A celebration of Imogen Holst (1907 - 1984)
As the world celebrates 150 years since the birth of Gustav Holst, the RPS casts a spotlight on his daughter Imogen who deserves equal celebration.
Imogen Holst (1907 - 1984) lived an extraordinary life in music, in ways we all might dream of doing, as a composer, conductor, arranger, teacher, organiser and enabler. Years ahead of her time, she devoted herself to helping communities find strength through music, setting principles yet treasured by those working in such contexts today. We bring together four women working in music to discuss her life and times, to illuminate her endeavours and legacy, and to paint a fresh portrait of Imogen Holst as a national treasure in her own right.
With this year’s RPS Award-winning book Quartet, writer Leah Broad has shone fresh light on women whose musical achievements we should all know better. Joining her are conductor Alice Farnham who has newly recorded Imogen Holst’s forgotten orchestral works, Gillian Moore whose accomplishments as a leading organiser and educator have drawn fuel from Imogen’s own, and viola player Rosalind Ventris who champions Imogen’s music, and will perform her Suite for Viola live as part of our event.
