🗓️ Thursday 7th – Sunday 10th September 2023
Enjoy four days of classical music on the Isle of Purbeck at a range of historic venues.
The annual festival takes place in local churches & chapels, with extra events for 2023 being held at The Rex in Wareham, Dorset Museum in Dorchester and open air locations, such as Swanage’s Sandpit Field, as part of the Swanage Folk Festival.
Purbeck International Chamber Music Festival (PICMF) has grown into a hugely popular and unique event in Dorset after it began life as part of local art festival Purbeck Art Weeks.
The classical music festival comprises eight concerts across four days, curated and led by Dorset-born cellist and artistic director Natalie Clein.
Additional events for 2023 include a book launch & performance (London Yiddishtown, Vivi Lachs), a film screening (1946 film noir Deception) accompanied by cello concerto, and a free family concert in Swanage on the Saturday morning.
The PICMF also aims to nurture a love of classical music within the community and amongst children, with workshops and musical masterclasses held within the local schools.
Each year the festival has a theme – the theme for 2023 is ‘Forgotten Voices’.
Programme
Thursday 7th September
- Forgotten Genius – Works by Schubert, Glière, Kurtag, Weinberg. 3pm, St Mary’s Chapel in Lulworth
- She/Her/They – Madeleine Dring Shakespeare songs, plus Bosmans, Schumann, Younghi pagh-Paan & Amy Beach, at St George’s Church, Langton Matravers, 7.30pm (Plus live painting to music of Bosman’s portrait by artist Katharina Ziemke)
Friday 8th September
- Conversations Between Ourselves – Bartock, Oliver Greif, Yiddish folk songs & more. 11am at St Nicholas’ Church in Studland
- Book launch: London Yiddishtown – Words & songs with performer & author Vivi Lachs, Dorset Museum in Dorchester, 5pm
- The Voice of the Soul – Schubert, Bloch and Yiddish song, 7pm, Dorset Museum
Saturday 9th September
- Family Concert – The whole family can enjoy Hungarian folk music and more at this free concert in Swanage in collaboration with the Swanage Folk Festival. At Sandpit Field, from 10am
- Solo – Solo cello and violin performances of Bela Bartok, James Helgeson and Domenico Gabrielli, St Nicholas’ Church, Worth Matravers, 11am
- Film screening & concerto: Deception – At The Rex, 3.30pm
- Forgotten Memories – Music by Dvorak, Kurt Weill, Josef Suk & Rebecca Clarke, 7.30pm, Lady St Mary Church, Wareham
Sunday 10th September
- Enduring Voices – The music of Schulhof, Dick Kattenburg & Mieczyslaw Weinberg, at St James’ Church, Kingston, 11.30am
Tickets
Buy a festival pass, which gives you full access to all concerts, or pay for individual performances.
- Festival Pass – £150
- Adult, individual concert – £10 – £25/£30 (depending on venue/concert type)
- Student & concessions – £10
- Film & performance – £8 – £18
- Under 25s – Free
- Family concert – Free
- Book launch – Free
Find this year’s full programme and purchase tickets online: picmf.org/programme-2023/
Contact details
Full festival information and contact details can be found on the Purbeck International Chamber Music Festival website:
- ℹ️ picmf.org/en/
- 📧 info@picmf.org