Our exciting partnership with Kirklees Council continues with the announcement of the Kirklees Concert Season programme for 2024/25. Designed to appeal to both seasoned concert-goers and people coming along for the very first time, it offers a wealth of choice for anyone keen to enjoy live music in a stunning venue.
Orchestral concerts
Everyone can experience the thrill of the full Orchestra of Opera North playing some of the most exciting repertoire in the classical canon with our programme of orchestral concerts running into 2025.
Opera North Music Director Garry Walker steps up to the podium on 19 September to open the season in style at Huddersfield Town Hall with Death and Transfiguration. Featuring evocative repertoire by Wagner, Grieg, Haydn and Strauss, the thrilling programme promises to explore human emotion in all its guises, from consuming passion to overwhelming peace. Acclaimed soprano Elizabeth Llewellyn makes her Kirklees Concert Season debut following her critically-acclaimed performance as Ariadne in Opera North’s 2022 production of Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos.
Elizabeth Llewellyn as Prima Donna in Ariadne auf Naxos. Photo credit Richard H Smith
On 28 November, guest conductor Valentina Peleggi conducts a stirring programme of romanticism and virtuosity, including one of the most popular pieces ever written, Vaughan William’s Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. Violinist Elena Urioste also makes a welcome return to Huddersfield Town Hall to play Britten’s intoxicating Violin Concerto, Op.15.
The week before Christmas, there’s a chance to celebrate Yuletide Kirklees-style with the return of the annual Christmas Gala to Dewsbury Town Hall. Festive favourites will be performed by the Orchestra and Chorus of Opera North alongside the company’s talented Young Voices. After Christmas and to herald the new year with music, Irish soprano Anna Devin joins Opera North’s Principal Guest Conductor Antony Hermus for the perennially popular Viennese Whirl on 29 December.
Join the Orchestra of Opera North for a celebration of Christmas. Photo credit Tom Arber
2025 marks the return to Huddersfield Town Hall of the 1999 winner of the Leeds International Piano Competition, Artur Pizarro, when he plays Liszt’s First Piano Concerto before a performance of Beethoven’s revolutionary Third Symphony, the ‘Eroica’ (Heroic) on 23 January. The rollcall of stellar talents continues on Thursday 27 February with acclaimed violinist Clara Jumi Kang and conductor Emilia Hoving offering a concert of Romantic Masterpieces, including the chance to hear Swedish composer Britta Byström’s A Walk to Brahms’ Violin Concerto alongside Brahms’ original composition.
For Families and first-timers
Families can look forward to going on a fun-filled Big Opera Adventure on 20 October. Recommended for 5 to 12-year-olds and their accompanying parents and carers, this interactive show invites the audience to join forces with a host of unusual characters as they set off on a mission to save a struggling theatre from closure. With clues to solve, riddles to unravel and songs to sing, this is the perfect introduction to opera and live classical music for all the family.
A must for all film buffs, families and classical music newbies is the cinematic finale to the orchestral season on 1 June 2025. Film Music: From Mahler to Williams offers a chance to travel through time and space as the Orchestra play music from such big-screen classics as Star Wars, E.T., Harry Potter, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Gone with the Wind.
The Big Opera Adventure offers fun for all ages. Photo credit Robert Workman
Lunchtime listening
Alongside the orchestral events, lunchtime chamber concerts at Dewsbury Town Hall once again offer the chance to enjoy bitesize classical works played by small ensembles from the Orchestra of Opera North together with their special guests.
Starting at 12.30pm, these concerts offer a musical moment in the middle of day as they take audiences on a journey of musical discovery, with works by composers from across the ages and around the globe.
On Mondays, people can start the week in the best way possible by whiling away their lunch hour in Huddersfield as they enjoy a lively series of organ recitals curated by the Town Hall’s organist David Pipe, including the Ukrainian concert organist Ewa Belmas playing the Harry Potter Suite.
Chamber concerts at Dewsbury Town Hall offer a chance to enjoy music in a more intimate setting. Photo credit Justin Slee
Garry Walker, Opera North Music Director, says:
“Music has the power to remind us of what it is to be human. It can lift us above the humdrum of daily existence, bridging the gap between the physical and spiritual and encouraging us to travel to the very limits of human experience – and beyond.
With this varied programme including full orchestral concerts from the composing greats, The Big Opera Adventure for the youngest concert-goers, an afternoon of movie magic for first-timers, and intimate chamber music and organ recitals, the 2024/25 Concert Season genuinely offers something for everyone. We look forward to filling Kirklees with music for another year.”
Cllr Yusra Hussain, Cabinet Member for Culture and Greener Kirklees, comments:
“The Kirklees Concert Season celebrates the power of music, enriching our community and enhancing wellbeing. This series of performances brings world-class talent to our district for Kirklees visitors and residents alike. We are proud of the Concert Season and the significant contribution it makes to the cultural vibrancy of Kirklees. Join us as we welcome this new season of music with the joy and collective spirit it brings.”
Kirklees Concert Season tickets, including subscription packages, are available now. Anyone aged 16 or under can see an orchestral concert for free, while tickets for Under 30s and full-time students are just £5.
