Welcome

LONDON EAR FESTIVAL

A brief summary

Gwyn and AndreaArtistic Directors Andrea Cavallari and Gwyn Pritchard

The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of all plans for the festival’s immediate future.  Any future editions of the festival will be announced here. 

LONDON EAR is a five-day festival of Contemporary Music which was held every two years; sometimes with a smaller event entitled Between the (y)Ears in the intervening years.  The festival was founded in 2013 by its current Artistic Directors, Gwyn Pritchard and Andrea Cavallari, and is promoted by Uroboros Ensemble, in association with Accademia San Felice.

VENUES have included The Warehouse, Theed Street, the adjacent gallery The Cello Factory in Cornwall Road, St John’s Church on Waterloo Road and Rambert’s Mercury Studio.

CONCERTS have included evening, lunchtime and brunch concerts, and late-evening ‘cabaret style’ concerts of a more experimental nature in the Festival Club.

PERFORMERS of international repute have come from Britain and around the World.

RECENT MUSIC (mostly post 1980) from many countries constitutes the main focus of the programmes.  Internationally celebrated composers share the programmes with emerging or undiscovered composers. There are always several world and UK premieres. Styles embrace mainstream ‘contemporary-classical’ to ‘experimental’, with some pieces involving live-electronics.

PRE-CONCERT EVENTS, talks and interviews are designed to enhance the audience’s understanding and appreciation of the music, and allow them to meet some of the composers and performers.

OPEN REHEARSALS  – some performers open their pre-concert rehearsal, for the audience to get a foretaste of the concert.

THE FEATURED YOUNG PERFORMERS, young professional players identified by audition, gain invaluable experience as soloist and as ensemble participant.

MASTERCLASSES & WORKSHOPS, for advanced students, are designed to encourage commitment and skill in the performance of new music, and also aid composers in understanding the associated instrumental techniques.  They are open to observers.

AN EDUCATIONAL PROJECT involves children in the preparation of a piece to be performed by the children as a preface to a festival concert.

A FESTIVAL BOOK gives comprehensive information about the music, the composers and the performers.

A FESTIVAL CLUB enables audiences to meet and talk with composers and performers in an informal atmosphere, with scores, CDs etc. to view, to listen to or to buy. To add to the conviviality food and refreshments are available.

FESTIVAL TICKET PRICES are affordable and include substantial concessionary discounts for children, students, unemployed, the disabled, and people living close to the venues.

Between events the audience enjoys refreshments and browses scores, in the Festival Club.

To read a detailed description of London Ear’s musical objectives download the file LEF Objectives