Banbha Quartet

In association with Finding a Voice Festival, the acclaimed Banbha Quartet marks International Women’s Day with a programme of fine music by women composers from the past three centuries.

Now in her 80th year and honoured with this year’s NCH Lifetime Achievement Award, Jane O’Leary wrote Mystic Play of Shadows in 1995 at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre. It was inspired by the birdsong around the lake at dusk and Jane regards it as ‘one of my very favourite pieces’

Bulgarian-British composer Dobrinka Tabakova is a composer of ‘exciting, deeply moving’ music (Washington Times), with ‘glowing tonal harmonies’ (The Strad). Her lovely 2019 Smile of the Flamboyant Wings contrasts relaxed, playful and tuneful music with a more introverted central section

Germaine Tailleferre studied composition in Paris with Debussy and Ravel and much of her miniature string quartet from 1919 reflects their influence. It culminates in a dramatic finale based on a ‘Saltarello’, a traditional Italian dance.

Henriëtte Bosmans was a celebrated Dutch pianist and composer. Her string quartet dates from 1927 and is based around a beautiful lament, full of hazy, atmospheric colours.

Emilie Mayer was a highly regarded and prolific German composer, a contemporary of Mendelssohn who wrote eight symphonies and a considerable body of chamber music. Her music fell into obscurity after her death and has only been re-discovered in recent years. This quartet is in the traditional classical four movements and features a lovely slow movement and an exciting, highly charged finale

Musicians
Lidia Jewloszewicz-Clarke, Violin
Maria Ryan, Violin
Robin Panter, Viola
Peggy Nolan, Cello