Violin concerto at music festival

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A music festival which two years ago feared it might close is to host a UK premiere by one of Wales' most famous contemporary composers.

Karl Jenkins is to conduct the performance of his new violin concerto himself at Fishguard in Pembrokeshire.

The performance is one of the highlights of Fishguard International Music Festival which this year celebrates its 40th anniversary.

Jenkins said conducting his new work was a way of supporting the festival.

He said: "Obviously, it's a very well-known festival. But I think it's been - I won't say in decline - but it's been regenerating, I think is a better word.

"I was asked (to take part) and I was happy to say yes.

"Originally, they wanted to do a concert of all my music (but) the resources there didn't lend itself to doing (it).

"It wouldn't have really been practical to do the whole concert of my music. So we decided to do Palladio and the violin concerto."

Jenkins said he was commissioned to compose the violin concerto by a Kazak businessman who is a patron of the arts.

He said the three-part work was "quite optimistic," with the opening movement being medium tempo with a "baroque feel".

He described the middle movement as "romantic and sensuous" while the closing movement was a "manic Kazak dance-type thing".

He said: "The beauty of commissions is there is always a deadline and you have got to finish. I know lots of composers who just keep fiddling and fiddling.

"If there's no date to release it, it just goes on forever.

"And people do - they mess with it and change it, but if someone else is paying for it and there's a concert and a recording, then it's got to go at some point."

The violin concerto has been performed in New York and Mumbai, but its UK premiere is in the school hall at Fishguard's Ysgol Bro Gwaun at 1930 BST on Thursday.

The festival began last Friday with an opening gala at St Davids Cathedral with orchestra of Welsh National Opera, with conductor James Lowe and piano soloist Peter Donohoe.