Britten Pears Arts Autumn Winter 2026 Season Snape Maltings

Britten Pears Arts’ Autumn Winter 2026 season marks the 50^th anniversary of Britten’s death. It brings together world-class performers, bold new work and opportunities to experience music and the arts in fresh and unexpected ways. From landmark celebrations of Britten’s legacy to world premieres, lunchtime concerts, open sessions, family performances, visual art and festive favourites, the season offers audiences a rich programme across Snape Maltings, The Red House and beyond. With leading artists appearing alongside emerging talent, it invites audiences to discover moments of reflection, celebration and shared creativity throughout the colder months.

Britten Weekend: 4 – 6 December

On the 50th Anniversary of Britten’s death (4 December), Britten Pears Arts stages a weekend of events honouring his life, music and legacy. Highlights include performances of his Lachrymae, Saint Nicolas and Oboe Quartet, together with a special study morning and an opportunity for a moment of stillness and reflection with a Remembrance service at Aldeburgh Church.

Timothy Ridout and James Baillieu: A chance to hear two outstanding artists perform Schubert’s popular Arpeggione Sonata and Britten’s Lachrymae, plus variations upon music by John Dowland. Also on the programme is Schubert’s Sonatina No.1, a piece that harks back to Mozart (4 December, 12pm, Britten Studio).
Guy Johnston and Melvyn Tan: Cellist Guy Johnston and pianist Melvyn Tan give a recital featuring Britten’s Cello Sonata, originally written for Rostropovich, together with Mendelssohn’s passionate second sonata. The programme also includes Beethoven’s Sonata No.4, and a new work from Matthew Kaner, a composer known for his emotionally direct and poetic music (4 December, 7pm, Britten Studio).
Study Morning with Dr Lucy Walker: Join writer, researcher and speaker Dr Lucy Walker, an expert on the life and works of Benjamin Britten, for this fascinating study morning. Lucy is joined in conversation by mezzo-soprano Alice Coote, who discusses the impact that Britten’s music has had on her, and in performance and discussion by violist Timothy Ridout (5 December, 11am, Britten Studio).
Winterreise: Mezzo-soprano Alice Coote and pianist Christian Blackshaw perform one of the great song cycles, Schubert’s Winterreise. Exploring sorrow, longing and existential reflection, Schubert’s song cycle shows his mastery of transforming poetry into music, combining them into an art form of intense emotional resonance (5 December, 4pm, Britten Studio).
Saint Nicolas: Britten Sinfonia, BBC Singers, Britten Pears Chamber Choir and London Youth Choir (LYC Boys) combine under the baton of Owain Park, to realise Britten’s cantata telling the tale of the saint that inspired Santa Claus – some of the composer’s brightest and boldest music. Also on the programme is Britten’s tribute to fellow composer and his teacher, Frank Bridge, and Arvo Pärt’s moving tribute to Britten (5 December, 7pm, Snape Maltings Concert Hall).
Britten Oboe Quartet: Oboist Nicholas Daniel opens this concert with Britten’s Phantasy Quartet, known for its captivating interplay between musicians. He is joined by Jaqueline Shave (violin), Judith Busbridge (viola) and Caroline Dearnley (cello). The programme also includes Mozart’s Oboe Quartet plus two more recent compositions – Huw Watkins’ Oboe Quartet, which will receive its premiere this summer, and Jacqueline Shave’s haunting and thought-provoking take on traditional tunes (6 December, 12pm, Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh).
A Celebration of East Anglia’s Young Musicians: Celebrate the next generation of musical talent in this inspiring end-of-term performance by some of Suffolk’s finest young musicians (6 December, 7pm, Snape Maltings Concert Hall).
Britten Canticles: The following weekend, Britten’s haunting Canticles are performed by a superb roster of singers and instrumentalists including Allan Clayton (tenor), Iestyn Davies (countertenor), Peter Brathwaite (baritone), James Baillieu (pianist), Olivia Jageurs (harp) and Richard Watkins (horn). These works were written for Britten’s partner, Peter Pears and close collaborators, and are intimate and spiritually charged, reflecting Britten’s interests in poetry, religion and the human condition, together charting his musical evolution over an almost thirty-year period (12 December, 7pm, Snape Maltings Concert Hall).

