Panufnik commission is major coup for festival

Roxanna Panufnik, the 25-year-old composer daughter of Sir Andrzej, has written Powers & Dominions - a concertino for harp and orchestra and an analogy between harps and angels - for the Britten Sinfonia to perform at Malvern College on the first Saturday in November.

It is something of a coup for the festival's artistic director Peter Smith, who secured her considerable talent thanks to a shared commission.

Ms Panufnik is famed worldwide for a wide range of her written pieces including opera, ballet, music theatre, choral works, chamber music and music for film and television,

"It's a very major commission and it's important to say that to be able to meet that commission I've had to collaborate, with Music at Oxford, who put on concerts throughout the country," said Mr Smith.

It is, he went on, quite something for a town like Malvern to be collaborating in such circles.

And there is plenty more in the Autumn in Malvern line-up to tempt the music and art lovers who make an annual pilgrimage to the event.

Supported by a number of Malvern companies including Quinetiq and the Malvern Gazette & Ledbury Reporter the event, which runs from October 6 to November 3, draws heavily on the theme of Japan.

2001 is the year of Japan and its culture is being celebrated.

Exhibitions include prints from wood engravings artist Fumio Kitaoka's Beauty of the Four Seasons at Malvern Theatres from October 7-28.

Other event highlights include an illustrated talk by Sir Roy Strong on The Portrait & The English Garden at the same venue on October 13 (11am) and Aldwyn Voices at Great Malvern Priory on October 27 (1pm).

A full programme of events is now available from outlets including the Malvern Gazette & Ledbury Reporter offices.

Tickets for musical events are available from the box office at the Malvern Theatres on 01684 892277.

6 Roxanna Panufnik.