All concerts 19:30 at Richmond School, Darlington Road, Richmond DL10 7BQ
Auditorium doors open 19:00
Auditorium doors open 19:00
3 October 2026 :
Margaret Fingerhut
Margaret Fingerhut was born in London of Ukrainian and Polish ancestry. Described by Gramophone as a pianist of “consummate skill and thrilling conviction”, her distinguished career has taken her to many countries. As a concerto soloist she has appeared with all the major orchestras in the UK, collaborating with eminent conductors such as Rudolf Barshai, Paul Daniel, Sir Edward Downes, Sir Charles Groves, Vernon Handley, Leonard Slatkin and John Williams in major venues such as the Royal Festival Hall, Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican.
Her extensive discography on the Chandos label has received much critical acclaim and won many accolades. Her recordings reflect her long-standing fascination with exploring lesser-known repertoire, including works by Bax, Berkeley, Bloch, Dukas, Falla, Finzi, Grieg, Howells, Leighton, Novák, Stanford and Suk as well as several pioneering collections of 19th century Russian and early 20th century French piano music.
Margaret maintains a keen interest in working with contemporary composers and she has given first performances of works by Tony Bridgewater, James Francis Brown, Peter Copley, Clive Jenkins, Roxanna Panufnik, Farhad Poupel and Paul Spicer in venues such as the Wigmore Hall, Sage Gateshead, Three Choirs Festival and Ryedale Festival.
Margaret was awarded an MBE in the 2024 New Year Honours in recognition of her services to music and charitable fundraising.
Programme:
~ Hahn: Thème Varié
~ Ravel: Menuet
~ Widor: Fugue
Margaret Fingerhut
Margaret Fingerhut was born in London of Ukrainian and Polish ancestry. Described by Gramophone as a pianist of “consummate skill and thrilling conviction”, her distinguished career has taken her to many countries. As a concerto soloist she has appeared with all the major orchestras in the UK, collaborating with eminent conductors such as Rudolf Barshai, Paul Daniel, Sir Edward Downes, Sir Charles Groves, Vernon Handley, Leonard Slatkin and John Williams in major venues such as the Royal Festival Hall, Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican.
Her extensive discography on the Chandos label has received much critical acclaim and won many accolades. Her recordings reflect her long-standing fascination with exploring lesser-known repertoire, including works by Bax, Berkeley, Bloch, Dukas, Falla, Finzi, Grieg, Howells, Leighton, Novák, Stanford and Suk as well as several pioneering collections of 19th century Russian and early 20th century French piano music.
Margaret maintains a keen interest in working with contemporary composers and she has given first performances of works by Tony Bridgewater, James Francis Brown, Peter Copley, Clive Jenkins, Roxanna Panufnik, Farhad Poupel and Paul Spicer in venues such as the Wigmore Hall, Sage Gateshead, Three Choirs Festival and Ryedale Festival.
Margaret was awarded an MBE in the 2024 New Year Honours in recognition of her services to music and charitable fundraising.
Programme:
- Haydn: Variations in F minor
- Hommage à Joseph Haydn - Four pieces on the name of Haydn
~ Hahn: Thème Varié
~ Ravel: Menuet
~ Widor: Fugue
- Debussy: Voiles - Le vent dans la plaine (from Préludes Book 1)
- Hahn: Andromède résignée - Les Rêveries du Prince Eglantine (from Le Rossignol Éperdu)
- Ravel: A la manière de Borodine - A la manière de Chabrier
- Widor: Kermesse carillonnante
- Chopin: Barcarolle Op.60
- Liszt: Mélodies Polonaises - Complainte (Dumka) (from Glanes de Woronince)
- Bortkiewicz: Les Rochers d’Outche-Coche
- Lysenko: Rhapsody No.2 on Ukrainian Themes “Dumka-Shumka”
17 October 2026:
Sacconi Quartet
Britain’s longest-established string quartet, for twenty-five years the Sacconi Quartet have been captivating audiences with their unanimous and compelling ensemble, consistently communicating with a fresh and imaginative approach. Formed in 2001, the four founder members share an unwavering passion for the string quartet repertoire, infectiously reaching out to audiences with their energy and enthusiasm. The Sacconis enjoy a busy international career, performing regularly across the world, at Europe’s major venues, in recordings and on radio broadcasts. The Sacconi is Quartet in Association at the Royal College of Music and Quartet in Residence for the town of Folkestone.
