Events

Free Events Families & Children

12 Oct 2018 13:30 | TS Eliot Theatre, Merton College

Lord Byron’s thrilling Grand Tour did not follow the conventional route, beginning instead in Portugal and ending in Turkey. Today’s event is a musical travel diary, tracing Byron’s fascinating journey in poetry and music, introduced by Byron expert Drummond Bone, with readings and settings of Byron’s own poetry as well as songs from the countries he visited.

4:00 PM

Schools Concert

12 Oct 2018 16:00 | Town Hall

This concert is an uplifting event that takes place each year on the opening day of the Festival. In a series of workshops prior to the Festival, young people from local primary schools have been writing the words and music of their own song cycle. For the concert, the classes taking part come together to perform their new works. Come and enjoy a fantastic, free event and witness some ...

5:00 PM

She'Koyokh Quartet

Free Events Early Evening

12 Oct 2018 17:00 | Modern Art Oxford Café

She'Koyokh is a virtuosic and versatile band specialising in klezmer and folk music from Jewish Eastern Europe and the Balkans, casting a new and uplifting light on these musical traditions. In quartet formation of voice, accordion, clarinet and guitar, they give a performance that takes us from Turkey - where Lord Byron ended his Grand Tour - to Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania and Albania. Jo...

6:00 PM

Festive Supper

12 Oct 2018 18:00 | The Vaults and Garden Café

A convivial and excellent-value way to enjoy a hot meal between the afternoon and evening recitals. Throughout the Festival, it is possible to reserve your place for one of our Festival Supper partners: The Vaults and Garden Café, St Stephen’s House and Arbequina. Please book your supper online by midnight the day before. We cannot guarantee supper places on the day, though s...

7:30 PM

Opening Night: A Serenade to Music

12 Oct 2018 19:30 | Town Hall

Generously supported by Freeths Solicitors A wonderful gala concert opens this year’s Festival. In the grand setting of Oxford's Town Hall, an exceptional team of four world-renowned soloists perform songs and ensembles by Schubert, Schumann, Saint-Saëns and others. Schola Cantorum of Oxford is Oxford’s leading chamber choir and we are delighted that they will join us to...

Saturday 13th October

11:00 AM

Debussy: A Life in Song

13 Oct 2018 11:00 | Jacqueline du Pré Music Building

We welcome Richard Langham Smith – a Chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres for services to French Music and Culture – to lead a fascinating day exploring the life and music of Claude Debussy, joined by Helen Abbott, an expert in French poetry and music, and some superb musicians. MORNING SESSION 11am - 11.45am - THE EARLY YEARS Richard Langham Smith speaker ...

5:30 PM

Capturing the Illusive Image: Debussy and Impressionism

13 Oct 2018 17:30 | Holywell Music Room

Paul Roberts is an acclaimed pianist and writer, and a particular expert on the music of Debussy and Ravel. This afternoon he plays movements from Debussy’s Préludes andImages and leads us through the multiple delights of the Debussy sound world which has so many affinities with visual concepts. N.B. A 'Debussy Day Pass' is available to purchase for £65 which wil...

6:30 PM

Festive Supper

13 Oct 2018 18:30 | The Vaults and Garden Café

7:30 PM

Debussy, Fauré & Ravel: Marie-Laure Garnier, Jean-Christophe Lanièce, Anne Le Bozec

13 Oct 2018 19:30 | Holywell Music Room

Leading French pianist Anne Le Bozec is joined by two of the brightest young stars of the singing world in France, Marie-Laure Garnier and Jean-Christophe Lanièce. Their programme features songs by Debussy, including his magnificent settings of Baudelaire, as well as works by Gabriel Fauré, Ernest Chausson and Lili Boulanger. N.B. A 'Debussy Day P...

10:00 PM

Debussy & Tchaikovsky: Ilona Domnich & Sholto Kynoch

13 Oct 2018 22:00 | New College Ante Chapel

In the summers of 1880-1882, the young Debussy was employed by Nadezhda von Meck, the patron of Tchaikovsky, to accompany her family as teacher and musical companion as they travelled to Russia, Switzerland, Italy and Austria. We hear songs from this formative period for Debussy, alongside romances by Tchaikovsky from the same years. N.B. A 'Debussy Day Pass' is available to ...

Sunday 14th October

11:00 AM

Reaching Out: European Song Across Borders

14 Oct 2018 11:00 | The Oakeshott Room, Lincoln College

Presented in association with the Open University’s Literature and Music Research Group The history of European song is a history of crossing and ignoring borders. Today explores some of the ways in which song has helped to define the culture of the whole continent by bringing together people and ideas. Prominent scholars and writers celebrate the cross- European travels of e...

