Hugh Cutting

Joseph Middleton

Leeds Conservatoire  

Described by The Telegraph as one of the greatest pianists of the 21st century, Yevgeny Sudbin pairs his arrangements of Johann Sebastian Bach and Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky with the vivid textures of Alexander Scriabin’s final sonata.

Yevgeny Sudbin

Leeds Conservatoire

Enjoy performances by talented percussion, cello and piano students from Chetham's School of Music, the largest specialist music school in the UK, and the only one in the north of England. 

Chetham's School of Music

The Sitkovetsky Trio moves from rediscovery to poignancy, performing music by Elfrida Andrée, Lena Sierova, and Felix Mendelssohn.

Sitkovetsky Trio

A new commission marking Holocaust Memorial Day, this work by Saudha reflects on trauma through poetry and music, offering solace through meditative ragas including Madhuvanti and Gaud Sarang.

Chandra Chakraborty leads with Indian classical vocals, setting poetry by Leeds-based poet Tony Harrison, Paul Celan, Wisława Szymborska and Rabindranath Tagore. Spoken word from T M Ahmed Kaysher and Shree Ganguly is interwoven with harmonium (Amith Dey) and tabla (Aniruddha Mukherjee) music.

South Asian Arts UK

The Purcell School Symphonic Wind Orchestra comprises about 30 young musicians from the school’s Woodwind, Brass and Percussion Department, and is led by Mike Cavanagh. The department is supported by specialist tutors who are themselves distinguished performing artists.

The Purcell School is a lively, vibrant and energetic community of young musicians united by a shared passion for music. It is home to around 200 teenagers from all over the world and has a longstanding international reputation for excellence. Thanks to the government’s Music and Dance Scheme, the school breaks down barriers, ensuring that young musicians of significant potential have access to a world-class music education regardless of their financial circumstances.

The Purcell School

A rare two-piano concert full of colour and wit, spotlighting Germaine Tailleferre and Madeleine Dring alongside Claude Debussy and Darius Milhaud.

Danny Driver & Simon Callaghan

Russ McArthur is a percussionist and drummer from South East London and is a recent graduate of Leeds Conservatoire. Now based in Yorkshire, Russ has played with a wide variety of local ensembles, including brass bands, jazz bands and wind orchestras.

In the summer of 2025, Russ was on tour with Street Orchestra Live, a ‘pop-up’ or orchestra which focuses on performing live music to people in care homes, schools and community centres; groups that may not have had the ability to attend an orchestral concert. 

Leeds Conservatoire - Russ McArthur

Formed at the Royal College of Music in London, the Aida Piano Trio is recognised for the clarity of its interpretations, stylistic sensitivity, and strong ensemble cohesion.

In 2025, the ensemble was awarded First Prize at the International Chamber Music Competition ‘Arnuero’ in Santander, Spain. Also that year, it was invited to the prestigious IMS Prussia Cove masterclasses, where it worked closely with composer and pianist Thomas Adès. From 2025, the trio also joined the chamber music class of Bruno Giuranna at the Stauffer Academy in Cremona.

Aida Piano Trio

Renowned for his elegance and authority in French piano repertoire, Pascal Rogé performs Claude Debussy’s complete Préludes, a luminous exploration of colour, atmosphere and imagination.

Pascal Rogé

Sterling Elliott, acclaimed for his stellar stage presence and joyous musicianship, is an Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient, Sphinx Competition winner, BBC New Generation Artist (2024–26) and member of CMS Lincoln Center’s Bowers Program.

Joseph Havlat is a London-based pianist and composer from Holbart, Australia. , Working as a soloist and chamber musician for music very new, very old and some things in between, he has performed in major concert venues around the UK, Europe, America, Japan and Australia. Joseph teaches piano at the Royal Academy of Music. He likes ferns.

Sterling Elliott & Joseph Havlat

When the Kingdom of Arcadia is threatened by a mysterious prophecy, a royal family sets out on an extravagant journey to save their ‘Beat.’ What follows is a whirlwind of mistaken identities, jealous lovers, and self-discovery.

Inspired by the 16th-century prose of Sir Philip Sidney and set to the iconic 80s soundtrack of The Go-Go’s, Head Over Heels is a high-stakes, hilarious, and heartbreakingly chic celebration of love in all its forms.

Head Over Heels

Quarry Hill Campus Leeds City College

Morpheus is a journey through music inspired by sleep, dreams and the night. Bringing together works from Purcell and Schubert to Britten, Bolcom and newly commissioned music, Hugh Cutting explores the rich imaginative world that emerges when daylight gives way to darkness.

Celebrated for the expressive power of his voice and adventurous musical choices, British countertenor Hugh Cutting is redefining the possibilities of his voice type on both opera and recital stages. A BBC New Generation Artist (2022–24) and the first countertenor to win the Kathleen Ferrier Award, Hugh Cutting combines luminous vocal artistry with an instinct for musical storytelling.

Leeds Song: Hugh Cutting and Joseph Middleton