About us
‘Sublime’
‘I have been coming to the Gala concert since the first one – a highlight of the Musical Year’
‘To have such easy access to such brilliant performers is really a wonderful bonus’
The Investec International Music Festival brings world-class artists to perform in beautiful venues in the Surrey Hills, in early May each year. Founded by us in 2010, the Festival is growing and going from strength to strength. Past artists have included Nicola Benedetti, Sarah Connolly (Festival Patron and back again to perform this year), Natalie Clein, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Maxim Rysanov, The London Mozart Players and many other eminent international artists and conductors.
Our venues are beautiful and create a wonderful sense of closeness to the performers and to their music. A warm spirit of friendship and enthusiasm exists amongst audience members at concerts. It almost feels like a family. In fact, why go to Vienna, Paris, New York or even London when you can see international stars in the Surrey Hills? The Festival weekends offer visitors wonderful walking and many enjoy opportunities for pre-concert dining either at the venue or in country pubs and restaurants.
The Festival’s opening concert is chock-a-block with classical stars starting with Gary Hoffman, one of the world’s leading cellists whose exquisite playing touches everyone who hears him. Gary performs Debussy’s Cello Sonata in an exciting chamber music programme along with the eminent British violist Philip Dukes, violinist So Ock Kim and the much loved Sitkovetsky Trio. The Piano Extravaganza on Saturday night features Wu Qian and Ukraine’s Sasha Grynyuk who perform on two Steinway pianos. The programme, in turn tender and thrilling, includes Schubert, Barber, Arensky and Rachmaninoff.
The Gala is a glorious coming together of yet more exceptional musicians featuring The English Concert, founded by Trevor Pinnock and led now by Harry Bicket and opera superstars mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly CBE and soprano Rosemary Joshua who perform an all-Handel programme of well- known arias and duets.
IIMF is a registered charity and in addition to putting on concerts, the Committee commits to promoting music to children through special pricing for under 21’s and supporting the Royal Grammar School Strings Scheme. The Festival also provides a performance platform for top post-graduate students from the Royal Academy of Music in London, which is a valuable opportunity for those starting a professional musical career.
We would like to thank Investec and all of our sponsors, Friends, volunteers, our Board of Trustees and of course you, the public, for helping us to continue to bring world-class music to the Surrey Hills area.
