Welcome! The new season marks the 40th Anniversary of Stoke-on-Trent Festival and what a remarkable journey it has been! From inception at Keele University in 1969 we have become, over the last forty years, one of the leading independent promoters of orchestral concerts and piano recitals in the U.K. presenting the ‘cream’ of British orchestras coupled with world renowned conductors and soloists.
For this special ‘birthday’ series I have endeavoured to include music, which you the concertgoers, have regularly requested together with many of the maestros and soloists who I know are on your ‘must see’ list. Season, flexi and single tickets are remarkable value and are far less than the equivalent price in Manchester and Birmingham.
No less than five different orchestras play the Victoria Hall including the long awaited return of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra with their sensational young conductor Vasily Petrenko. The CBSO appear twice and include Andris Nelsons at one concert and leading violinist Janine Jansen in the other. The BBC Philharmonic perform three concerts, Gianandrea Noseda conducts two of them and their opening concert includes Leeds Piano Competition winner Sunwook Kim. The English Chamber orchestra visit us with foremost guitarist John Williams as soloist and the Hallé appear
twice, presenting the annual Viennese event plus the Gala Finale next May. What an anniversary line-up!!!
Our piano recital season in the wonderful Forum Theatre broke all previous box office records last year and outside London is recognised as one of the best in the country. A recital season ticket costs only £14.00 per event including a concert programme and interval refreshments offering exceptional value for money.
I have programmed many of the pianists which you have asked to see again including John Lill, Nikolai Demidenko, the phenomenal Benjamin Grosvenor, prize winning Chinese pianist Ching-Yun Hu and returning after a ten year absence, the inimitable Stephen Hough.
Enjoy the summer, we look forward to seeing you in the autumn to share our 40th Birthday celebrations!!
Mike Lloyd Director
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