The West Wycombe Chamber Music Festival was established twelve years ago by the internationally acclaimed viola player Lawrence Power. Lawrence was born and brought up in High Wycombe and is now recognised as a performer of the very highest calibre in the music world.
Each September Lawrence returns to the area to direct and perform in this three-day not-for-profit music festival which offers audiences five attractively programmed concerts. He attracts an array of top flight musicians who join him to take part in this exclusive series of concerts.
The Festival has firmly established its place as one of the key musical events in our locality.
The Guardian newspaper, hailing the 2021 Festival as “One of the top ten classical music events of 2021” added: “There’s a small breed of elite international musicians who, away from the main-stage limelight, pour their energies into nurturing young artists, promoting contemporary works, staging bold, experimental festivals, often unnoticed by the wider world.”
This year will be rather special as for the first time ever we will be presenting our festival at the Church of St Mary the Virgin RG9 6RS in the exquisite village of Hambleden. Although we are unable to be in West Wycombe this year (our traditional ‘home’, the Church of St Lawrence is currently closed) we are excited to invite you to this most special venue. We will be joined once again by some truly outstanding artists in five wide ranging programmes.
Each of the five 2023 Festival concerts has a distinct theme. This, the first of the 5 concert series 'From Vienna' will explore the influence of this extraordinary city on composers such as Mahler, Brahms and Korngold.