Following the huge success of our 2017 Festival, we are delighted to announce that André de Ridder will take up the role of Artistic Curator for a further year. The visionary conductor and musician will continue to lead us on an exciting path for 2018, presenting a fresh perspective on iconic classical works and taking our audiences on a journey of musical discovery and exploration. Building on his 2017 Festival, André will programme authentic performances of classical masterpieces alongside bold new work from trailblazing contemporary musicians and collaborations that blur boundaries between musical genres – all delivered by the most exceptional international artists.
André de Ridder said: “There’s been a buzz around the Spitalfields Music Festival this winter, and an exciting sense of new possibilities around this location and organisation. I’m thrilled to be able to build on this by creating another Festival in 2018, and to reach out further and deeper still. There’s a wealth of creative and forward-looking ideas around us here, which we really want to share.”
Professor Maurice Biriotti, Chair of Spitalfields Music said: “This year’s collaboration with André de Ridder has proved every bit as exciting as we had all hoped. André is a powerhouse of creativity and innovative ideas. Which is why we are delighted to be able to confirm that he will extend his stint as Artistic Curator with Spitalfields Music Festival into next year. We do not yet know what he will do, but we do know that it will be about taking risks, striving for excellence and collaborating with our team and with musical artists of the very highest levels.”
Stephen Newbould our Chief Executive (maternity cover) said: “André de Ridder’s programme this year has taken our Festival’s ethos of combining the best old and new music with outstanding artists, and made striking new connections across genres, offering our audiences and participants new discoveries and adventures. I am so delighted that André has agreed to be Artistic Curator for our 2018 Festival – he is a brilliant and insightful programmer with fascinating and wide cultural reference points, and cares deeply not only about making striking programmes with fantastic artists, but also in making these widely accessible for the many communities we serve.”