11:30 AM

Family Concert: The Empty Chair

14 Oct 2018 11:30 | Jacqueline du Pré Music Building

A family show for anyone aged six and above. The Empty Chair is a mischievous musical adventure that explores the ways in which people and friendships grow and change. When out of nowhere a mysterious empty chair appears bang in the middle of a house, its inhabitants are beyond bewildered. Why does it bring a strange, sizzling silence? Who is the tip-toeing creature full of songs and secrets...

1:45 PM

Songs Without Borders: Ema Nikolovska, Dylan Perez, Jóhann Kristinsson, Ammiel Bushakevitz

Free Events Participation Events

14 Oct 2018 13:45 | Holywell Music Room

In an exciting new collaboration with Heidelberger Frühling, one of Germany’s leading festivals, we present Ema Nikolovska, an alumna of their Lied Academy, and two prize-winners of their prestigious ‘Das Lied’ competition, Jóhann Kristinsson and Ammiel Bushakewitz. They perform repertoire including Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, Pou...

2:00 PM

Masterclass for Music College Applicants

14 Oct 2018 14:00 | Jacqueline du Pré Music Building

Robin Bowman shares his vast experience as the former Head of Voice at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in a masterclass for music students who are planning to apply to music college. Robin discusses not only musical matters but also what to expect from and how best to deal with the audition process. Members of the public are welcome to attend. Participation Fee: £35

5:30 PM

Young Artist Platform: Jessica Dandy & Dylan Perez

14 Oct 2018 17:30 | Holywell Music Room

In an exceptional field of young professionals who applied for this year’s Oxford Lieder Young Artist Platform, two duos stood out, and they give their showcase recitals today and next Sunday (21st). Today we hear songs by Schubert, Brahms, Wolf, Tchaikovsky and Montsalvage.

5:45 PM

Sung Eucharist

Free Events Sacred music

14 Oct 2018 17:45 | Merton College Chapel

The Choir of Merton College, directed by Benjamin Nicholas, sing the Kodály Missa Brevis as part of the sung Eucharist service. Kodály visited Merton a number of times: his pupil László Heltay was a student there and founded the Kodály Choir, which still rehearses at the college today. All are welcome.

6:30 PM

Festive Supper

14 Oct 2018 18:30 | St Stephen's House

8:00 PM

Winterreise: Robert Holl & Graham Johnson

14 Oct 2018 20:00 | Saint John the Evangelist

It is always sure to be a memorable occasion when these two towering figures of the song world, who bring such mastery to their interpretations, come together. This is especially true when they are performing Schubert’s great masterpiece, Winterreise, a work that has transfixed audiences since its composition in 1827 and remains a pinnacle of the song repertoire.

Monday 15th October

11:30 AM

Language Lab: Polish

15 Oct 2018 11:30 | Café W at Waterstones

Our series of ‘Language Labs’ give a short and informal introduction, over a cup of coffee, to a particular language ahead of a concert later in the day. Today, Jan Fellerer talks for 15 minutes about Polish: its context among other European languages; the sounds that define it; and what to listen out for in today’s lunchtime concert.

1:05 PM

A Polish Songbook: Jan Petryka & Sholto Kynoch

Pre-concert Talks Study Event

15 Oct 2018 13:05 | The Sheldonian Theatre

Polish tenor Jan Petryka begins our lunchtime series, held in the round in the Sheldonian Theatre, with a captivating programme of songs by Chopin and Paderewski – who surely holds a unique place in history as composer, pianist and Prime Minister of Poland! – as well as Moniuszko, Szymanowski and others.

3:00 PM

The Most Musical Nation

15 Oct 2018 15:00 | The Weston Library: Lecture Theatre

Philip Bullock and Barbara Henry discuss Yiddish poetry and music that originated in the Pale of Settlement.

5:30 PM

The Pale of Settlement: Alison Rose, Gareth Brynmor John, Florent Mourier

15 Oct 2018 17:30 | Holywell Music Room

Presented in association with the National Opera Studio, with the generous support of the Nicholas John Trust. Between 1791 and 1917 there existed in eastern Poland and western Russia a vast area known as the Pale of Settlement, created by Catherine the Great in an attempt to squeeze Jews out of her Empire. While financial poverty dominated, musical life was maintained and even blossomed. Th...

6:30 PM

Festive Supper

15 Oct 2018 18:30 | The Vaults and Garden Café

7:30 PM

Strauss, Debussy & Schumann: Louise Alder, Stef van Herten & Sholto Kynoch

15 Oct 2018 19:30 | Holywell Music Room

One of Debussy’s major song cycles, the Ariettes oubliées, sits alongside songs by Strauss and Schumann, plus works for horn and voice by Strauss, Saint-Saëns, Donizetti and others. Louise Alder, fresh from winning the Audience Prize at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, gave a sensational performance at the opening night of last year’s Festival, hailed by the Spectato...

