'Treasure trove' of classical music unveiled for the 60th HACS Harrogate Music Festival
The line-up has been revealed for a major part of Harrogate International Festivals 60th anniversary celebration this summer with even BBC Radio 3 set to turn up to mark the occasion.
Over the past 60 years, Harrogate International 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, Sir Simon Rattle and Julian Lloyd Webber, 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.
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 that has become such a popular fixture in the town’s cultural calendar."
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."
Running from June 6 to July 12, HACS Harrogate Music Festival 2026 will present a dazzling array of talent from much loved orchestras to trailblazing performers and ensembles.
As part of this year’s landmark celebrations the globally renowned Festival is bringing not one, but two orchestras to Harrogate’s magnificent Royal Hall.
The boundary-pushing Aurora Orchestra, renowned for their innovative, memorised concerts, will perform at this historic venue on June 24.
Led by Principal Conductor Nicholas Collon and driven by the belief that orchestral music is for everyone, Aurora Orchestra became the first orchestra worldwide to remove sheet music and stands for large scale works, relying on memory instead.
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 Orchestra, one of classical music’s best loved orchestras, returns to the Royal Hall on what promises to be a memorable evening on July 5, when their concert will be recorded for BBC Radio 3.
The concert will also present audience members with 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.
The Festival has a reputation for showcasing the most talented emerging stars and this summer will see 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 festival alongside his Bantu Ensemble with a special concert at Ashville College on June 6.
And when it comes to stars, they do not come much bigger or brighter than Grammy-nominated singer, Davóne Tines, who will appear at the Wesley Centre on June 12 in what will be his only performance in the North of England this season.
Festival legends Oddsocks will make a welcome return with their wonderful take on Shakespeare, performing Romeo and Juliet in the stunning setting of RHS Harlow Carr on June 30 and July 1.
Priority tickets will go go on sale on March 11, with general tickets available from March 18.
Call 01423 562303 or visit: https://harrogateinternationalfestivals.com/