NATIONAL YOUTH CHOIR

After you’ve caught up with the National Youth Orchestra at Symphony Hall, why not check out the National Youth Choir at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire? Comprising talented teenagers between the ages of 15 and 18, the choir are presenting a one-hour afternoon concert featuring, among other works, Jacob Collier’s jazz anthem World O World, Caroline Shaw’s origami-inspired How To Fold The Wind and Simon & Garfunkel’s 1968 favourite, America. 

The world premiere of a new piece, The Great Sea - written especially for the concert by rising star Esther Bersweden - is also included in the programme. 

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Saturday 22 August

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PRESTEIGNE FESTIVAL

Now in its 44th year, the internationally acclaimed Presteigne Festival brings world-class musicians, composers, artists and writers to the Welsh Marches for five inspiring days of music, ideas and imagination over the August Bank Holiday weekend. 

The festival sees contemporary music sit alongside timeless masterpieces, whilst away from the concert hall, visitors can enjoy a three-film retrospective from director Jane Campion. Thought-provoking talks and Presteigne Open Studios - celebrating the town’s thriving community of artists and makers - also feature. 
Talented creatives contributing to this year’s festival include violinist Fenella Humphreys (pictured), Clare Hammond, James Gilchrist, Rowan Pierce, Ben Goldscheider and the much-lauded Presteigne Festival Orchestra & Ensemble, conducted by Artistic Director George Vass.

Various locations, Presteigne, Powys, Thursday 27 - Monday 31 August

 

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MUNICH PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA WITH MARTHA ARGERICH

This early-month concert provides West Midlands-based classical music fans with not one but two rare opportunities: to enjoy a UK performance by Munich Philharmonic Orchestra outside of London, and to delight in the talents of legendary pianist Martha Argerich (pictured), who last performed in Symphony Hall way back in the 1990s. 

The long-established orchestra’s recently appointed chief conductor, Lahav Shani, takes the baton for a concert which features 19th-century French pianist-composer Louise Farrenc’s attention-grabbing second overture and Beethoven’s exuberant second piano concerto. Brahms’ fourth symphony - complete with its lilting opening movement and much-loved thrilling finale - will bring proceedings to a memorable conclusion.   

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Friday 4 September 

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EX CATHEDRA: CAN BEAUTY SAVE THE WORLD?

“It seems fortuitous,” begins Ex Cathedra conductor Jeffrey Skidmore, “that the international spiritual study Can Beauty Save The World? comes to the University of Birmingham this month as a conference entitled Reasons To Sing: Singing, Spirituality And The Search For Meaning. The project’s philosophy and aims seem to sum up my musical life and present the perfect introduction to my final season with Ex Cathedra. You will be able to hear my top-10 selection of most beautiful pieces!”

St George’s Church, Edgbaston, Birmingham, Thursday 17 September

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COULL QUARTET

The University of Warwick’s quartet-in-residence for 43 years - their tenure came to an end in 2020 - Coull have made a name for themselves in places as far-flung as the Americas, Australia, India and the Far East. This latest performance - an early entry in the 2026/27 Leamington Music season - sees them presenting works by Haydn, Dvořák and Beethoven. The concert will include a special guest appearance by the Rugby-based Ukrainian Shchedryk Choir.

All Saints Church, Leamington Spa, Thursday 17 September

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ANDRE RIEU

Often referred to as the King of Waltz, Andre Rieu is a superstar violinist whose album sales have now topped the 40 million mark. 

Andre is also the creator of the waltz-playing Johann Strauss Orchestra, which he conducts using his violin bow, mimicking the famous characteristics of Strauss himself. 

His concerts are well known for inspiring audience members to leave their seats and dance in the aisles, an activity which counts as something of a phenomenon at a classical music gig!

bp pulse LIVE, Birmingham, Saturday 19 September

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VERISMO OPERA: PUCCINI'S LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST

As operas go, the setting for Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West is somewhat unusual: the California Gold Rush of 1849! 

The storyline sees gun-toting saloon owner Minnie fall head over heels for charismatic gentleman Dick Johnson. Problem is, local sheriff Jack Rance sees Minnie as marriage material and isn’t going to give up on her without a fight. And particularly not to a man who, it soon becomes apparent, is actually a notorious Mexican bandit named Ramírez... The opera will be semi-staged at Shrewsbury Abbey and accompanied by a full orchestra. 

Shrewsbury Abbey, Sunday 20 September

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CBSO: KAZUKI CONDUCTS GRIEG'S PIANO CONCERTO

Edvard Grieg’s only piano concerto was famously brought to the wider public attention by a nowadays oft-repeated sketch from the 1971 Morecambe & Wise Christmas Show. During the sketch, Andre Previn (or Andrew Preview, as Eric & Ernie repeatedly referred to him throughout) attempted to conduct the work despite an unhelpful musical contribution from Eric, who claimed he was “playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order”.

Arnold Bax’s symphonic poem Tintagel, Anna Clyne’s Restless Oceans and Claude Debussy’s La mer complete the evening’s programme. Kazuki Yamada conducts; the pianist is Alice Sara Ott.      

