International Composers Festival

The event was founded by British-Argentine composer Polo Piatti with the aim of promoting the creation and performance of high quality, melodic, classical music by living composers from all over the world.

Performing the concerts will be the International Festival Orchestra, the Composers Festival Chorus, numerous first-class ensembles, the Battle Abbey School Choir and a number of outstanding soloists including Daniel Rainey on violin, Miho Sanou on piano, Sue Bishop on clairnet, the Danzi Osaka Wind Esermble and soprano Thomasin Trezise.

Chief conductor Hiroshi Endo is travelling from Japan and will be supported by local conductors.

The three day festival starts on Thursday September 24 in All Saints Church, Hastings Old Town, with exquisite music by Nobuya Monta, including the premiere of his one act opera ‘Otohime’, performed in stunning costumes brought specially from Japan. This will be preceded by a talk and discussion about the philosophical implications of this year’s festival theme by BBC correspondent Richard Sumner.

The Grand Opening Concert takes place on Friday September 25 at St Mary in the Castle, Hastings.

On Saturday September 26 the festival moves to the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill for a matinee concert: ‘The Wonder of Melody’. Later, award-winning film-maker Phil Grabsky presents his highly successful ‘In Search Of’ films. The festival culminates in ‘A Feast Of Film Music’ with the International Festival Orchestra playing music by world-famous film and gaming composers including Nigel Hess, Debbie Wiseman, Stephen Warbeck, John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Patrick Hawes, Ian Livingstone, Nobuya Monta and Carlos Salomon, many of whom will be present.

Fore more go to www.composersfestival.com.