Tuesday 16th October

10:30 AM

Language Lab: Czech

16 Oct 2018 10:30 | Ashmolean Museum Café

Pick up a coffee ahead of our 15-minute introduction to the Czech language. A short, informal but informative introduction to today’s concerts.

11:00 AM

'Bohemia! How Far Off that Used to Sound'

16 Oct 2018 11:00 | Ashmolean Museum: Lecture Theatre

In 1827 the writer Maria Callcott embarked on a two-year honeymoon tour of Europe with her new husband, the painter Augustus Wall Callcott. En route between Dresden and Vienna, they visited Prague and its surroundings. Discover what they saw on their travels, with Caroline Palmer of the Ashmolean Museum.

1:05 PM

Dvořák & Smetana: Harriet Burns, Caitlin Hulcup & Christopher Glynn

Pre-concert Talks Study Event

16 Oct 2018 13:05 | New College Ante Chapel

Smetana’s moving Evening Songs are complemented by songs by Dvořák, including his passionate Gypsy Songs and a selection of the Moravian Duets for two female voices. Caitlin Hulcup and Christopher Glynn will already be well known to Oxford audiences, while Harriet Burns can be heard again later in the Festival as a winner of the 2018 Oxford Lieder Young Artist Platform.

3:00 PM

Rosa Newmarch and the Music of Moravia

16 Oct 2018 15:00 | The Weston Library: Lecture Theatre

Philip Ross Bullock introduces the writer Rosa Newmarch, a passionate advocate of the music of Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia in Britain, and traces her remarkable friendship with Leoš Janáček.

5:30 PM

Dvořák Piano Quintet: The Albion Quartet & Christopher Glynn

16 Oct 2018 17:30 | Holywell Music Room

The Albion Quartet was founded in 2016 by four renowned string players, and has quickly established itself as one of today’s leading ensembles. Together with Christopher Glynn, they perform Dvořák’s evergreen Piano Quintet, alongside the Meditation by Josef Suk, who studied with Dvořák and married his daughter.

6:30 PM

Festive Supper

16 Oct 2018 18:30 | The Vaults and Garden Café

7:30 PM

The Diary of One Who Disappeared: Toby Spence, Dorottya Láng, Victoria Samek, Julius Drake & Chorus

16 Oct 2018 19:30 | Holywell Music Room

With singers from the Royal Academy of Music Internationally acclaimed tenor Toby Spence and equally renowned pianist Julius Drake perform Janáček’s The Diary of One who Disappeared, one of the great works of the song repertoire. They are joined by Dorottya Láng, who also performs works by Brahms, including his ‘Gyspsy songs’, and alongside these we hear the r...

10:00 PM

Echo and Narcissus: Sophie Bevan, Fleur Barron, Nick Pritchard, Ryan Wigglesworth & Chorus

16 Oct 2018 22:00 | New College Ante Chapel

We are thrilled to have co-commissioned a new work by leading composer Ryan Wigglesworth, in collaboration with Wigmore Hall and with the generous support of the Nicholas John Trust. This new work for soprano and piano sits alongside Wigglesworth’s extraordinary Echo and Narcissus, written in 2014 for the same forces as the Janáček Diary of One who Disappeared (see earlier concert)...

Wednesday 17th October

10:30 AM

Language Lab: Estonian

17 Oct 2018 10:30 | Ashmolean Museum Café

Coffee and a 15-minute introduction to the Estonian language ahead of tonight’s concert with Kai Rüütel and Roger Vignoles.

11:00 AM

Souvenirs of the Grand Tour

17 Oct 2018 11:00 | Ashmolean Museum: Lecture Theatre

Matthew Winterbottom, Curator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts at the Ashmolean Museum, explores the Museum’s Britain and Italy Gallery, where a large part of the collection was acquired by people on the Grand Tour.

1:05 PM

An Italian Songbook: Alessandro Fisher & Gary Matthewman

17 Oct 2018 13:05 | The Sheldonian Theatre

Luxuriate in the great melodies and beautiful language of Italian song, with music by Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, Tosti and Verdi. British/ Italian tenor Alessandro Fisher, past winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Awards and a former Oxford Lieder Young Artist, also includes Reynaldo Hahn’s sensational Venezia in this unmissable programme.

3:00 PM

The Italian Commedia

17 Oct 2018 15:00 | The Weston Library: Lecture Theatre

Jessica Goodman outlines the history and practice of the mask-based Commedia dell'arte, exploring its theatrical and musical manifestations across Europe.

