Welcome to the Gower Festival

“It is a privilege for me, as President, to be able to welcome you to the Gower Festival, my ‘local’ festival, having been raised on the beautiful Gower Peninsula. There is an exciting programme for you to enjoy, with concerts in the historic churches of Gower.”

“The Gower Festival represents the best of the British summer festival tradition, great music for friendly and appreciative audiences in the most beautiful surroundings. I always look forward to returning with much anticipation.”

“Performing at the Gower Festival on many occasions has always been a special experience for me. I am therefore thrilled to be invited to be a Patron of this outstanding Festival.”

In the first concertof their three-day residency in Gower, the London Conchord Ensemble perform Schubert’s much-loved ‘Trout’ Quintet alongside the Grand Septet in D minor by Schubert’s older contemporary Hummel, with its virtuoso writing for the piano.

Under the intriguing title 'Myths and Fairy Tales', the Conchord Ensemble play music by Rossini, Handel, Gluck, Britten, Engelbert Humperdinck and Messiaen, and will talk about it too. Enjoy the stories and the contrasts of style and instrumental colour!

A wonderful evening of serenade music for wind and strings. Martinu’s cheerful Nonet, with its echoes of the folk music of his native Bohemia. The lyrical Nonet by Louis Spohr, a romantic piece full of good tunes and good humour. And Beethoven’s ever-popular Septet. Don’t miss this opportunity.  

A lecture recital by the inspirational conductor and string-teacher David Watkin, throwing new light on Bach’s life and music. An award-winner for his Bach recordings, David’s talk will be wide-ranging, adventurous and fun.

A romantic evening of song by the outstanding young baritone James Atkinson, currently singing in WNO's production of Don Giovanni. His programme includes one of the greatest of all romantic song cycles, Schumann’s Dichterliebe
(A Poet’sLove), and songs by Rhian Samuel and Gerald Finzi. A high point of this year’s festival.

A firm favourite with Gower audiences, Pavel Kolesnikov is one of the most sensitive and original pianists of his generation. His typically imaginative programme includes music by Schubert, Fauré and Reynaldo Hahn.
An evening not to be missed.

Andrey Lebedev, who delighted Gower audiences in 2018, returns with the brilliant young Polish accordionist, Bartosz Głowacki. Their programme has a Spanish/Latin-American flavour, including music by Rodrigo, Piazzolla, Villa-Lobos and Ernesto Nazareth.

Widely praised for their ‘uplifting’, ‘perfectly judged’ performances, the Sitkovetsky Trio – Alexander Sitkovetsky (violin), Isang Enders (cello) and Wu Qian (piano) – make a welcome return to Gower. They will perform wonderful trios by Ravel (as recently issued on a much acclaimed CD) and Brahms.

First prize-winner at the prestigious Leeds Piano Competition in September 2021, Alim Beisembayev makes his Gower debut performing Chopin’s Piano Sonata no. 2 ‘Funeral March’ and music by Haydn and Liszt.

A rare opportunity to hear Sir Arthur Bliss’s lyrical Quintet for clarinet and strings alongside Brahms’s late masterpiece for the same instruments. The acclaimed Elias Quartet are joined by Robert Plane, principal clarinet of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales for over twenty years, and now Head of Woodwind Performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

The Elias Quartet perform two gems of the string quartet repertoire: Haydn’s Quartet in G, Op. 54/1, and Mendelssohn’s stormy Quartet in A minor, Op. 13, the young composer’s tribute to the late quartets of Beethoven.

An evening of Gower-influenced poetry and jazz featuring actor Bob Pugh (subject to filming schedules) and Mal Pope with music by the popular jazz pianist Geoff Eales and his Trio.