Cheltenham International Festival of Music

Cheltenham International Festival of Music

Early July

Established in 1945 to give first performances of works by British composers, the two-week Cheltenham International Festival of Music has since expanded its scope considerably. Its musical repertoire now includes both British and foreign composers offering operas as well as symphonic, chamber, and choral music. The festival commissions a handful of new works each year and often highlights British works that have been neglected. Composers whose works have premiered there include Malcolm Arnold, Thea Musgrave, Alan Raws ­ thorne, and Sir Michael Tippett. Special master classes are also offered each year on such subjects as string quartets, piano trios, and brass instruments, while children and adults can participate in other educational programs.
Recitals and chamber music concerts are held in the Pittville Pump Room, Cheltenham Spa's most important Regency structure. Operas are presented in the Everyman Theatre, and symphony concerts take place in the Town Hall. Other locations include local churches, abbeys, and castles. Cheltenham Spa is well known for its mineral springs, its Regency architecture, and its proximity to other attractions in the Cotswold Hills area of England.

CONTACTS:
Cheltenham Arts Festivals Ltd.
109-111 Bath Rd.
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 7LS United Kingdom
44-12-4277-4400; fax: 44-12-4257-3902
www.cheltenhamfestivals.co.uk

SOURCES:
MusFestEurBrit-1980, p. 50
MusFestWrld-1963, p. 245