LIFEM: DIGITAL | 2020
The LIFEM team has made the positive decision to move its November 2020 festival to a virtual platform, thus creating LIFEM: Digital. While this is a major change for our regular audience, customers, and also our loyal exhibitors, it is an exciting new venture and one which we hope will give you every opportunity to get involved and explore what we have to offer through concerts, workshops, makers’ demonstrations, Q&As, as well as a virtual exhibitors’ hall.
LIFEM: Digital will run for longer than our usual festival, with a whole seven days available to you, from Thursday 5 to Wednesday 11 November. All events will be streamed here on our website and our exhibitors’ hall will be available throughout the week, 24 hours a day.
LIFEM: Digital | 5-11 November 2020
LIFEM: Digital will take place online here, with a mixture of free and paid-for content, and an extensive array of instruments and accessories from leading makers around the world.
LIFEM | the Concerts
Our 2020 concert artists include renowned harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani, winner of The Society of Recorder Players/Moeck International Solo Recorder Competition 2019, Tabea Debus, and celebrated viol consort Fretwork, who will be giving the world premiere of a new work by John Paul Jones, prolific performer, composer and founding bassist of Led Zeppelin.
Fretwork
We're honoured to have Fretwork to open this year's festival. Their programme includes the world premiere of a piece by John Paul Jones commissioned by LIFEM.
Photograph: Nick White
MAHAN ESFAHANI
We're thrilled to have harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani making his debut at LIFEM this year.
Photograph: Kaja Smith
LIFEM | the Competition
The 2020 festival also sees the latest edition of the bi-annual Early Music Young Ensemble Competition, generously sponsored by The Rolex Institute, in which three finalists will compete before a distinguished panel of judges comprising Margaret Faultless, Elin Manahan Thomas and Gill Graham. Opening and closing dates for the competition are Saturday 11th July and Monday 31st August, and the winner will be announced during festival week in November. In addition to a £2,000 cash prize, the winning ensemble will be invited to perform in the 2021 festival. Click here for all the details!
LIFEM | 2019 highlights
Just a few of our favourite photos from the 2019 London International Festival of Early Music. Photographs by Anna McCarthy.