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It’s great to see Manchester and the North’s classical music calendar filling up again, with our favourite venues welcoming ensembles back to their stages, and audiences back to their seats.
As a venue that prides itself on sustainable practices, The Stoller Hall has taken Sounds of Nature as its new programming strand for 2022, with the aim of connecting audiences with nature through music, and getting us thinking about everything from climate change to our relationship with the animal kingdom. Read our highlights from that programme below, as well as our full preview about the venue’s first ever Manchester Guitar Festival.
The RNCM has got a brilliantly eclectic Summer Season lined up. An early highlight is the three-day celebration of Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir. Another is the RNCM Children’s Opera’s adaptation of The Secret Garden. Read our top ten picks of the season here.
And if that’s not enough, the Northern Chamber Orchestra continues its 2021-22 season with a stunning concert with Craig Ogden, one of the finest guitarists of his generation, with whom the orchestra will present a wide-ranging Anglo-Australian programme.
Read about all this and more below.
Here are our picks
RNCM Summer Season 2022 at Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), Manchester, Until 5 July 2022, from £12 - Book now
The RNCM Summer Season is almost here, and as usual it’s filled to the brim with brilliant concerts. Here we select our highlights, with a little something for everyone.
Manchester Guitar Festival at The Stoller Hall, Manchester, Until 22 May 2022, from £0.00 - Book now
From classical and jazz, acoustic, electric and even flamenco, the three-day Manchester Guitar Festival will feature some of the finest guitar music talent from around the world, including Sean Shibe, Daniel Martinez and Craig Ogden, alongside many rising stars.
Maya Youssef with Levare String Quartet at Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), Manchester, 11 June 2022, from £18.00 - Book now
Maya Youssef, the ‘queen of qanun’, brings her latest album Finding Home to life on the RNCM stage with the Levare String Quartet.
RNCM Chamber Choir with NEW Sinfonia at Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), Manchester, 17 June 2022, from £10.00 - Book now
Wales’ NEW Sinfonia and the RNCM’s most promising vocalists join forces for an evening of orchestral and choral works by three great composers.
RNCM Session Orchestra: Original Artists Edition at Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), Manchester, 18 June 2022, from £15.00 - Book now
Discover the next generation of artists emerging from the RNCM’s Popular Music department as they perform their original music accompanied by the RNCM Session Orchestra.
Clare Hammond (piano) + RNCM Pianists at Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), Manchester, 21 June 2022, from £10.00 - Book now
Join Clare Hammond, “a pianist of extraordinary gifts” (Gramophone), and students from the RNCM’s School of Keyboard Studies for an evening showcasing contemporary music for piano.
RNCM Wind Orchestra with Christian Lindberg (conductor, trombone) at Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), Manchester, 24 June 2022, from £10.00 - Book now
Christian Lindberg returns to the RNCM as soloist, conductor, and composer for a stellar evening of contemporary works and arrangements of classics with the RNCM Wind Orchestra.
RNCM Symphony Orchestra with Martyn Brabbins (conductor) at The Bridgewater Hall, City Centre, 1 July 2022, from £18.00 - Book now
Join the RNCM for what’s always a highlight of the College’s year: the RNCM Symphony Orchestra’s performance at The Bridgewater Hall, this year conducted by Martyn Brabbins.
Manchester Camerata with RNCM Students and Robin Wallington (conductor) at Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), Manchester, 5 July 2022, from £15.00 - Book now
Manchester Camerata performs by side with RNCM students in a concert featuring three wonderful works by Jessie Montgomery, Antonín Dvořák and Felix Mendelssohn.
The 21c Global Orchestra at Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), Manchester, 8 July 2022, from £5.00 - Book now
In a one-of-a-kind concert, young musicians from leading music conservatoires around the world coming together to perform as an international ensemble: The 21c Global Orchestra.
Sounds of Nature at The Stoller Hall, Manchester, Until 5 October 2022, from £5.50 - Book now
The Stoller Hall has taken Sounds of Nature as its new programming strand for 2022, with the aim of connecting audiences with nature through music. Here are some of our highlights from the programme, which will get us thinking about everything from climate change to our relationship with the animal kingdom.
RNCM Lunchtime and Spotlight Concerts at Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), Manchester, Until 8 July 2022, from £0.00 - Book now
These short, sharp and surprisingly programmed events offer an affordable glimpse into the work of a new generation of musicians emerging from the RNCM.
The Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M2 3WS - Visit now
Home to the Hallé and the BBC Philharmonic orchestras, the Bridgewater Hall attracts some of the biggest names in classical music. Purpose-built to the tune of £42m, the hall was designed around its acoustic needs; it floats on 280 earthquake-proof isolations springs that mute all external noise, perfect for shielding around 250 performances a year from the trams outside.
Whatever the weather, we’ve got tonnes of new art for you to enjoy. This month we bring you lots of choice: from large, all-encompassing displays to smaller and equally as interesting shows to suit all tastes.
Live literature has plenty for readers and writers alike this spring, with emerging names and established authors taking to a mic near you, along with the opportunity to perform or put pen to paper yourself. There’s lots to listen to in real life and there are still opportunities to join in to events online. Read more here…
Enjoy spring and summer at some of the best restaurants and bars in Manchester and the North.
Discover a new hobby, experience the most deliciously diverse area of Manchester’s city centre and explore the city’s infamous music scene in this month’s Tours and Activities guide.