Oxford Lieder rebrands as Oxford International Song Festival

Well established as one of the world’s leading song festivals and the biggest in the UK, the Oxford Lieder Festival has been renamed, and is now called the Oxford International Song Festival. The Festival will celebrate its first season under its new name from 13 to 28 October in a programme of 76 events embracing song, poetry and visual arts.

According to a press release published this week, the rebrand has been undertaken to ensure the festival name better reflects the organisation’s work of bringing accessible song performance, participation, and learning to the local Oxford community and beyond.

Festival artistic director, pianist Sholto Kynoch, (pictured above) said: ‘This will be our 22nd festival, but the first under this new name, as we make the change from Oxford Lieder Festival. In many ways little has changed: as well as the great works of Schubert and Schumann, we have a huge breadth of music from across centuries and in multiple languages, and it is this breadth that is better reflected in our new identity. Our celebratory and welcoming spirit is brighter than ever!’

Kynoch jois BBC New Generation Artist Helen Charlston in the world premiere of a new work by Héloïse Werner as part of a lunchtime series at the Holywell Music Room after Dame Sarah Connolly and Dame Imogen Cooper open the festival with a joint concert on 13 October.

This year, composer Alex Ho concludes his two-year tenure as associate composer at the festival with the world premiere of song cycle The Glass Eye, commissioned by the festival with text by Elayce Ismail. Also returning to the festival will be baritone Roderick Williams - fresh from his appearance at The King’s coronation last month - plus 2016 Gramophone Award Young Artist of the Year, Benjamin Appl, and Cardiff Singer of the World finalist Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha.

Festival newcomers will include baritone Samuel Hasselhorn, mezzo soprano Bethany Horak-Hallet, Wigmore Hall International Song Competition winner, tenor Laurence Kilsby, and BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2019, baritone Andrei Kymach, as well as sopranos Francesca Chiejina, Karola Pavone.