WELCOME TO THE BMF
CORONAVIRUS ANNOUNCEMENT
PLEASE READ BEFORE ENTERING THE FESTIVAL
Summer Concert
Following the Government’s lockdown review and announcement to Parliament on 11 May, it is now clear that we cannot host the Summer Concert scheduled for 4 July 2020. THIS EVENT HAS REGRETTABLY BEEN CANCELLED.
Festival 10/11 October 2020
We hope that 2020 Festival can go ahead as usual. Minimally we need the facilities at the Ruddock Performing Arts Centre to be available and for the lockdown procedures to be relaxed to some extent. We also need sufficient entries to make it economically viable. IF THE FESTIVAL IS CANCELLED, ALL ENTRANTS WILL RECEIVE A FULL REFUND.
We could run a reduced scale event, such as using only one hall or only one day of performances. In that case, we will have to amend or restrict some of our other usual practices in radical ways. For example, we may combine or cancel some classes, or transfer pieces to different classes, or restrict the number of an individual’s entries, in order to keep the maximum number of individual participants. As we believe that most players, parents and teachers would prefer us to run a restricted event rather than no Festival at all, we hope that entrants will accept whatever decisions we adopt, which will depend on the entries received.
If the BMF has to cancel some of the entries due to the reasons above, entrants will receive a full refund for those classes in which they are not permitted to perform. Entrants withdrawing for other reasons will not be eligible for a refund, as is currently the case.
Entrants to the Festival this year will be considered to have given their consent to these procedures which will only be used if absolutely necessary. They are designed to give us the maximum chance to provide a performing opportunity for as many entrants of all ages and levels as possible.
If this policy changes as a result of revised Government policies, we will keep you informed though this website.
Richard Abel
Chairman, on behalf of the BMF Committee
The Birmingham Music Festival is one of Britain's leading piano competitions.
We welcome entrants of all ages and all abilities from enthusiastic beginners and gifted amateurs to veteran competitors.
We have a fantastic venue: The Ruddock Performing Arts Centre at King Edward’s Schools, the BMF offers high quality grand pianos in both of our performance theatres and adjudicators to match.
We think the Birmingham Music Festival offers the very best in amateur music making.
We look forward to seeing you at the Festival!
The 2020 Birmingham Music Festival will take place on
10 and 11 October 2020
at
The Ruddock Performing Arts Centre at King Edward’s Schools
Edgbaston Park Road
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2UA
Our Aim:
"The object of the Festival is to advance, encourage and foster the art of music making by holding and promoting an annual competitive festival of public performances, recitals and concerts"
In partnership with:
Festival 2020
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Welcome to our 2020 website and syllabus. This will be our fourth year in the magnificent facilities at The Ruddock Performing Arts Centre. I'm not aware that any other amateur festival has a comparable venue.
As usual we have tweaked our syllabus. This year we will be holding a Beethoven 250 class. Many festivals are doing so this year of course, but in my view at least, we can never hear enough Beethoven! With a 10 minute time limit I hope that we will hear some of the music written for solo piano beyond sonata movements. Does anyone fancy having a go at the Rondos Op.51, the Fantasia Op.77, the Polonaise Op.89, or some of the sets of variations or perhaps a selection of Bagatelles? We have also adapted our Romantic class to recognise that there are other Polish Romantic piano composers beyond Chopin.
I am pleased to welcome back John Gough as one of our adjudicators after an absence of five years, and to welcome Luis Parés to the BMF for the first time. Both are experienced adjudicators and performers, and their comments and suggestions will be much appreciated.
As always, to be sure of your place at the Festival, I encourage everybody to enter early, especially those wishing to compete in the main Recital Class 20 which is usually oversubscribed.
I look forward to seeing you in October.
Richard
Richard Abel
Chairman
