Sadly I must begin by noting that our long-standing treasurer and committee member Anne Fingland died in March 2024. She was an enthusiastic and extremely able colleague whose contribution to KMS has become increasingly apparent as we attempt to take on her many activities. We shall all miss her. The concert on 29 November will be dedicated to her memory.
Our 2024-2025 season starts with the young Ukranian pianist Khrystyna Mykhailichenko recommended by Peter Podmore, our President of many years. We end with another pianist with a long and distinguished career, SusanTomes, who now lives back in Edinburgh, where she spent her schooldays. In between, we have a welcome return of Peter Moore (with pianist Zeynep Oszuca) Amazingly, he is still in his twenties, but has 10 years of experience in the London Symphony Orchestra under his belt. Dominic Degavino returns, not in duo formation but with his award winning Mithras Piano Trio and Lumas Winds promise a varied programme of music to showcase the possibilities of the wind quintet format. Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) provides us with our remaining two concerts – an opportunity to hear an evening of music for oboe and piano provided by Armand Djikoloum and Iyad Sughayer and a lovely programme from the young French quartet, the Quatuor Agate. Once more we have a mix of well established and developing artists of the highest standard. I look forward to seeing you and your friends at these concerts.
James Young
President Kelso Music Society