"A Good Conversation"

Hans Haffmans in conversation with Simon Keenlyside

Music was a matter of course when Simon Keenlyside was growing up, as his father and grandfather were violinists in the Aeolian Quartet: ‘From childhood I heard them rehearsing, their conversations and giggles ... Every day I listened to Mozart, Beethoven and Haydn.’ Yet his keen interest in nature won out when he had to choose a field of study. It became zoology. And still, besides singing, he likes nothing better than spending time on his own farm in Wales: ‘Because then I have the chance to see things no one else gets to see. Except maybe David Attenborough.’

Hans Haffmans, who has spoken with Robert Holl and Claron McFadden at past festivals, now talks to world-renowned baritone Simon Keenlyside about his impressive career as well as his love of nature. In an interview with The Guardian, he said: ‘Songs about nature are not necessarily by the best poets, but they speak to me. And everything that can happen in a life - the good and the bad - is somewhere in a box of sheet music for lieder’

More information and tickets

Simon will give a recital with Malcolm Martineau at the International Lied Festival Zeist on Saturday 23 May at 8.15 pm.

Recital information and tickets