Welsh cellist Steffan Morris enjoys a richly varied career as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician. He studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School with Thomas Carroll and then with Heinrich Schiff at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. Steffan is principal cello with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and plays on a cello made by Hieronymus Amati II in 1695, generously on loan from private sponsors.
Progamme:
Generously sponsored anonymously by one of our members
Sacconi Quartet
Britain’s longest-established string quartet, for twenty-five years the Sacconi Quartet have been captivating audiences with their unanimous and compelling ensemble, consistently communicating with a fresh and imaginative approach. Formed in 2001, the four founder members share an unwavering passion for the string quartet repertoire, infectiously reaching out to audiences with their energy and enthusiasm. The Sacconis enjoy a busy international career, performing regularly across the world, at Europe’s major venues, in recordings and on radio broadcasts. The Sacconi is Quartet in Association at the Royal College of Music and Quartet in Residence for the town of Folkestone.
Welsh cellist Steffan Morris enjoys a richly varied career as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician. He studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School with Thomas Carroll and then with Heinrich Schiff at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. Steffan is principal cello with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and plays on a cello made by Hieronymus Amati II in 1695, generously on loan from private sponsors.
Progamme:
- Rachmaninoff - Romance for String Quartet
- Arensky - Quartet for violin, viola and two cellos
- Schubert – String Quintet
Generously sponsored anonymously by one of our members
28 November 2026:
Doric Quartet
The Doric String Quartet brings an elegance and intimacy both to the Classical canon and new music, with the depth and integrity of their interpretations winning them fans across the world. They have performed cycles of Haydn, Mendelssohn, Britten and Bartók at famous international venues, including Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Vienna Konzerthaus and Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie.
Their intellectual rigour has led them to use specially made original-style bows for performing Classical repertoire from Haydn to Mendelssohn, and while they are known for their refined performances of this repertoire, they are also committed to new music, performing works by composers such as Thomas Adès, Andrea Tarrodi, Peter Maxwell Davies and Donnacha Dennehy.
The Doric String Quartet’s curiosity and flexibility are represented by a discography of more than 20 recordings for Chandos, with whom they have recorded exclusively since 2010, ranging from Purcell to John Adams. They are regular visitors at Snape Maltings and London’s Wigmore Hall, where they were the first group to perform to a live audience after lockdown.
Programme
Doric Quartet
The Doric String Quartet brings an elegance and intimacy both to the Classical canon and new music, with the depth and integrity of their interpretations winning them fans across the world. They have performed cycles of Haydn, Mendelssohn, Britten and Bartók at famous international venues, including Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Vienna Konzerthaus and Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie.
Their intellectual rigour has led them to use specially made original-style bows for performing Classical repertoire from Haydn to Mendelssohn, and while they are known for their refined performances of this repertoire, they are also committed to new music, performing works by composers such as Thomas Adès, Andrea Tarrodi, Peter Maxwell Davies and Donnacha Dennehy.
The Doric String Quartet’s curiosity and flexibility are represented by a discography of more than 20 recordings for Chandos, with whom they have recorded exclusively since 2010, ranging from Purcell to John Adams. They are regular visitors at Snape Maltings and London’s Wigmore Hall, where they were the first group to perform to a live audience after lockdown.
Programme
- Emilie Mayer Quartet in G 21 minutes
- Schumann Quartet op.41/2 in F 21 minutes
- Beethoven Quartet op.131 42 minutes
20 February 2027:
Piers Adams & Lyndy Mayle - Baroque Academy
Baroque Alchemy is a duo exploring the meeting of early music and contemporary sound worlds. Recorder virtuoso Piers Adams and keyboardist Lyndy Mayle bring together ancient instruments and modern technology to create performances that are vivid, expressive and full of surprise.
At the heart of the project is a partnership of equals. Adams brings over four decades of international experience as one of the world’s leading recorder players, widely known as the founder and frontman of the baroque quartet Red Priest. Mayle, a former prize-winning harpsichordist at the Royal College of Music, brings exceptional versatility and sensitivity to the keyboard, drawing on deep historical understanding while embracing a broad palette of modern sounds.
