Autumn 2020 Live Classical Music
Live classical music is back, at least in part. We have gathered together a selection of the concerts in London, Leeds, East Sussex, Cornwall, and Dumfries and Galloway to offer you a way of reconnecting with live classical music and to encourage your support of the organisations and musicians working hard to ensure these go ahead. All concerts listed here are socially distanced. Check the organiser’s website and socials for further details and for final confirmation that they are going ahead as planned. We’re always looking to reach new people to extend the audience for classical music, so if you know someone who might enjoy this events guide, please do share it with them or spread the word on social media by tagging us @alterclassical. If you’d like to tell us about a live concert or online event you’re planning, you can submit it via our Google Form. Enjoy the recommendations and the ensuing concerts!
8-25 September, free-£15
Cockpit Theatre, Marylebone
London’s best experimental opera festival is back with an ambitious array of live performances and interactive broadcasts. There are almost 50 shows to pick from and many tickets available for just £1. One live show that caught our attention is Folk Tales, a new opera composed by Charlotte Marlow that summons the spirits of women and non-binary figures from mythology and folklore to reclaim their stories on their terms. With a magical animated set, this is an immersive theatre experience that will challenge what you know about the “other”, and leave you with a flicker of enchantment in your soul.
1-15 September, 6.30pm, free
Battersea Park, London
The Bandstand Chamber Festival and Wandsworth Council present a high-quality series of free, outdoor chamber music concerts. The performances will be part of the Love Parks Wandsworth campaign, which encourages residents to enjoy their local green space. There will be four top string quartets, performing some of the greatest pieces of classical music to a socially-distanced audience in Battersea Park, using the beautiful Victorian bandstand as a stage. The first concert sold out within hours so you’ll need to be quick if you want to attend this one.
Wednesdays from 26 August - 30 September, 12pm-2pm, free
Jubilee Park, Canary Wharf
Give your Wednesday lunchtimes a classical twist throughout September with this series of pop-up gigs in the leafy setting of Jubilee Park by the City of London Sinfonia and Spitalfields Music. The park is located just above Jubilee Place shopping mall so grab a picnic on your way. Space is available on a first come, first served basis. If audience capacity is reached, the space may need to be closed off.
Sunday 6 September, 2pm-7pm, £27.50
Field next to St Michael the Archangel, Litlington
Nestled in the Cuckmere Valley, Boco Arts presents a brand-new chamber festival bringing together local and international talent. Plan for a socially distanced day out in the village of Litlington (a 10-minute drive from Berwick station) with beautiful views, gorgeous music and delicious food and drink.
Friday 11 September, 6pm, £20 (students £10)
Leeds Town Hall, Leeds
Manchester Collective brings an intimate set of music designed to comfort and inspire to Leeds Town Hall. The programme features solo gems by J.S Bach rarely heard in the vast open space of the Victoria Hall, giving the spectacular players of the Collective an opportunity to shine as individuals. Alongside these masterpieces will be a pair of works by British composer Edmund Finnis – Brother and Sister. It’s exquisitely constructed music of great fragility, beauty and warmth, performed in the inimitable style of Manchester Collective.
19-27 September, 3.30pm & 7.30pm, £35-£100
Alexandra Palace, Haringey
Relive the magic of the great American drive-in movie theatre with this drive-in opera experience from English National Opera. And you don’t even need a car: you can come on a bike or book an Uber Box, a static car that adheres to social distancing. This new 90-minute production of Puccini’s tragic romance La bohème is performed live – both on stage and on the ground – so you’ll find yourself at the heart of the action. BYOB!
Saturday 12 September, 11am-3pm, £25
Fidelio Cafe, Clerkenwell
Top classical musicians present a chamber music programme to be enjoyed with your weekend mimosa and avocado toast. 25 tickets only are available for London's only Classical Brunch to ensure social distancing. As featured in Time Out, Vogue, Condé Nast Traveller, The Nudge and now Alternative Classical! Doors open at 11am to order brunch and the live music is from 12pm. There are lots more concerts and events happening at Fidelio so check out the full listings if this one doesn’t take your fancy.
9 September, 14 October, 11 November, 9 December, 7.30pm, £15
Candid Arts, Angel
Head away from the hustle and bustle of Angel (Islington) by finding your way to the 2nd floor of the Candid Cafe on a Wednesday evening. Arrive for 7pm for a drink and a chill before the live music for up to six performers starts at 7.30pm.
28-30 September, 7pm, £20 (<16s £10)
Minack Theatre, Penzance
An evening of glorious arias, seductive duets and soulful serenades under the stars in Cornwall’s famous open air theatre, perched on the cliffs high above the Atlantic ocean. The music ranges from Mozart to Lehar, and Puccini to The Pirates of Penzance. Take a blanket!
Saturday 24 October, 8pm, £14.50
Kings Place, King’s Cross
Contemporary music for piano and electronics in one of London’s premier concert halls. Experience the shattering power of John Luther Adams’s Among Red Mountains and Nunataks, works inspired by the landscape of Alaska, alongside Mica Levi’s immersive Slow Dark Green Murky Waterfall and Waves in a mesmerising sequence by contemporary pianist Eliza McCarthy and electronic artist Jo Wills.
7 October - 25 April, 3pm & 7.30pm, £10 (<26s/jobseekers free)
Cinema in Newton Stewart, Dumfries and Galloway
The Newton Stewart & District Music Club in southwest Scotland has programmed six chamber concerts (a mix of string quartets, duets and trios) to perform in the Newton Stewart cinema, the County Buildings in Wigtown and the Penninghame Church over the next six months. Audience numbers will be reduced for social distancing rules. Tickets for each concert will be available approximately 6 weeks before the performance date.
Friday 18 September, ticket details not yet available
Southwark Cathedral, London
The City of London Sinfonia is (hopefully) back with one of their signature concerts. Roam around Southwark Cathedral while experiencing the joy of live music. You’ll hear one of Bach’s most popular pieces: the Goldberg Variations, in which he used mathematical structures and patterns to expand the many themes he created into 30 Variations. Pre-booked bubbles of chairs will be available in the Nave. Tickets must be booked in advance.
Friday 18 September, 7pm and 9.15pm, £16.80
Bold Tendencies Multi-Storey Car Park, Peckham
Concert with panoramic views of London! Pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason plays music by Beethoven, Gershwin and Barber. Her debut album, Romance, entered the UK classical charts at No. 1 when it was released in 2019. Seating at Bold Tendencies is offered in single seats or pairs of seats set out at social distance. The space is covered with seven 7-metre long openings on both sides giving fresh air and ventilation.
“So if you ever thought staging concerts in an old car park had to be a short-lived fad, think again.” (The Guardian, August 2020)
Hannah Fiddy is a creative entrepreneur, developing new audiences for classical music. She has created and promoted numerous concerts outside of traditional spaces, including warehouses, pubs, clubs, museums, hospitals, prisons and even in Primark. Hannah also hosts monthly drinks for the classical music industry and runs a choir in Stoke Newington. Her alter ego is the Founder of London Flashmob, producing quirky events from wedding proposals to cultural pranks for up to 1,000 people.
Follow Hannah on Twitter @Hannah_Fiddy.