Horsham - exploring music of the 20th and 21st centuries

Talkestra concerts, started by Sussex-based conductor and clarinettist Steve Dummer, are returning with a series of events exploring music of the 20th and 21st centuries.

The Talkestra Symposium is on Sunday 25th October, 6.00pm at The Barn, Causeway, Horsham.

Steve originally started Talkestra to attract new audiences to classical music with concerts that are equally suitable for the reluctant concert goer who wants to get into something different or the seasoned music fan who’s looking for new insights into their favourite works.

“The forthcoming series of symposiums are more a social event than a concert as the music is explored, explained and performed in a relaxed and congenial atmosphere. You can have a drink and a snack, ask questions and chat about what you hear with the performers and other listeners.”

For the first symposium on Sunday 25th October at 6.00 in The Barn, Causeway, Horsham, Steve is joined by internationally renowned pianist Andrew Zolinsky and focuses on the music of Arnold Schoenberg and Alban Berg.

“Their music can be intimidating and difficult to understand, but with a better awareness of the language and where it came from it can be incredibly rewarding to listen to.”

Using two of Schoenberg’s sets of piano pieces – op.11 and op.19 – plus the Four Pieces for Clarinet and Piano by Berg, they will explore why atonality was the logical next step in the development of music and how it produced “some of the most expressive and profound music ever written.”

Tickets are £20 and £5 for students, only available at the door. More information at www.talkestra.com.