Violinist and composer Midori Komachi is to give the first public performance of the Imogen Holst Violin Concerto (1935) in London on 24 November 2024.
Komachi discovered the manuscript for Imogen Holst’s Concerto for Violin and Strings at the Britten-Pears Archive in Aldeburgh. Faber Music has now published the work.
Komachi introduces the Concerto and plays a short excerpt below…
As a scholar, dancer and enthusiast of folk dance and song, Imogen Holst found Irish traditional airs and melodies from The Petrie Collection an important source of inspiration for the Concerto. First published in 1855, George Petrie’s Collection of the Ancient Music of Ireland is one of the most important 19th-century collections of traditional Irish music.
Midori Komachi comments:
‘Encountering the manuscript of this Violin Concerto at the Archive, Britten Pears Arts has been one of the most thrilling moments in my career. Each note, meticulously handwritten by the composer, seems to radiate her energy, musicality, and personality. The piece features numerous quotations of Irish folk melodies and carries a subtle influence from Vaughan Williams‘s ‘Concerto Accademico’, making it highly approachable and appealing for any music enthusiast.
‘I believe this Concerto has the potential to become a staple in the repertoire and a valuable educational tool for young musicians, as its techniques are not overly demanding but still offer plenty of engaging twists. This music deserves to be heard, much like the works of composers she collaborated with, such as Britten and Gustav Holst.‘
Imogen Holst Violin Concerto… First public performance
Midori Komachi will give the first public performance of the work with the Elgar Sinfonia conducted by Adrian Brown at St Andrew’s Church, Holborn on 24 November 2024 at 4.30pm.