A Christmas Miracle: 20 and 21 November

A Christmas Miracle is a once in a generation new opera by Master of The King’s Music Errollyn Wallen inspired by Britten’s unrealised community opera A Christmas Sequence. A dramatic story of lives that transcend time and generations with much-loved Christmas carols for everyone to sing along with. Described by the composer as an “all-embracing musical adventure”, A Christmas Miracle sees Britten’s plans for an intergenerational performance of the Christmas Story come to fruition. It has been developed by Mahogany Opera, co-produced by Britten Pears Arts and supported by Jubilee Opera and Orkney Music and Culture. The world premiere performances will take place in Orford Church, where, in 1958, Britten’s visionary community opera Noye’s Fludde was premiered. Director Frederic Wake-Walker collaborates with Errollyn Wallen for the third time (following The Lighthouse Wave and Dido’s Ghost) and together they have created a piece that combines high levels of community participation with more complex material for professional artists. The professional cast features, in the role of Angel Gabriel, sopranos Hilary Cronin and Emma Tring; countertenor Andrew Watts in the role of Herod; mezzo-soprano Idunnu Münch as Melchior, and actor/singer Nick Mercer as Preco/MC. Conducted by John Andrews, A Christmas Miracle is scored for ten instrumentalists and will be performed by musicians from Ensemble X who regularly collaborate with Errollyn Wallen.

Leading Vocalists & Vocal Ensembles

Death of Gesualdo: Vocal ensemble The Gesualdo Six explore the chilling life story and music of the enigmatic composer Gesualdo in this acclaimed multi-media concert experience from director Bill Barclay and Concert Theatre Works. Six actor-dancers illustrate the music through Renaissance iconography, puppetry and sinister tableaux. Death of Gesualdo contrasts beauty and monstrosity in a completely unique experience. The creative team includes music director Owain Park, choreographer Will Tuckett, puppet designer Janni Younge and costume designer Arthur Oliver (18 October, 7.30pm, Snape Maltings Concert Hall).
My Father Cannot Speak: Baritone Roderick Williams stars in the world premiere of the humorous, touching and profoundly human My Father Cannot Speak – a new one-act opera centring on a son grappling with the aftermath of his father’s stroke. Composed by Ben Parry, from a story conceived and written by Garth Bardsley, this new work explores themes of truth, loss, family legacy, and the fragile threads that bind us together. Jazz, classical and musical-theatre influences combine in the first half of the evening, with mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly singing Ben Parry’s and Garth Bardsley’s Songs for Girls of a Certain Age (24 October, 7pm, Britten Studio).
An afternoon in memory of Anne Cuddigan: Matthew Rose, Katherine Broderick and friends perform a special afternoon concert performed in memory of a great friend of Britten Pears Arts, Anne Cuddigan. Anne was a huge supporter of our Young Artists’ programmes in particular, and this performance features many former Britten Pears alumni. The programme includes works by Bach, Strauss, Mahler, Britten, Schubert and Kate Whitley. Generously supported by the Cuddigan Trust (1 November, 3pm, Peter Pears Recital Room).
Christ Church Cathedral Choir at 500: Christ Church Cathedral Choir celebrates its 500th anniversary. The programme features music by its first master John Taverner. An undisputed choral masterpiece of the 16th century, John Taverner’s Western Wynde Mass was based on a haunting, bittersweet Middle English folk song. It sits alongside music from the 20th and 21st centuries, including Nico Muhly’s brand new The Shadow of The Sun, a multi-movement exploration of how poetry, art, and especially glass can act as a membrane between the visible world and the divine, as well as works by Walton and Judith Weir (14 November, 7pm, Snape Maltings Concert Hall).

Friday Lunchtime Concerts

Britten Pears Arts popular lunchtime concerts, a regular feature of the Spring season, are extended into Autumn and Winter for the first time, with a mix of both emerging and established artists, and performances primarily taking place at Snape Maltings.

