Inspirational Artists at RNCM

This autumn, the RNCM launches its second Inspirational Artists series, spotlighting a huge range of touring musicians and ensembles, each bringing something unique to the stage.

Running right through to June 2026, this wide-ranging series spans everything from GRAMMY-winning string quartets to boundary-pushing solo cellists, visionary pianists to globe-trotting collaborations. What unites them is a shared spirit of invention. These artists aren’t afraid to push boundaries or plant new flags – but they do so with deep respect for the musical traditions that came before. Expect world-class musicianship, bold ideas, and performances that resonate with collaboration, storytelling and sheer creative drive.

The series launches on 26 September with Attacca Quartet. Making their Manchester debut, this two-time GRAMMY Award-winning ensemble presents Of All Joys – a bold, journeying programme that threads Renaissance polyphony through to 20th-century greats. Beginning with John Dowland and moving through Shostakovich, Philip Glass and Arvo Pärt, the concert draws from the Quartet’s acclaimed album of the same name, praised by Classical Explorer as “a touching and thought-provoking release… every inch an album for our times, yet full of timeless music.”

On 23 October, cellist Seth Parker Woods presents Thus Spoke Their Verse – a powerful solo programme weaving together three centuries of music that speaks to themes of identity, storytelling, and the unique polyphonic capacities of a single instrument. At its core are three Sarabandes by J.S. Bach, which act as sonic anchors amid a wide-ranging journey through works by Carlos Simon, Nathalie Joachim, Fredrick Gifford and more. Blending cello, electronics, spoken word and film, the concert encapsulates the spirit of the wider series – a meeting point between tradition and experimentation.

Into 2026 and Alice Sara Ott, one of the most captivating pianists of her generation, performs at the RNCM on 19 January. The German-Japanese artist pairs Beethoven’s most inward-looking sonatas – including the ‘Moonlight’ – with the nocturnes of Irish composer John Field, as featured on her latest Deutsche Grammophon release. Clocking up over 500 million album streams, Ott is widely renowned for her emotionally lucid style and innovative programming, creating performances that move between light and shadow, reverence and reinvention.

Rounding off our highlights is a final soloist who needs little introduction. On 13 March, cellist Abel Selaocoe returns to the RNCM with his Bantu Ensemble, bringing the genre-blurring brilliance that has made him one of the most vital musicians of his generation. An RNCM alumnus, Selaocoe weaves virtuosic cello, soaring vocals and improvisation, and together with his Bantu Ensemble, blurs the lines between African heritage and Western classical music to create something genuinely singular. They’re joined by players from the RNCM String Quartet Studio for a night inspired by Selaocoe’s latest album Hymns of Bantu, which places Bach in dialogue with ancestral tradition, and celebrates music as a living, connecting force.

These are just four highlights from a packed series, which also features Manchester Collective, Kantos Chamber Choir, ARC Ensemble, Liza Bec and many more. Should a number of concerts appeal, you can take advantage of a multibuy offer, whereby you’ll receive 15% off at least one ticket per event when you book three or more events in the series.