AWE FESTIVAL 2024 | Chamber Music Festival in the Southern Alps
QUEENSTOWN LAKES | 5-18 October
At the World’s Edge is a chamber music festival inspired by its roots in the Southern Alps of Aotearoa New Zealand. Exploring the prism of our collective identity, this year’s festival spans programmes across Queenstown, Bannockburn, Cromwell and, of course, Wānaka.
The Wānaka weekend of AWE is an absolute highlight, with two thrilling programmes at the majestic Rippon Hall: Ængle and Prism. Within Prism, the closing programme of AWE 2024, Wānaka will play host to the world premiere of a new work by this year’s Composer-in-Residence, Eve de Castro-Robinson, Earth’s Eye. This piece for violin, viola, clarinet and cello will be performed by some of the finest chamber musicians in the world including clarinettist Julian Bliss, violinists Benjamin Baker and Justine Cormack and cellists Ian Greenberg and Sterling Elliott.
Eve will be speaking at the free AWE+ event in between the two performances of Prism, introducing her music and discussing her new work.
Our Wānaka weekend opens in the Rippon Hall with Ængles, a programme exploring the melting pot of folk influences that came to define the sounds of the United Kingdom in the 20th century.
Benjamin Britten String Quartet No.1
Eve de Castro-Robinson Tumbling Strains for violin and cello
Percy Grainger Molly on the Shore for string quartet
Frank Bridge An Irish Melody ‘The Londonderry Air’ for string quartet
Peter Maxwell-Davies A Sad Pavan for These Distracted Tymes for string quartet
Vaughan Williams Phantasy Quintet for strings
The programme takes inspiration from a famous connecting point for artists in 19th century Vienna – the Gasthaus Zum Roten Igel (The Red Hedgehog), celebrated with tasty morsels from the Gasthaus itself (included in ticket price).
Felix Mendelssohn Four Pieces for String Quartet, op.110
Eve de Castro-Robinson Earth’s Eye for clarinet, violin, viola and cello, AWE 2024 Commission, World Premiere
Franz Schubert String Quintet in C Major, D.956
At the World’s Edge Festival runs from Saturday 5th October to Sunday 13th October in Queenstown, Wānaka, Cromwell and Bannockburn.
Full programme and tickets available www.worldsedgefestival.com
