Some of the world’s best classical music pieces are inspired by the animal kingdom. Ralph Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending is no exception; the soaring violin solo represents the movements of the skylark.

Philharmonia Orchestra Residency: Family Concert

Usher Hall

American indie pop band The Magnetic Fields returns to the International Festival for a very special anniversary.

The Magnetic Fields: Part Two

The Queen's Hall

Back by popular demand, jazz icon Endea Owens returns to The Hub for the second year in a row. This time she closes the International Festival.

Endea Owens

The Hub

The GRIT Orchestra unites Scotland’s leading folk, jazz and classical musicians. Renowned for their ‘trailblazing spirit’ (The Guardian), the 80-strong orchestra amasses to conjure an enthralling incarnation of Scotland’s contemporary musical landscape.

GRIT Orchestra

Edinburgh Playhouse

Which is the greater, music or poetry? The arts-loving Countess Madeleine struggles to find the answer – and to choose between her two suitors, the tender composer Flamand and the fiery poet Olivier.

Closing Concert: Capriccio

Gordon Brown imagines a world where peace and fairness are the order of the day. In conversation with Festival Director Nicola Benedetti, he will explore connections between his image of the future and the Festival’s founding vision – to transcend political boundaries through a global celebration of the performing arts.

EPSG:4326

Keynote Talk: Gordon Brown

Festival Theatre Edinburgh

Estonian duo Cätlin and Marko Mägi join Scottish musicians Finlay MacDonald and Ali Hutton for an upbeat exchange of musical traditions.

Cätlin and Marko Mägi with Finlay MacDonald & Ali Hutton

A leader of the new generation of Irish music-making, acclaimed quintet Goitse (Donegal Irish for ‘come here’) brim with ‘creative energy and zeal’ (Irish Music Magazine). Goitse achieves a distinctive sound by interspersing traditional folk tunes from the countryside of Ireland with their own compositions.

Goitse

Twenty-five years ago, in 1999, The Magnetic Fields released their landmark album 69 Love Songs. Spanning three volumes, this concept album about love was conceived by baritone Stephin Merritt, who is often described as one of the greatest singer-songwriters of his generation. To mark the album’s anniversary, The Magnetic Fields will perform all 69 songs across two nights.

The Magnetic Fields: Part One

Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem tackles the taboo subject of death head on. Written in memory of the Italian writer Alessandro Manzoni, this choral prayer tells the story of Judgement Day through dramatic choruses and exquisite solos. With its operatic directness and intensity, it is no wonder that the composer Johannes Brahms declared this the creation of ‘a genius’.

Philharmonia Orchestra Residency: Verdi’s Requiem

Famed for his comic operas, the Italian composer Gioachino Rossini retired from the art form by 1829, and by 1842, he appeared to have given up composition altogether. However, a move to the infinitely inspiring Paris in the 1850s led to a late flowering that culminated in his last large-scale work, ironically named the Petite Messe solennelle (1863). Neither petite nor solemn, Rossini dedicated it both to two close friends and to God, whom he hoped would enjoy it enough to ‘grant me paradise’.

Exploring Rossini with James Baillieu

A childhood chance encounter inside a Glasgow magic shop catalysed Scott Silven's lifelong fascination with the world of illusions. As a teenager he swapped rural Scotland for Milan to study hypnosis. By the age of just 19, he gained recognition from the world-famous illusionist and extreme performer David Blaine.

Scott Silven: Wonders

Indie pop sensation Natasha Khan – better known as Bat for Lashes – spins theatrical narratives across her discography. Her writing process goes something like this: she drafts a film script, dreams up its soundtrack, then transforms it into a fully-fledged album. Sung in her unmistakable ‘spectral falsetto’ (The Independent) and laced with improvised strings, synths and flutes, Khan’s protagonist-driven stories swing between the stuff of nightmares and vignettes of her own childhood.

Bat for Lashes

The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra reunites with its former Chief Conductor Sir Donald Runnicles to explore the works of Gustav Mahler and Anton Bruckner.

