Newly Discovered Imogen Holst Violin Concerto Receives Premiere

The newly uncovered concerto will receive its first public performance on November 24, 2024, in London by violinist Midori Komachi

As part of her latest project bridging UK and Japanese cultures through music, violinist Midori Komachi is reviving a neglected violin concerto written by the British composer Imogen Holst in 1935. 

The premiere is a result of Komachi’s research and discovery of the manuscript of Holst’s Concerto for Violin and Strings at the Archive of the Britten Pears Arts in Aldeburgh. Since then, the score of the concerto has been published by Faber Music. 

On November 24, 2024, Komachi will give the first public performance of the concerto with the Elgar Sinfonia conducted by Adrian Brown at London’s St. Andrew’s Church in Holborn, at 4.30 PM.

To attend the premiere, click here. Following this performance, Komachi will return to Japan for a live broadcast from OTTAVA and a Lecture Recital at the Asahi Culture Centre.

Born in 1907 in England, Imogen Holst was educated at St. Paul’s Girls’ School, where her father, Gustav Holst, was music director. In 1926, she studied with Herbert Howells before attending the Royal College of Music, where she was mentored by George Dyson, Gordon Jacob, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and William H. Reed. 

Also an arranger, conductor, educator, and dancer, she was a significant figure in the musical life of mid-20th century Britain, when it was rare to see a woman on the podium and composing music. Holst also supported the administration of the Aldeburgh Festival, and was her father’s biographer, editor, and cataloguer.

A full list of her music works can be found here.

“Encountering the manuscript of this Violin Concerto at the Archive, Britten Pears Arts has been one of the most thrilling moments in my career,” Komachi said in the press release. “Each note, meticulously handwritten by the composer, seems to radiate her energy, musicality, and personality. 

“The piece features numerous quotations of Irish folk melodies and carries a subtle influence from Vaughan Williams’ ‘Concerto Accademico’, making it highly approachable and appealing for any music enthusiast,” she continued. “I believe this Concerto has the potential to become a staple in the repertoire and a valuable educational tool for young musicians, as its techniques are not overly demanding but still offer plenty of engaging twists. This music deserves to be heard, much like the works of composers she collaborated with, such as Britten and Gustav Holst.”

“As a female composer myself, I find great inspiration in her resilience and dedication to serving others through music,” Komachi added. “It is a true honor to give the first public performance of this Concerto alongside conductor Adrian Brown, who had known Imogen personally. I am deeply thankful to the Archive, Britten Pears Arts for their invaluable assistance, and to Colin Matthews at the Holst Foundation for bringing the score publication to fruition through Faber Music.”

An internationally acclaimed violinist and composer, Komachi made her solo debut at the age of 12 with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra conducted by Howard Griffiths. She has since concertized across Europe and Japan in venues such as Tonhalle Zurich, the Warsaw Philharmonic, and Wigmore Hall.