5:30 PM

Solitudes: Mr McFall's Chamber

17 Oct 2018 17:30 | Holywell Music Room

Described in the Times as ‘engaging, witty, relaxed, sophisticated, exquisitely played and just plain fun’, Mr McFall’s Chamber presents a gloriously eclectic and uplifting programme of Baltic chamber music from their acclaimed album Solitudes. Olli Mustonen, Pēteris Vasks, Arvo Pärt, and maybe even Sibelius played on a bowed saw...Not to be missed!

6:30 PM

Festive Supper

17 Oct 2018 18:30 | The Vaults and Garden Café

7:30 PM

Tallinn to St Petersburg: Kai Rüütel & Roger Vignoles

17 Oct 2018 19:30 | Holywell Music Room

Estonian mezzo-soprano Kai Rüütel, who has shot to fame since being a Jette Parker Artist at the Royal Opera House, introduces us to the songs of her homeland, with works by Veljo Tormis, Ester Mägi and Mart Saar. Alongside these, she and Roger Vignoles perform songs by Rachmaninov and Rimsky-Korsakov.

Thursday 18th October

10:30 AM

Language Lab: Hungarian

18 Oct 2018 10:30 | Ashmolean Museum Café

Our final Language Lab explores Hungarian with Zsuzsanna Varga, preparing us for today’s lunchtime concert.

11:00 AM

Sculpture as Music

18 Oct 2018 11:00 | Ashmolean Museum: Lecture Theatre

Alice Hiller explores how Croatian-Hungarian émigré sculptor Oscar Nemon composed 'by ear'. Nemon, famous for sculpting figures from Churchill to Beerbohm to the Queen, lived briefly on Holywell Street before establishing his studio just outside Oxford. Alice Hiller illustrates his sculptural journey from Osijek to Oxford via Vienna and Brussels.

1:05 PM

A Hungarian Songbook: Dorottya Láng & Sholto Kynoch

18 Oct 2018 13:05 | The Sheldonian Theatre

Hungarian mezzo Dorottya Láng has given sensational recitals at past Festivals and presents a programme of Hungarian song, including Franz Liszt’s one and only song in the Hungarian language – as well as his settings of Heine and Hugo – and songs by Bartok, Ligeti and Kodaly.

3:00 PM

A Literary Love Affair

18 Oct 2018 15:00 | The Weston Library: Lecture Theatre

Carol Tully explores the nineteenth-century European love affair with the literature of Spain and its impact on the reading and listening public of the age.

5:30 PM

Spanish Dances: Sophie Rosa & Sholto Kynoch

18 Oct 2018 17:30 | Saint John the Evangelist

The first event in our Spanish evening, held in collaboration with SJE Arts, is a programme of passionate Spanish music for violin and piano, played by virtuoso violinist Sophie Rosa. Music by Manuel de Falla, Pablo Sarasate and others ranges from foot-stomping dances to extraordinary lyricism.

6:15 PM

Festive Supper

18 Oct 2018 18:15 | Arbequina Tapas Restaurant and Bar

A special meal as part of our Spanish evening at St John the Evangelist. Places are very limited in this well-known tapas restaurant, a short walk from St John the Evangelist, so book early.

7:30 PM

Spanish Songs: Lorena Paz Nieto, Marta Fontanals-Simmons & Sholto Kynoch

18 Oct 2018 19:30 | Saint John the Evangelist

Spanish soprano Lorena Paz Nieto, a former Oxford Lieder Young Artist, and British/Catalan mezzo-soprano Marta Fontanals-Simmons present Spanish and Catalan songs by Albéniz, de Falla, Toldrà and others. In the first half of the recital, they explore the influence of Spain on composers as diverse as Wolf, Debussy, Schumann and Shostakovich.

9:15 PM

A Spanish Wine Tasting

18 Oct 2018 21:15 | Saint John the Evangelist

Between tonight's song recital and late-night flamenco, while the stage is reset, enjoy two excellent Spanish wines, introduced by wine expert Amy Matthews.

9:45 PM

Flamenco

18 Oct 2018 21:45 | Saint John the Evangelist

Presented by Camino del Flamenco Round off this exhilarating evening with drink in hand, and an astonishing display of singing, dancing and playing by the artists of one the UK’s most respected flamenco groups, the Camino del Flamenco.

Friday 19th October

10:30 AM

Parry and the Art of the English Lyric: Jeremy Dibble

19 Oct 2018 10:30 | The Weston Library: Lecture Theatre

Jeremy Dibble, an acknowledged authority on Parry’s life and music, gives an introductory talk on this pre-eminent English composer and his major contribution to the song repertoire. This starts a day that features a range of events marking the 100th anniversary of the death of Hubert Parry. One of Britain’s most significant composers and a fascinating, contradictory character, P...

