Harrogate International Festivals is celebrating its 60th anniversary in style by bringing some of the biggest names and brightest emerging stars in classical music to Harrogate this summer – from the boundary-pushing stars such as Abel Selaocoe and Aurora Orchestra to legendary cellist Julian Lloyd Webber and the renowned BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.
The full line-up for the HACS Harrogate Music Festival 2026 – which runs from 6 June to 5 July – features a dazzling array of talent from much loved orchestras to trailblazing performers and ensembles, to the North Yorkshire spa town.
Over the past 60 years, the Festivals has established Harrogate as a beacon of brilliance in the classical music world, attracting such legendary names as Jacqueline du Pré, Dame Janet Baker and Sir Simon Rattle, along with some of the greatest orchestras on the planet.
Orchestras have created some of the Music Festival’s most thrilling moments, making a major contribution to classical music in the north of England, and as part of this year’s landmark celebrations the globally renowned Festival is bringing not one, but two orchestras to the magnificent Royal Hall.
The boundary-pushing Aurora Orchestra, renowned for their innovative, memorised concerts, will perform at this historic venue on 24 June. Led by Principal Conductor Nicholas Collon and driven by the belief that orchestral music is for everyone, Aurora Orchestra are pioneers of memorised performances, removing sheet music and stands for large scale works, relying on memory instead.
This is the first time Aurora are performing from memory in the North of England. Their Harrogate programme will feature Jessie Montgomery’s Strum, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 12 in A, and Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 ‘Jupiter’ (from memory).
The BBC Philharmonic, one of classical music’s best loved orchestras, returns to the Royal Hall on what promises to be a memorable afternoon on 5 July, when their concert – which will be recorded for BBC Radio 3 – brings the curtain down on this year’s Music Festival.
Audience members will have the opportunity to watch violinist Hana Chang, a Classic FM Rising Star from 2024, and Ben Glassberg, one of the most sought-after conductors in the world, when the orchestra performs a special programme featuring Farrenc’s Overture No.1, Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto and Brahms’ Symphony No.1, widely regarded as his most significant symphony.
The Festival has provided a major platform to some of the most talented emerging stars, and this summer sees two more electrifying performers head to Harrogate.
Genre-defying cellist Abel Selaocoe, who has taken the world by storm since bursting onto the music scene in 2021 with his BBC Proms debut, will kick off this year’s Music Festival alongside his Bantu Ensemble in dramatic fashion, with a special concert at Ashville College on 6 June.
And when it comes to stars, they do not come much bigger or brighter than Davóne Tines, who has changed the face of modern opera. He is appearing at the Wesley Centre on 12 June, in what will be his only performance in the North of England this summer.
The Grammy-nominated singer, known for his work in opera and gospel and named Musical America’s Vocalist of the Year in 2022, will perform Recital No 1: MASS, featuring a wide-ranging repertoire.
Legendary cellist Julian Lloyd Webber, who made his Harrogate debut at the Royal Hall as a 19-year-old way back in 1970, is back in town for a very special evening at the Wesley Centre on June 16, to celebrate the launch of his no holds barred autobiography Bows and Arrows.
In the first half, Julian and his wife, fellow cellist Jiaxin, will discuss the extraordinary story behind Bach’s sublime Cello Suites, and why they remained unperformed for 200 years. There will also be a live solo performance from Jiaxin.
During the second half, Julian will take the audience on an illustrated musical journey through his remarkable career. Audience members will also get a rare opportunity to ask both Julian and Jiaxin questions about their careers and working with musical icons such as Yehudi Menuhin, Philip Glass, and Julian’s brother Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Julian said: “I am so looking forward to returning to my favourite Festival! Harrogate has been central to my life since December 1970 when I first played at the Royal Hall with John Lill.
“I was invited back the very next year for the Festival’s Young Artists Series and have become a regular visitor ever since, most memorably with a televised performance in 1986 of Elgar’s Cello Concerto conducted by Yehudi Menuhin.
“The Wesley Centre will be the perfect setting for Bach, Bows and Arrows, an intimate evening of live music, rare video clips and possible revelations – depending on your questions! – during our Q&A session after the interval.”
Also making a welcome return is the hugely popular Young Musicians Series, which has provided a springboard for rising stars in classical music, including the likes of Emma Johnson and Lesley Garrett.
To mark its 60th anniversary celebrations, Harrogate International Festivals is partnering with the Royal College of Music (RCM) to provide a platform to some of the UK’s most gifted young musicians.
Clarinettist Emily Crook and pianist Mariamna Sherling, both studying at the RCM, will showcase their dazzling talents at the Wesley Centre on June 26, performing works by Bach, Beethoven, Decruck, Liszt and Weber.
Joining them in the Young Musicians series are Lumas Winds, acclaimed ambassadors for wind chamber music, who will take to the Wesley Centre stage on June 23.
So, too, is Mariatu Kanneh-Mason – the latest member of Britain’s most famous musical family to perform in Harrogate. The 16-year-old, who along with her siblings has taken the classical music world by storm, is performing at the Wesley Centre on 3 July. Her evocative Harrogate programme blends Spanish folk intimacy with sweeping Romantic lyricism.
Also joining the Series is Nikki Martin, one of Scotland’s most promising operatic talents. Nikki will perform alongside pianist Esther Ersfeld at the Wesley Centre on 4 July.
Alexandra Dariescu – the first ever female Romanian pianist to perform at the Royal Albert Hall – brings her musical virtuosity to the Festival. Dariescu, who makes her BBC Proms debut later this summer with the Halle Orchestra, will take to the stage at the Wesley Centre on 20 June. Her programme is a kaleidoscopic and eclectic journey through the wealth of music for piano from around the world.
In the first half she places miniature masterpieces by Missy Mazzoli, Florence Price and Lili Boulanger, among others, alongside those by Bach and Romanian composer Tudor Ciortea. The second half is devoted to Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, including the beloved Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy.
Travelling all the way from Texas in the US, the Youth Orchestra of San Antonio will bring a vibrant programme that spans continents and styles, from Holst’s spirited March to Copland’s exhilarating Rodeo dances.
Festival legends Oddsocks make a welcome return with their unique and wonderful take on Shakespeare, performing Romeo and Juliet in the stunning setting of RHS Harlow Carr on 30 June and 1 July.
Mark Smith, managing director of The HACS Group, said: “We have a long and proud association with Harrogate International Festivals and it’s a real honour to support this wonderful Music Festival – especially as it celebrates sixty amazing years.
“Music entertains, inspires and brings people together and looking at this brilliant line-up, which includes so many world class performers, I think we’re in for a real treat.”
Sharon Canavar, Harrogate International Festivals’ chief executive, said: “For 60 years, music has been at the heart of Harrogate International Festivals and this anniversary season celebrates that extraordinary legacy as we look firmly to the future.
“The HACS Harrogate Music Festival is all about giving audiences the opportunity to see some of the biggest names of today and the brightest stars of tomorrow.
“Our carefully curated Festival programme brings together renowned artists at the top of their game here to the North of England, offering classical music fans the chance to see these incredible musicians on their doorstep in what promises to be an unforgettable celebration of music and culture in our town this summer.”
HACS Harrogate Music Festival runs from 6 June to 5 July. Tickets are available here.
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