Baroque Alchemy’s sound world is built around the natural, breath-driven voice of the recorder — ranging from historical instruments to modern designs — set within an ever-changing keyboard landscape. The keyboard can evoke authentic early instruments such as harpsichord, lute or baroque organ, while also creating drones, textures and cinematic atmospheres. The result is not electronic pastiche, but a dialogue between acoustic simplicity and contemporary possibility.
Programme: Baroque Academy
Sponsorship pending
Piers Adams & Lyndy Mayle - Baroque Academy
Baroque Alchemy is a duo exploring the meeting of early music and contemporary sound worlds. Recorder virtuoso Piers Adams and keyboardist Lyndy Mayle bring together ancient instruments and modern technology to create performances that are vivid, expressive and full of surprise.
At the heart of the project is a partnership of equals. Adams brings over four decades of international experience as one of the world’s leading recorder players, widely known as the founder and frontman of the baroque quartet Red Priest. Mayle, a former prize-winning harpsichordist at the Royal College of Music, brings exceptional versatility and sensitivity to the keyboard, drawing on deep historical understanding while embracing a broad palette of modern sounds.
Baroque Alchemy’s sound world is built around the natural, breath-driven voice of the recorder — ranging from historical instruments to modern designs — set within an ever-changing keyboard landscape. The keyboard can evoke authentic early instruments such as harpsichord, lute or baroque organ, while also creating drones, textures and cinematic atmospheres. The result is not electronic pastiche, but a dialogue between acoustic simplicity and contemporary possibility.
Programme: Baroque Academy
Sponsorship pending
6 March 2027:
Flutes & Frets: Beth Stone & Daniel Murphy
London-based duo, Flutes & Frets present intimate, magnetic performances that exploit the fragility and versatility of their ensemble. Their concerts feature an array of instruments that enable them to express the colours, gesture and emotions of repertoire from the medieval era through to contemporary.
Flutes & Frets have performed all over the UK and Europe. Their radio debut with WDR 3 took place in 2023 and they have been featured in world-class festivals including Misteria Paschalia, the National Centre of Early Music, Alpen Classica Festival, Festival Van Vlaanderen Antwerpen, International Early Music Festival of Sierra Espuña and the Wunderkammer Festival in Trieste. Autumn 2025 saw the release of their debut album Heir Of All The Ages released by EM Records featuring sound-snapshots of the evolution of British music over the past six hundred years.
They have won numerous international competitions including the 2023 International H.I.F. Biber Competition; 2022 “22nd LAMS Matera Award”; 2021 La Follia Nuova International Chamber Music Competition; and the International Music Competition (IMC) of Association Les Musicales Du Centre. They have been Making Music Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artist (PDGYA) Award Scheme artists, an ECOS Ensemble 2023, Brighton Early Music Festival (BREMF) Live! Ensemble 2022 and DEBUT Horizon Artists. In 2022, they were chosen as an “IYAP Selected Promising Ensemble” for the International Young Artist Presentation, enabling them to perform in the Early Music Festival, “Laus Polyphoniae” at AMUZ, Antwerp, Belgium. This led to being selected for an award from the European Festivals Fund for Emerging Artists (EFFEA) supported by the European Festivals Association.
Programme: “It’s about time”
Generously sponsored in memory of John Darwell
Flutes & Frets: Beth Stone & Daniel Murphy
London-based duo, Flutes & Frets present intimate, magnetic performances that exploit the fragility and versatility of their ensemble. Their concerts feature an array of instruments that enable them to express the colours, gesture and emotions of repertoire from the medieval era through to contemporary.
Flutes & Frets have performed all over the UK and Europe. Their radio debut with WDR 3 took place in 2023 and they have been featured in world-class festivals including Misteria Paschalia, the National Centre of Early Music, Alpen Classica Festival, Festival Van Vlaanderen Antwerpen, International Early Music Festival of Sierra Espuña and the Wunderkammer Festival in Trieste. Autumn 2025 saw the release of their debut album Heir Of All The Ages released by EM Records featuring sound-snapshots of the evolution of British music over the past six hundred years.
