York Chamber Music Festival

  • Home
  • York Chamber Music Festival

York Chamber Music Festival York Chamber Music Festival celebrates the return of live chamber music by bringing to the city a stellar cast of musicians! Tim Lowe

(Artistic Director)

Welcome to York Chamber Music Festival! The festival aims to bring some of the UK’s best chamber musicians to York with the specific aim of involving York’s young musicians and giving them an opportunity not only to hear these players but to talk and work with them in masterclasses. As part of the festival a national competition will bring aspiring chamber music groups to York from the national co

nservatoires, music colleges and university music departments. All these events are open for everyone to enjoy. The cost of entrance has been kept down thanks to generous donations from local sponsors keen to see York’s young people engage with ‘new generation’ chamber musicians. We are basing our programme around core repertoire but have included some lesser known works because, whether young or older, we want to stimulate peoples’ curiosity and imagination. I do hope you will support this new initiative in the musical life of York and enjoy what we have to offer.

Two Weeks to go! 19 - 21 September.Tickets still available for all events.Click below for everything you need to know ab...
05/09/2025

Two Weeks to go! 19 - 21 September.
Tickets still available for all events.
Click below for everything you need to know about the programme, informative posts, the players and the gateway to buying tickets.
https://www.ycmf.co.uk/2025-programme

The quartet we are playing in the Festival (Event Two) is the last but one of Haydn’s quartets (Op. 76 No. 5). He was in...
18/08/2025

The quartet we are playing in the Festival (Event Two) is the last but one of Haydn’s quartets (Op. 76 No. 5). He was in his mid-60s and brought to the Op. 76 quartets all his long, mature understanding of the inner life of the string quartet, played by virtuoso professional musicians and a heightened sense of musical emotion. These quartets defined the future of the string quartet for years to come and are the pinnacle of Haydn's lifetime’s output of 68 string quartets. Even the super-confident Beethoven held back (not for long) from writing string quartets respectful of Haydn’s gift.




Explore the unfolding genius of Joseph Haydn through his transformative string quartets—from groundbreaking Op. 20 innovations to the emotional depths of the Op. 76 “Largo.” Discover how Haydn shaped the future of chamber music in forty-five years of genius, as featured in the York Chamber Mus...

York Chamber Music Festival is marking the fiftieth anniversary of the death of one of the truly great twentieth century...
25/07/2025

York Chamber Music Festival is marking the fiftieth anniversary of the death of one of the truly great twentieth century composers by playing two of Shostakovich’s iconic chamber music masterpieces; his Eighth String Quartet and his Viola Sonata which was the last piece he wrote, finishing only a few weeks before... read more > https://www.ycmf.co.uk/post/shostakovich-in-york

music

York Chamber Music Festival is marking the fiftieth anniversary of the death of one of the truly great twentieth century composers by playing two of Shostakovich’s iconic chamber music masterpieces; his Eighth String Quartet and his Viola Sonata which was the last piece he wrote, finishing only a ...

TRANSFIGURED NIGHTVerklärte Nacht was inspired by a poem of the same name by Richard Dehmel – a progressive German poet....
09/05/2025

TRANSFIGURED NIGHT
Verklärte Nacht was inspired by a poem of the same name by Richard Dehmel – a progressive German poet. Schoenberg’s composition tracks the poem’s story. This unusual combination of chamber music READ MORE https://www.ycmf.co.uk/post/transfigured-night
What's Occurring York Ripon ConcertsYork Chamber Music Festival

Arnold Schoenberg and the late chamber music of BrahmsVerklärte Nacht was inspired by a poem of the same name by Richard Dehmel – a progressive German poet. Schoenberg’s composition tracks the poem’s story. This unusual combination of chamber music with programmatic content was intended by Sc...

York Chamber Music Festival 2025 will be launched at this event by Tim Lowe, Artistic Director of YCMF and John Lenehan,...
14/01/2025

York Chamber Music Festival 2025 will be launched at this event by Tim Lowe, Artistic Director of YCMF and John Lenehan, who open this year’s festival with a ‘taster’ READ MORE >

National Centre for Early Music, St Margaret’s Church, Walmgate Wednesday 12 March 2025 7:30pmTickets £20 (18 and under free)TIM LOWEJOHN LENEHANBeethoven Cello Sonata in D major, Op. 102 No.2Bloch Three Pieces from Jewish Life IntervalRachmaninov Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor, Op. 19York...

Thank you all for coming and supporting York Chamber Music Festival. It was a joy to see so many of you there, creating ...
23/09/2024

Thank you all for coming and supporting York Chamber Music Festival. It was a joy to see so many of you there, creating such a vibrant and engaged audience.

