You have to work a little to find the contemporary music amongst the long list of composers represented at the 2014 BBC Proms (18th July – 13th September). Sadly, there is no First Night of the Proms première this year, the organisers instead opting for a complete performance of Elgar’s The Kingdom. July does, however, see a number of interesting concerts, including the posthumous world première of John Tavener’s Gnosis on 23rd; the world première of Gabriel Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto on 29th; and the European première of Roxanna Panufnik’s Three Paths to Peace. There’s even a Pet Shop Boys concert on 23rd, including the première of A Man from the Future.
The Cheltenham Music Festival runs from 2nd to 13th July. It is one of the UK’s livelier and interesting events, with its own composers’ course and a good range of contemporary music to enjoy. This year this includes world premières of Nicola LeFanu’s Japanese-inspired opera Tokaido Road; new works by Tom Stewart and Gavin Higgins played by the Fidelio Trio; a new percussion quintet from Graham Fitkin; and Pluck from the Air, a brand new quintet from John Woolrich. Other composers represented include Michael Zev Gordon, Piers Hellawell, Arlene Sierra, Philip Cashian, Steve Martland and, in a performance of his seminal Different Trains,Steve Reich.
Two operas by HK Gruber stand out in the Bregenzer Festspiele (23rd July to 25th August). The title of Tales from the Vienna Woods, which receives its première on 23rd July, derives from a play by the Austro-Hungarian writer Ödön von Horváth, a bitter satire about the mendacity and brutality of the petite bourgeoisie. On 31st there is also the chance to see his Gloria – a pigtale, a satirical opera that tells the story of a pig who falls in love with a butcher.
The Festival ’Aix en Provence has been running since 16th May. There are a few interesting concerts this month before the festival ends on 24th July. There is the world première of a new work for string quartet by Jérôme Combier on 10th, which will be played alongside Bartók’s String Quartet No. 5 and Manfred Trojahn’s String Quartet No. 3. There are several other works by Trojahn to enjoy on 13th July, not to mention the chance to hear Ligeti’s Piano Concerto in the same programme. On 12th July, finally, will be a concert of contemporary masterpieces after Francesca Verunelli’s and Sebastian Rivas’ compositions.