1:05 PM

My Heart is Like a Singing Bird: Mary Bevan, Nicky Spence & William Vann

Pre-concert Talks Study Event

19 Oct 2018 13:05 | The Sheldonian Theatre

Our lunchtime concert today explores the songs of Parry, but also the music of those who influenced him – notably Johannes Brahms – contemporaries such as Stanford, and those who followed in his footsteps, including Vaughan Williams and Ireland.

3:00 PM

Parry’s Lost World

19 Oct 2018 15:00 | The Weston Library: Lecture Theatre

Hubert Parry composed his Songs of Farewell - six motets for unaccompanied choir - over the final decade of his life. Robert Quinney explores this late masterpiece in the context of Parry’s declining health and the political and social upheaval of the early twentieth century.

5:30 PM

Songs of Travel: Nicholas Mogg & Jâms Coleman

19 Oct 2018 17:30 | Holywell Music Room

Former Oxford Lieder Young Artists, both now increasingly well known as exceptional musicians, perform the Songs of Travel by Parry’s student, Ralph Vaughan Williams. Composed between 1901-1904, they mark some of his earliest songs, but also his most accomplished and enduringly popular.

6:00 PM

Festive Supper

19 Oct 2018 18:00 | The Vaults and Garden Café

7:30 PM

Songs of Farewell: James Gilchrist, Anna Tilbrook, Choir of New College & Robert Quinney

19 Oct 2018 19:30 | Various

A very special evening concludes our Parry day, with a rare chance to experience choral music and song side by side in two different and magical venues. In the stunning New College Chapel, the world-renowned Choir performs Parry’s Songs of Farewell; while in the nearby Holywell Music Room, James Gilchrist and Anna Tilbrook perform songs by Parry and Jonathan Dove. At the interval, the two...

Saturday 20th October

10:45 AM

Exploring Nordic Song

20 Oct 2018 10:45 | Jacqueline du Pré Music Building

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION Coffee will be served at 10.30am. At 10.45am Daniel Grimley, Professor of Music at Merton College, will introduce the day ahead and some of the background and common themes to be heard. The four parts that follow each consist of a 20-25 minute introduction and 30-35 minute performance. NORWAY 11am-12pm Eira Huse mezzo-soprano Olga Jørgensen piano Da...

5:30 PM

A Nordic Piano Tour: Bengt Forsberg

20 Oct 2018 17:30 | Holywell Music Room

The legendary Swedish pianist Bengt Forsberg takes us on a whirlwind tour of Nordic piano music, including works by Jón Leifs, Rued Langgaard, Emil Sjögren, Agathe Backer Gröndahl and Selim Palmgren. N.B. A 'Nordic Day Pass' is available to purchase for £60 which will enable you to attend all talks and concerts (excluding meals) at the festival on 20th Octobe...

6:30 PM

Festive Supper

20 Oct 2018 18:30 | The Vaults and Garden Café

7:30 PM

Stockholm to Vienna: Camilla Tilling & Paul Rivinius

20 Oct 2018 19:30 | Holywell Music Room

Swedish soprano Camilla Tilling is in demand on stages the world over, and is joined tonight by her regular duo partner Paul Rivinius. They present a programme that begins in Vienna, with Mahler, Schoenberg and Korngold, before moving to Sweden for songs by Bo Linde and Wilhelm Stenhammar, and ending in Finland with a group of songs by Sibelius. N.B. A 'Nordic Day Pass' is availabl...

10:00 PM

Sounding North: The Carice Singers

20 Oct 2018 22:00 | New College Ante Chapel

Under their director George Parris, the Carice Singers have gained an enviable reputation for superb performances and imaginative programming. In ‘Sounding North’, they conclude our Nordic exploration with a stunning programme of choral music which, in New College Chapel, is the ideal way to finish an exhilarating day. N.B. A 'Nordic Day Pass' is available to purchase f...

Sunday 21st October

10:00 AM

10am Cushion Concert for Under 5s: Emma Stannard, Keval Shah, Aliye Cornish

21 Oct 2018 10:00 | Jacqueline du Pré Music Building

This performance is for children under 5 years old. Please see the morning's schedule below for details of the later performance for children over 5 years old. Presented in association with the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building Explore the human voice, the piano, singing, playing, words and music in a fun family morning as part of the well-established Cu...

11:00 AM

11am Cushion Concert for Under 5s: Emma Stannard, Keval Shah, Aliye Cornish

21 Oct 2018 11:00 | Jacqueline du Pré Music Building

12:00 PM

12pm Cushion Concert for Over 5s: Emma Stannard, Keval Shah, Aliye Cornish

21 Oct 2018 12:00 | Jacqueline du Pré Music Building

This performance is for children over 5 years old. Please see the morning's schedule below for details of the two performances for children under 5 years old. Presented in association with the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building Explore the human voice, the piano, singing, playing, words and music in a fun family morning as part of the well-established Cushion Concerts se...

