continue with Benjamin Britten’s Cello Sonata, the first of several pieces Britten composed for the cellist Mstislav Rostropovich following their meeting in London at the British premiere of Shostakovich’s First Cello Concerto in 1960. Our celebration of chamber music culminates in Brahms Sextet for two violins, two violas and two cellos, whose 1862 publication spearheaded a renaissance in composers writing for this rich combination of instruments.