Classical music highlights at Brighton Festival 2025 span centuries and generations
Our breath-taking classical programme sees our Guest Director, Grammy-nominated Anoushka Shankar, perform her father Ravi Shankar and Philip Glass’ album Passages for only the second time ever in the UK; plus a UK premiere, and thrilling performances from celebrated cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Castalian String Quartet, Baroque pioneer William Christie and dynamic violinist Braimah Kanneh-Mason.
Anoushka said:
“I’m thrilled to be welcoming an incredible range of performers from across the spectrum of classical music to Brighton Festival 2025. This year’s Festival explores art’s power to challenge and uplift and there are so many unique perspectives and collaborations in the classical programme that will do exactly that. I’m also hugely excited to share the music of my father, Ravi Shankar, with Brighton Festival audiences”.
Here are a few of the highlights.
Passages
In a Brighton Festival Exclusive, for the first time since the BBC Proms in 2017 and only the second time ever in the UK, Anoushka Shankar performs Passages in full – her father Ravi Shankar’s pioneering album created in collaboration with American composer Philip Glass.
Passages combines Glass’s minimalism with Shankar’s expressive Indian style; this collaborative spirit will be recreated live by Anoushka Shankar, Britten Sinfonia and an ensemble of Indian specially curated classical musicians, handpicked by Anoushka. A truly unmissable event: book now to avoid disappointment. Fri 9 Mar, Brighton Dome Concert Hall. For ages 12+.
An Oscar Winning Composer
See the UK premiere of Oscar-winning film composer Rachel Portman’s new work, performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Francesca Dego on Thu 22 May in the Concert Hall. Tipping Points is a new concerto for violin, narrator and orchestra that explores the tipping points we may have reached in the climate crisis - conducted by Grammy Award-winning Ludovic Morlot. The concert includes additional performances of beautiful pieces centred around nature and environmentalism.
Pioneering Composers
On Sat 17 May in the Concert Hall, London Symphony Orchestra is joined by acclaimed violinist Leila Josefowicz and led by thrilling conductor Susanna Mälkki. Performing a series of works including Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, the programme begins with the exceptional A Short Piece for a Large Orchestra, by pioneering mid-20th century Black-American composer Julia Perry.
A Birthday Concert
Happy 80th Birthday to harpsichordist and founder of Baroque ensemble Les Arts Florissants, William Christie! William is marking the occasion with a concert at Glyndebourne Opera House on Sun 4 May; the performance will also showcase members of Les Arts Florissants Jardin des Voix, his academy for young Baroque singers.
The Sound of Strings
Put a date in the diary for Sun 18 May in the Concert Hall, where celebrated cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and the award-winning Castalian String Quartet perform a tantalising programme, including work from British composer Natalie Klouda that blends Baroque and Indian classical styles.
Sheku’s brother, violinist Braimah Kanneh-Mason, has played live across the world and will join Create Music’s Brighton & East Sussex Youth Orchestra on Mon 12 May in the Concert Hall, performing a beautiful programme including Mussorgsky’s Night on a Bare Mountain (Fantasia) and 12th century composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, who received two world premieres at the Brighton Musical Festival held at Brighton Dome in the early 1900s. For all ages.
Heavenly Vocals
Conductor Harry Christophers and his elite vocal ensemble The Sixteen join us at their sold out show Sat 10 May at All Saints Church; they will perform a variety of songs ranging from music by a mystic 12th century German abbess to contemporary British pieces; and on Mon 19 May, join us in the Corn Exchange for a song recital from one of the country’s finest mezzos, Dame Sarah Connolly, including a selection of songs in German, French and English.
Lunchtime Concerts
Our popular series of lunchtime concerts returns, showcasing a variety of young and emerging artists; featuring medieval ensemble Rune, performing musical stories inspired by 14th century Italian poet and scholar Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron, 7 May in the Studio Theatre; on Tue 20 May in the Corn Exchange, established French ensemble the Quatuor Van Kuijk honour countryman Ravel’s 150th birthday, and also in the Corn Exchange, Jerwood Glyndebourne Young Singers perform popular operatic extracts on Mon 19 May.
Brighton & East Sussex Youth Orchestra supported Mayo Wynne Baxter
Lunchtime concerts in association with Brighton Early Music Festival
