From 16th century composer, prince and assassin Carlo Gesualdo, to the outspoken lesbian and imprisoned suffragette Ethel Smyth, via Dmitri Shostakovich, declared an ‘enemy of the people’ by Stalin’s regime, all have had to answer for their actions or opinions. Quatuor Agate bring together the unique lives of ‘outlaw’ musicians who not only composed outside the musical norms of their time but also acted on the fringes of societal norms. With costumes, lighting and image projections, this immersive and fascinating Sunday morning concert is introduced by Princess Eleonora d’Este, the second wife of Carlo Gesualdo (he had murdered his first), who narrates the dark legend of her husband.

The Paris-based Quatuor Agate have been performing and innovating since 2016. Just weeks after their inception, they created the CorsiClassic festival in Corsica to bring chamber music to diverse audiences, and have gone on to collect armfuls of competition prizes, garner critical acclaim and perform around the globe.

Rising Stars are nominated by the artistic directors of Europe’s most prestigious venues which are members of the European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO).

An hour-long Sunday morning concert, with coffee/tea and a slice of cake available before the concert, included in your ticket