Project Lead:

MCR:Classical

Manchester classical weekend festival 24-25 June 2023

WINNER: THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY AWARD FOR Series and Events 2024.

With: The Hallé, Bridgewater Hall, BBC Philharmonic, Manchester Collective, Manchester Camarata, Royal Northern College of Music, Bharatiya Vrund Gaan: The Indian Choir of England.

In 2023 I was engaged by The Hallé as Project Lead on the planning, delivery and evaluation of the inaugural Manchester Classical weekend festival at Bridgewater Hall. Working with Manchester’s many resident ensembles to celebrate the city’s rich and interlinked musical life and engage new audiences from across Manchester and beyond. The weekend featured 16 performances across two days, from The Hallé, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Manchester Collective, Manchester Camerata, students from the Royal Northern College of Music, Bharatiya Vrund Gaan: The Indian Choir of England. Four concerts were broadcast on BBC Radio 3, and the weekend hosted a range of creative and musical front-of-house activities for families, alongside a varied offering of food and drink.

Soloists, conductors and actors included: Jess Gillam, Daniel Pioro, Rakesh Joshi, Katchun Wong, Anja Bihlmaier, Joshua Weilerstein, Alex Jennings, and Josie Lawrence.

Press & Media

★★★★★ Fiona Maddocks, The Observer, “taut, convulsive and virtuosic […] 16 events in two days, in which Manchester’s many resident ensembles united to celebrate the city’s rich and interlinked musical life.”

★★★★ Leighton Jones, Bachtrack, “A fantastic, informal, innovative series. One hopes the festival will be repeated next year; its greatest triumph was the shrewd selection of stimulating programmes, pitting the familiar against the obscure in short, readily-digested concerts. With four female conductors lining up alongside three men for ‘main stage’ events and large numbers of young children in the audiences, it is clearly a festival with an eye on the future.”

★★★★★ Karen Ryder, manchestertheatres.com “the atmosphere so intoxicating… Children of all ages – and even some adults – were forging new relationships with violins, clarinets, xylophones, trumpets, and so much more.  MCR:Classical definitely has an air of something special about it, and I truly hope it becomes an annual thing”

Thom Bamford, I Love Manchester “Sunday at MCR: Classical delivered a weekend filled with musical wonders, where each performance transported the audience on a unique journey. The exceptional talents of the musicians, the thoughtfully curated repertoire, and the dedication to artistic expression culminated in an unforgettable experience. The event was a joyous celebration of the beauty, diversity, and power of classical music.”