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Leeds Lieder

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Leeds Lieder Filling the city with song. One of the most exuberant & far-reaching festivals of art song in the UK

Leeds Lieder was founded in 2004 by Jane Anthony in partnership with a group of individuals and Leeds College of Music, to promote the enjoyment, understanding, appreciation, composition and performance of art-song. The organisation was inaugurated with a Festival of song in October 2005 and there followed a decade of biannual Festivals attracting some of finest singers and pianists of our time. I

n December 2014, following the tragic and untimely death of Jane Anthony, Leeds Lieder appointed the pianist Joseph Middleton as the new Director. He will work alongside Roderick Williams to curate the next Leeds Lieder Festival, to take place in April 2016. With relatively few opportunities to hear the art-song repertoire in live performance outside London, this gap in the musical landscape provided the inspiration for Leeds Lieder+. Our aims are to:

Introduce the magnificent art-song repertoire to an ever wider audience
Inspire successive generations of performers, composers and poets
Commission more new work and help to sustain the tradition of song writing
Ensure every Festival has a new Artistic Director who puts his/her unique stamp on the weekend, keeping the artistic vision fresh and individual
Each Festival offers:

The opportunity to hear some of the world's finest interpreters of art-song, together with the cream of outstanding young artists. At least two new works for solo voice and piano are commissioned for every Festival
A Composers' + Poets' Forum which encourages the next generation of song writers by providing expert advice and performance opportunities
A public Masterclass for student singers and pianists from the national conservatoires to benefit from the experience and advice of an internationally celebrated singer and the Festival's Guest of Honour. The opportunity to explore world music in workshop and performance showcasing the song traditions of other cultures

13/02/2025

🎶 A final reminder – our concert is tomorrow! 🎶

We still have tickets available to hear the wonderful Dame Sarah Connolly (mezzo-soprano) with Joseph Middleton (piano).

🗓 Tomorrow evening
📍 Leeds Conservatoire
🎟 £25 | Free for students & under 30s

Join us for a beautiful programme of songs by Britten, Barber, Debussy, Wolf, Duparc, and Schumann.

Tickets are available from the Leeds Conservatoire Box Office and from our website 👇

Making her welcome return to the Leeds Lieder concert platform, Dame Sarah Connolly is joined by pianist Joseph Middleton to perform an eclectic mix of songs by Britten, Barber, Debussy, Wolf, Duparc and Schumann.

06/02/2025

'Through innovative projects like A Leeds Songbook, the festival celebrates the unique stories of Leeds, connecting audiences to the city’s rich cultural heritage and vibrant creative community.'

Read more in Yorkshire Times https://yorkshiretimes.co.uk/article/A-Leeds-Songbook-Celebrate-Leeds-Through-Music-And-Poetry

Get your tickets for Composers & Poets Forum Showcase: A Leeds Songbook: https://bit.ly/4aISN06

04/02/2025

🎶 We’re thrilled to share the 2025 Leeds Lieder Festival line-up, celebrating our 20th anniversary! With fantastic artists like Roderick Williams - Baritone, Fatma Said فاطمة سعيد, Louise Alder and Florian Boesch, it’s shaping up to be an unmissable week of song.

From stunning recitals to a world premiere of Seasons by Helen Grime, there’s something for everyone.🎤🎹

Take a look at the full programme in the Operawire preview below! ⬇️

The 2025 Leeds Lieder Festival has announced its programming.

31/01/2025

🎶 A night of extraordinary music awaits!
🎶

Join world-renowned mezzo-soprano Dame Sarah Connolly and acclaimed pianist Joseph Middleton for an enchanting evening of songs by Britten, Barber, Debussy, Wolf, Duparc, and Schumann.

📅 14 February 2025

🕢 7:30 PM

📍 The Venue, Leeds Conservatoire

🎟 £25 | Free for students & under 30s! Link to tickets in bio

21/01/2025

🎶 A night of extraordinary music awaits! 🎶

Join world-renowned mezzo-soprano Dame Sarah Connolly and acclaimed pianist Joseph Middleton for an enchanting evening of songs by Britten, Barber, Debussy, Wolf, Duparc, and Schumann.

📅 14 February 2025
🕢 7:30 PM
📍 The Venue, Leeds Conservatoire
🎟 £25 | Free for students & under 30s!

07/01/2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"This recital proved yet again that you don’t have to go to the Wigmore Hall to hear today’s finest singers and pianists – Leeds Lieder is flourishing!"

Huw Montague Rendall - Baritone and Joseph Middleton delivered an unforgettable evening of world-class music. With the April Festival just around the corner, featuring stars like Florian Boesch, Louise Alder, Christoph Prégardien, and Alice Coote, there’s so much to look forward to. Read more 👇

This recital proved yet again that you don’t have to go to the Wigmore Hall to hear today’s finest singers – Leeds Lieder is flourishing

06/01/2025

🎉 Happy New Year from Leeds Lieder Festival! We’re so excited to be listed in The Telegraph’s Best Classical and Jazz of 2025. Reserve your tickets now for an unforgettable season of music! 🎶✨

From an extravagant reinvention of the orchestral experience to the Proms, our expert selects the hottest tickets of the year

31/12/2024

Wishing all of you, our Leeds Lieder community, a very happy New Year!
We hope you enjoy the recording from the 2024 festival, which looks ahead to the colourful springtime and a song that will last the whole summer through.