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra & Sir Donald Runnicles

Multi-award-winning Japanese violinist Midori returns to the International Festival with her long-time recital partner, American pianist Özgür Aydin. In a dazzling programme of youthful and innovative violin sonatas, Mozart, Gabriel Fauré and Richard Strauss all feature.

Midori & Özgür Aydin

This edition of our Rising Stars concerts will focus on brass players on the cusp of their careers, nurtured and inspired by role models from their chosen field.

Rising Stars of Brass

Nadine Shah has never shied away from tackling the political and the personal in her songwriting. Her discography maps emotional growth as she navigates the complexities of life and her relationships with those close to her.

Nadine Shah

Travel back in time to Dublin’s Smock Alley Theatre. It’s May 1742 and the eccentric musician Mr Charles is hosting a vibrant showcase of the latest musical fashions from across Europe.

Irish Baroque Orchestra

David Ireland’s latest work is a grimly comic play that explores the difficult journey to sobriety. This 'daring dramatist' (The Guardian) is best known for his award-winning provocative plays, Cyprus Avenue and Ulster American.

The Fifth Step

The Lyceum

After the Silence follows the struggles of three Afro-Brazilian women as they fight for their community, their land and their people. Christiane Jatahy’s powerful play is loosely based on Itamar Vieira Junior’s best-selling novel Torto Arado and the 1984 film from Eduardo Coutinho Cabramarcado para morrer. Both of which focus on violence and repression in Brazil.

After the Silence

The Studio

A returning favourite at the International Festival, Pierre-Laurent Aimard has an undeniable ‘knack for illuminating connections among the works he plays’ (The New York Times). His remarkable power and clarity bring compelling insights to works from the earliest keyboard music to some of today’s most complex piano creations.

Pierre-Laurent Aimard

Trailblazing (New York Times) conductor Marin Alsop, the Philharmonia Orchestra and the female voices of the National Youth Choir of Scotland come together for the first UK performance of Julia Wolfe’s Fire in my mouth.

Philharmonia Orchestra Residency: Fire in my mouth

Irish folk singer-songwriter Lisa O’Neill’s poetic and contemplative songs have earned her a reputation as ‘a modern artist tapped into the ancient’ (The New York Times). Her earthy voice conveys an affinity with nature, expanding into the constellations of outer space.

Lisa O׳Neill

Dating all the way back to the Qin Dynasty, the pipa is a four-stringed Chinese lute. Its name refers to the delicate sound created by the back and forth plucking motion: pi and pa.

Wu Man

Two women composers of the Romantic era hold the spotlight in this imaginative concert of 19th-century music. The ‘fantastic’ (The Guardian) Kammerorchester Basel performs under the direction of Julia Schröder.

Kammerorchester Basel

Following their win at the 2023 Carl Nielsen Chamber Music Competition in Copenhagen, the Kleio Quartet have rapidly soared to establish themselves as one of the most exciting young chamber groups globally.

Kleio Quartet

Balimaya translates as ‘brotherhood’ in the Maninka language of West Africa. Underpinned by a shared sense of kinship and culture, the Balimaya Project imbues the folklore and history of Mandé culture, along with the energy of London, into the fabric of its music.

Balimaya Project

Celebrating St Giles’ Cathedral’s momentous 900th anniversary, 900 Voices is an ever-evolving sound installation created entirely from the diverse voices of Edinburgh’s communities.

900 Voices

St Giles' Cathedral

Gather around the Scottish Parliament for the Opening Celebration of Healing Arts Scotland (HAS). Featuring over 250 performers and participants from across Scotland in an energetic celebration of music and dance, it’s an event that will capture the spirit and healing power of coming together through the performing arts.

Healing Arts Scotland – Opening Celebration

Scottish Parliament

Seoul-born Seong-Jin Cho made waves when he won the International Chopin Piano Competition in 2015, aged just 21. He is now a piano superstar, celebrated for his sensitivity and exceptional technical command. His International Festival recital is a rare opportunity to experience his poetry and power up close in an intimate setting.

Seong-Jin Cho

Grounded in the innovative genres of grime, garage and R&B, Tirzah’s authentically raw lyrics and luxurious, electronically enhanced melodies are celebrated for transgressing the frontiers of pop music. The singer-songwriter was classically trained at the Purcell School for Young Musicians, where she excelled at playing the Celtic harp.

