Guildhall School of Music & Drama 2025

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Candida-Thompson Guildhall String Ensemble
Candida-Thompson Guildhall String Ensemble

Guildhall School of Music & Drama announces its programme of events for the Spring 2025 Season.

This spring, Guildhall School of Music & Drama presents a varied programme of events for the public to enjoy, including concerts, drama productions, opera and jazz.

Highlights include:

A celebration of exemplary British artistic voices:

  • Opera: Jonathan Dove’s opera Mansfield Park based on the novel by Jane Austen, in the author’s 250th anniversary year. Monday 24, Wednesday 26, Friday 28 February, and Monday 3 March, 7pm, Silk Street Theatre.
  • Drama: Fresh takes on Shakespeare from alumna Mariah Gale, who returns with her new production of A Winter’s Tale, and Owen Horsley, who directs Hannah Khalil’s bold adaptation of Henry VIII. Friday 21 – Wednesday 26 March, Silk Street Theatre.
  • Music: Britten’s Serenade for Tenor Horn and Strings is the centrepiece of Guildhall Symphony Orchestra’s Spring Concert, which also features Richard Strauss’ An Alpine Symphony. Thursday 6 March, 7.30pm, Barbican Hall.
  • Jazz: Alec Dankworth, son of Sir John Dankworth, leads a musical tribute to the Dankworth Seven in Milton Court Theatre. Thursday 13 March, 7.30pm.
  • Music: Guildhall String Ensemble celebrates British composers in an exploration of works by Thomas Adès, Ralph Vaughan Williams and William Walton, directed by alumna Candida Thompson. Friday 17 January, 6pm, Milton Court Concert Hall.
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An exploration of improvisation:

  • Music: Mozart expert Robert Levin joins London-based choir Eclectic Voices to perform his completed version of the composer’s Requiem, as part of his Guildhall School residency focusing on Classical improvisation. Monday 20 January, 7.30pm, Milton Court Concert Hall.
  • Jazz: Guildhall’s ‘Improvisers’ Workshop’ ensemble focus on jazz improvisation as a vehicle for contemporary composition with directors Trish Clowes and Clare Wheeler, and featuring one of the UK’s leading tap dancers, Annette Walker, as a special guest. Wednesday 12 February, 7.30pm, Milton Court Concert Hall.
  • Research: Oded Ben-Tal and David Dolan explore possibilities of real-time improvisation with an AI-inspired system, where the computer listens to a musician and generates live musical responses. Sunday 30 March, 6pm.
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In addition Guildhall School offers audiences a selection of regular concerts, masterclasses, recitals and competitions which are free of charge to attend. This season features pianist Robert Levin giving a lecture-recital and masterclass as part of his Guildhall School residency, performances by the American Songbook Company, Ubu Ensemble, and The Messengers and ImPossibilities. 

In addition, there will be a continuation of the popular ‘At Six’ and ‘At Eight’ series, a Soundscapes recital delving into the world of contemporary piano music, a collaboration with the Carducci Quartet, as well as masterclasses by leading musicians including flautist Steffi Winker, saxophonist Chris ‘Snake’ Davis, oboist Jonathan Kelly, percussionist Sola Akingbola, bassoonist Theo Plath and pianists Akiko Ebi and Imogen Cooper.

Further Information & full listings, visit:  What's On | Guildhall School of Music & Drama