1:30 PM

Debussy & Boulanger: Wolfgang Holzmair & Roger Vignoles

21 Oct 2018 13:30 | Holywell Music Room

A recital given by Wolfgang Holzmair is always a special occasion, and this recital also marks the start of his week in residence at the Festival, leading our Mastercourse. Debussy’s Fêtes Galantes and settings of François Villon are interspersed with songs by Lili Boulanger, the astonishing composer prodigy and first female winner of the ‘Prix de Rome’ compositio...

3:00 PM

Meet the Students

Free Events Participation Events

21 Oct 2018 15:00 | The Oakeshott Room, Lincoln College

An introductory session for the nine exceptional duos taking part in this year’s Mastercourse. Wolfgang Holzmair will work briefly with each duo, and this is an ideal chance to hear these talented young artists at the start of their week-long journey in song.

3:00 PM

Bring & Sing

21 Oct 2018 15:00 | Jacqueline du Pré Music Building

The stage is yours: Our hugely popular Bring and Sing concerts offer enthusiastic amateur singers the chance to give a short performance in a superb concert hall, in front of an invited audience in a supportive and non-competitive atmosphere. Members of the public are very welcome to attend this free and varied concert.

5:30 PM

Young Artist Platform: Harriet Burns & Michael Pandya

21 Oct 2018 17:30 | Holywell Music Room

6:30 PM

Festive Supper

21 Oct 2018 18:30 | St Stephen's House

8:00 PM

The Elements in Song: Christoph Prégardien & Ulrich Eisenlohr

21 Oct 2018 20:00 | Saint John the Evangelist

Undoubtedly one of the highlights of any Festival is a visit by tenor Christoph Prégardien. He and Ulrich Eisenlohr – a pianist especially renowned for his complete Schubert survey – perform songs by Schubert and Wolfgang Rihm, and then a journey through earth, water, air and fire, with songs by Schubert, Schumann, Liszt and Brahms. The evening's programme ...

Monday 22nd October

10:00 AM

Mastercourse Day One

22 Oct 2018 10:00 | The Oakeshott Room, Lincoln College

We are delighted to welcome back the world-renowned baritone Wolfgang Holzmair, acclaimed as a brilliant teacher as well as a hugely admired singer, to lead this year’s Mastercourse, working each day with talented young professional singers and pianists. Each day also features a guest tutor: today, the pianist Roger Vignoles. All are warmly encouraged to attend these fascinating sessions....

1:05 PM

Heimat: Benjamin Appl & James Baillieu

22 Oct 2018 13:05 | The Sheldonian Theatre

Benjamin Appl has rapidly established himself as one of today’s most exciting and in-demand singers. His debut album for Sony Classical, ‘Heimat’, is in part an autobiography in song and today we hear a concert version of this, with music from Schubert to Warlock to Grieg.

5:30 PM

Nuits d'Afrique: Ailish Tynan, Adam Walker, Brian O'Kane and James Baillieu

22 Oct 2018 17:30 | Holywell Music Room

An astonishing team of artists assemble for this concert, including star flautist Adam Walker. They perform Ravel’s Chansons Madécasses - ‘Madagascan Songs’ - scored for the unusual ensemble of voice, flute, cello and piano. They also include a new cycle by the Master of the Queen’s Music, Judith Weir: Nuits d’Afrique. This was written for the same forces as...

6:30 PM

Festive Supper

22 Oct 2018 18:30 | St Stephen's House

8:00 PM

An English Songbook: Dame Sarah Connolly & Eugene Asti

22 Oct 2018 20:00 | Saint John the Evangelist

Little introduction is needed for one of today’s great singers, Sarah Connolly, joined by her longstanding duo partner Eugene Asti. They perform an array of wonderful English song, from Bridge to Britten and Holst to Howells.

Tuesday 23rd October

10:00 AM

Mastercourse Day Two

23 Oct 2018 10:00 | Various

Led by Wolfgang Holzmair Guest tutor: Eugene Asti This year, for the first time, sessions will take place in the centre of town, in the Oakeshott Room at Lincoln College and in the Chapel at Trinity College. Two teaching sessions run concurrently and members of the public are welcome to move between them.

1:05 PM

Paris to Lisbon: Alison Rose & James Cheung

23 Oct 2018 13:05 | The Sheldonian Theatre

Presented in association with Garsington Opera We welcome back soprano Alison Rose as a recipient of Garsington Opera’s prestigious Leonard Ingrams Foundation Award. Alison is also a former Oxford Lieder Young Artist. Her programme today, joined by exceptional pianist James Cheung, takes in Debussy’s stunning Proses lyriques – settings of his own poetry – and includes...

