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Become a sponsor, celebrating Teignmouths musical son
Exactly 200 years ago, in the town of Teignmouth, on the picturesque coast of South-West Britain, a man was born, who would change the way people saw, heard, and would feel about music's most ancient instruments, the harp. This man, Elias Parish Alvars, would grow up into manhood becoming the worlds most prolific virtuoso on the harp, matching the prodigious technique and virtuosity of musicians such as Nicolo Paganini, and at the same time becoming a composer of formidable stature, respected and acknowledged by composers such as Franz Liszt, Felix Mendelssohn and Hector Berlioz. He was a visionary not only in performance, but also the first man to play the modern harp as we know it today. Travelling with his harp, this young man from Teignmouth reached the edges of the classical world of his time. His teaching, technique, compositions, and ability would influence harpists for generations, and today his musical descendants can be found around the world.
And so it was that during the last week of February 2008, in celebration of the 200th birthday and memory of Teignmouths musical son, harpists from around the world together with the people of Teignmouth gathered in his city to celebrate this master with concerts, lectures, exhibitions, and an international competition for the young. This one of a kind event, featuring artists, researchers, performers and students from around the world, became the first Elias Parish Alvars International Harp Festival and Competition.
The festival was initiated by international harp soloist Florence Sitruk, Berlin, who has played Parish Alvars' concertos in renowned concert hall around the world, from Brazil, Geneva, to Tokyo and Australia. Since a young age, she has become a dedicated advocate to put Elias Parish Alvars back on the musical map as he deserves to be.
Now it is time to look to the future. This festival, both in level and conception, has reached a point that surely even Parish Alvars himself would be proud of. It is a unique collaboration between top artists, researchers and the people of Teignmouth. With a few good ideas, and the help of a dedicated community, Teignmouth has once again established itself in the world of classical music, and it is our intention to watch these ideas continue to grow and evolve into the Elias Parish Alvars Festival 2009.
We invite you to join us in this celebration. We invite you to help us shape this event into a festival of excellence. With your financial contributions you are helping to create and preserve your own musical history. We would appreciate your contribution and hope that you, in this way, will also become a part of the Elias Parish Alvars Festival family.
Florence Sitruk Artistic director
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Copyright © 2008 epa-festival | Design: Bernard Meier |
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