Barber Concerts Artistic Programming and Partners

About

The Barber Institute is home to Europe’s finest art deco concert hall, and boasts a chamber music and recital series dating back to 1945. The internationally acclaimed Barber Evening Concerts are presented alongside regular free Friday lunchtime concerts. We also present the Barber Opera and a variety of family and learning concerts.

We work with a number of Artistic Partners in order to create diverse and engaging performances, festivals, and research projects.

Our current partners are:

BBC New Generation Artists / BBC Radio 3

We are delighted to be partnering with BBC New Generations Artists to present a number of concerts in our lunchtime series that will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

Oxford International Song Festival

Our most recently established partner, Oxford International Song Festival has a mission to re-establish an appreciation of song; the meeting of words, music, languages and artistry that can be so powerful, yet which has been neglected in recent decades. The International Festival is the focal point of Oxford Song’s year, presenting more than 50 concerts and dozens of other events celebrating the unique art form of song. It is well established as one of the world’s leading song festivals and the biggest in the UK, attracting many of the world’s greatest artists.

Working in partnership to present artists in the Barber Lunchtime Series and as part of The Baudelaire Song Project.

The Baudelaire Song Project researches and brings together for the first time all the song settings ever of Baudelaire’s poetry, looking at classical music and popular music settings, in French original and in translation, with music scores and in audio format. Hosted by The University of Birmingham (UK) with HRI Digital at The University of Sheffield (UK), it is generously funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) from 2015-2019. Working with HRI Digital, it will generate a major new dataset to enable cross-analysis and visualisation of key findings.

Presteigne Festival

Established over 35 years ago in the former county town of Radnorshire, the Presteigne Festival has become a focal-point for those seeking musical innovation and artistic discovery amidst the beauty of the Welsh Marches.

Internationally renowned for its commissioning of new work, support of living composers and with a long tradition for the encouragement of talented young artists, the organisation works closely with composers and performers to create and curate inspiring events for an ever-widening Festival audience and brings experience-broadening opportunities to its host community.

Following the annual festival Presteigne Festival undertake a UK tour with guest artists, featuring new works commissioned for the festival with funding from PRS Foundation. We welcome these artists each autumn in the Lunchtime Concerts series as part of their touring programme.

University Music

The University of Birmingham enjoys one of the liveliest music-making scenes of any campus. By getting involved in University Music you can continue your passion for music-making, receive professional mentoring and coaching, apply for scholarships (non-music students), and be part of our annual programme of 110-plus concerts and events. With over 1000 positions in our 30-plus ensembles, members participate in a variety of instrumental and vocal groups, across a range of abilities and styles. University Music is open to students, staff and the local community.

The University Music Society is a key part of the University Music scene and through it you can also get involved in running the groups and promoting the events.

Contacts

For information please contact Celia Walley, Concerts Administrator – c.l.walley@bham.ac.uk.

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