RNCM Wind, Brass and Percussion Festival

Chris Horkan

Visit now

RNCM Wind, Brass and Percussion Festival

22 April 2018

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Boston Brass
Book now

A building-wide event, the RNCM Wind, Brass and Percussion Festival offers 10 different events and performances over the course of almost 12 hours.

Kicking off with pop-up performances from 10.30am onwards, the day features the RNCM’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble performing John Mackey’s Concerto for Soprano Saxophone (11.30am, Concert Hall, Free), followed by Mysteries of the Macabre (11.15pm, Theatre, Free), a concert with nods to Jimi Hendrix (courtesy of David Lang’s Are You Experienced?) and Elvis Presley (via Michael Daugherty’s Dead Elvis) – with electric tuba and bassoon playing the starring roles respectively.

The RNCM’s Brass Band tackles monsters in the afternoon (4.30pm, Theatre, Free), meanwhile, with a mythical giant snake and Golem both providing the concert’s evocative subject matter.

Early in the evening (6pm, Theatre, £10), R O Blechman’s Emmy Award-winning animated film The Soldier’s Tale will be screened with a live accompaniment of Stravinsky’s famous work of the same name.

The day concludes with Boston Brass, which, together with RNCM students, will perform a wide-ranging programme featuring Bach, Piazzolla and Duke Ellington (7.30pm, Concert Hall, £12).

Abel Selaocoe_Spring 2026_credit Phil Sharp_sq
Until
MusicManchester
Inspirational Artists at RNCM

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

From £12.50

Where to go near RNCM Wind, Brass and Percussion Festival

Manchester
Restaurant
San Carlo Fumo

San Carlo Fumo is a sun trap on St Peter’s Square, serving up traditional Italian food at its best

Utility Gift Shop
Manchester
Shop
Utility Gift Shop

Utility Gift Shop on Oxford Road is all about products that are new, unique, quirky and cool. High street shopping at its best.

exterior of Contact Theatre building
Manchester
Theatre
Contact Theatre

Following a major redevelopment, the iconic venue on Oxford Road will be reopening its doors to welcome the public back into the building this autumn. 

The Salutation pub in Manchester
Manchester
Bar or Pub
The Salutation

This traditional boozer, surrounded by imposing flats and university buildings, was taken over by Trof (of the Deaf Institute fame). The Sally, as the regulars call it, hosts an energetic, arty crowd – and its recently expanded outside area is another good reason to visit.

What's on: Families

Culture Guides

A busy image created using generative AI. The image depicts a man at the centre with grey hair and rosy cheeks, surrounding him are fairies that appear to be created in his own image with multiple limbs and unique bodily proportions. Around them are hundreds of vials, microscopes and dated scientific equipment.
Exhibitions

Spring has sprung a wealth of great exhibitions in the North West, from intimate photographic shows to huge installations.

SILVERWINGKILLER - Press Image
Music

Our latest music picks spotlight a new underground Manchester scene gaining national attention, alongside jazz, contemporary classical and more.

Theatre

Closer, riskier, more immediate. Our small-scale theatre picks stretch from unsettling fables about nationhood to the inner workings of a mind trying to hold itself together.

Food and Drink in the North

Spring is here, so sign yourself up for some much-missed al fresco dining at these highly recommended (and mostly new) Manchester restaurants.

Emily Lloyd-Saini as Grace in Space and Harrie Hayes as Lieutenant Strong in Horrible Science
Family things to do in the North

Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Cinema in the North

There's no shortage of great films out at the moment, whether you're looking for the latest blockbuster, that hot arthouse flick fresh from Cannes or a cosy classic.