Composers

Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges:  (c.1739 - 1799)

The son of a slave and a French plantation owner in Martinique, Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, rose to become an influential violinist and composer in France during the second half of the 1700s. As a mulatto, he was unable to benefit from all the privileges of the nobility, but he nevertheless became a favourite at the French court. He became one of the main practitioners of the Sinfonia Concertante, a concerto form with multiple soloists, and is said to have influenced the young Mozart into writing his famous concerto for violin and viola. He was also responsible for commissioning the last six of Haydn's great symphonies, known as the Paris symphonies, for an orchestra he directed in the French capitol. This years' festival will feature some of his seldom-heard chamber music. Besides his musical pursuits, he managed to find time to become one of Europe's champion fencers.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:  (1756 - 1791)

The best-known composer of the classical period needs little introduction. Born a musical genius and a prolific composer of all the musical forms of the day, in his short life Mozart created an impact on music that has not been matched by any other. His chamber music is some of the finest ever written and some of the most played. He wrote in standard forms such as sting quartet and piano trio, and also experimented with different instrumental combinations and new instruments such as the glass harmonica. Mozart and his music will be celebrated with well-known and some more obscure works giving a glimpse into the creative mind of this extraordinary composer.