A WORCESTER resident and ‘Britain’s greatest living composer of art songs’ is celebrating his 70th birthday.
Ian Venables, a Worcester resident, is marking the milestone with a string of concerts, premieres, and a new recording.
He will mark his milestone year with 25 concerts and recitals on both sides of the Atlantic, including 15 across the Midlands region.
The Liverpool-born composer has lived in the city since 1986, and has drawn inspiration from the surrounding countryside of the Malvern Hills and Cotswold Edge.
He said: “The landscapes of Worcestershire and the Cotswolds have inspired several of my works, including my song cycle The Song of the Severn which was written for internationally renowned baritone Roderick Williams.”
Venables has written more than 90 works in the song genre, including 12 song cycles.
His most recent, Portraits of a Mind, was commissioned and recorded by the Ralph Vaughan Williams Society and shortlisted for a Gramophone Award.
He has also composed a string quartet, a piano quintet, and a requiem.
Venables’ work has been performed by renowned artists such as Roderick Williams, Allan Clayton, Dame Sarah Connolly, and the Carducci String Quartet.
His music has been recorded on leading record labels, including SOMM, Signum, and Naxos.
This year, Venables is the featured composer at the Elgar Festival in Worcester and Malvern.
His works will be performed in Worcester Cathedral, Great Malvern Priory, and at The Firs, Elgar’s Birthplace.
He will also judge the Young Composers’ Competition and coach a Young Singers’ Masterclass with soprano April Fredrick.
A new documentary, Venables: Hidden Music, will be screened at the festival, providing a biographical journey through the composer’s music and life.
Venables said: “Some of my most important premieres have taken place in venues such as Worcester Cathedral, Cheltenham Town Hall, Gloucester Cathedral, and Great Malvern Priory.
“I am thankful that my music has found a devoted following and that I have, over the years, received commissions from some of the major music festivals in the region, particularly the Three Choirs Festival, the Cheltenham Music Festival, and the Malvern Concert Club.”
For more information about Venables and a list of concerts, visit www.ianvenables.com.
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