Samrat Majumder is a Scottish-Indian classical guitarist and Young Concert Artists Trust (YCAT) musician, recently named as one of Classic FM’s “Rising Stars” for 2026. This recital features music by Bach, Dowland and a new work by Arthur Keegan (23 October, 12pm, Peter Pears Recital Room, Snape Maltings).
Aera Ensemble: Known for their sense of adventure, the Aera Ensemble (Amiri Harewood, piano; Isabella Todes, viola and Emily Crook, clarinet) bring three sharply contrasted works together in this programme: Beethoven’s Clarinet Trio, Bruch’s 8 miniatures and Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale distilled down to five energetic movements in this concert suite (30 October, 12pm, Britten Studio).
Lydia Shariff and Francesca Lauri – Into The Gathering Dark: Mezzo-soprano Lydia Shariff is as at home in jazz and song as she is in operatic repertoire and performs with winner of the 2025 Kathleen Ferrier Awards Accompanist Prize, Francesca Lauri, both alumnae of Britten Pears Arts programmes. Francesca Lauri is also the Viola Tunnard Young Artist. Their recital is inspired by autumn, including Sally Beamish’s haunting song cycle and Mahler’s introspective Rückert-Lieder, alongside Purcell and Britten (6 November, 12pm, Peter Pears Recital Room, Snape Maltings).
Kleio Quartet: Rapidly making a name for themselves as one of the most exciting young string quartets on the scene, the Kleio Quartet – alumni of the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme – performs Nielsen and Haydn string quartets, alongside Puccini’s lesser known I crisantemi (13 November, 12pm, Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh).
Ewan Millar: A programme of solo works for oboe including Britten’s vivid Six Metamorphoses plus music by J.S. Bach and his son, the often-radical C.P.E. Bach (20 November, 12pm, Britten Studio).
London Chamber Soloists: An intriguing programme featuring Bonis’ vivid and evocative Forest Scenes, Debussy’s Sonate and one of Piazzolla’s most popular Tangos, Oblivion (27 November, 12pm, Peter Pears Recital Room, Snape Maltings).

Open Sessions

Britten Pears Arts Residencies provide time and space for creators at all stages of their careers to create, be curious and try out new ideas. Open Sessions offers a unique chance to experience new work that is being developed collaboratively and authentically in a safe, supportive environment.

Michelle Hromin will introduce and play excerpts from her forthcoming large-scale composition, the starting point for which is the haunting and distinctive sound of a sea organ in Croatia. Recordings of the sounds produced by the organ are combined with archive materials from her village and live clarinet, which emulates the feeling of sitting by the ocean, listening to the organ, evoking wistful memories of home and feelings of longing (2 October, 6.30pm, Jerwood Kiln, Snape Maltings).
Willow Hazell – The Dreaming combines music by Ben Nobuto, hand painted sets and performance. Willow Hazell is a multidisciplinary artist who makes vivid and emotional work that is inspired by discomfort, comedy and the natural world, aiming to create enveloping work for all kinds of people to love… or hate. Ben Nobuto is a British/Japanese composer, pianist and producer based in London (2 October, 8pm, Britten Studio).
Verity Monroe: Developed in response to archival research and recordings that will be collected on site at Snape Maltings, Verity Monroe’s work will tell stories rooted in the landscape and buildings. An artist, researcher and DJ, Verity’s work combines historic investigation, sounds, archives and a playful sensibility (16 October, 7pm, Jerwood Kiln Studio, Snape Maltings).
John Biddulph – The Sonic Microscope: Working with voice, bass clarinet, modular electronics, contact microphones, and fragile or found sound sources, composer and electro-acoustic performer John Biddulph brings to the foreground otherwise minute sonic events – breath noise, key clicks, unstable feedback, faint electrical currents, and barely audible resonances; putting a sonic microscope to sounds at the edge of perception (30 October, 4pm, Jerwood Kiln Studio, Snape Maltings).
Can you hear the alarm?: Crispin Lord (director/performer), and Tom Foskett-Barnes (composer/performer) reimagines Bartók’s opera for two performers, one deaf, one hearing, using live electronics, gesture, image and written English to explore how sound and silence shape our understanding of danger, communication and story (27 November, 7pm, Britten Studio).
Tiresias²: Presented through a contemporary intersex lens, Tiresias² subverts conventional classical narratives that have painted Tiresias as a “monstrosity”, instead framing them as the “height of human existence”, living beyond the binaries of identity. This work-in-progress is presented by multidisciplinary artist HAUI, who creates work for stage, screen and the visual arts and Peter Hinton-Davis who has directed over 250 productions for theatre and opera (4 December, 4pm, Jerwood Kiln Studio, Snape Maltings).