5:30 PM

Schubert at Home: The Phoenix Piano Trio

23 Oct 2018 17:30 | Holywell Music Room

Schubert’s Piano Trio No.1 in B flat, D898, is one of his best-loved chamber works. Written in the final year of the composer’s life, it is a piece that ranges from the upliftingly extrovert to the sublimely intimate. Joined by members of Schubert & Co. ahead of this evening's 7.30pm concert, the Phoenix Piano Trio also perform a selection of Beethoven’s arrangeme...

6:30 PM

Festive Supper

23 Oct 2018 18:30 | The Vaults and Garden Café

7:30 PM

Schubert Abroad: Schubert & Co.

23 Oct 2018 19:30 | Holywell Music Room

Schubert & Co. is an ensemble of eight renowned singers with pianist Sholto Kynoch. Tonight they explore Schubert’s Italian songs, as well as settings of English poets, before performing his complete settings from Walter Scott’s The Lady of the Lake, which include the famed Ave Maria as well as several ensembles.

Wednesday 24th October

10:00 AM

Mastercourse Day Three

24 Oct 2018 10:00 | Various

Led by Wolfgang Holzmair Guest tutor & speaker: Helen Abbott This year, for the first time, sessions will take place in the centre of town, in the Oakeshott Room at Lincoln College and in the Chapel at Trinity College. Two teaching sessions run concurrently and members of the public are welcome to move between them. Today’s Mastercourse session begins with a talk (10am-...

1:05 PM

Brahms, Martin & Ravel: Milan Siljanov & Nino Chokhonelidze

24 Oct 2018 13:05 | The Sheldonian Theatre

The Swiss-Macedonian bass-baritone Milan Siljanov and Georgian pianist Nino Chokhonelidze were winners of the 2015 Wigmore Hall International Song Competition. Today they present the dramatic Six Monologues from Jedermann by the Swiss composer Frank Martin, alongside Ravel’s Don Quichotte à Dulcinée, and songs by Johannes Brahms.

5:30 PM

Gounod & Georgina: Sophie Daneman, William Morgan, Simon Robson, Sholto Kynoch

24 Oct 2018 17:30 | Holywell Music Room

In the bicentenary of his birth, find out more about Charles Gounod and his turbulent relationship with the scandal-prone English singer, campaigner and litigator Georgina Weldon, through this narrated recital devised and written by Henrietta Bredin. Enjoy the highs and lows of this unlikely relationship, while taking in songs written by an undisputed master of melody who, despite being th...

6:30 PM

Festive Supper

24 Oct 2018 18:30 | St Stephen's House

8:00 PM

A French Songbook: Véronique Gens & Susan Manoff

24 Oct 2018 20:00 | Saint John the Evangelist

Véronique Gens is one of the world’s most sought-after singers, renowned most of all for her interpretation of French mélodie, together with American pianist Susan Manoff. We are thrilled to bring them to Oxford for the first time for a recital of songs by Gounod, Massenet, Duparc and others. An unmissable Festival highlight. This concert is presented in association with ...

9:45 PM

Le Chat Noir: Raphaela Papadakis & William Vann

24 Oct 2018 21:45 | The Mad Hatter

To round off this extraordinary day, enjoy a cocktail and some Satie - who performed in the original club ‘Le Chat Noir’ - Poulenc and even Piaf, in the intimate setting of the Mad Hatter bar.

Thursday 25th October

10:00 AM

Mastercourse Day Four

25 Oct 2018 10:00 | Various

Led by Wolfgang Holzmair Guest tutors: Véronique Gens (morning) Susan Manoff (afternoon) This year, for the first time, sessions will take place in the centre of town, in the Oakeshott Room at Lincoln College and in the Chapel at Trinity College. Two teaching sessions run concurrently and members of the public are welcome to move between them.

1:05 PM

Sonnets in Song: Daniel Norman & Christopher Gould

25 Oct 2018 13:05 | New College Ante Chapel

Daniel Norman and Christopher Gould, known as a superb and insightful duo, explore the role of the sonnet in song: a great meeting of poetry and music. Their programme ranges from settings of Petrarch by Schubert and Liszt, to Britten’s ecstatic settings of Michelangelo, to Parry’s little known collection of sonnets by Shakespeare.

