GAM residency press release

World class string quartet comes to Gloucester

April 2008 will see the start of the Carducci String Quartet year long residency at Gloucester Academy of Music (GAM).

The city centre will benefit from affordable concerts and free open rehearsals. The quartet will also be running workshops and master classes for young musicians from Gloucestershire Schools. Students will have the opportunity to learn and perform alongside the string quartet thanks to funding from the Ernest Cook Trust.

The year long project will centre on the work of local composers Elgar and Holst. The quartet has a hectic international schedule but Matthew Denton the lead violinist and ex Gloucester Academy student is clearly delighted to be coming back to Gloucester.

“ Both Emma (cello) and myself are ex Gloucester Academy students and it is great to be coming back to where our musical careers began. We will be visiting 10 times over the year and hope to build more local concerts into our schedule as well.”

The Carducci Quartet and GAM will be working in partnership with Gloucestershire Music Service and Worcestershire Youth Music.

Glyn Oxley, musical director of GAM is enthusiastic about the project

“I have worked alongside the Carducci Quartet and seen them inspire so many young musicians. It is fantastic news that we have been able to bring them back to Gloucester and in many ways it is the first opportunity to demonstrate how the Regional Developments Agency’s vision for a cultural quarter in city can take shape.

On the 23rd April, during the first week of their residency, the quartet will be performing a concert alongside students of GAM at the Leonard Stanley Priory. This concert (free to all children and students) will include 'Summer' from Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons' and works by Holst, Tchaikovsky and Karl Jenkins.

Full details of the coming events can be found at www.gamusic.co.uk.