Harrogate International Sunday Series returns in 2025
Florence Lockheart
Monday, November 11, 2024
The series will bring a range of young classical talent to the North Yorkshire town from January to April
The North Yorkshire town of Harrogate is set to welcome the return of its International Sunday Series in January. The series, which has brought world-class talent to Harrogate for more than 30 years, will offer five concerts from emerging classical talent.
The season opens on 26 January with a performance from Junyan Chen featuring works by Bach, Beethoven, Bartók and Liszt. The Chinese pianist comes to Harrogate fresh from a successful performance at the 2024 Leeds International Piano Competition, where she took home the silver medal.
Sharon Canavar, chief executive of Harrogate International Festivals, which presents the series, said: ‘We’re thrilled to announce the programme for Harrogate International Sunday Series 2025, which once again brings some of the world’s most talented classical and chamber musicians to Yorkshire. This year’s incredible line-up includes award-winning young performers and offers audiences the opportunity to see some of the classical music superstars of the future – all in the beautiful setting of the historic Old Swan Hotel. I can’t wait for what promises to be another memorable concert series!’
Violinist Leia Zhu will give her Harrogate debut on 9 February with a programme of J.S. Bach, Prokofiev, Dvořák, Wieniawski and Rossini. The 18-year-old violinist made her first appearance at Newcastle City Hall at the age of four, and was the youngest musician to be included on the 2022 list of 30 brilliant young musicians under the age of 30 by Classic FM.
In March trumpet-harp duo Aaron Azunda Akugbo and Milo Harper offer unique arrangements of their favourite duets from Poulenc, Debussy, Liszt, Florence Price, Lili Boulanger and bassoonist-composer Joy Guidry. Later in the month Harrogate Music Festival Young Musician and winner of the 2024Dorothy Parkinson Memorial Award for Young British Artists, Amiri Harewood returns to Harrogate on 23 March 23.
The 2025 programme closes on 6 April with the Fibonacci Quartet who present a series of quartets from Haydn, Smetana and Beethoven. Currently resident ensemble at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid and at the Dutch String Quartet Academy in Amsterdam, the Fibonacci Quartet joined the Young Classical Artist Trust (YCAT) roster last year.