Home » News & Articles » 2020 » Beethoven 2020 gets under way!

Beethoven 2020 gets under way!

This January sees the beginning of a year-long Festival in Cambridge to celebrate the achievements of the composer on the 250th anniversary of his birth.
beethoven-button-1-300x300
10 Jan 2020

This January sees the beginning of a year-long Festival in Cambridge to celebrate the achievements of composer Ludwig van Beethoven on the 250th anniversary of his birth. Beethoven2020 is designed to appeal to a wide variety of audiences and will include performances of his music, an academic conference, lectures and talks, exhibitions, film and poetry and new compositions inspired by the music of Beethoven.

The idea of King's alumna Jude Douglass (KC 1977) and Nicholas Marston (KC 2001), our very own Vice Provost and a distinguished Beethoven scholar, the Festival will be a great way for amateurs and aficionados alike to explore Beethoven’s repertoire in a variety of settings. As well as concerts by professional artists, the Festival includes performances by local amateur musical groups, events designed for children, stand-alone talks and a one-day conference on the Missa Solemnis. Among the special activities planned are:

  • A comic opera for children, by composer Simon Brown (KC 1977)
  • A symphonic work on themes of Beethoven for children, by composer Joy Lisney (KC 2016)
  • Rachel Stroud (KC 2015) and her Eliot Quartet playing Beethoven's string quartets in unusual venues
  • A competition for new music composed from fragments of Beethoven’s original writing, organised by Stephane Crayton (KC 2014) and Richard Causton (KC 2012)

To find out more about Beethoven2020 please visit the website or Follow the Festival on Facebook.

 Join in the Festival

If you are planning a musical or other event in 2020 that you think could be part of the Festival, or would be interested in giving a talk on a topic related to Beethoven's life or works, please contact the Festival Co-ordinator.

Support the Festival

The Beethoven2020 Festival is run by a non-profit organisation and all the committee and helpers are unpaid. Many of the Festival's events, including the closing concert, are directly organised by Beethoven2020 and require donations to cover the costs. To support the Festival you can choose to make a donation online or contact the Festival Co-ordinator directly.
 

Similar Entries

festival_programme

Festival marks 50 Years of Women at King's

29 Jun 2023

The event was the culmination of a year-long programme of events to mark the anniversary of the admission of women as students to King’s.

Read more
choir-stalls-candles_0

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

28 Oct 2018

Details of tickets available for the general public.

Read more
021_colour_hi-res_-_judith_weir_19sep14_c_b_ealovegasquare

King’s announces Christmas Eve carol composer

6 Nov 2018

King's alumna and Master of the Queen's Music, Judith Weir, has composed this year's commissioned carol.

Read more
vwelbanks_pascal_ancel_bartholdi

February New Music at King's

18 Jan 2018

Chapel Lates 9th February and Composers Ensemble at Keynes Hall on 16th February 

Read more
kate_whitley

King's alumna premières new composition

4 Jul 2018

A composition by King's alumna Kate Whitley (KC 2007) was premièred in Trafalgar Square on Sunday 29th June by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by the Orchestra's Music Director Sir Simon Rattle.

Read more
img-20230602-wa0005

King's student takes performance on tour to Italy

3 Jun 2023

Graduate student Stephane Crayton (KC 2014) joined forces with alumna Rachel Stroud (KC 2015) and Dante scholar Lorenzo Bastida to present 3 Dreams to audiences across Tuscany.

Read more
michaeltaplin_pic_lso_panufnik

2020 CBSO scholars announced

14 Feb 2020

Katrina Toner and Michael Taplin have been selected to have their compositions workshopped and professionally recorded by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

Read more
quasar_providedbyjameswang_crop

Quasar, with keyboardist James Wang (KC 2020), wins University’s band competition

6 Mar 2024

Quasar was crowned the winner of this year’s Take it to the Bridge band competition at the Cambridge Junction on Friday 1 March.

Read more

Follow us on Instagram

View more
 
If you've read the latest edition of @cambridgeuniversity's CAM magazine you'll know all about two of room U2's residents, so we were delighted when alumnus Matthew Lee (KC 1988) got in touch to share his own memories. "U2, Bodley's Court was my room too! Specifically my third year as an undergraduate (1990-1991) and well I remember that bitter winter when the River Cam froze. That's me in the photo - brushing my teeth as I recall - taken by my Queens' girlfriend - and now wife! I was amused to see that the curtains, desk and general décor look not to have changed one jot; albeit the former seem to have faded a little!" Do you have any memories of your King's student room? 📷: 1: Matthew in U2, 1990-1991 2-3: Phil Wang and current U2 Bodley's resident George for CAM, 2025. 4: Zadie Smith (KC 1994) and student Romeo in Bodley's Court Room V6 for CAM, 2024, © Megan Taylor. #CambridgeAlumni #MRYR #MyRoomYourRoom #StudentMemories
 
👀Spotted on Scholars' Piece: a fox, her four cubs, and a deer! With thanks to the talented - and very patient - @TrinityHallCamb student @J.Clarkson.Photography for capturing these glimpses of wildlife in the heart of King's. 🦊📷 #CambridgeWildlife #WildlifePhotography #NatureInCambridge 📷 - @J.Clarkson.Photography
 