English Touring Opera: 30 and 31 October

Orpheus and Eurydice: Gluck’s most popular work is brought to life in a powerful retelling of this timeless story of ill-fated love by acclaimed director and movement specialist Jenny Ogilvie, uniting Gluck’s music with dance and a new orchestration from composer Leo Grant. Iwan Davies conducts and the cast include William Morgan (Orpheus), Galina Averina (Eurydice) and Rosie Lomas (Amor) (30 October, 7.30pm, Snape Maltings Concert Hall).
Ariadne & Dido and Aeneas: This double bill features a powerful and intimate retelling of the myth of Ariadne, followed by Purcell’s masterpiece of theatricality and despair. Known for the emotional impact and strong narrative drive of her music, composer Elena Langer’s Ariadne sets Glyn Maxwell’s poem Ariadne to Theseus, a poignant one-act drama for soprano – Jessica Cale – which explores how absence is defined by love and is directed by Anna Morrissey. Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas is directed by Rebecca Meltzer. Based on Virgil’s epic poem The Aeneid, it packs courtly elegance, grotesque witches, a dramatic storm, drunk pirates and doomed love into its hour-long duration; Purcell’s music brilliantly depicting each. Alex Robinson conducts and the cast includes Samantha Price (Dido) and Michael Lafferty (Aeneas) (31 October, 7.30pm, Snape Maltings Concert Hall).

Christmas at Snape Maltings

A Christmas Miracle: see above
Scratch Choir: In what is becoming an annual Snape Maltings tradition, the Scratch Choir will explore

Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols with conductor Ben Vonberg-Clark. Scores will be provided, and there will be an informal run-through for friends and family at 3.30pm (8 December, 11am, Snape Maltings Concert Hall).

A Festive Friday Night is Music Night: The BBC Concert Orchestra and Britten Pears Chamber Choir combine forces under the baton of Anna Maria Helsing, for an atmospheric celebration of the Christmas Season, including new takes on old favourites including In The Bleak Midwinter. Soloists are baritone Jonathan Eyres and soprano Ceferina Penny. Friday Night is Music Night continues to be a much-loved part of BBC Radio 3’s schedule (11 December, 7pm, Snape Maltings Concert Hall).
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse with Live Orchestra: Charlie Mackesy’s heart-warming tale of unlikely friendship is brought to life on the concert hall stage. Featuring the enchanting animated short film, with music by Isobel Waller-Bridge, the BBC Concert Orchestra and conductor Hugh Tieppo-Brunt, this is the first time it has been performed live with full orchestra. It promises to be an uplifting experience for all the family, with all the warmth and humanity of the much-loved bestselling book (12 December, 11am & 2pm, Snape Maltings Concert Hall).
Co-Op Juniors Theatre Company presents: Magic of Christmas: A new music and dance show bursting with energy and a sprinkling of festive magic. With prancing reindeer, rocking Santas, a moving nativity scene, toe-tapping music and dynamic dancing, this has everything for a perfect Christmas treat for the whole family (18 – 23 December, various times, Snape Maltings Concert Hall).

Britten Pears Young Artist Programme

Composition and Performance: Open Rehearsal: The week-long course as part of the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme supports six young composers to create new work for a sinfonietta-sized ensemble of emerging performers. This open rehearsal of their work gives audiences a fascinating insight into the creative process between composer and performer, guided by tutors Colin Matthews, Mark-Anthony Turnage and Helen Grime with conductor Jonathan Berman (9 Sept, 4pm, Britten Studio). End of Course Concert: a chance to hear new works by the young composers, presented alongside landmark works from the 20th and 21st centuries (12 Sept, 4pm, Britten Studio).
Composition and Performance: Vocal and Chamber Music Recital: Works by leading composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, performed by the singers and instrumentalists of the Britten Pears Young Artists Programme (10 Sept, 1.30pm, Peter Pears Recital Room).

