Sheffield Chamber Music Festival: Kathryn Stott on what to expect from Crucible showcase

“Obviously it’s a thrill to be in those very big venues that many people know but sometimes your most magical moments happen when people are sitting very close and it’s intimate.

“That is what goes on in Sheffield, I find.

“Over the years I’ve played in Australia, New Zealand, Africa and have been to Asia an awful lot.

“It’s a wonderful profession that I am very lucky to be a part of. And I think in a way that’s reflected in the music that I bring to Sheffield Chamber Music Festival.

“I think it features something like 15 nationalities, music that comes from Cuba and South America.

“That’s part of what I like, we get a bit of a flavour of different countries when we listen, different personalities too.”

This year’s festival, organised by music promoter Music in the Round, runs from May 12 to 20 in the Crucible Theatre’s Playhouse space.

It is a melting pot of diverse musical influences, from two concerts of tango music starring Argentine bandoneon player JP Jofre to the Moonlight Sonata concert with pianist Tim Horton, world-renowned Norwegian trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth and residents Ensemble 360.

In total there will be 19 events, almost all performed with Music in the Round’s resident group Ensemble 360.

The ensemble was shortlisted in the Ensemble category of the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards 2023, known as the ‘BAFTAs of classical music’.

Kathy, who lived near Skipton and then Hebden Bridge for many years, says: “I’m genuinely excited to be the festival’s guest curator because I love creative programming.

“But I’m particularly thrilled to do it for Ensemble 360 because before that it was the Lindsay String Quartet, and I used to come to the Crucible very often and play with them.

“So it’s great to reconnect with Sheffield and the theatre going forwards, rather than looking back.

“I am a keen walker so I often come back to Yorkshire and do some walking with my trusty spaniel Archie.

“I love Yorkshire as a county because there’s so much variation, if you think about Sheffield compared to Hebden Bridge and Skipton compared with very north Yorkshire up on the moors. I love it for that contrast.”

Kathy is hoping that ‘sparks fly’ when she introduces different international musicians to collaborate with Ensemble 360.

One festival event that is set to be truly spectacular is Rachmaninov 150, on Friday, May 19 at the Playhouse.

Two pianos will sit side-by-side as Kathy and pianist Tim Horton perform a breathtaking programme of work by Rachmaninov, the Russian giant of twentieth century piano-writing, for his 150th birthday.

Kathy adds: “It’s going to be exciting because I don’t think two pianos often make it into that small space. I am told it’s possible…

“I hope the roof might take off by the end of it!”

Introducing instruments which are not often showcased in chamber music, such as the harp and the bandoneon - a type of concertina - is part of Kathy’s focus to create unusual but still accessible music.

She will also celebrate personal connections throughout the showcase, including in a special evening ‘Fitkin at 60’, with her long-time collaborator and composer Graham Fitkin.

Classical BRIT winner Amy Dickson, one of the world’s best classical saxophonists, is another highlight of the programme.

She and Kathy will perform together in a night called ‘Breathtaking Sax’. For Amy and several of the musicians it will be their first time standing on stage at the Crucible.

Kathy hopes the audiences will leave with a sense of sharing memories, celebrating connections and ‘making new stories’.

She says: “I would say it’s quite eclectic, the whole mix, and it’s very much about connecting people.

“I’ve got lots of memories of the venue, of performing there, or playing with all the people I’m bringing and there are memories with certain pieces too.

“The finale concert includes Schubert’s ‘Trout’ Piano Quintet which is something I played with the Lindsay String Quartet on their final weekend in Sheffield, and I think a lot of the audience will still remember it as an emotional affair.

“I hope people coming to the concerts are going to feel these warm feelings as we explore together.”

Numerous organisations support Music in the Round, including Arts Council England, Mayfield Valley Arts Trust, Royal Philharmonic Society and Sheffield City Council.

The 39th Sheffield Chamber Music Festival will also feature two concerts aimed at children plus midweek lunchtime shows and a matinée featuring music by Bach, Beethoven and Brahms.

There is a film screening, workshops and a panel discussion on the impact of music on climate change.

Tickets cost from £5 to £21, with discounts for booking for multiple concerts, and a special £5 offer for students and people aged under 35.

They are on sale at musicintheround.co.uk or from the Sheffield Theatres box office on 0114 2496000.