classical preview: Bradfield festival of music

NEW YORKERS: The Escher String Quartet appear at the festival.

Described in the Washington '¨Post as 'one of the top young quartets before the public today', the New-York based Escher String Quartet came into my orbit when reviewing two discs of Zemlinsky's music for the Naxos label, their outgoing style of performance and obvious technical expertise creating very special releases.

Now, on a short visit to the UK, they are appearing in this years Bradfield Festival of Music performing Schubert’s ‘Death and the Maiden’ Quartet and works by Debussy and Haydn (June 27).

Set betwixt Sheffield and the High Peak of Derbyshire, the grade one listed fifteenth century church of St Nicholas in High Bradfield is in itself worth the journey there, and for the past two decades it’s excellent acoustics have attracted critically acclaimed artists to appear in the festival.

This year it will include the chamber ensemble from the famous London orchestra of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, who bring a gorgeous programme of Richard Strauss’s Sextet from the opera, Capriccio, and String Sextets by Dvorak and Brahms (June 30).

From the younger generation the remarkably gifted pianist, Benjamin Grosvenor, is joined by the multi-award winning teenage Korean violinist, Hyeyoon Park, in sonatas by Beethoven, Ravel and Frank interspersed by piano solos (June 28).

There are eight events in the Bradfield Festival of Music, June 24-July 1.

Tickets and details from 0114 3278393 or www.bradfieldfestivalofmusic.co.uk