The festival opens with a programme that welcomes listeners into three days of chamber music, setting out the emotional terrain of the days to come: music that balances wit and warmth, elegance and intensity; music to laugh and cry to.

This late-night concert brings together two works written 160 years apart, tracing very different kinds of journey. From an inward voyage in Schubert to a starkly documented passage through twentieth-century history in Reich.

A varied lunchtime programme that offers audiences the chance to hear festival artists in a more intimate offering, exploring music that ranges from lightness and charm to inward intensity; music to laugh and cry to on a smaller, more personal scale.

A programme at the heart of this year’s festival, bringing together driving rhythmic intensity, folk-inspired reflection and richly lyrical chamber writing across the evening.

Beethoven’s String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 130 stands as one of the most searching and innovative works of his late period. Vast in scale and rich in contrast, the quartet moves from moments of lightness to passages of profound introspection.

Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50, subtitled 'À la mémoire d’un grand artiste', stands among the great Romantic chamber works. Written in memory of Nikolai Rubinstein, the trio combines moments of grandeur with deeply personal expression.

In this year’s interactive concert, Tchaikovsky is going on holiday! Based on Tchaikovsky’s 'Souvenir de Florence', we'll explore a variety of sights and sounds – from a café to a circus, the opera, a museum, and a final carriage ride along the river – retracing the composer’s musical steps.

The festival closes with a celebratory programme that draws together many of the strands explored across the three days: dance and rhythm, theatrical character, lyricism and large-scale Romantic expression.

Our 2026 launch concert gives a tantalising taste of what’s to come during our May festival with a rich, lyrical programme to include Beethoven and Grieg violin sonatas and Korngold’s Shakespearean ‘Much Ado’ suite.

An evening of festive warmth and exceptional chamber music awaits at SIMFestival’s annual Christmas concert. Pre-order your tickets now to avoid disappointment!

The grand finale of the Stamford International Music Festival features the largest ensemble of the season, with 14 musicians, including trumpet, bassoon, clarinet, piano, strings (and perhaps even castanets...). The centerpiece of the programme is the world premiere of Manuel de Falla’s 'The Three-Cornered Hat Suite No.1', arranged for chamber ensemble by Joseph Havlat and commissioned especially by SIMFestival.

Step into a world where the kitchen comes to life through musical discovery and storytelling! This fun-filled, interactive concert brings Czech composer Martinů’s reimagined Kitchen Revue to the Arts Centre stage, introducing children to the instruments of the orchestra. At around 40 minutes (with plenty of games!), this event is perfect for ages 6-10 (but all are welcome).

Begin your Saturday with a fresh take on Bach’s Goldberg Variations, presented in a brilliant string trio arrangement. In this unique reimagining of Bach's masterpiece in counterpoint, the variations come to life with intricate interplay between the strings, offering a new perspective on each variation’s depth and character.

In this late-night performance, Haydn’s Seven Last Words offers an evening of reflection and stillness. Commissioned by the priest of Cádiz for a Lenten service, this deeply expressive work unfolds in seven meditative movements, each inspired by Christ’s final words on the cross.

A programme that brings together music shaped by place, tradition, and youthful brilliance. Mendelssohn’s Octet brings the evening to a lively close – a work of remarkable craftsmanship and vitality, balancing symphonic sweep with chamber intimacy.

Back by popular demand, this lunchtime concert of solos and duos offers an opportunity to hear some of this year’s festival musicians in an even more intimate set up. From Scarlatti’s Baroque brilliance to Sarasate’s Romantic flair, this programme showcases Spain’s lasting influence on composers across Europe.

Our festival opens with a vibrant celebration of Spanish colors and rhythms, from the fiery passion of Bizet’s Carmen to the rich Andalusian landscapes of Turina (soloist Edgar Francis). Chabrier’s exuberant España reflects the French fascination with Spanish music, while Schubert’s beloved Trout Quintet embodies the SIMFestival’s tradition of programming famous chamber works alongside lesser-known gems.

Mozart (1756-1791) Arias from Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) The premieres of all Mozart’s best-known operas all took place within the final six years of his life, with that of The Magic Flute held at the Theater auf der Wieden, Vienna, on September 30th 1791. It is a Singspiel, which means that it consists of […]

Beethoven (1770-1827) String Quintet in C major Beethoven composed this string quintet in 1801 when he was thirty years old. He had moved to Vienna from Bonn nine years earlier, had spent time receiving tuition from, amongst others, Joseph Haydn, and had established himself as the leading virtuoso pianist in the city. He had always […]

Janáček (1854-1928) On an Overgrown Path (For notes on the composer’s life and the development of his compositional style please see notes here) On an Overgrown Path, written for solo piano, has a long, complex and, for its composer, emotional history. In 1897 Janáček was asked to contribute a group of arrangements of Moravian folk […]

Haydn (1732-1809) String Quartet in C major A new world opened up for Joseph Haydn in 1790, the year in which he composed his set of six string quartets Opus 64. Since 1761 he had been employed as Kapellmeister (music director) by the immensely wealthy Princes of Esterhazy, initially by Prince Anton but following his […]

Szymanowski (1882-1937) mythes The Polish composer Karol Szymanowski was born into a wealthy, cultured family. His two sisters and elder brother all became musicians and/or writers. His father was his first music teacher before he progressed through a specialist music school to the State Conservatory in Warsaw for four years from 1901; he was later […]

Brahms (1833-1897) Clarinet Quintet in B minor Johannes Brahms’ Clarinet Quintet must surely be his most popular piece of chamber music, which is fortunate for clarinetists trying to make a living; their repertoire is much more restricted than that of violinists. Few works existed for this combination of instruments (clarinet and string quartet) and of […]

Our 2024 Opening Concert features one of Telemann’s violin concertos for Four Violins, Mozart’s glorious Horn Quintet, Smetana’s piano trio and the rarely performed Clarinet Divertimento by Matyas Seiber.

From the early talents of Jean Françaix to the magical impressionistic world of Debussy and Ravel, our Saturday evening concert sees all the SIMFest 2023 musicians perform in the Arts Centre Ballroom.

Our May 2023 Festival comes to a rhapsodic close with Howells, Franck, and Frank Bridge.

We couldn’t think of a better way to start our final day of concerts than with another of the best of string chamber music repertoire: Mozart’s Divertimento for String Trio K.563.

The second of our two late night concerts, Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time. Hauntingly beautiful, both powerful and otherworldly in equal measure.

A lunchtime feast of Sonatas by Poulenc and Ligeti in Stamford Arts Centre Ballroom.