Trigger warning; this concert suggests themes of suicide and mental health issues.

We regret that Idunnu Münch will no longer be able to perform due to illness, but we are grateful to Rosie Middleton for stepping in.

Broken sounds and broken instruments, an uncompromising portrayal of the mind.

This semi-staged concert is based on our preconceptions of mental illness, with each piece having a connection to the psychology of the mind – centred around Peter Maxwell Davies‘ harrowing depiction of the ‘madness’ of King George III.

Maxwell Davies was a key member of the Manchester School of Composers, who reshaped the landscape of British music in the late 20th century. 8 Songs for a Mad King is a melodrama with a libretto based on the real-life observations of King George III, presenting an extravagant and disturbing portrayal of his condition. 

Vocalising weirdly as he bemoans his fate, trying to teach his instrumentalist-birds to sing – our musicians becoming projections from within his own mind.

Fun fact: King George III is actually the same monarch who is featured in the hit musical, ‘Hamilton’ – portraying him in a completely different light.

In our interpretation of this shocking masterwork, the protagonist role of King George III will be brought to life by the Mezzo-Soprano Rosie Middleton. Through her performance, she gives voice to the narratives surrounding mental illness, particularly those shaped by the female experience.

By Gis and by Saint Charity is a short and effective setting of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, drawing us into Ophelia’s claustrophobic inner world.

Composer and Pianist Schumann was to spend his final years in an asylum; he was 46 at the time of his death. In hindsight, it is hard for us to resist hearing a foreshadowing of doom in the uncanny march of the concluding section of Kreisleriana.

Brace yourself for this theatre classic, where the music screams, whispers, and unravels at the brink of madness.

Stoller Hall, Manchester | 5th June >

King's Place, London | 6th June >

Programme

• Errollyn Wallen By Gis and By Saint Charity
• Judith Weir Blue Green Hill
• Schumann arr.Parkin Kreisleriana
• Peter Maxwell Davies 8 Songs for a Mad King

Performed by

• Conductor John Andrews
• Mezzo Soprano Rosie Middleton (8 Songs for a Mad King)
• Soprano Rebecca Hardwick (By Gis and By Saint Charity)
• Movement/Stage Direction Company Chameleon

We begin with ‘Lanolin’ by Anna Meredith, a composer known for her bold, imaginative approach to sound. This piece gently draws you in with its rich textures and shifting tones – a quiet invitation to listen differently.

Beethoven’s String Trio in D is a work full of energy, known for its technical challenges and invention. It’s a piece that showcases Beethoven’s early brilliance and his instinct to challenge musical norms.

Meredith’s ‘Scrying’ brings a change of pace – rhythmic, playful, and full of surprises. Merging elements of contemporary classical with electronica and experimental rock, it’s a vivid example of her innovative style.

The evening ends with Beethoven’s Septet, a charming and elegant work that was an instant hit in its time. Over two centuries later, it still feels as fresh and alive as it did back then!

Programme

• Anna Meredith Tripotage Miniature I. ‘Lanolin’
• Beethoven String Trio in D, No 2   
• Anna Meredith Tripotage Miniature V. ‘Scrying’ 
• Beethoven Septet 

Performed By

• Manchester Camerata

“Football is the ballet of the masses.” – Dmitri Shostakovich (music composer)

Hosted by Classic FM and sports presenter Karthi Gnanasegaram, who knows her way around a football pitch as well as a stadium anthem!

From terrace chants such as ‘Blue Moon’ and ‘Glory Glory Man United’ belted at full volume, to iconic anthems echoing across stadiums, the voices of centuries of die-hard fans have formed the soundtracks for football clubs across the nation.

This concert, performed on pitch at the National Football Museum, celebrates the drama and passion of the nation’s most beloved sport.

Not only does the music of football set the atmosphere alight in stadiums everywhere, but it also proudly embodies the culture and identity of the cities and communities that shape our nation.

The earliest recorded football chant is believed to have been written by composer Sir Edward Elgar in 1898: “He Banged the Leather for Goal”, in tribute to Wolverhampton Wanderers striker, Billy Malpass.

