Brighton Festival has unveiled a vast classical music programme for its 60th edition.
The line-up covers 400 years, from Monteverdi to Anna Meredith, offering a range of performances from large-scale orchestral to intimate recitals.
The festival runs from May 1 to May 25 and will host acclaimed artists and ensembles from around the world.
Kicking off the classical programme on the first weekend, renowned string quartets Chiaroscuro Quartet and Consone Quartet will perform at the Glyndebourne Opera House on Sunday, May 3.
They will showcase masterpieces by Haydn and Mozart individually before collaborating on Mendelssohn’s Octet.
On Bank Holiday Monday, May 4, Brighton Dome’s Concert Hall will stage a unique presentation of Bach’s St John Passion.
The Britten Sinfonia will perform alongside the Brighton Festival Chorus, Youth Choir and young soloists from William Christie’s Les Arts Florissants and Le Jardin des Voix.
This exclusive festival performance will be sung in English, with choirs moving through the auditorium, dissolving the boundaries between audience and performers.
Another festival exclusive on May 17 will feature the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra accompanying a screening of William Kentridge’s animated film Oh To Believe in Another World.
The spring season at the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra
The spring season at the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra
Historical rulers collide in therapy-themed comedy show
Historical rulers collide in therapy-themed comedy show
Open garden event to showcase eco-friendly growing methods
Open garden event to showcase eco-friendly growing methods
The film, introduced by Kentridge himself, depicts the period from the 1917 Russian revolution to 1953, inspired by Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10.
The London Symphony Orchestra, under Chief Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano, will return to the festival on May 8 with performances of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6.
They will be joined by pianist Denis Kozhukhin.
On May 20, countertenor Iestyn Davies and harpist Oliver Wass will perform a programme spanning 400 years of music and song.
The performance will take place at Brighton’s Royal Pavilion Music Room.
Award-winning chamber choir Tenebrae will return on May 23 with A Celestial Gift, a programme of sacred choral music from five centuries.
The Brighton and East Sussex Youth Orchestra will perform on May 11, featuring International Piano Competition winner Curtis Phill Hsu.
Throughout the festival, a series of lunchtime concerts will take place in Brighton Dome’s Studio Theatre and Concert Hall from May 5 to May 20.