KENDAL Midday Concert Club's 75th season comes to a grand conclusion with another terrific recital in store.

The Castalian String Quartet and distinguished clarinettist Robert Plane share the Kendal Town Hall stage for the final performance of alternate Wednesday lunchtime concerts on March 20.

Their programme features Haydn's String Quartet No 61 in D minor and Brahms' Clarinet Quintet in B minor.

Formed in 2011, the Castalian String Quartet studied with Oliver Willie (of the Kuss Quartet) at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media, graduating with a Master’s degree. The players have subsequently received coaching from Simon Rowland-Jones, David Waterman and Isabel Charisius.

The quartet is rapidly becoming one of the most exciting ensembles on the international chamber music scene. In 2018 the foursome received the prestigious inaugural Merito String Quartet Award and Valentin Erben Prize and won a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship Award. Among earlier awards were third prize at the 2016 Banff International String Quartet Competition and first at the 2015 Lyon International Chamber music Competition. Also, in 2016 the quartet was selected by the Young Classical Artists Trust.

The quartet gives recitals across the UK, performs at the such festivals as those at Aldeburgh, North Norfolk and Peasmarsh and undertakes residences at Saffron Hall, the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and at the Menuhin School. Future plans include debut concerts in North America and at the Konzerthaus in Vienna. During the last two years the foursome has performed widely throughout Europe with highlights, including recitals in the Hamburg Chamber Music Series. In 2017 the Castalian was resident at the Esbjerg International Chamber Music Festival in Denmark, at the Festival Musique d’Été à Suzette near Avignon and Snape Maltings.

Clarinettist Robert Plane is well-known to KMCC audiences and has enjoyed a career encompassing solo and chamber work as well as holding the principal clarinet positions in the CBSO, the Royal Northern Sinfonia and, currently, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. As guest principal clarinet he has played with some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras. He is a successful recording artist and his masterclasses are in great demand in institutions as London’s Royal Academy and Royal College and, further afield, the Beijing Central Conservatory and the San Francisco Conservatory.

The performance starts at 1pm.

Snack lunches are available from 11.50am.