Oxford Chamber Music Festival

As always, Priya, pictured, has put together an enticingly varied programme of familiar and little-known pieces, all inspired by the stunning scenery and dramatic skies of the Scandinavian countries, the Baltic States and St Petersburg.

“I’ve been to Scandinavia a lot in the last ten years to play, and I have a real affinity with Scandinavian musicians that I’ve met at festivals and on tour in Scandinavia,” she tells me. “I think it’s because I’ve always found that they are very unfettered by musical traditions. Also, when I was at these festivals I discovered pieces that I’d never even heard of.

“So the programme started with Scandinavia and then it branched out because there were a few pieces I wanted to include, such as the Tchaikovsky Piano Trio, and St Petersburg then came into my head, and there were the Baltic States as well.

“There were so many pieces I had to leave out that I wanted to include, because there’s such a great repertoire from the Baltic States, so I couldn’t do everything I wanted to.”

Now in its ninth year, the Oxford Chamber Music Festival started when Priya gathered together a few friends to make music in her home city, little realising how hugely popular it would become.

“There are so many elements to its success,” she says. “There’s the audiences, who are so open and warm and generous. There’s the core of musicians who have come back time and time again and given it continuity, and new musicians who have come and stirred it up again, and that’s what I love. I think festivals are alive and exciting when they’re on the edge.”

One of the highlights of this year’s programme is the UK premiere of Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture, arranged for strings and piano by Romanian composer and viola player Vladimir Mendelssohn, who is also artistic director of Finland’s Kuhmo Festival, the largest chamber music festival in the world.

“It’s a wonderful, really moving, fantastic arrangement that he’s done,” Priya says. “And it really works. Everybody was a bit sceptical but it works wonderfully well.”

Another highlight is the Clarinet Quintet by Finnish composer Magnus Lindberg, currently the composer-in-residence with the New York Philharmonic. The piece will be played alongside Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, and the soloist for both will be Israeli clarinettist Chen Halevi.

“The Lindberg Clarinet Quintet is a great piece, and Halevi is one of the world’s leading clarinettist,” says Priya. “He knows the composer well, and has worked with him, so we’re very privileged that he’s going to be playing that.”

Elsewhere, there are familiar names, such as Borodin, Sibelius, Grieg, Rachmaninov and Shostakovich, with little-known composers such as Saariaho, Atterberg and Vasks thrown into the mix.

“I like people to discover pieces that they might otherwise approach with trepidation, and incorporate them into a programme which is appealing for everybody,” Priya explains.

“So I do try to find a balance between pieces I know everybody loves and knows, and pieces they think they’re probably going to hate!”

There’s also the traditional late-night jam session on the Friday, the brunch buffet and concert on the Saturday morning, and the masterclass with legendary violinist Ivry Gitlis, now 88.

It all adds up to an exciting, evocative and inspiring event.

“Scandinavia, St Petersburg and the Baltic States share these magical landscapes and rich musical heritage,” Priya says.

“There’s such a contrast between the exhilaration of long summer nights and the long, dark winter nights.

“I’m sure that has affected the composers who have come from there. And I hope I’ve captured those extremes in the programme.”

For programme details, go to ocmf.net