A quick look at Oxford’s diary of classical music events for the season ahead

Experience an extraordinary piano recital from Grammy Award-winning Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson as he explores the timeless musical connections between Bach, Beethoven and Schubert. Featuring expressive performances and the introduction of the Schwarzman Centre’s new Steinway D grand piano, this captivating programme celebrates beauty, lyricism and emotional depth.

The award-winning Oxford Opera Company is back at The Playhouse with Puccini’s iconic Tosca. New Zealand-born Samoan soprano, Marlena Devoe returns following critically acclaimed performances as Mimi in La Bohème and Pamina in The Magic Flute. Be swept away by the majesty of Puccini’s music as Oxford Opera Orchestra brings this epic human story of love, lust, loyalty, corruption, jealousy, and revenge to life.

Experience an enchanting candlelit evening with the English Chamber Orchestra and acclaimed violinist Harriet Mackenzie, featuring Vivaldi’s exhilarating Winter from The Four Seasons, Vaughan Williams’ soaring The Lark Ascending and John Eccles’ beautiful Aire from The Mad Lover’s Suite.

Award-winning Oxford Opera presents Mozart’s joyful masterpiece The Marriage of Figaro in a fresh, fast-paced production. Set over one chaotic day, this sparkling comedy of love, lust and social politics follows Figaro and Susanna as they attempt to outwit the entitled Count, with help from the spurned Countess. Sung in English with surtitles and accompanied by the Oxford Opera Orchestra.

Celebrate the opening of the 2026 Oxford International Song Festival with an unforgettable recital by Dame Sarah Connolly and acclaimed pianist Joseph Middleton. Featuring songs by Mendelssohn, Brahms, Liszt, Debussy and Errollyn Wallen, this captivating programme explores the Festival’s ‘Love Songs’ theme through some of the finest works in the vocal repertoire.

The 25th Oxford International Song Festival will mark a landmark year with a timeless theme: Love Songs. An international roster of artists will explore love through poetry and music, in performances that range from passionate to witty and ironic. Audiences can look forward to over sixty events featuring more than 200 world-class artists, including three special events in the inaugural season of Oxford’s new Schwarzman Centre.

Festival lineup includes: Benjamin Appl / Juliane Banse / Helen Charlston / Dame Sarah Connolly / Alice Coote / Konstantin Krimmel / Christoph Prégardien / Anna Prohaska / Brindley Sherratt / Camilla Tilling / Roderick Williams

Roderick Williams returns to the Oxford International Song Festival with an inventive programme exploring stories of courtly love across the ages. From the medieval poetry of Guillaume de Machaut and Romantic evocations of ruined castles to 20th-century songs by Ina Boyle and Ralph Vaughan Williams, this recital brings together music spanning centuries of love, longing and devotion.

Canadian pianist Ryan Zhu, winner of the prestigious Hastings International Piano Competition, brings his acclaimed musicianship to the concert stage. Performing Beethoven’s first Piano Sonata in F minor alongside Schumann’s Carnaval, Zhu explores two contrasting masterpieces, from Beethoven’s dramatic early work to Schumann’s vivid sequence of character pieces inspired by a masked ball.

Oxford Town Hall hosts an organ recital with Stefan Donner on its renowned Father Willis Organ, a historic instrument preserved remarkably close to its original form. Enjoy a relaxed lunchtime concert in the impressive Main Hall, with guests welcome to bring a packed lunch. Tea and coffee will also be provided during this informal celebration of Oxford’s historic organ.

Professor Laura Tunbridge and the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective return for an evening exploring the richness of larger chamber ensembles. Featuring music by Schoenberg, Warlock, Schubert and Louise Farrenc, the programme grows to nine players, culminating in Farrenc’s rarely performed Nonet, with Professor Tunbridge introducing the works and exploring how ensemble size shapes their character and impact.

Professor Laura Tunbridge and the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective explore the intimate side of chamber music in an early evening concert featuring works for one to five players. With music by Bach, Corelli and Ligeti, the programme reveals the richness of small-scale ensembles, while Professor Tunbridge offers insights into how the number of performers shapes the character and emotional impact of the music.

Handel’s Theodora, one of the great choral works of the 18th century, comes to life in a concert staging by the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists, directed by Christophe Rousset. Set in Roman-occupied Antioch, this powerful oratorio tells the story of a Christian martyr who defies empire, offering a moving vision of faith, freedom and moral courage.

Join the internationally acclaimed Takács Quartet for an exceptional chamber music concert spanning centuries of repertoire. Featuring quartets by Haydn and Brahms alongside Carlos Simon’s powerful Warmth from Other Suns, the programme is enriched by musical insights and a live conversation with Professor Laura Tunbridge.

Puccini’s beloved La bohème follows four young artists living on the edge in Paris, where friendship, ambition and love collide. This acclaimed Welsh National Opera production reimagines the story in a stark, monochrome vision of 1930s Paris, capturing the passion, beauty and fragility of youth. Sung in Italian with English and Welsh surtitles.

Welsh National Opera presents a powerful double bill pairing Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle with Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex. Exploring ritual, mystery and psychological intensity, the two operas move from Bluebeard’s dark secrets to Oedipus’s devastating search for truth. A striking unified staging draws connections between these timeless myths, sung in Hungarian and Latin with English and Welsh surtitles.

Corvus Consort’s upper voices join with harpist Louise Thomson to present a festive concert, featuring music celebrating women’s voices from their acclaimed album ‘Welcome Joy’ alongside Benjamin Britten’s iconic Ceremony of Carols.

Join Aurora Orchestra and the BBC Singers for a powerful celebration of sacred music inspired by the Book of Psalms, pairing Bernstein’s uplifting Chichester Psalms with Bach’s magnificent Magnificat, exploring themes of peace, praise and unity through two timeless choral masterpieces.