They have won numerous international competitions including the 2023 International H.I.F. Biber Competition; 2022 “22nd LAMS Matera Award”; 2021 La Follia Nuova International Chamber Music Competition; and the International Music Competition (IMC) of Association Les Musicales Du Centre. They have been Making Music Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artist (PDGYA) Award Scheme artists, an ECOS Ensemble 2023, Brighton Early Music Festival (BREMF) Live! Ensemble 2022 and DEBUT Horizon Artists. In 2022, they were chosen as an “IYAP Selected Promising Ensemble” for the International Young Artist Presentation, enabling them to perform in the Early Music Festival, “Laus Polyphoniae” at AMUZ, Antwerp, Belgium. This led to being selected for an award from the European Festivals Fund for Emerging Artists (EFFEA) supported by the European Festivals Association.
Programme: “It’s about time”
- Thomas Tallis (1505-1585) If Ye Love Me
- John Dowland (1563-1626) Preludium
- Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625) The Silver Swan
- John Dowland (1563-1626) I) Come Again II) Time Stands Still
- Robert De Visée (1650-1725) Prelude and Allemande in A minor for solo the orbo
- Michel Lambert (1610-1696) Ombre De Mon Amant
- Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) Methodical Sonata
- Traditional 18th Century Folk Tunes
- Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) The Thieving Magpie Overture
- Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840) Centone di Sonate No.1
- Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) Sicilienne Op.78
- Béla Bartók (1881-1945) 6 Romanian Folk Dances
- Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992) Invierno Porteño (Winter)’; Libertango
Generously sponsored in memory of John Darwell
10 April 2027:
Chaos Quartet
Founded in Vienna in 2019, they embrace chaos as creation itself, the starting point of everything. This idea shapes their music-making, where refined ensemble playing meets fiery energy and adventurous spirit. Their performances are crafted with heart and humour, designed to move, surprise, and ignite the imagination.
Contemporary music holds a special place in their repertoire. Composers such as Richard Ayres, Riccardo Panfili, Jan-Peter de Graaff and Alessio Elia have written new works for the ensemble. Their collaboration with Samu Gryllus has introduced improvisational transitions into several programmes, reflecting the quartet’s interdisciplinary approach and adventurous spirit in exploring new concert formats.
The quartet has quickly gained international recognition as BBC New Generation Artists (2023–2025), New Austrian Sound of Music (2023-2024), and Emerging Ensemble of the Ulysses Platform (2025–2028). They are prizewinners of major international competitions, including ARD (Munich), Bordeaux, Bad Tölz, Haydn (Vienna), Bartók (Budapest), and the Premio Rimbotti (Italy).
Their debut album (Solo Musica, 2024) features works by Haydn, Hensel, and Ligeti, with a second recording — centred on the concept of chaos and supported by SWR and the BBC.
Programme:
Chaos Quartet
Founded in Vienna in 2019, they embrace chaos as creation itself, the starting point of everything. This idea shapes their music-making, where refined ensemble playing meets fiery energy and adventurous spirit. Their performances are crafted with heart and humour, designed to move, surprise, and ignite the imagination.
Contemporary music holds a special place in their repertoire. Composers such as Richard Ayres, Riccardo Panfili, Jan-Peter de Graaff and Alessio Elia have written new works for the ensemble. Their collaboration with Samu Gryllus has introduced improvisational transitions into several programmes, reflecting the quartet’s interdisciplinary approach and adventurous spirit in exploring new concert formats.
The quartet has quickly gained international recognition as BBC New Generation Artists (2023–2025), New Austrian Sound of Music (2023-2024), and Emerging Ensemble of the Ulysses Platform (2025–2028). They are prizewinners of major international competitions, including ARD (Munich), Bordeaux, Bad Tölz, Haydn (Vienna), Bartók (Budapest), and the Premio Rimbotti (Italy).
Their debut album (Solo Musica, 2024) features works by Haydn, Hensel, and Ligeti, with a second recording — centred on the concept of chaos and supported by SWR and the BBC.
Programme:
- Haydn – String Quartet Op.20 No. 4
- Stravinsky - Three Pieces for String Quartet
- Gesualdo - Moro lasso
- Miles Davis/Bill Evans - Blue in Green
- Faure - String Quartet in E minor