One of the pieces we will feature is James MacMillan’s Eleven. It begins with the sound of a referee’s whistle before two eleven-note themes are thrown around between wind and strings, as if they are two opposing teams.

In this concert, you’ll enjoy familiar football anthems, a mix of local and international chants, and music inspired by the world’s favourite sport.

Manchester is a city united by football. This concert is a celebration of the music that sets the rhythm and heartbeat to our love for the beautiful game.

(If you have ever won the Premier League or WSL, you can come free of charge.. just get in touch 😉)

There are 2 shows of this concert 6:30 and 8pm. The concert will run approximately 55 mins.

Programme

• Barry Stoller, arr. Ali Vennart – Theme from the Match of the Day
• Gabriel Fauré – Pavane
• Joseph Haydn – Symphony No.88, Movement 4
• Neil Diamond, arr. Ali Vennart – Sweet Caroline 
• Dmitri Shostakovich, arr. Rudolph Barshai – Chamber Symphony in C minor, Movement 3
• W.A. Mozart – Overture from the Marriage of Figaro
• Edward Elgar – ‘Enigma’ Variations, Movement X: ‘Dorabella’ 
• James Macmillan – Eleven 
• K’naan, arr. Ali Vennart – Wavin’ Flag

Performed by

• Conductor Enyi Okpara
• Special Guest Presenter Karthi Gnanasegaram
• Manchester Camerata

In an industry shaped and dominated by men, their music was sidelined, their careers stifled, and their names overcast by male counterparts.

With this concert, we’re here to amplify the work of women who composed despite the gatekeeping and patriarchal hurdles. These works are not “forgotten gems”, they are acts of resistance and of creative expression, and they will be heard with the volume and visibility they deserve at the RNCM in 2026. What makes this concert even more special is that our soloists, Alexandra Dariescu, Alex Mitchell, and Rachel Clegg, are all Alumni of RNCM.

There will be a pre-concert talk by Leah Broad at 2.15pm, winner of the 2024 RPS Award for her acclaimed book Quartet, which explores how four women changed the musical world, including Doreen Carwithen, whose work we will be performing during this concert.

At the centre of our program is Doreen Carwithen, a pioneering British composer who made her mark as a film composer in the 1940s and ’50s, a time when few women were even allowed in the room. Her Piano Concerto is bold, cinematic, and uncompromising- a declaration of musical power. She was married to composer William Alwyn, whose work we will also be referencing in this concert.

We will perform Carwithen’s work with trailblazing pianist Alexandra Dariescu, our collaborator and friend, who joined us onstage at the Enescu Festival in Romania a few years back. She is a fearless original voice in the international piano scene, making her a perfect collaborator for this work.

Another composer we will be highlighting, amongst others, is Morfydd Owen, who was considered a prodigy from a young age. At the age of four, she played the piano on her own accord, and at six, she began composing. She became one of the most versatile musicians that Wales has ever produced as a composer, singer, pianist and ethnomusicologist, until she married the Freudian psycho-analyst, Ernest Jones. He did not approve of his wife performing in public, so her diary soon dwindled. She served as her husband’s secretary and proofreader until her mysterious death at the age of 26. 

We will be performing her beautiful piece, Beatific Sea.

Our Principal Viola, Alex Mitchell, will be performing Ruth Gipps’ Jane Grey’s Fantasy for Viola and String Orchestra, which is inspired by the short and tragic life of Lady Jane Grey. She was Queen of England for just nine days before being overthrown and executed. This music follows her story, moving from peaceful and gentle moments to darker, more dramatic sections, before returning to a quiet, noble ending. The composer may have felt a connection with Jane Grey and this story, feeling inspired to compose a piece that reflects the hardships she endured as a woman.

(This concert is named after Carwithen’s first major breakthrough, an orchestral Concert Overture named ODTAA (One Damn Thing after Another), composed between 1945 and 1946.)