Your enthusiasm and presence makes each performance truly special. If you enjoyed the concerts, we’d be grateful if you shared your experience with friends who might also appreciate our festival.

By spreading the word, you help us build a community of music lovers and ensures the festival continues to grow...

READ MORE >

Thank you all for coming and supporting York Chamber Music Festival. It was a joy to see so many of you there...

Get ready for the grand opening of the York Chamber Music Festival!Join us for EVENT 1, an enchanting 'Cello Recital fea...
13/09/2024

Get ready for the grand opening of the York Chamber Music Festival!

Join us for EVENT 1, an enchanting 'Cello Recital featuring Tim Lowe ('cello) and Andrew Brownell (piano). Immerse yourself in a French-themed program with works by Nadia Boulanger, Claude Debussy, and Gabriel Fauré.

🗓 Date: Friday, 13th September 2024
🕐 Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
📍 Venue: Unitarian Chapel, St Saviourgate
🎟 Tickets: £15 (Free for under 18s)

Don't miss this transcendent musical journey!

Limited tickets are still available on the door or book now at www.ycmf.co.uk/2024-programme

Let the music inspire and uplift you!

The performing artists taking part in the York Chamber Music Festival 2024. We bring you the UK’s best classical chamber musicians to York. Come and join us at this years classical music festival - events are open to everyone to enjoy.

The two Piano Quartets by Fauré and Brahms to be played in Event Four are connected by a reaction to the spectre of Beet...
11/07/2024

The two Piano Quartets by Fauré and Brahms to be played in Event Four are connected by a reaction to the spectre of Beethoven whose awesome presence overshadowed European musical culture across much of the nineteenth century. Both were young composers of genius but struggling to put a form and technique to the music that they both intuitively knew lay within their deep mind, as yet untapped... Read More
https://www.ycmf.co.uk/post/breakout-piano-quartet

The Renaissance of French MusicGabriel Fauré (1845 – 1924) and the Renaissance of French MusicThe centenary of Fauré’s d...
07/06/2024

The Renaissance of French Music
Gabriel Fauré (1845 – 1924) and the Renaissance of French Music
The centenary of Fauré’s death is a moment to reflect on his influence in driving forward the renaissance of French music, in the decades after the defeat of the French army during the endgame of the Franco-Prussian war, 1870-71. When he was born Chopin was still composing but by the time of his death he knew the music of the Second Viennese School - Schoenberg, Berg and Webern and he knew Jazz..... read more >

The centenary of Fauré’s death is a moment to reflect on his influence in driving forward the renaissance of French music...

Join us from 1pm Friday 15 September York Unitarian Chapel A few tickets still available. Follow the link below to get y...
14/09/2023

Join us from 1pm Friday 15 September York Unitarian Chapel
A few tickets still available. Follow the link below to get yours!

Our friends at York Chamber Music Festival are busy preparing for their 10th anniversary festival opening tomorrow. We hope you have a great weekend.

If you haven't got your tickets yet it's not too late. There are still some available for all events and if you book for all five concerts in the same transaction, you can save £15.00!

🎫 > https://www.ncem.co.uk/external-promotions/

TICKETS ON SALE NOWTim Lowe (Cello) and Katya Apekisheva (Piano) launch the 2023 festival with some of the best-loved ce...
25/08/2023

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

Tim Lowe (Cello) and Katya Apekisheva (Piano) launch the 2023 festival with some of the best-loved cello and piano repertoire; Beethoven seeming to improvise and in relaxed mood showing us his most human side, Brahms loving the deep, autumnal glow of the cello and Schumann also in thrall to the cello writing a love poem ending in an outburst of happiness!

Friday 15 September 1.00pm – 2:00pm
Unitarian Chapel, St Saviourgate
​Tickets £15 (18 and under free)

https://ycmf.co.uk/2023-programme -1

Address


Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when York Chamber Music Festival posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to York Chamber Music Festival:

Shortcuts

  • Want your business to be the top-listed Event Planning Service?

Share

Our Story

Welcome to the York Chamber Music Festival. The festival aims to bring some of the UK’s best chamber musicians to York with the specific aim of involving York’s young musicians and giving them an opportunity not only to hear these players but to talk and work with them in masterclasses. All these events are open for everyone to enjoy. The cost of entrance has been kept down thanks to generous donations from local sponsors keen to see York’s young people engage with ‘new generation’ chamber musicians. We are basing our programme around core repertoire but have included some lesser known works because, whether young or older, we want to stimulate peoples’ curiosity and imagination. I do hope you will support this new initiative in the musical life of York and enjoy what we have to offer. Tim Lowe (Artistic Director)