Tirzah

He is renowned for his playing on the oud, a Middle Eastern stringed instrument with similarities to the lute. He performs internationally both as a soloist and in the Asil Ensemble (which he founded), has composed music for theatre, film and the concert hall, and is in great demand as a lecturer on Arabic music. In 2019 he became the inaugural winner of the prestigious Aga Khan Music Award for performance.

Mustafa Said

The multi-award-winning violinist Roman Simovic arrives at the International Festival to perform with São Paulo Symphony Orchestra – an orchestra that is known synonymously with Brazilian musical culture.

São Paulo Symphony Orchestra

Scottish Opera presents a promenade performance of Igor Stravinsky's opera Oedipus Rex, joined by a 100-strong community chorus. The National Museum of Scotland's awe-inspiring Grand Gallery is a spectacular setting for a night of classical drama, exceptional vocal performances and moving orchestral music.

Oedipus Rex

National Museum of Scotland

Despite an album labelling error, Bob Dylan’s legendary ‘Royal Albert Hall’ Concert did not take place in London. In fact, the counterculture icon played at the Manchester Free Trade Hall at the end of his ‘Dylan Goes Electric’ tour. Dylan’s transition from folk to rock sparked great controversy amongst the audience, with one person even heckling ‘Judas!’

Cat Power Sings Dylan ’66

German bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff has been lauded as ‘the man with the most beautiful voice in the world’ (Der Stern). While he made his name as a classical singer, Quasthoff possesses a vocal versality and expertise across a range of musical genres, from pop and soul to opera and folk.

Thomas Quasthoff Trio

Guided by conductor Elim Chan, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra meets two dazzling soloists.

Royal Scottish National Orchestra & Elim Chan

To change the world, first we must see it as it really is. You’re probably familiar with the gender pay gap, but what about the gender data gap?

Keynote Talk: Caroline Criado Perez

In this daring interpretation of The Marriage of Figaro, director Kirill Serebrennikov has split the stage in two, illustrating the contrast between the aristocracy and their servants. Join us to find out how this production has been adapted for Festival Theatre for its UK Premiere.

The Marriage of Figaro Backstage Tour

Amy Liptrot’s bestselling memoir is brought to life in an epic and elemental world premiere.

The Outrun

Church Hill Theatre

The acclaimed Komische Oper Berlin and director Kirill Serebrennikov, known for his daring, satirical productions, present Mozart’s iconic comic opera.

The Marriage of Figaro

Iranian-American musician Mahan Esfahani is a harpsichordist for the 21st century. With a lifelong determination to bring his instrument the modern-day prominence it deserves, he combines scholarly insights with dazzling drama in his performances of music old and new. He is the winner of several prominent awards for his playing, including the Wigmore Medal from Wigmore Hall, London.

Mahan Esfahani

This concert marks Sir Mark Elder’s farewell to the Hallé Orchestra, drawing his tenure as music director to a close after 24 remarkable years. And what a way to bow out, with two commanding works from the era in which he has attracted his greatest acclaim.

Mahler’s Fifth Symphony

Teatro La Plaza’s enigmatic interpretation of a Shakespearean classic, full of personal anecdotes from a cast made up of eight actors who have Down’s Syndrome.

Hamlet

Violist Jennifer Stumm and violinist Yura Lee assemble an electrifying cohort of up-and-coming musicians.

Rising Stars with Ilumina & Yura Lee

Dominick ‘Domo’ Branch is a drummer, composer, and educator from Portland, Oregon. As well as being the founder and frontman of the band Branchin’ Out, he also co-leads the Brown Branch Jazz Orchestra. A graduate of New York’s Manhattan School of music, Branch has performed alongside some of the most-exciting jazz musicians, including Dianne Reeves, Wynton Marsalis and Ron Artist II.

Edinburgh International Festival

Sep 17, 2024

Domo Branch & Friends

Aug 25, 2024

Philharmonia Orchestra Residency: Family Concert

Aug 25, 2024

The Magnetic Fields: Part Two

Edinburgh International Festival