MusicFest Aberystwyth is a fusion

Fusion (music)

A fusion genre is music that combines two or more styles. For example, rock and roll originally developed as a fusion of blues, gospel and country music. The main characteristics of fusion genres are variations in tempo, rhythm, i a sometimes the use of long musical "journeys" that can be divided...

 of international Music festival

Music festival

A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...

 and Summer school

Summer school

Summer school is a school, or a program generally sponsored by a school or a school district, that teaches students during the summer vacation....

 held in Aberystwyth

Aberystwyth

Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....

, Ceredigion

Ceredigion

Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...

, Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

. Founded in 1987 by the cellist Nicholas Jones, MusicFest initially started as a small series of concerts. In 1988 a small Summer School was run alongside the concerts which provided chamber music

Chamber music

Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...

 coaching for pianists and string players

String instrument

A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...

. MusicFest has since evolved into an international Festival and Summer School.

Throughout the Festival there are daily evening and lunchtime festival concerts, together with student foyer performances and student showcase concerts. The 2009 festival features guest artists and visiting tutors include Orion Orchestra, cellist Guy Johnston, pianist Tom Poster, the National Youth Jazz Wales, Solstice Quartet, Sacconi Quartet.

Summer School

The Summer School offers young and up and coming music students an opportunity to study intensively with leading professionals. A team of internationally renowned musicians and tutors, led by Artistic Director David Campbell, offer organised, structured chamber music opportunities. Throughout the week the artists in residence coach ensembles, lead workshops, and give master-classes as well as performing in the Festival concerts. Based on the ethos of 'learning through listening, practice & performance', courses are run for string chamber music, solo strings, clarinet, wind chamber music, conducting, composition, saxophone, jazz, voice, and harp. Students also have the opportunity to perform in public and enjoy free entry to all festival events.

Courses

Courses run included clarinet, run by David Campbell

David Campbell (British clarinetist)

David Campbell, , is a British clarinetist.David Campbell is internationally recognised as one of Britain's finest musicians and was described by the doyen of British clarinettists, Jack Brymer, as 'the finest player of his generation'....

, saxophone, Jazz/Latin, string, brass, voice, composition, wind octet, flute and practical psychology.

Artists-in-residence

Tom Poster - Piano

Guy Johnston - Cello

Simon Lane - Piano

Juliet Edwards - Piano

John Flinders - Piano

Orion Orchestra

National Youth Choir of Wales

Solstice Quartet

Eleanor Turner - Harp

Laurence Perkins - Bassoon

Sigyn Fosness - Violin

Nicholas Jones - Cello

Gerard McChrystal - Saxophone

Lucinda Mackworth-Young - Practical Psychology

John Metcalf - Composition

Toby Purser - Conducting

Veronica Veysey-Campbell - Voice

Performance Venues

• Aberystwyth Arts Centre
  Aberystwyth Arts Centre
  Aberystwyth Arts Centre is one of Wales' busiest and largest arts centres, based on Aberystwyth University's Penglais campus Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales...
  
  
• Joseph Parry Hall
• Llanbadarn Church
  St Padarn's Church, Llanbadarn Fawr
  Saint Padarn's Church is a Church in Wales parish church at Llanbadarn Fawr, near Aberystwyth, in Ceredigion, Wales, SY23 3QZ.The site has been used for Christian worship since it was founded by Saint Padarn in the 6th century...
  
  
• Ceredigion Museum
  Ceredigion Museum
  - Location :Ceredigion Museum is located at The Coliseum, Terrace Road, Aberystwyth. It is managed by Ceredigion County Council. It is housed in a restored Edwardian Theatre.- History :...
  
  
• The Bandstand

Board and Officers

MusicFest Chair - Alan Hewson

MusicFest Artistic Director - David Campbell

MusicFest Co-ordinator - Sophie Bennett

Friends of MusicFest

Friends of MusicFest is a charitable organisation which exists to support individual students attending MusicFest who may not otherwise be able to afford to do so.

External links

• Festival website
• Aberystwyth Arts Centre