Cornwall LivingIssue #88
Making waves
Introducing FestWest PZ – an all-new Cornish festival showcasing leading international artists alongside home-grown talent in Penzance.
Set to take place between 18th and 22nd September this year, the idea for FestWest PZ came from the opportunity of hearing concertos on the Hall for Cornwall’s Steinway piano, which is currently being housed in St Mary’s Church on Chapel Street in Penzance while renovations are carried out. Bringing together IMS Prussia Cove, Tim Boulton, Tim Dean, Penlee Theatre, The Acorn and Exchange Penzance, this new festival is supported by Penzance BID and hopes to become an annual highlight!
“Thanks to its stunning coastal backdrop, beautiful architecture and maritime history, it provides the perfect setting for a celebration of the arts”
Penzance has been synonymous with the arts over the centuries, with a history of nurturing innovators and creative talent. Thanks to its stunning coastal backdrop, beautiful architecture and maritime history, it provides the perfect setting for a celebration of the arts.
There are events in venues across Penzance, including St Mary’s Church, Penlee Theatre, The Acorn Theatre and St John’s Hall, with a line-up of international stars including IMS Prussia Cove, who are renowned for understanding the fruitful relationship between nature and music, and the inspiration that this part of Cornwall can offer to both artists and audiences. Many of the world’s leading soloists have attended IMS’ seminars and acknowledge how much their playing owes to the magical influence of time spent in Cornwall, and former students and participants of the seminars can be found among the leaders of some of the world’s greatest orchestras!
This year’s productions include Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Debussy’s Estampes, Haydn String Quartet’s Op. 77 No. 1, and Thomas Ades’ The Four Quarters. Highlights of a strong recital programme include Susan Tomes, Charles Owen and Dominic Degavino, plus the Castalian and John Law Quartets.
If this sounds like your idea of a festival heaven, you’ll be pleased to know that Penzance is home to a superb selection stays, so you can pick the perfect base from which to enjoy all FestWest PZ has to offer. Whether your taste demands a luxury guesthouse, a self-catering cottage, countryside bed and breakfast or a boutique hotel, you’re well catered for here. And, when it comes to sating that inevitable sea-air appetite, Penzance has been described as ‘Cornwall’s new foodie capital’. Indeed, it’s become well known for superb food and drink, hiding some of the region’s most exciting pubs and restaurants in tucked-away locations along its historic streets.
Tickets, which are available from £9, with concessions available for those under 25, can be purchased online or from the Box Office at The Minack Theatre. For more information about this exciting new festival, be sure to visit the website.
Getting there
Forming a gateway to the Land’s End peninsula, Penzance is one of the UK’s farthest-flung towns. But that doesn’t mean getting here has to be a hassle! With excellent connections from major destinations, you can arrive by train, plane, car or coach ñ the choice is yours!
FestWest PZ
"Thanks to its stunning coastal backdrop, beautiful architecture and maritime history, it provides the perfect setting for a celebration of the arts"