Programme

• Morfydd Owen Beatific Sea
• Ruth Gipps Jane Grey Fantasy for Viola and String Orchestra
• Elizabeth Maconchy Life Story
• William Alwyn Autumn Legend
• Interval
• Doreen Carwithen Piano Concerto

Performed by

• Conductor John Andrews
• Piano Alexandra Dariescu
• Viola Alex Mitchell
• Cor Anglais Rachael Clegg

This special lunchtime concert is performed by our Camerata 360° Ruth Sutton Fellows. Our ABO award-winning Camerata 360° RUth Sutton Programme is built upon decades of excellence and diverse experience to train the next generation of musicians. We believe in the power of music to change people’s lives, and our fellowship programme gives musicians experience across all aspects of our work and its impact. You can get to know our Fellows here.

Tickets are £10, and concessions are £3 (Under 30s, Students, and Gorton Residents)

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Programme

• Sally Beamish The Flittin’
• Emmy Wegener Suite for String Trio
• Mozart Clarinet Quintet in A Major

Performed by

• Orla McGarrity Violin
• Caterina Bordon Violin
• Rebecca Stubbs Viola
• Nathan Jackson-Turner Cello
• Ben Pinto Clarinet

With over 3 million streams on Spotify, European tours, 5-Star reviews, as well as being made Classic FM’s record of the week numerous times, Mozart and Manchester Camerata are a bit of a ‘thing’ at this point.

Most definitely, it is down to the amazing chemistry we have with our Music Director, Gábor Takács-Nagy. The drama, joy and emotion that Gábor and our musicians get out of Mozart is simply electric – If you haven’t witnessed this first-hand yet, now is your chance.

For this edition, we perform Mozart’s Arias with one of the most exciting sopranos around. Ying Fang is a principal soprano at the Metropolitan Opera, with The New York Times praising her as  “indispensable at the Met in Mozart”.

The Financial Times has also described her as “a voice that can stop time, pure and rich and open and consummately expressive”.

This concert marks the launch of our next phase of Mozart, Made in Manchester. Over the next three years, we will be performing all of Mozart’s last symphonies, as well as recording some of his Concert Arias with Ying Fang. Much like Mozart’s Piano Concertos, these pieces match the theatre and dramatic energy that our music director, Gabor, embodies.

Don’t miss what is set to be a breathtaking rendition of some of Mozart’s greatest works.

Programme

• Mozart Symphony No. 36 ‘Linz’
• Mozart Symphony No. 40 
• Mozart ‘Al desio, di chi t’adora’
• Mozart ‘Misera, dove son?’

Performed by

• Conductor Gábor Takács-Nagy
• Soprano Ying Fang

Following our ambitious (and ongoing) Mozart, Made in Manchester project – performing and recording all of his piano concertos, we continued our journey with his horn concertos alongside Martin Owen. Soon, we turn to his Concert Arias. But first, enjoy this taster menu of Mozart and his impact on the works of Fanny Mendelssohn and Beethoven. 

At the age of 19, Mozart’s greatest accomplishment was his repertoire of five concertos for violin and orchestra, written in 1775. This was his most prolific year writing for this instrument, resulting in him never writing for the violin again. We will be performing one of these masterpieces – Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 – with our Leader, Caroline Pether, as soloist.

For this concert, we are returning to the RNCM with our Music Director, Gábor Takács-Nagy. If you’ve joined us for previous Mozart performances, you’ll know that no one channels his spirit and energy quite like Gábor.

This programme also shines a light on Fanny Mendelssohn, a remarkable composer of the early 19th century, whose music was shaped by Mozart’s influence. Like her brother Felix, she was taught by a student of Mozart. Though her talent matched her brother’s, her musical aspirations were controlled by societal expectations. At 14, her father wrote to her: “Music will perhaps become his [Felix] profession, whilst for you it can and must only be an ornament, never the root of your being and doing”.

We’ll perform her Overture in C Major, her only orchestral work, which was unpublished in her lifetime.

