About Us
Shaldon Festival is a registered charity, run entirely by volunteers, and it relies on local sponsorship, individual donations and grants to keep ticket prices affordable. Our aim is to continue to welcome world-class musicians and rising stars of the future to our village and to reach out to the younger generation by organising workshops for local school pupils.
The Festival was founded in 1990 by Eileen Croxford Parkhouse as a memorial concert to celebrate the life of her husband David Parkhouse, who lived his life in Teignmouth and Shaldon. David was professor of Piano at the Royal College of Music and he and Eileen (cellist) were founder members of the Music Group of London, performing both in the UK and internationally over a period spanning four decades. The first festival of classical music proved so successful that it was decided to make it an annual event based at Shaldon Parish Church.
Eileen also set up the Parkhouse Award in David’s memory to encourage the best in piano chamber music. The Award, to the winners of a biennial international competition which takes place at the Wigmore Hall, is a prize for outstanding young chamber music ensembles. It enables them to launch their careers in the most practical way possible with a series of concerts in prestigious halls in London and elsewhere. Shaldon Festival maintains a close connection with the Parkhouse Award, with winners regularly invited to perform at the Festival.