BUXTON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2025 PROGRAMME (10-27 JULY)

Buxton International Festival (10-27 July) announces big sounds and big names for 2025, with more than 160 events including world-class operas, classical music concerts, jazz gigs and book events.

There are nine operas this year (including four chamber opera commissions) plus concerts including The Tallis Scholars, The King’s Singers, Benjamin Grosvenor, Toby Spence, Imogen Cooper and The English Concert.  This year’s jazz musicians include Clare Teal and Rumer and the big names on books include Diane Abbott MP, Jeremy Hunt MP, journalist Sarah Rainsford, Rev Richard Coles and Simon Jenkins.

OPERA

Opera highlights include three French operas: Ambroise Thomas’ Hamlet (last seen at the Opera House in 1980) played by The Orchestra of Opera North; Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s Orphée with Vache Baroque and Francis Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine (half a double-bill alongside Leonard Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti in collaboration with Norwich Theatre).

There is also WA Mozart’s The Impresario presented by Opera Zuid from the Netherlands; and four eagerly-awaited chamber opera commissions for 2025, entitled Shorts, from creators whose writing credits include Netflix and Channel 4. The Shorts operas are called Inevitable, Life Gets Stretched, Disorderly House and Tears Are Not Meant to Stay Inside.

Commenting Michael Williams, CEO said: “This year, we honour the festival’s founder Malcolm Fraser, by staging a new production of Ambroise Thomas’ Hamlet, last seen in Buxton Opera House for Fraser’s fledgling festival in 1980, helping to launch the careers of opera superstars Sir Thomas Allen and Donald Maxwell.”

Adrian Kelly, BIF’s artistic director added: “While opera is an art form with a rich history, it is vital that we invest in its future too. In commissioning Shorts, Buxton is offering opportunities to the next generation of opera makers, both on stage and behind the scenes. We are delighted to be working with these exciting young creatives.”

CLASSICAL MUSIC

Concert highlights include The Tallis Scholars celebrating the 500^th birthday of composer Palestrina, and the Sacconi Quartet playing 150-year-old Ravel.  Other world-class artists include Benjamin Grosvenor, Roderick Williams, Imogen Cooper, The English Concert, The King’s Singers, Paula Murrihy, Toby Spence and Chloë Hanslip.

Adrian continues: “Last year’s concert series enjoyed unprecedented success and we have done our best to outdo last year’s offering with the return of some outstanding artists who have been regular visitors to the festival, plus some new faces.”

JAZZ

The Jazz programme ranges from Latin, Brazilian, soul, big bands, folk and world to celebrating Oscar Peterson’s 100^th birthday. Top billing includes Rumer, Clare Teal, Ineza, Baiana, Georgina Jackson, Lady Nade and Barb Jungr.  The popular opening ‘Jazz Weekender’ ticket (10-13 July) features 12 gigs for just £175.

Neil Hughes, jazz director says:  “I am delighted to present a jazz programme that spans the generations, from the 100-year-old musicality of Oscar Peterson right up to the brand-new work of today.  In jazz, our connections back to the roots of the music continue to inspire us – the form, the passion and the tunes.”

BOOKS

The theme of this year’s Books programme is ‘extraordinary women’ with Diane Abbott MP, Baroness Lola Young of Hornsey and Sarah Rainsford amongst others. Other notable guest speakers include Jeremy Hunt MP, scientists Masud Husain and Sumit Paul-Choudhury,  explorer Erling Kagge, sketch writer John Crace and radio presenters authors Petroc Trelawny and Rev Richard Coles.

Books director, Vicky Dawson comments: “I cannot do justice to the talent and authority in our books line up for 2025. Please come and hear for yourselves unique storytelling, challenging ideas and deep personal experience from the serious to the (slightly) frivolous. All by way of frostbite, positive thinking and public service. Expect emotion, outrage, some laughter and certainly entertainment in literary form.

FESTIVAL ASSETS

Selected Pictures can be found here.

Video – the 2024 Highlights Video can be viewed here.

Full Digital Programme can be viewed here.

Festival Website  is here.

FESTIVAL QUOTES

“Incredible variety: and it all happens in three weeks”- Sir Antony Pappano

“Absolutely brilliant. It’s been a privilege to be here” – Clive Myrie, BBC

FESTIVAL TIMELINE FOR 2025

The full programme is online today with Priority Booking opening on 18 March and Public Booking on 15 April 2025.