We will also be performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2. Deeply inspired by Mozart, Beethoven studied his music meticulously and even hoped to study with him. This symphony, composed in 1802 as Beethoven began to confront his hearing loss, is a powerful work that brims with energy and optimism, despite being written during one of the darkest times in his life.

As Mozart’s legacy echoes these works, so too does it come to life on stage, with RNCM musicians performing side-by-side with Manchester Camerata, learning and growing alongside the very artists who inspire them.

Don’t miss this celebration of Mozart and his boundless influence.

Programme

• Fanny Mendelssohn Overture in C Major
• Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3
• Beethoven Symphony No.2

Performed by

• Conductor Gábor Takács-Nagy
• Violin Caroline Pether
• Professional Experience Scheme (PES) students from RNCM
• Manchester Camerata

‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Join us in the beautiful setting of Gorton Monastery for an afternoon that evokes an emotional journey of grief, beauty, and loving and losing. 

Lost Beauty is a continuous journey through music inspired by love and loss, from Shostakovich’s moving tribute to a lost friend to Strauss’s heart-stopping Metamorphosen, written as a farewell to a world changed forever during the darkest days of World War II. Along the way, Dvořák’s Nocturno and Erkki-Sven Tüür’s powerful Action–Passion–Illusion lead us through moments of tenderness, turbulence and hope.

The concert flows without applause, creating space for the music and the silence between it to speak. A short reading from Tennyson’s In Memoriam A.H.H. opens the performance, which was written over the course of sixteen years, and records the grief that Tennyson felt in response to the sudden death of his close friend, Arthur Henry Hallam.

Set against the calm, breathtaking beauty of The Monastery, Lost Beauty is both performance and contemplation, an invitation to pause, listen and feel.

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Programme

• Shostakovich Two Pieces for String Octet, Op. 11: No1. Prelude.
• Dvorak String Quintet in G major, Op. 77, B.49: II. Intermezzo/Nocturno Op. 18 
• Tüür ‘Action-Passion-Illusion’: I. Action
• Tüür ‘Action-Passion-Illusion’: II. Passion
• Strauss Metamorphosen TrV290 (Septet version) 
• Lennon/McCartney arr. Marmen Blackbird

Performed by

• Caroline Pether Director
• Manchester Camerata
• Professional Experience Scheme (PES) students from RNCM

Widely regarded as one of the best Christmas events for the whole family in Manchester, this performance will take you on a musical journey that celebrates the true spirit of Christmas, an event that everyone will love.

‘Warm your soul at this Christmas carol concert with a gospel twist’ —Manchester Evening News

Check out our videos below to get a taster of what to expect at Festive Happening..

This year, we’re also bringing Festive Happening to the Town Hall in Birmingham.

Programme

• A feast of festive gospel favourites

Performed By

• AMC Gospel Choir
• Choir Director Audrey Mattis
• Arrangements Tim Crooks
• Manchester Camerata

Tickets for Birmingham | Town Hall | 13 Dec >

Manchester | Albert Hall | 14 Dec >

Doors for Manchester 2pm, show starts promptly at 3pm.

Handel’s Messiah is a masterpiece and a national treasure- a staple of our Christmas tradition.

Before writing this piece, Handel was broke and on a cold streak. He made the comeback of the century, writing Messiah in just 24 days, turning his career around completely.

We are joining forces with Laurence Cummings for this performance. He is the Music Director of The Academy of Ancient Music, and ranks as one of Handel’s best advocates in the world, matching the Composer’s energy and invention in his interpretations.

Once again, we perform with our artistic partner, Kantos Chamber Choir, whose mesmerising, transcendent voices complement the heavenly tones of our Camerata orchestra.

All of this takes place in the stunning setting of The Great Nave in our home, The Monastery, Manchester.

Band A SOLD OUT >

Band B SOLD OUT >

Band C SOLD OUT >

Band D >

Programme

• Handel Messiah

Performed By

• Director/Harpsichord Laurence Cummings
• Soprano Georgie Malcolm
• Countertenor Dominic Mattos
• Tenor Guy Elliott
• Bass Stuart O’Hara
• Kantos Chamber Choir
• Manchester Camerata