Harrogate Music Festival

Here at Harrogate International Festivals, we believe we need to continue looking forward, exploring new ways of experiencing things and perhaps seeing things in a new light. Our summer season for 2019 will be based on these themes and we’ve announced some of the highlights of the exciting music events lined up for this summer.

The Hallé Orchestra return to Harrogate, bringing the quality and excitement they did under the baton of Sir Barbirolli, however, this time they’re accompanied by a new man in town. He likes it shaken, not stirred, and you will too as Casino Royale in Concert opens the season with Bond on the big screen supported by the full force of the Hallé. Bond may travel the world, but you don’t have to as this year we are bringing a programme of exceptional international artists to your doorstep right in the heart of Yorkshire. From the Leeds International Piano Competition winner Eric Lu, to the youngest ever joint winner of the Junior 1st Prize at the Menuhin Competition in 2018, Christian Li, travelling all the way from Australia, this summer we are set to ‘welcome the world’.

Christian is joined on the Young Musicians platform by the Solem String Quartet, BBC Young Musician Finalist Rob Burton, and Leeds International Piano Competition Third Prize Winner Xinyuan Wang.

Summer favourites return with Oddsocks presenting a fresh take on A Midsummer Night’s Dream whilst the Concert by Candlelight with the Gesualdo Six present talent, youth, stamina, confidence and years of experience of singing the most difficult vocal polyphony in the repertoire. Our orchestral finale features the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic with a past Young Musician in Julian Bliss performing Mozart’s farewell to instrumental music. The first clarinet concerto to be written by a major composer – except Mozart did not write it for clarinet at all.

This year, we invite you to be bold and try new things, explore new programmes and experience great live events here in your town. Enjoy!

“…takes the good name of Harrogate around the world in a way no amount of advertising could achieve.”  Yorkshire Post