Sholto Kynoch tells Nicola Lisle why Oxford Lieder Festival will be soaring

The Oxford Lieder Festival is always a special event, but this year’s festival is looking a bit more special than most.

For the first time in its 13-year history, the festival is focusing on the entire song repertoire of one composer. The Schubert Project is believed to be one of the biggest Schubert celebrations ever, and certainly the first time all of his songs have been performed in one festival in the UK.

The idea is to bring a flavour of Schubert’s Vienna to Oxford, with a breathtaking array of music, theatre, art, pop-up events, Viennese cuisine and more.

“We want it to be something that really tries to spread out everywhere,” says Sholto Kynoch, the festival’s founder and artistic director. “That’s how I’ve always envisaged the festival to be — something that inhabits the city.”

The opening concert at the Sheldonian Theatre sets the bar high with a dazzling line-up of international stars, including mezzo Sarah Connolly, tenors John Mark Ainsley, Joshua Ellicott, James Gilchrist and Daniel Norman, baritones Neal Davies, William Dazeley, Stephan Loges and Christopher Maltman, and Sholto on the piano. The programme is an enticing mix of familiar and less well-known songs, with the serenade Zõgernd leise forming a spectacular finale.

Two performances of Schubert’s most popular song cycle, Winterreise, are already sold out, but there are plenty of other mouth-watering delights on offer.

One such event is the series of five lecture-recitals by Schubert expert and pianist Graham Johnson — again, these are proving very popular, so anyone wanting to go needs to snap up their tickets fast.

“They’re all full-length concerts, with three or four singers in each programme, but Graham will also be introducing everything and talking people through Schubert’s whole life,” explains Sholto.

“A lot of people are booking for all five, and that will be something you can go to and get a good overview of Schubert and hear Graham’s unbelievable wealth of experience.”

Stand-out concerts during the festival include Die Schöne Müllerin with tenor Christoph Prégardien, a late-night recital on the theme of night and stars with baritone Wolfgang Holzmair, and Songs of the British Isles with Roderick Williams, Sarah Connolly, soprano Alison Rose, Ensemble 45 and accompanist Eugene Asti.

There are more instrumental concerts than ever before, with performances by pianist Imogen Cooper, the Doric String Quartet, the Schubert Ensemble and the Aurora Orchestra.

Other must-see events include an evening of music and theatre at the Ashmolean Museum, an exploration of Schubert and nature with the Botanic Garden, and the premiere of a new play by Iain Burnside based on Schubert’s life.

The closing concert features soprano Kate Royal, baritone Jonathan Lemalu and clarinettist Mark van de Wiel in a programme of music from the final years of Schubert’s life, with Sholto providing the piano accompaniment.

“Every day’s a highlight!” chuckles Sholto. “There must be around 120 events and in theory you can come to all of them.

“Also, as you wander around the city we hope to have lots of cafés offering Viennese food. Certainly The Vaults will be doing Viennese dinner every night. I hope there’s going to be evidence of the festival everywhere.”

Oxford Lieder Festival: The Schubert Project
Various venues
October 10 — November 1
Tickets: 01865 305305 or ticketsoxford.com 
Full details from oxfordlieder.co.uk