UK's Cowbridge Music Festival Names its Young Ensemble for 2023

Quartet Draig will participate in coaching sessions and give a concert at the Welsh festival

The Cowbridge Music Festival in Wales recently announced that the Welsh ensemble Quartet Draig will be its Young Ensemble for the 2023 edition of the festival. As such, the quartet will participate in coaching sessions run by the festival's co-artistic directors, Rosalind Ventris and Joseph Fort, and will also work with the Welsh violist Matthew Jones.

As part of their residency, the ensemble will also give a free public concert on September 21. The repertoire includes Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12 "American", Howard Blake's A Month in the Country, and a new work by the quartet themselves. Titled Am Awen, the piece is structured around a number of Welsh folk songs.

Comprising Elliot Kempton and Anna Holmes (violins), Ben Norris (viola), and Tabitha Selley (cello), Quartet Draig received the Albion String Quartet and the Bridgewood & Neitzert prizes at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, where all four members studied.

They have a particular focus on music which contributes to the revival of Welsh culture, and are curating a new concert program entitled Welsh Tales and Folklore — which is set to include works by Mark David Boden, David Vaughan Thomas, and the quartet themselves.

"[We are] looking forward to performing at Cowbridge Music Festival on 21st September, where we'll be joined by Jess Louise Meakin on 2nd violin!" the quartet wrote. "Also very excited to showcase our work 'Am Awen' which incorporates a variety of Welsh folk tunes alongside other repertoire which we love!"