
A first appearance by the legendary Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is part of a new season of concerts in Lancaster.
The world famous orchestra makes its debut at the Great Hall, Lancaster University, as part of the new Lancaster Arts series.
The ensemble will perform an evening of sumptuous string music, rarely performed in the UK, on March 6 from 7.30pm.
They will open with George Walker’s Lyric for Strings, music from the first African-American composer to win a Pulitzer Prize for Music.
This work has been performed only four times in the UK.
This evening will also include a rare performance of Grażyna Bacewicz’s Sinfonietta for String Orchestra, one of the greatest Polish composers of the 20th century.
The programme will also include the world premiere of the string orchestra version of Ian Venables' Portrait of Janis.
In addition to these more rarely played works, are Sibelius’ Impromptu and Grieg’s invitation to dance in his Baroque-inspired Holberg Suite, while Britten’s Simple Symphony invokes the comfort of childhood memories, filled with a nostalgia that is echoed in Ian Venables’ tender Portrait of Janis.
The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra is a dynamic and versatile ensemble that performs across the UK and around the world.
The Lancaster Arts season will include classical and contemporary concerts, fascinating and fun exhibitions, circus, dance, and performance, Lancaster Arts introduces ‘Land’ as their latest annual theme.
It gets under way with international artists from as far afield as Finland to China and Palestine to New Zealand,
Opera singer Benson White and pianist Chris White will perform together for the first time on February 27, before Chinese pipa virtuoso Gao Hong joins flamenco guitarist Ignacio Lusardi on March 13.
The season will be rounded off with a special evening of choral music in Lancaster Priory with VOCES8 Scholars Ensemble on May 15.
The Nuffield Theatre welcomes Gandini Juggling back with their latest show Heka (the Egyptian goddess of magic) on February 12, followed by two shows exploring aspects of fatherhood in different ways, with Reece Williams' This Kind of Black on February 26 and David Labi's Pieces of a Man on February 28.
Both artists will participate in a special event on fatherhood and masculinity at Lancaster Library on Saturday March 1.
VERVE, the international touring dance company of Northern School of Contemporary Dance, return with three pieces by different choreographers performed by 16 dancers, on March 25.
The final theatre show of the season will see Jean Daniel Broussé baking bread live on stage in his latest show (le) Pain on May 1.
On February 14 to 15, there will be a rare opportunity to experience theatre in Lancaster University's unique Jack Hylton Room, as Samuel Rees and Gabriele Uboldi present Lessons on Revolution, which garnered rave reviews at last year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Then, on April 2, in partnership with Lancaster Litfest, leading Palestinian writer Raja Shehadeh, acclaimed author of Palestinian Walks, and co-author Penny Johnson will be in conversation in the Nuffield Theatre.
The first exhibition of the season Exploring LAND: a conversation through art, is now open and runs until March 15, featuring works from the Lancaster University art collection in which artists have engaged with the theme of Land, be it through printmaking and photography or more traditional painting and drawing.
Henna Asikainen will then return to Lancaster Arts, following her project NEST in 2024, as she presents Lintukoto/Haven, opening on March 24.
Manchester based artist Jez Dolan’s mini exhibition Queering the Collection will run alongside both exhibitions, featuring four of his new artworks that will be joining the university collection. These quietly-impactful works draw on the personal and the political, bringing together Queer history and lived experience.
“We are proud to be welcoming so many artists from across the globe this season, offering a rich variety of world-class performances and exhibitions in our new theme for 2025, ‘Land’," said Jocelyn Cunningham, Lancaster Arts director.
“There are many artists coming to Lancaster for the first time, from the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra to Reece Williams, Gao Hong and the VOCES8 Scholars Ensemble. We have never had such an international season and we can’t wait to welcome you!”
Away from the seasonal programme, Lancaster Arts has been selected to be part of a national project called Nature Calling, where they will be working with artist Rob St John on Are You Lost?, collaborating with communities in and around the Forest of Bowland to develop a series of film, sound and textile installations that highlight the diverse voices and perspectives of the communities in the area.
Below, Emergent Landscapes by Rob St John
Rob St. John will also feature as one of four artists providing free talks as part of the Tuesday Talks series that will also include Shezad Dawood, Lesley Taker and Henna Asikainen.
There will be an array of free events, artworks and workshops taking place across Lancaster over the coming months, with new and intriguing projects popping up all the time so keep up to date via the Lancaster Arts website and social media channels.
For more information about Lancaster Arts, the latest ticket offers, and to purchase tickets for upcoming events, please visit HERE or contact the box office at boxoffice@lancasterarts.org or 01524 59415.