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William Howard & the Carducci String Quartet - Great piano quintets
William Howard piano
Matthew Denton violin
Michelle Fleming violin
Eoin Schmidt-Martin viola
Emma Denton cello
William Howard is one of Britain’s leading pianists, with a career that has taken him to over 40 countries. Having founded the Schubert Ensemble in 1983, he performed with them for the 35 years of its existence. As a soloist, he has appeared at many of Britain’s major festivals and halls, and has enjoyed residencies at several. William has performed multiple times on BBC Radio 3, at Wigmore Hall, and at the South Bank. He is passionate about 19th-century piano repertoire, and is particularly active in the commissioning of new works.
The Carducci String Quartet are described by The Strad as presenting ‘a masterclass in unanimity of musical purpose, in which severity could melt seamlessly into charm, and drama into geniality’. Founded in 1997, it has become one of the most versatile and accomplished ensembles of today, having mastered the core repertoire as well as branching out into contemporary genres. The group has won numerous international awards, including First Prize at Finland’s Kuhmo Chamber Music Competition, and has toured extensively within the UK and abroad.
These programmes feature four of the most important and enduringly popular works written for piano quintet, one of chamber music’s most satisfying mediums. Schumann’s radiant Quintet, written in 1842 in the afterglow of his marriage to Clara, was the first of its kind and provided the inspiration for many other composers of the Romantic Era and beyond.
In the introductory talks William Howard will be onstage with the Carducci Quartet to explore and illustrate the completely different ways in which Schumann, Brahms, Dvořák and Shostakovich employ the same combination of instruments with such brilliant and contrasting results. The four quintets are paired with two gems from the string quartet repertoire and two ground-breaking works for piano trio.
Brochure
Itinerary
Friday 20 November, 5.30pm
Mendelssohn, String Quartet No.3 in D major Op.44 No.1
Schumann, Piano Quintet in E flat major, Op.44
Saturday 21 November, 10.30am
Dvořák, Piano Trio No.4 in E minor, Op.90, ‘Dumky’
Shostakovich, Piano Quintet in G minor, Op.57
Saturday 21 November, 5.30pm
Beethoven, Piano Trio in D major, Op.70, No.1, ‘Ghost’
Brahms, Piano Quintet in F minor, Op.34
Sunday 21 November, 10.30am
Haydn, Quartet in B flat, Op.76, No.4, ‘Sunrise’
Dvořák, Piano Quintet No.2 in A major, Op.81
Expert speaker
Mr William Howard
William Howard’s distinguished career as soloist and founder/pianist of the Schubert Ensemble has taken him to over 40 different countries. He has performed regularly at major UK festivals and London venues, including Wigmore Hall and Kings Place, and can be heard on more than 40 CD recordings. He has lectured for MRT in Warsaw and Bologna.
More tours led by Mr William Howard
Practicalities
Two sharing:
Standard double US$1,640
Garden Room US$1,950
Single occupancy:
Single bedded room US$1,640
Double for sole use US$1,910
Garden Room US$2,140
Four concerts, talks on the music, accommodation for two nights, breakfasts, two afternoon teas, two dinners, interval drinks, programme, tips for hotel staff.
The Castle is renowned for its excellent service, for comforts traditional and modern, and for its superb catering. It has been owned and run by the Chapman family for over 60 years. Chamber music events have been held here since 1977, and Martin Randall Travel took over the running of them in 2003.
The hotel’s bedrooms are individually and charmingly decorated. Doubles and twins are mainly of a good size, and the largest – the Garden Rooms – overlook the garden.
There is no single-occupancy supplement for the rooms with single beds. The majority of rooms have a bath with a shower fitment.
The hotel has a lift, though some bedrooms are then accessed via stairs. The Music Room is on a mezzanine level, up a flight of stairs from the lobby.
Taunton lies on the doorstep of Exmoor and the Quantocks, areas with some of the loveliest countryside in England.
Start and finish times. The event begins on Friday 20th November with afternoon tea available from 3.00–5.00pm (check in is from 3.00pm). The final concert ends at c. 12.50pm on Sunday 22nd November.
Dates & prices
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2026
Date
Speaker
Price
Date:
20th - 22nd November 2026
Speaker:
Mr William Howard
Price:
from US$1,640
(Based on two sharing)Testimonials
“The performances were of a very high standard, and beautifully chosen.
”
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