Craig Ogden (guitar) | Ashley Riches (bass-baritone) | Fiona Colville (flute) | Libby Burgess (piano)

Borne: Carmen Fantasy | Tárrega: Capricho árabe | Rodrigo: 3 Piezas Españolas | Shostakovich: Spanish Songs | Ravel: Don Quichotte à Dulcinée

A Spanish feast launches this year’s festival! Renowned guitarist Craig Ogden conjures up Iberian scenes from fandango to pensive passacaglia in music by Rodrigo – best known for his Concierto de Aranjuez, but here in intimate mode.

Meanwhile celebrated bass-baritone Ashley Riches paints Spain through the lens of two composers whose anniversaries fall this year: Shostakovich in folksong, and Ravel in irreverent settings of the Don Quixote tale, from romance to drinking song. Bizet’s much-loved Spanish melodies from the opera Carmen are reworked into flute fireworks to kickstart the festival. Mucho gusto!