00:00Good afternoon. My name is Phil Hewitt, Group Arts Editor at Sussex Newspapers and also Chairman of the Festival of Chichester.
00:08Now, over the recent years, Andrew Bernardi, you have become very important to the Festival of Chichester.
00:14It's lovely to have you there. It's lovely to have you coming back in this year.
00:18Really effectively you're giving the final concert of this year's festival, aren't you?
00:22And it's the Stradivarius Piano Trio, offering music inspired by art, inspired by music.
00:29You're at Great Ballard. It's a lovely prospect. You're going to be there on Sunday, July the 20th at 7pm.
00:35Now, it's great that you're at the festival. I reckon you must be a bit of a fan of our festival, aren't you, that you keep coming back?
00:41Each year is part of our schedule. We love being in Chichester Festival.
00:46Chichester is a magical place, set in the backdrop of Dean Hussey and Leonard Bernstein.
00:55Holst rests there, great English composer, our friends in the cathedral.
01:01So it's part of that tradition that you are here.
01:04It's the tradition and the forward-looking nature of the city and, you know, the whole ambience of Goodwood nearby with the Duke of Richmond.
01:13We've enjoyed playing there many times. And also, well, you know, it's something very, very special to us.
01:22It's lovely that you're here this year, because this year you are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the name of the Stradivarius Piano Trio.
01:29And in those 10 years, you really have established as a trio a properly international reputation, haven't you?
01:36Oh, it's very generous of you to say that. And thank you for, thanks for saying that.
01:41We really have. And, you know, we've been resident at Mao Kao University several times.
01:47I was very grateful to be honoured with a double blue, which I thought you've got those for rowing, but apparently you can get them for playing the violin and teaching in front of 300 people, which is what I did in masterclasses and Hong Kong.
01:59They're regular haunts twice a year. We have our own chapter there, actually, now through my very wonderful partner, Lynn.
02:07What is it that the trio does so well, do you think? Letting aside all modesty, why is it done so well?
02:16Well, I can't speak for myself, but I can speak for Johnny and Maria.
02:20They are the most extraordinary musicians, so generous, so kind, amongst my very best friends.
02:28And you need to ask them what they think about me, but I'm very, I'll take cover of the answer, but they're exceptional.
02:39The three of us share a musical partnership and a friendship made in heaven and something I value so much in my life.
02:47And I think they feel the same. And you cannot manufacture those things. They're absolutely genuine.
02:54And we feel very strongly and we believe so strongly in the music we create.
03:00And we've already got a lot of commissions for next year. I think we've got four composers.
03:05They're household names, all four of them, actually. And obviously in the past, Roderick Williams has written for us.
03:11We've attracted people who similarly really believe in the value of sharing music and inspiring communities to come together through it.
03:19And it's reflected in the composers who we're playing. So a great ballad.
03:24We're doing some very interesting composers because we're we've led it through the art of Michael Joseph.
03:32So we've got everything from Bob Dylan. Let me just double check out this right.
03:36Bob Dylan to George Gershwin to Tchaikovsky with his piano trio to Ravel's Bolero.
03:41All those things are included because they're all great pieces that inspired Michael's artwork and the painting display will be there.
03:51The exhibition will be there. It's a one off only that night.
03:54So you have to come if you want to see it.
03:56And Michael will be there to share what inspired him to paint those fabulous paintings.
04:01Fantastic. Well, that's brilliant. That gives me plenty. I shall get something up.
04:06Really lovely to speak to you again. Great that you're back in the Festival of Chichester.
04:10Keep on coming. It's Stradivarius Piano Trio, Sunday, July the 20th, 7pm at Great Ballard.
04:18Andrew, as always, great to speak to you.
04:21Thank you, Phil.