24/12/2024

Wishing all those that are part of our Leeds Lieder community a very happy festive season. To our artists, audiences, supporters and Friends, and those who take part in our education programmes, we send our best wishes for Christmas and the New Year. We look forward to welcoming you to our 2025 events.

18/12/2024

✨ We’re thrilled to welcome the legendary Dame Sarah Connolly back to the stage for an unforgettable evening of music! ✨

Dame Sarah Connolly is one of the most celebrated mezzo-sopranos of her generation, known for her stunning voice and commanding stage presence. With a repertoire spanning baroque, classical, Wagnerian, and 20th-century works, Connolly has earned a place among the greats of the opera world. She has received numerous accolades, including a CBE in 2010 and a DBE in 2017, for her exceptional contributions to music.

For this special performance, she will be joined by our Artistic Director, Joseph Middleton, who will perform a captivating selection of songs by Britten, Barber, Debussy, Wolf, Duparc, and Schumann.

This is your chance to experience two world-class artists in an intimate setting, bringing a breathtaking range of music to life.

📸 Andrew Crowley

Tickets: https://bit.ly/3BqEuQP

10/12/2024

We are delighted to welcome the brilliant Dame Sarah Connolly back to the Leeds Lieder stage, joined by Artistic Director Joseph Middleton. Together, they will perform a stunning programme featuring works by Britten, Barber, Debussy, Wolf, Duparc, and Schumann – a recital that promises to be an evening of exceptional music-making.

🎄 Looking for the perfect Christmas gift? 🎄
Treat your loved ones to an unforgettable night of song. It’s a thoughtful and unique present for any music lover.

Tickets are available now from the Leeds Conservatoire Box Office. Give the gift of music this Christmas!

27/11/2024

We are sorry to announce that due to illness, Ian Bostridge is no longer able to perform in the scheduled recital at The Venue, Leeds Conservatoire, on Friday 29 November at 7.30pm. We are grateful to baritone Huw Montague Rendall for stepping in as his replacement. The programme has been changed and will now be:

Schumann
Liederkreis, Op.24

Mahler
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen

Vaughan Williams
Songs of Travel

26/11/2024

Join our Bring and Sing rehearsal and concert with Gareth Malone (). He has inspired countless individuals to take up the joyous pursuit of choral singing. Leeds Lieder welcomes the captivating choir master to train the Leeds Lieder Chorus in Fauré’s masterpiece, his Requiem. Come along and enjoy lifting your voices in the stunning setting of Leeds Minster.

Rehearsals begin at 3pm followed by a performance at 6pm.

📅 Saturday 5 April
🎟️ £15 per singer 📍 Leeds Minster

21/11/2024

Established as one of the world’s leading song pianists, Julius Drake makes a very welcome return to Leeds Lieder. His outstanding pianism and encyclopaedic knowledge of the repertoire makes him a much sort-after collaborator and teacher.

📅 Thursday 10 April, 2pm
🎟️ £15, £13 (concessions), FREE (U30/students)
📍 Howard Opera Centre, Leeds

Book now: https://leedslieder.org.uk/whats-on/festival-masterclass-v-julius-drake/

20/11/2024

Russian American Soprano, Erika Baikoff () is amassing a loyal following at major musical centres across the globe. Alongside her duo partner Soohong Park (), she will demonstrate the interesting threads that can be drawn between jewels by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov.

📅 Sunday 6 April, 1pm
🎟️ £15, £13 (concessions), FREE (U30/students) 📍 Howard Assembly Room, Leeds

19/11/2024

Next week Ian Bostridge returns to Leeds with Joseph Middleton — to perform an all-Schubert programme, including some of his less-familiar songs.

📆 Friday 29 November
📍 The Venue, Leeds Conservatoire
🎟️ Follow the link to book now: https://leedslieder.org.uk/whats-on/evening-recital-ian-bostridge-cbe-and-joseph-middleton/

18/11/2024

Christoph Prégardien, celebrated for his youthful, lyrical tenor and expressive depth (The New York Times), is renowned worldwide as a top Lieder singer. We’re thrilled to welcome him to Leeds, where he’ll close the 2025 Festival, performing Schubert’s timeless cycle with Festival Director Joseph Middleton.