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Tuesday 22 September 

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THE DEVINE MUSICK PIANO TRIO

Conductor and keyboard virtuoso Steven Devine is joined by regular collaborators Caroline Balding (violin) and Andrew Skidmore (cello) for this latest Shropshire Music Trust concert. 

The evening’s programme features three works which were written within 10 years of one another at the end of the 18th century: Haydn’s Piano Trio in E major, Hob. XV:28; Mozart’s Piano Trio in G major, K 496; and Beethoven’s Piano Trio in E-flat major, Op 1 No1. 

Maidment Building, Shrewsbury School, Friday 25 September

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TENEBRAE: SPANISH GLORIES

‘Passion and precision’ is the motto of this award-winning chamber choir, which, under the direction of Nigel Short, is considered to be one of the world’s finest vocal ensembles.

Although dedicated to supporting contemporary composers, Tenebrae is also held in high regard for its interpretations of the choral cannon, with works by Poulenc, Tavener, Brahms and Bruckner all featuring in an extensive repertoire. 

This Malvern Theatres appearance sees the ensemble celebrating the glories of the Spanish Renaissance, presenting a programme centring around a large-scale and widely hailed masterpiece: Tomás Luis de Victoria’s Requiem Mass. 

Malvern Theatres, Friday 25 September

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THE GESUALDO SIX AND MATILDA LLOYD TRUMPET

Works from the Golden Age of polyphony by Tallis and White are juxtaposed with modern compositions by Roxanna Panufnik, Alec Roth, and Deborah Pritchard in this mouthwatering team-up of the Gesualdo Six with trumpeter Matilda Lloyd. Highlights include Sir James MacMillan’s O Radiant Dawn - an evocative setting from the composer’s Strathclyde Motets - alongside Richard Barnard’s Aura, which has been co-commissioned by the artists.

Elgar Concert Hall, The Bramall, University of Birmingham, Friday 25 September

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FOCUS ON POLAND FESTIVAL WEEKEND

Performances by world-class artists, a new commission from much-admired composer Daria Kwiatkowska, and a programme of activities designed to bring together Polish and local communities through shared cultural experiences, are all on the agenda when Leamington Music hosts its Poland Festival Weekend late in the month. 

The concerts across the three days will feature music by several Polish composers, presented alongside works from Mozart, Schumann, Ravel, Franck and Britten.  Warsaw-based Royal String Quartet (pictured) will perform at the Royal Pump Rooms on Saturday the 26th. 

Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa, Friday 25 - Sunday 27 September

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ARMONICO CONSORT: SUPERSIZE POLYPHONY 3

Armonico Consort turn 25 this year and are ready to party! Concert-goers who’ve enjoyed the ensemble’s previous two Supersize Polyphony performances will no doubt be waiting with bated breath for the next in the series. And why wouldn’t they be? After all, what’s not to like about an immersive 360-degree surround-sound concert celebrating large-scale 16th- and 17th-century choral music? 

Armonico director Christopher Monks is typically effusive about the forthcoming celebration: “For those who have loved the cinema sound-effects of our polychoral performances from Spem in Alium in 40 parts surrounding the audience, you will simply love this! We will be working with special guest choirs around the UK in celebration of our momentous milestone.”  

Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick, Saturday 26 September; Great Malvern Priory, Tuesday 6 October; Coventry Cathedral, Tuesday 26 January

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MIDLAND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA: STRINGS SERENADE

Midland Chamber Orchestra kickstart the 2026/27 season with a lunchtime concert that showcases a variety of classical string orchestra music. The programme features works by four much-loved composers: Purcell (Excerpts from Abdelazer), Bach (Concerto For Two Violins), Elgar (Serenade For Strings) and Grieg (Holberg Suite).  

St Mary’s Church, Moseley, Birmingham, Sunday 27 September

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RBC FRENCH HORN DAY

“Come blow your horn!” is surely a Royal Birmingham Conservatoire invitation no self-respecting young French horn player would wish to ignore. The opportunity to do just that comes in the shape of this end-of-month, sure-to-be-fun-filled day of musical activity. As well as featuring warm-ups and ensemble sessions with Conservatoire students and teachers, the day also includes the opportunity to hear a performance by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra’s hugely talented principal horn, Elspeth Dutch (pictured). The event will conclude with an informal sharing of the ensembles’ work, in Bradshaw Hall. 

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Sunday 27 September 

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CBSO: ELGAR'S ENIGMA VARIATIONS

Conductor Stephanie Childress here makes her debut with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. She takes the helm for a concert comprising two hugely popular works by famous 20th-century composers and a brand-new offering from Welsh pianist Gwilym Simcock. 

Gwilym’s Triple Concerto - which has been co-commissioned by the CBSO - will be performed by three talented musicians, one of whom is saxophonist Jess Gilliam... 

The afternoon of musicmaking begins with Benjamin Britten’s Simple Symphony, a four-movement composition based on pieces he wrote as a pre-teen and which he then reworked in his early 20s. 
The concert is brought to a conclusion with a performance of Elgar’s Enigma Variations, included within which is the hugely famous and familiar Nimrod movement.  

Audience members can enjoy a talk with Stephanie and Jess ahead of the afternoon performance.   

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Wednesday 30 September