5:30 PM

Viola and Voice: Clare McCaldin, Simon Tandree, Libby Burgess

25 Oct 2018 17:30 | Holywell Music Room

The Dutch composer Julius Röntgen was a friend of Brahms, a central figure in the Dutch music world, and a much-admired if now neglected composer. In the spirit of Brahms, he wrote a series of pieces for voice, piano and viola: the Lyrische Gänge, only recently rediscovered. We hear these wonderful pieces alongside Brahms’ much better-known songs for the same ensemble, as well a...

6:30 PM

Festive Supper

25 Oct 2018 18:30 | The Vaults and Garden Café

7:30 PM

Die schöne Magelone: Thomas Oliemans & Malcolm Martineau

25 Oct 2018 19:30 | Holywell Music Room

Dutch baritone Thomas Oliemans gave an extraordinary recital at short notice in last year’s Festival, and we are thrilled that he is able to return this year with Malcolm Martineau, one of the world’s great accompanists. They perform Brahms’ only song cycle, Die schöne Magelone: a tale of medieval chivalry and a love story, with poetry taken from Ludwig Tieck’s Roma...

Friday 26th October

10:00 AM

New Music Workshop

26 Oct 2018 10:00 | The Shulman Auditorium, The Queen's College

Co-presented with the Oxford University Faculty of Music and the Centre for Comparative Criticism and Translation Ross Griffey leads a workshop with four talented composers from the Faculty of Music. Their new works are performed ahead of a discussion between the composers, the performers and Ross Griffey. The texts of the new songs are in English but translated from other languages, in new ...

1:05 PM

A Heine Liederkreis: Julien Van Mellaerts & Gamal Khamis

26 Oct 2018 13:05 | The Sheldonian Theatre

Presented in association with the Kathleen Ferrier Awards Julien Van Mellaerts achieved the impressive feat in 2017 of winning both the Kathleen Ferrier Awards and the Wigmore Hall International Song Competition. Today, he and Gamal Khamis perform Schumann’s glorious settings of Heine, his Liederkreis Op.24. They also present two songs by Ross Griffey, setting Rupert Brooke, Shakespear...

3:00 PM

The Composer Speaks

Free Events Chamber Music Early Evening

26 Oct 2018 15:00 | The Shulman Auditorium, The Queen's College

Ross Griffey, interviewed by Martyn Harry, discusses his work to date, past research – including looking at the meeting of music and government policy in the United States – and his plans for the Albi Rosenthal Fellowship at the Bodleian Library.

3:45 PM

The Composer Presents

26 Oct 2018 15:45 | The Shulman Auditorium, The Queen's College

Ross Griffey introduces his settings of Walt Whitman, his Poem for solo cello, and a witty whirlwind of medical ailments: A Catalogue of Agonies, for voice and harpsichord

5:30 PM

Owen-Apekisheva Duo: Katya Apekisheva & Charles Owen

26 Oct 2018 17:30 | Holywell Music Room

The UK’s pre-eminent piano duo performs two sensational works for two pianos: Rachmaninov’s First Suite, and Debussy’s three Nocturnes, arranged by Maurice Ravel. A stunning finale to our rush-hour chamber music series.

6:30 PM

Festive Supper

26 Oct 2018 18:30 | The Vaults and Garden Café

7:30 PM

Come, Comfort of the World: Kate Royal & Joseph Middleton

26 Oct 2018 19:30 | Holywell Music Room

Kate Royal is one of today's star sopranos, hailed as a 'compelling recitalist' (The Telegraph) with a 'rapturous voice' (Gramophone). She and well-known pianist Joseph Middleton perform Schumann's settings of the Franco-German poet and botanist, Adalbert von Chamisso: the touching and ever-popular cycle Frauenliebe und -leben, written in Schumann's 'annus m...

Saturday 27th October

12:00 PM

Mastercourse Concert

Lunchtime Mastercourse

27 Oct 2018 12:00 | Holywell Music Room

Introduced by Wolfgang Holzmair The culmination of our week-long residential Mastercourse is always a highlight of the Festival. This year’s wonderful and varied programme will be selected by the course leader, Wolfgang Holzmair, reflecting the best of what he has heard over the week. Come and listen to nine exceptional duos at the end of an immersive and inspirational course. This ...

4:30 PM

Lobo Requiem: Choir of The Queen’s College & Owen Rees

Sacred music

27 Oct 2018 16:30 | The Queen's College Chapel

Portuguese composer Duarte Lobo was one of the most significant renaissance choral composers, and his Requiem is a masterpiece that was also a hugely popular work in antiquarian circles in England and France well into the nineteenth century. Performed by the renowned Choir of The Queen’s College, Oxford, this continues our tradition of a requiem performance on the final day of the Festiva...

6:00 PM

Festive Supper

27 Oct 2018 18:00 | St Stephen's House

7:30 PM

A European Song Cycle: Tara Erraught, Ashley Riches & Sholto Kynoch