The @TrinCollCam Musical Theatre Programme is a brand-new scheme which offers outstanding vocalists from across @cambridgeuniversity the chance to work over the academic year with internationally-recognised voice teacher @CameronORichardson. 17 students were chosen for the pilot programme from a large number of applications and they have had coaching sessions over the year. The concert on 8 May was the culmination of that work and an opportunity to showcase the musical theatre talent in the University. Part of this first cohort is King’s MPhil student @kaetlyn_liddy (Social Anthropology) who told us as she crossed the Front Court on her way to this very special concert: “I’ll be singing a song called ‘I Wish It So’ from the musical Juno. I’ve learned so much from the Trinity Musical Theatre Programme, particularly from my individual lessons with Cameron Richardson-Eames. Making progress as a singer can sometimes be very gradual or subtle, but I have learned so quickly and effectively in my time with Cameron. Pursuing a career in musical theatre is something I have always been interested in, but I’ve historically found it difficult to balance my academic and artistic goals. This programme has not only helped me develop my technique and artistry as a singer, but reminded me how much I love performing and musical theatre as a creative medium. I find music to be such a nice escape from my academic work, especially as a master’s student, and it only enhances my ability to thrive in that sphere of my life as well. I feel lucky to have been able to do both at a high level this term. It’s not a very common opportunity for most graduate students to continue a creative passion once academic work begins to get more consuming, so I’m very grateful to have been in the first cohort of this wonderful programme.”
  
“My mum had a flyer for IntoUniversity and I looked at it and thought “I want to go there”. I wanted to come because I imagined a different space from home where I could focus even more.” In March, we launched our new Middlesbrough centre in partnership with @kings.college. We’re pleased to now share a video with highlights from the launch event, featuring: 🎙️ Interviews with Sarah, our Centre Leader, and Myfanwy Hill, Senior Tutor at King’s 🎤 Inspiring moments from the speeches 🌟 A look back at a truly special day! 🎥 Rachel Close #Middlesbrough #IntoUniversity #KingsCollegeCambridge #IUCommunities #IUPartnerships #IUImpact @kings_outreach
 
Last week we were joined by the wonderful Sandi Toksvig OBE for our annual Turing Lecture. In her informative talk, Sandi covered everything from gender bias, experimenting with AI and concluded with a toast to Alan Turing himself.💻🥃 Thank you to everyone who made this year's event possible. Keep your 👀peeled for the recording of Sandi's lecture, available on our YouTube page soon. #SandiToksvig #AI #AlanTuring #MappaMundi @camsociology @christscollegecambridge @girtoncollege
 
An autograph manuscript of Jane Austen’s 'Sanditon' has gone on loan to Harewood House in Yorkshire as part of their new exhibition ‘Austen and Turner: A Country House Encounter’. The manuscript was gifted to King’s in 1930 by Jane’s great-great niece Mary Isabella Lefroy, who was the sister-in-law of King's Provost Augustus Austen Leigh (1840-1905). 👉 Learn more about the exhibition and King's surprising Austen connection: external link 📷taken by College Librarian James on his visit to Harewood House #JaneAusten #Sanditon #PrideAndPrejudice #Archives
  
Our third speaker at the Sermon before the University, Rabbi Charley Baginsky, CEO of Liberal Judaism, offers her thoughts.
  
Reflections from Reverend Prebendary Isabelle Hamley, Principal of Ridley Hall and speaker at today’s Sermon before the University.
  
Reflections from Zara Mohammed former Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, one of today’s speakers at the Sermon before the University
 
The annual Sermon Before the University will take place this Sunday in the College Chapel. Unlike previous years, this year's sermon will feature not one, but three different speakers - The Reverend Prebendary Dr Isabelle Hamley (Principal, Ridley Hall), Rabbi Charley Baginsky (CEO, @Liberal.Judaism) and @Zara_M02 (Ex-Officio, @muslimcouncil.uk) Speaking on the topic of 'Finding Beauty, inviting joy', this is a wonderful opportunity to hear from three women who will speak from the perspectives of each of the great Abrahamic faiths. We hope you can join us! Find out more 👉 external link
 
Spring into King's this season and join Head Gardener Steve Coghill for a guided tour around our beautiful gardens. 🌻🌷💮 This May and June we'll be opening our doors to the public for a chance to explore and learn more about the College's gardening initiatives. 👉Head to external link for more info and to book your tickets! #KingsGardens #GardenTour #VisitKings #SpringGardening
 
We're delighted to be joined by guest speaker Sandi Toksvig OBE for our annual Alan Turing Lecture, Thursday 8 May at 5.00pm. The Alan Turing Lecture, launched in 2017, is given by a leading authority from a key discipline on which Turing's work has had greatest impact. This year's lecture will examine how academic investigation may be skewed by confirmation bias and socially engineered distortions. All are welcome to join this online event. 👉 Register at:external link #SandiToksvig #AI #AlanTuring @camsociology @christscollegecambridge @girtoncollege