Festival Review

Robert Matthew-Walker, September - October 2007, Musical Opinion, page 58.

Bach-Paganini Violin Festival.

The sixth Bach-Paganini Violin Festival, held at Stratford-upon-Avon under the directorship of Rimma Sushanskaya, culminated in public concerts on the 11 and 13 August.  This truly International Festival included talented young musicians from Russia, France, Sweden, Hungary and the United Kingdom, under the tutorship of Savely Shalman from St Petersburg and Alvia Vandysheva from Moscow, as well as Rimma Sushanskaya herself.  Robert Markham and Joanne Sealey, from the Birmingham Conservatoire faculty, were accompanists.

No fewer than 18 gifted students participated in the first concert at Levi Fox Hall of King Edward VI School, demonstrating the very high standards which mark this Festival as being exceptional in the UK.

At the final concert in Shakespeare's Holy Trinity Church, Rimma Sushanskaya was joined by Oboist Richard Weigall in Bach's C minor Concerto for Violin, Oboe and Strings, before she conducted the remainder of the programme, Walton's Two Pieces from the film Henry V, Guy Wolfenden's enchantingly attractive Oboe Concerto, the composer himself being present, and Dvořák's Serenade for Strings.

The large audience greatly appreciated the results of Rimma Sushanskaya's inspirational leadership.  The festival gets better and better.

Robert Matthew-Walker