Haydn Piano Trio No. 26 in C minor, Op. 57 No. 3, Hob XV:13
Coleridge-Taylor Clarinet Quintet in F-sharp minor, Op.10
Schubert String Quintet in C, D956

The 13th edition of Highgate International Chamber Music Festival opens in elegant style with a programme of Haydn, Coleridge-Taylor and Schubert, led by London Symphony Orchestra concert master Ben Gilmore. Also known as the Cello Quintet due to its unusual scoring for extra cello, Schubert’s sublime String Quintet in C is generally regarded as one of the greatest chamber works of all time.

Benjamin Marquise Gilmore & Natalie Klouda violin
Ruth Gibson viola
Gemma Rosefield & Ashok Klouda cello
Julian Bliss clarinet

Approx. finish time: 9.30pm

Trad. O’ Frederik, O’ Frederik
Sidiki Dembélé Shaka
Janáček Quartet No. 2, ‘Intimate Letters’
Sidiki Dembélé Djikunu
Alan Keary Shattered Creek
Berio Duo No. 24, ‘Aldo’ (arr. for string quartet)
Trad. arr. Danish String Quartet Sønderho Bridal Trilogy
Trad. Hiraeth
Purcell Suite from Fairy Queen
Trad. arr. Danish String Quartet Polska from Dorothea

HICMF is delighted to be joined by some of the country’s leading classical-folk fusion players, led by Manchester Collective founder Rakhi Singh, for a folk-infused programme with roots stretching around the globe, from the British Isles to Scandinavia and the Ivory Coast. The centrepiece is Janáček’s 2nd String Quartet (‘Intimate Letters’), written for his lover Kamila Stösslová. Janáček’s lifelong fascination with Moravian and Slavic folk music is woven into his compositional voice, and this yearning work is no exception.

Rakhi Singh & Natalie Klouda violin
Ruth Gibson viola
Ashok Klouda cello
Sidiki Dembélé percussion & voice
Alan Keary electric bass

Approx. finish time: 9.30pm

Further to a successful screening of the silent film ‘Sherlock Junior’ at last year’s festival, Not So Silent Cinema is back with another Buster Keaton comedy classic. ‘College’ tells the story of bookish Ronald who attempts to become an athlete to win the affection of sweetheart, Mary. A series of hilarious sporting failures ensue – but will his cleverness get him the girl? Accompanied by a laugh-a-minute score by ‘Sherlock Junior’ composer Stephen Prutsman, performed by live piano quintet.

David Alberman & Natalie Klouda violin
Ruth Gibson viola
Ashok Klouda cello
Simon Callaghan piano

Approx. finish time: 7pm

Schubert Heimliches Lieben
Schubert Schwestergruss
Schubert Des Fischers Liebesglück
Schubert Die junge Nonne
Schubert Arpeggione Sonata in A minor, D821
Schubert Ständchen (arr. for soprano, cello & piano)

Russian-American soprano and BBC New Generation Artist 2025 Erika Baikoff teams up with her duo partner, celebrated accompanist James Baillieu, for a candle-lit performance of Schubert songs handpicked by the pair. Performed alongside is Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata, an effortlessly beautiful sounding work which continues to endure despite the rapid extinction of the instrument for which it was written.

Erika Baikoff soprano
Ashok Klouda cello
James Baillieu & Irina Botan piano

Approx finish time: 9.30pm

JB Bach Ouverture No. 3 in E minor – Ouverture
Vivaldi Cello Sonata No. 3 in A minor
JS Bach Prelude BWV 998 for solo lute
Matteis Selection of Ayres for the Violin (Book 1)
JS Bach Inventions Nos.1-4 for violin & viola
Marcello Sonata for two cellos in A major, Op.2 No.4 S.756
Purcell Sonata in Four Parts No. 6 in G minor
Trad. arr. Barsanti, Oswald, Purcell & Geminiani Medley of Scots airs
JB Bach Ouverture No. 3 in E minor – Dances (Air, Les Plaisirs, Menuet 1, Menuet 2, Air, Rigaudon, Courante, Gavotte en Rondeau)

HICMF is thrilled to welcome back ‘Queen of the Baroque violin’ Rachel Podger and her specialist collaborators following last year’s sold-out concert dubbed ‘fabulously entertaining’ by press. A first-class celebration of all-things Baroque, tickets are expected to fly – book early to avoid disappointment.

Rachel Podger & Charlotte Spruit violin
Jane Rogers viola
Jonathan Byers & Ashok Klouda cello
Tom Foster harpsichord
Sergio Bucheli lute

Approx. finish time: 9.30pm

JS Bach Cello Suites (extracts)
Natalie Klouda Suite for Solo Cello in 6 movements
Natalie Klouda New work

Music and visual art commune in this fascinating creative back and forth between HICMF founder-director Natalie Klouda and artist Nathaniel Boyd. Klouda’s Cello Suite (2017) was written for husband and fellow HICMF director Ashok Klouda, with the six movements inspired by Bach’s cello suites. Now, Boyd, himself a top cellist alongside his renowned career as an artist, has created six paintings in response to Klouda’s Suite, and Klouda has responded with a new short work. The paintings will be exhibited in St Anne’s and spotlit during the performance, along with spoken insights from the composer and artist. A must for anyone interested in the creative process.

Ashok Klouda cello
Natalie Klouda composer/speaker
Nathaniel Boyd artist/speaker

Approx. finish time: 4pm

Shostakovich 5 Pieces for 2 violins and piano (selection)
Beethoven Cello Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 69
Dvořák Slavonic Dances for Piano Four Hands, Op. 46 No. 2 & Op.72 No. 2
Brahms Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor, Op. 60

From the lyricism of Shostakovich’s charming 5 Pieces to one of Brahms’ most intense and emotionally charged works, the closing concert of HICMF 2025 will take listeners on a riveting journey through light and shade. Joining are Wu Qian and Alexander Sitkovetsky of the Sitkovetsky Trio (‘one of the most supremely blended trio strings sounds around’, The Strad). HICMF Supporters are invited to the Festival Finale after-party to meet musicians and mingle with fellow patrons.

Alexander Sitkovetsky & Natalie Klouda violin
Ruth Gibson viola
Ashok Klouda cello
Wu Qian & Irina Botan piano

Approx. finish time: 9.30pm