THE exciting Castalian String Quartet and distinguished clarinettist Robert Plane share the stage for the final performance of Kendal Midday Concert Club's 75th season on Wednesday.
Robert is well-known to the region's audiences and has enjoyed a career encompassing solo and chamber work as well as holding the principal clarinet positions in the CBSO, the Royal Northern Sinfonia and, currently, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. As guest principal clarinet he has played with some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras. He is a successful recording artist and his masterclasses are in great demand in institutions as London’s Royal Academy and Royal College and, further afield, the Beijing Central Conservatory and the San Francisco Conservatory.
Formed in 2011, the Castalian's studied with Oliver Willie (of the Kuss Quartet) at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media, graduating with a masters degree. The players have subsequently received coaching from Simon Rowland-Jones, David Waterman and Isabel Charisius.
The quartet is rapidly becoming one of the most thrilling ensembles on the international chamber music scene. In 2018 the foursome received the prestigious inaugural Merito String Quartet Award and Valentin Erben Prize and won a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship Award. They also landed third prize at the 2016 Banff International String Quartet Competition and top spot at the 2015 Lyon International Chamber Music Competition. Also, in 2016 the quartet was selected by the Young Classical Artists Trust.
Future plans include debut concerts in North America and at the Konzerthaus in Vienna. During the last two years the foursome has performed throughout Europe, including recitals in the Hamburg Chamber Music Series. In 2017 the Castalian was resident at the Esbjerg International Chamber Music Festival in Denmark, at the Festival Musique d’Été à Suzette near Avignon and Snape Maltings.
The programme for Wednesday's highly anticipated Kendal Town Hall performance features Haydn's String Quartet No 61 in D minor and Brahms' Clarinet Quintet in B minor.
The performance starts at 1pm.
Snack lunches are available from 11.50am.
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