Family Concerts

The Littlest Yak: Based on the book by Lu Fraser and Kate Hindley, this adaptation of the popular children’s book is a dazzling adventure into the heart of the Himalayas, with beautiful puppets, catchy tunes and an uplifting tale of self-acceptance (8 November, 11.30am & 2.30pm, Britten Studio, 3 years+).

Heritage Open Days

This September during the National Heritage Open Days scheme audiences can explore Britten Pears Arts historic properties completely free of charge. From informative talks to exhibitions, interactive activities and family trails.

Echoes of the Maltings: A 19th-century Industrial Adventure: Prior to taking its place as a world-renowned home for music, Snape Maltings was a loud, dusty and bustling inland port. In the 1880s, entrepreneur Newson Garrett transformed this quiet spot on the River Alde into the largest malting operation in Suffolk. Step back in time this Heritage Open Day and discover what life was really like for the workers who shaped this landscape over a century ago (17 – 20 Sept, 10am – 4pm, Snape Maltings).
The Red House 300 Years of Everyday Life: Long before it became a home for artists, The Red House was a massive 1000-acre coastal farm. Explore its deep agricultural roots from an 18th-century powerhouse to a 1912 Dairy School. Discover how children from less fortunate backgrounds learned the dairy trade right here. Join us for live history talks, a family detective trail, archival photo displays, and a hands-on milking challenge (17 – 20 Sept, 10am – 4.30pm, The Red House).
Imogen Holst’s House: In 1962, the conductor and festival organizer Imogen Holst moved into this tiny, ultra-efficient home before it even had a roof. While she worked with the greatest musicians of the 20th century, her daily life was full of simple, local charms. Peek into her soundproofed music room, become a diary detective to spot her funny everyday notes, and build your own folk instrument in her garden. (15 – 16 Sept, 9 Church Walk, Aldeburgh, free but please book).

Visual Art

Love, Didi: Asda Bond and DaddyBears: A two-person exhibition based on the artists looking at Diana Cumming’s work in the Britten Pears Art Collection (9 July – 1 November, The Red House, Aldeburgh).
Maggi Hambling: Fireworks: A first chance to see this new body of work by trailblazing and controversial artist Maggi Hambling – the climax of a year celebrating her 80^th birthday. Hambling says, ‘When I was 7, the 1953 Coronation was celebrated at Aldeburgh by fireworks over the sea. Those resounding explosions, I realise now, gave rise, much later, to the explosion in Scallop, my sculpture for Benjamin Britten on Aldeburgh Beach. These paintings are from memory of those fireworks.’ (24 October – 24 December, Gallery 21, Snape Maltings).
Maggi Hambling War Requiem: A solo installation inspired by Britten’s War Requiem, of painting and music. Premiered in 1962, Britten’s War Requiem commemorates the re-dedication of Coventry Cathedral, which was bombed in World War II. Hambling’s installation of paintings depicts war victims and battlefields (24 October – 6 December, Dovecote Studio, Snape Maltings).

The Red House

Spiritual Britten is curated by Paul Edmondson and explores the spiritual aspects of Britten’s life and music, looking at the defining moments and works that illustrate his motivations as a composer: his passions and the beliefs that shaped him and the works he created. Sacred music was a constant thread throughout Britten’s career. Though not devout, the Christian values and routines of his childhood shaped his approach to God and the music he composed. (2 April – 1 November, The Red House).
Spooky Sounds at The Red House: This October half-term hear some spooky Suffolk tales, children will have the opportunity to create their own sound-effect kit, tell their own spooky stories at home and join a garden trail (26 – 30 October, The Red House, various times).
Britten’s Birthday Special Open Day: To celebrate Benjamin Britten’s 113th birthday, come along to The Red House for a special open day and guided tours – plus there will be cake (22 November, 11am – 3pm, The Red House).
Little Curators: Step inside the creative world of The Red House with a brand-new sensory session designed for little visitors. Each session will explore a different object, painting, or space from The Red House’s historic collection through musical interactive storytelling, creative play, and hands-on art. Every object has a story to tell, and will be brought to life using rhythm, song, and interactive soundscapes (Every Wednesday from 2 September – 16 December, 10am, The Red House).

Full listings online at www.brittenpearsarts.org