The Harrogate International Sunday Series returns early next year with an exciting new programme of concerts featuring some of the best young talent in classical music, as Harrogate International Festivals celebrates its 60th anniversary.
This hugely popular series has delighted audiences for more than three decades by bringing world-class classical musicians to Yorkshire, and the hugely popular Sunday morning coffee concerts are back with more virtuoso performers.
This year’s five concerts, which run from January to April 2026, feature Brazilian violinist Nathan Amaral and pianist Kasparas Mikužis, “trumpeter extraordinaire” Matilda Lloyd, British clarinettist Mebrakh Haughton-Johnson and Japanese-born pianist Kumi Matsuo, inspirational pianist Nicholas McCarthy, and Dutch cellist Anastasia Feruleva alongside pianist Frank van de Laar.
Established in 1966 as a Festival of Arts and Sciences, Harrogate International Festivals has been bringing world class arts and culture to the town for the past 60 years, and this much-loved collection of five intimate coffee morning concerts in the sumptuous surroundings of Harrogate’s Old Swan Hotel, will help start a year-long celebration of this landmark anniversary.
This year, the Festivals are introducing two post-concert talks, offering audiences the chance to hear directly from the musicians and gain deeper insight into the music.
Opening the 2026 season on Sunday, January 18 are Brazilian violinist Nathan Amaral and Lithuanian-born pianist Kasparas Mikužis. Amaral, First Prize winner of the 27th Sphinx Competition and a 2024 Classic FM Rising Star, is a brilliant young talent with a passionate belief that music should be accessible to all. Mikužis was one of the winners of the 2025 Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) international auditions and was named as a ‘Rising Star’ by Classic FM in the same year. Their programme will feature works by Mozart, Debussy, Franck and Villa-Lobos.
On Sunday, February 8, Matilda Lloyd will join the acclaimed Goldmund Quartet on the Old Swan stage to recreate the atmosphere of a 19th-century musical salon. In this concert, the trumpet will step into the role of host and narrator, guiding the audience on a journey through the brilliance of Bach, the elegance of Haydn and dynamism of Gershwin.
Mebrakh Haughton-Johnson, a rising star on the clarinet, and award-winning solo and collaborative pianist, Kumi Matsuo, will perform together on March 1. Haughton-Johnson is a graduate of both the Royal College of Music and the Juilliard School and led a major overhaul of the RCM performance syllabus to include works by Black, Asian, and female composers. Matsuo has performed at such revered venues as Wigmore Hall and Tokyo Opera City Hall and is an official accompanist for several prestigious international competitions.
One of the world’s most inspirational pianists, Nicholas McCarthy, who was born without his right hand, will perform on March 29. Fresh from his 2025 BBC Proms debut, McCarthy will present a compelling programme of music written exclusively for the left hand, shining a light on this rarely heard repertoire.
Bringing the 2026 programme to a close on April 19 with a grand finale is Dutch cellist Anastasia Feruleva and pianist Frank van de Laar. Based in the Netherlands, Feruleva has played in some of Europe’s top venues, while van de Laar is a prize-winning Dutch pianist who has performed all over the world. Their beautifully curated selection of popular works for cello and piano includes pieces by the likes of Mendelssohn, Schubert, Chopin and Piazzolla.
Sharon Canavar, Harrogate International Festivals Chief Executive, said:
We’re delighted to announce the programme for the Harrogate International Sunday Series 2026, which brings some of the world’s most talented classical and chamber musicians to Yorkshire.
This year’s amazing line-up includes award-winning young performers and gives audiences the opportunity to see some of the classical music superstars of the future – all in the beautiful setting of the historic Old Swan Hotel.
With 2026 being the Festivals’ 60th anniversary it makes this year’s series even more special. We are thrilled to be hosting such talented artists from around the world, and I can’t wait for what promises to be a truly memorable concert series.
All of the Sunday Series concerts take place at Harrogate’s Old Swan Hotel which provides an intimate setting to enjoy a morning coffee and exceptional music with friends.
A discount of 10% is available to those booking a series subscription for all five concerts.
Tickets go on sale on Tuesday 4 November at 10am and can be purchased from the Harrogate International Festivals website harrogateinternationalfestivals.com or by calling the Box Office on 01423 562 303.
