Join the Manchester Camerata for a series of groundbreaking performances that redefine classical music through bold storytelling and innovative collaborations. From the unique fusion of music and dance with Company Chameleon to the electric chemistry of Gábor Takács-Nagy conducting Mozart, and an introspective journey into the mind of a 'mad' king, these events promise to challenge and inspire audiences. Experience world premieres, legendary symphonies, and a contemporary take on mental health through music, all under the roof of The Stoller Hall, Manchester.

Beyond the Score: Manchester Camerata's Daring Orchestral Journeys

This semi-staged concert is based on our preconceptions of mental illness, with each piece having a connection to the psychology of the mind – centred around Peter Maxwell Davies’ harrowing depiction of the ‘madness’ of King George III.

Maxwell Davies was a key member of the Manchester School of Composers, who reshaped the landscape of British music in the late 20th century. 8 Songs for a Mad King is a melodrama with a libretto based on the real-life observations of King George III, presenting an extravagant and disturbing portrayal of his condition. 

Vocalising weirdly as he bemoans his fate, trying to teach his instrumentalist-birds to sing – our musicians becoming projections from within his own mind.

Manchester Camerata: 8 Songs for a Mad King

The Stoller Hall

Hosted by Classic FM and sports presenter Karthi Gnanasegaram, who knows her way around a football pitch as well as a stadium anthem!

The Beautiful Game

National Football Museum

With this concert, we’re here to amplify the work of women who composed despite the gatekeeping and patriarchal hurdles. These works are not “forgotten gems”, they are acts of resistance and of creative expression, and they will be heard with the volume and visibility they deserve at the RNCM in 2026. What makes this concert even more special is that our soloists, Alexandra Dariescu, Alex Mitchell, and Rachel Clegg, are all Alumni of RNCM.

EPSG:4326

One Damn Thing After Another

Royal Northern College of Music

With over 3 million streams on Spotify, European tours, 5-Star reviews, as well as being made Classic FM’s record of the week numerous times, Mozart and Manchester Camerata are a bit of a ‘thing’ at this point.

Mozart, Made in Manchester

Stoller Hall, Manchester

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Energetic Mozart up there with the very best… soloist, conductor and orchestra conjure up a magical soundworld” BBC Music Magazine

With over 3 million streams on Spotify, European tours, 5-Star reviews, as well as being made Classic FM’s record of the week numerous times, Mozart and Manchester Camerata are a bit of a ‘thing’ at this point.

Most definitely, it is down to the amazing chemistry with Music Director, Gábor Takács-Nagy. The drama, joy and emotion that Gábor andthe musicians get out of Mozart is simply electric – If you haven’t witnessed this first-hand yet, now is your chance.

Following our ambitious (and ongoing) Mozart, Made in Manchester project – performing and recording all of his piano concertos, we continued our journey with his horn concertos alongside Martin Owen. Soon, we turn to his Concert Arias. But first, enjoy this taster menu of Mozart and his impact on the works of Fanny Mendelssohn and Beethoven.

Fanny Mendelssohn, Mozart, Beethoven

Widely regarded as one of the best Christmas events for the whole family in Manchester, this performance will take you on a musical journey that celebrates the true spirit of Christmas, an event that everyone will love.

Festive Happening

Birmingham Town Hall

Albert Hall, Manchester

Two centuries ago, Messiah was the hit everyone queued for. Some called it “too fashionable for church”—and it sold out faster than a Glastonbury headliner.

Handel’s Messiah

The Monastery Manchester

In one of Manchester Camerata’s most ambitious concerts this season, they present the world premiere of a new composition by Laurence Osborn, alongside Mozart’s Divertimento in D and Mozart’s Symphony No. 35 ‘Haffner’. ‘Haffner’ will be performed from memory with the players telling stories through movement and dance alongside Company Chameleon, a world-renowned dance company based in Manchester, whose work has been described as “a brilliant and moving piece of social commentary in the medium of dance”.

Manchester Camerata: Black Skies over Blue Hawaii with Company Chameleon

In one of our most ambitious concerts this season, we present the world premiere of a new composition by Laurence Osborn, alongside Mozart’s Divertimento in D and Mozart’s Symphony No. 35 ‘Haffner’. ‘Haffner’ will be performed from memory with our players telling stories through movement and dance alongside Company Chameleon, a world-renowned dance company based in Manchester, whose work has been described as “a brilliant and moving piece of social commentary in the medium of dance”.

Black Skies over Blue Hawaii with Company Chameleon

In Ravel’s ‘Trois Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé’, a delicate, ethereal song is woven from the words of the Symbolist poet Stéphane Mallarmé. Stravinsky’s ‘Three Japanese Lyrics’ is a musical haiku, written just before The Rite of Spring. Delage’s ‘Quatre poèmes hindous’ (Four Hindu Poems) is one of the first Western classical works inspired by Indian culture, filtered through a French, impressionistic lens. Together, these works form a tapestry that is drawn together by our friend and long-term collaborator, Jack Sheen.

In Focus: Jack Sheen

Wigmore Hall

Caroline Shaw is a boundary-defying musician who moves fluidly between roles, genres, and mediums, shaping sound with curiosity and invention. Entr’acte is inspired by the minuet and trio of Haydn’s Op 77 No 2, which Shaw describes as a journey ‘through the looking glass’, where a familiar structure is transformed through subtle, technicolour shifts in harmony and texture.

Beethoven Triple Concerto

This unique concert will be performed in some beautiful spaces that echo Hepworth’s artistic vision: The Whitworth in Manchester and The Hepworth Wakefield—two leading art galleries, before the finale at King’s Place, one of London’s most dynamic venues for classical and contemporary performance.

The Angel in the Marble

The Whitworth

Manchester Camerata, with its Music Director Gábor Takács-Nagy, Principal Cellist, Hannah Roberts, and students from the RNCM breathe life into an evening of extraordinary works.

Dvořák wrote his Cello Concerto in 1894 during his final academic year in the US. It became one of his most personal, contemplative pieces filled with monumental expression.

Manchester Camerata and RNCM present: Dvořák’s Cello Concerto

Critically acclaimed composer, Rushil Ranjan partners with veena and vocal virtuoso, Abi Sampa and the pioneering Manchester Camerata for an orchestral exploration of Carnatic Music.

Manchester Camerata

Jun 5, 2026

Manchester Camerata: 8 Songs for a Mad King

Apr 24, 2026

The Beautiful Game

Articles & News

Manchester Camerata