Divine Art to release 4th album of music by Lydia Kakabadse

British born composer Lydia Kakabadse enjoys a multi-cultural heritage (Greek/Austrian mother and Georgian/Russian father) which deeply informs her musical output. Her new album, currently being recorded in London, features an even more diverse range of music than her previous albums, incorporating ethnic instruments into Western music. Making much use of the ‘alternative string quartet’ (violin viola, cello and double bass), the title track Kefi also introduces the Greek Bouzouki. While demonstrating a wide diversity of textures and styles, overall the music is coloured by use of the double harmonic scale. As well as a number of chamber works the highlight of the album is the choral work Thirty Steps commissioned by the Hellenic Institute at Royal Holloway whose choir, widely regarded as among the best mixed-voice choirs in Britain today, perform the work here. The other performers here are all experienced and very well regarded in their own fields.

The album (titled Kefi) will be scheduled for release in the early summer of 2024.

The composer

British born Lydia Kakabadse, a “very gifted and accessible composer” whose music is “so instantly appealing” (MusicWeb International), composes mainly choral, chamber and vocal music. Her works include string quartets, string duet, mixed ensembles, songs, musical dramas, cantata, concert Requiem Mass and sacred/secular choral works for male voices, mixed choir (SATBB) and children’s choir. Due to her multi-cultural parentage (Greek/Austrian mother and Georgian/Russian father), Lydia was brought up in the Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox faith and draws inspiration from Orthodox Church music – “Kakabadse’s talent at writing in the Greek Orthodox music style is supreme” (Tamvakos Archive). She has been included as a Greek heritage classical composer in the “Archive of Classical Greek Composers.” Her distinctive style has also been inspired by medieval music as well as Greek and Middle Eastern dance (which she previously taught at adult education centres). Lydia is an avid Latin enthusiast and has written original texts in Latin for her vocal works. Beginning piano lessons at the age of five, then studying the double bass during her teens under Ida Carroll OBE, Lydia went on to read music at Royal Holloway, University of London. Keen to promote the double bass in her chamber works, Lydia’s string quartets are scored for violin, viola, cello & double bass – a timbral combination which works well, with the double bass adding a great richness and abundance of colour to the quartet’s sonority. Lydia’s works have been released on CD under the Naxos and Divine Art record labels to critical acclaim: “highly recommended disc” (Music for Several Instruments); “a must-have CD” (The Chronicle). Choral commissions include I Remember commissioned by Forest Preparatory School for the Bellevue Education Northern Music Festival and the “stunning and ambitious Odyssey” (New Classics) commissioned by The Hellenic Institute of Royal Holloway, University of London to mark its 25th Anniversary (2018). Both these works feature in Lydia’s choral/vocal album, Ithaka, released by Divine Art.

Her works have been included in music festivals in the UK and abroad and excerpts from her choral album Cantica Sacra were included in a dance act on TV show “Britain’s Got Talent” in May 2020. Her popular string quartet, Russian Tableaux, has twice been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 to mark International Women’s Day. Her compositions have been performed by acclaimed chamber ensembles and choirs, including The Rossetti Ensemble, Choir of Gloucester Cathedral and collegiate Choirs of Gonville & Caius College Cambridge, Clare College Cambridge and Royal Holloway. Lydia is currently undertaking a PhD in ethnomusicology at Royal Holloway.

Album details

Title: Kefi
Label: Divine Art
Catalogue number: DDX 21129
Composer: Lydia Kakabadse
Works and performers:

Thirty Steps (choir with harp, flute and percussion)
- Choir of Royal Holloway; Rupert Gough (Conductor)
- With Cecily Beer (harp); Mary Bull (flute); Tom Wagner (percussion)
Kefi
Nomadic Dances
The Feast of Herod
Variation on a Theme of Anton Diabelli
- Leon Bosch (double bass); Dimitris Gionis (Greek bouzouki); The Rossetti Ensemble