The two decades since his death have seen Polish-born Mieczysław Weinberg (1919-1996, above) belatedly acknowledged as the leading Soviet composer of the generation after Shostakovich.

The year of his centenary is being launched with a four-day conference at the University of Manchester. Co-sponsored by the British Academy and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute Institute, Warsaw, it will feature presentations from a number of Weinberg specialists.

The conference is co-convened by Prof David Fanning (University of Manchester) and Dr Michelle Assay (Universite de Paris Sorbonne), whose study of Weinberg’s music is to be published by Toccata Press later this year.

Running parallel to the conference is a cycle of Weinberg’s string quartets, given over seven lunchtime and evening concerts by the Quatuor Danel, whose complete recording of these works (for CPO) forms the centrepiece of a now extensive Weinberg discography. You can listen to the six volumes of the Quatuor Danel cycle of Weinberg quartets on Spotify. Vol. 1 is listed below:

https://open.spotify.com/album/2K4IGwTals8fngqCE9bLc5?si=8eo6oNLwQOe41o-BcD46aAAlongside two recitals of instrumental pieces and songs, the whole event provides ample confirmation of Weinberg’s significance during a time when interest in his music has never been greater.

Between East and West will be held at the Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama, University of Manchester, starting this Thursday 24 January. Further information on the conference can be found here, while for more information on the Quatuor Danel cycle head here. Meanwhile to discover more on Weinberg himself, click on this link