Cheltenham Music Festival kicks off today

The Cheltenham Music Festival opens today (June 29th) and will be sure to attract the crowds as it boasts another year of great performances and talks, as well as music premieres.
One of the music premieres will be from Joseph Phibbs, whose new work will be performed by percussionist Evelyn Glennie, as well as the resident orchestra, the Festival Academy.
Other highlights include the appearance of BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Khatia Buniatishvili and a concert by pianist Leif Ove Andsnes. The artist-in-residence at the Berlin Philharmonic will perform two Beethoven sonatas, as well as works by Brahms and Schoenberg.
Sure to attract a large audience will be the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski , on July 2nd. The orchestra has not performed at Cheltenham for some years owing to their residency at Glyndebourne during the summer period, but they did launch the festival back in 1945. Featuring soprano Amanda Roocroft, the night will see Wagner’s Overture of Die Meistersinger, as well as R. Strauss’ Four Last Songs and Brahms’ Symphony No 4 in E minor.
However, people after something a bit off the curb can see Greek on July 7th, the controversial opera by Mark-Anthony Turnage, which comes after Covent Garden premiered his latest opera, Anna Nicole, based on the life of the ill-fated Playboy model and octogenarian wife. Greek is equally shocking, reworking the Oedipus myth set in London’s East End, and hasn’t been performed in the UK for over a decade.
The Swingle Singers will also showcase their a cappella performances on July 9th, singing jazzed-up versions of Bach to Eric Whitacre works and contemporary pop.
Musical thinkers can also catch mathematician Marcus du Sautoy on July 2nd to explore how mathematicians and musicians are drawn to the same patterns to create their art.
Festivities will end for another year on July 10th.