📅 Saturday 12 April, 7:30pm
🎟️ £25, £23 (concessions), FREE (U30/students)�
📍 The Venue, Leeds Conservatoire
Book now: https://leedslieder.org.uk/whats-on/evening-closing-recital-christoph-pregardien-and-joseph-middleton/

16/11/2024

Our Composers & Poets Forum 2025 had its first meeting today. 10 composers met with 10 poets in Leeds for the first time and after a day of sharing their music and poetry, new partnerships were formed. We can't wait to hear the fruits of these song-writing collaborations and the new additions to 'A Leeds Songbook' during the 2025 Festival in April!

Address

Suite E7. 6, Joseph’s Well, Hanover Walk
Leeds
LS31AB

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Website

http://www.leedslieder.org.uk/

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Videos

Immerse yourself in the beauty of songs by Britten, Barber, Debussy, Wolf, Duparc, and Schumann. 📅 14 February 2025 🕢 7:30 PM 📍 The Venue, Leeds Conservatoire 🎟 £25 | Free for students & under 30s! https://leedslieder.org.uk/whats-on/dame-sarah-connolly-and-joseph-middleton-2025/

Wishing all of you, our Leeds Lieder community, a very happy New Year! We hope you enjoy the recording from the 2024 festival, which looks ahead to the colourful springtime and a song that will last the whole summer through.

Wishing everyone a happy festive season

Nikola Hillebrand made her UK recital debut at Leeds Lieder at the 2022 Festival. Now we are delighted to welcome her back to open our 20th Anniversary Festival with not one, but two Schubertiade recitals! 👉 Schubertiade Lunchtime Opening Recital with @josephmittelstadt and Oliver Casanovas Nuevo 📅 Sunday 14 April, 1:00pm 🎟️ £15, £13 (concessions), FREE (under 30s / students) 👉 Schubertiade 20th Anniversary Gala Recital with Roderick Williams, @rogervignoles, Joseph Middleton and our Young Artists 📅 Sunday 14 April, 7:30pm 🎟️ £25, £23 (concessions), FREE (under 30s / students) Head to our bio to book your tickets.

Next week, we are so excited to bring you the world premiere performance of Punjabi Proverbs by @cherylhoad, featuring Nina Kanter - soprano; @operawala - baritone; and @kevalshahpiano - piano. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate cross cultural art and experience something special ✨ 📅 Tuesday 16 April 2024, 7:30pm 📍 192 Chapeltown Road, Leeds 🎟️ Only £5 / FREE for under 30’s/students 🍴 Refreshments will be available Book your tickets now - link in bio.

Pre-concert talk with Tansy Davies

Tansy Davies possesses one of the most personal voices in composition today. Embracing a wide range of influences – from the classical avant-garde to funk and experimental rock – her vital, visceral music bridges the spiritual and political, the man-made and the natural. In this pre-concert talk, Davies introduces her new song cycle, especially commissioned for this 20th-anniversary Festival.

Pre-concert Talk with Dr George Kennaway

Cellist and musicologist Dr George Kennaway, Visiting Research Fellow at Huddersfield and Leeds Universities, returns to Leeds Lieder to give one of his popular pre-concert talks.

Pre-concert talk with Prof. Barbara Kelly

Head of School and Professor of Music at the University of Leeds, Barbara Kelly gives an enlightening introduction to this evening’s recital. A leading expert on French music between 1870 and 1939, Kelly has published widely on Debussy, Ravel and Les Six and will provide context and insight to the programme to follow.

Composers & Poets Forum Showcase: ‘A Leeds Songbook’

A continuation of the acclaimed 2023 ‘Leeds Songbook’ project, our Composers & Poets Forum adds further creative contributions to Leeds Lieder’s song collection. Stories about the people of Leeds, told in poems by the people of Leeds, set to music by composers brought to Leeds and performed by our Leeds Lieder Young Artists. Firmly rooted in the locality, our songbook will draw many threads across disciplines. These Forums have been built on collaborations made over the Spring and workshops during the Festival. Come and hear the fruits of their labours in today’s exciting showcase!

We are delighted to welcome @benjaminapplbaritone and @sholto.kynoch to perform a recital that explores the silences between the notes. A perfect way to close the 20th anniversary of Leeds Lieder Festival! 📅 Sunday 21 April, 7:30pm 🎟️ £25 (standard), £23 (concessions), FREE (under 30s / students) 🔗 Link in bio

Don’t miss Christopher Glynn (@chrisglynn00), Harriet Burns (harriet_burns_), Nick Pritchard and Kate Wakeling (kate_wakeling) for Schumann’s song cycle Myrtles at #LLF24 📅 Saturday 20 April, 1:00pm 📍 @howardassemblyroom 🎟️ £15, £13 (concessions), FREE (under 30s / students) Follow the link in our bio to secure your tickets now.

We are so excited to welcome Roderick Williams and @rogervignoles alongside @nikolahillebrand, @josephmittelstadt and the Leeds Lieder Young Artists for the Schubertiade 20th Anniversary Gala Recital. 📅 Sunday 14 April, 7:30 pm 📍 The Venue, @leedsconservatoireevents 🎟️ £25, £23 (concessions), FREE (under 30s / students) This is not one to be missed!