Access to world-class classical music for all ages has never been easier for audiences in Yorkshire thanks to the versatility of the region’s leading professional orchestra, the Orchestra of Opera North.
The Orchestra is giving people the chance to discover the joy of instrumental music in a variety of ways, from a programme of symphonic concerts in Huddersfield to lunchtime recitals in Dewsbury and Leeds, a relaxed concert for little ones in the Howard Assembly Room and two screenings of popular family films with the scores played live.
For the Big Hitters
Presented in partnership with Kirklees Council, the Kirklees Concert Season returns this month with its acclaimed orchestral series held in the stunning surroundings of Huddersfield Town Hall. Prices start at just £17 (£16 for concessions) with packages offering a range of savings and additional benefits, and Under 30s able to attend any concert they choose for only £7 per ticket.
The season opens on 24 September with Opera North Music Director, Garry Walker, conducting Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony. Paired with Sibelius’ Symphony No. 6, this is an opportunity to experience two wartime works which react to turbulent times in completely different ways. Debussy, Ravel and more follows on 3 December with a celebration of the opulence and sensuality of late Romanticism through a quartet of concert hall classics.
Award-winning Dutch violinist Liza Ferschtman joins the orchestra as the soloist in Korngold’s much-loved Violin Concerto, while Opera North’s Principal Guest Conductor, Antony Hermus, returns to the podium to conduct.
The new year opens in style on 21 January 2027 with Brahm’s Third Symphony, written when the composer was at the height of his powers. Conducted by Ryan Wigglesworth, the concert also features an elegant overture by the then child prodigy Felix Mendelssohn, and a lovelorn song-cycle performed by leading soprano Sophie Bevan.
Two giants of the classical canon come together on 22 April when the orchestra plays Mozart and Mahler. The evening features the sunny intimacy of Mozart’s ‘Linz’ Symphony, alongside the dynamism of Mahler’s Symphony No. 9, penned as the composer confronted his own mortality. This exploration of music as a balm in troubled times continues on 27 May with Sibelius’ Second Symphony conducted by Erina Yashima. Despite being written when Sibelius feared for his daughter’s health, the work can still lay claim to one of the most feelgood finales ever composed.
On Sunday 4 July, Schubert, Copland and more is a late afternoon concert directed by Leader of the Orchestra, Katie Stillman. The event marks American Independence Day with repertoire including Copland’s Appalachian Spring and Jessie Montgomery’s Banner, before Schubert’s Fifth Symphony brings the 26/27 season to a joyful close
For Musical Lunchtimes and Lazy Sundays
Alongside the Kirklees symphonic programme, lunchtime chamber concerts resume at Dewsbury Town Hall. These are an opportunity for members of the Orchestra and Chorus of Opera North to perform as smaller ensembles, sharing some of their favourite pieces with audiences during the lunch hour – food is available beforehand – and providing a memorable musical moment in the middle of the day. These events are repeated as Distilled at the HAR in the intimate surroundings of the Howard Assembly Room in Leeds on Sunday afternoons. Refreshments are served from 2pm with the option of enjoying East Asian-inspired dishes at Yuzu in HAR bar before or after the concert.
This year, the series includes string quintets, trios and the voice, with an after-work option offered at 6pm on Monday 30 November. Multibuy Distilled discounts are available for people attending two or more concerts.
There are two opportunities on Sunday afternoons at Dewsbury Town Hall to catch the talented 16–21-year-olds who comprise the Opera North Youth Orchestra. These young musicians are led by Oliver Rundell and coached by members of the Orchestra of Opera North. On 1 November, they play Tchaikovsky’s Second Symphony and more, while 21 March 2027 sees them taking on the first symphony by an American female composer in Beach’s Gaelic Symphony and more.
Back by popular demand on 10 December at Dewsbury is the annual Christmas Gala, an opportunity to enjoy some festive favourites in the company of the Orchestra and Chorus of Opera North, Opera North Youth Chorus and Opera North Young Voices.
For Movie Lovers
One of the most fun ways to experience orchestral playing for the first time is through film screenings with live music. Two family films are heading to venues across Yorkshire this year, with the scores played live by the Orchestra of Opera North. The first takes place at 7pm in Leeds Grand Theatre on 27 October when DreamWorks’ How to Train Your Dragon will be screened. Composer John Powell’s Academy Award-nominated score will be brought to life by the Opera North’s musicians as the adventures of the young Viking Hiccup and his unlikely friend, injured dragon Toothless, unfold on the big screen. There is a second chance to catch the film in concert at Bradford Live at 6pm on 23 January.
Christmas is the perfect time to watch an old classic with family or friends. Throughout December, audiences in Hull, Sheffield, Leeds, Bradford and Nottingham will be able to watch Home Alone like never before. The film catapulted Macaulay Culkin to instant stardom thanks to his incredible performance as an 8-year-old accidentally left behind when his parents head off on holiday, only to end up fending off two bungling burglars in their absence. At every venue, the orchestra will be joined by the Chorus of Opera North to perform John Willams’ score live.
For Little Ones
Introducing classical music at an early age has been shown to bring a range of developmental and other benefits. Designed for little ones and their accompanying adults, Little Listeners: Carnival of the Animals on 19 September in the Howard Assembly Room is a special 50-minute concert featuring Saint-Saëns’ much-loved composition for children with a craft session beforehand. With performances at 11.30am and 2.00pm, the event invites everyone to experience orchestral instruments up close in the company of conductor Paul Wingfield and presenter Marie Claire Breen. Dancing and moving around are actively encouraged throughout.
Garry Walker, Music Director, Opera North: “The Orchestra of Opera North is unique amongst professional British orchestras in that it holds a year-round programme of performances both in the opera house and the concert hall. Not only that but every member of the orchestra has a passion for, and is committed to, making music for the widest possible audience. Our aim is always to enable people of all ages to engage with us in the way that suits them best, whether that’s a traditional concert setting or while watching a film they love. We believe great music is good for the soul, and it is in that spirit that we bring it to audiences across Yorkshire.“
Performance Diary
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN HALL
2026
Thu 24 Sep 7.30pm Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony
Thu 3 Dec 7.30pm Debussy, Ravel and more
2027
Thu 21 Jan 7.30pm Brahms’ Third Symphony
Thu 22 Apr 7.30pm Mozart and Mahler
Thu 27 May 7.30pm Sibelius’ Second Symphony
Sun 4 Jul 4.00pm Schubert, Copland and more
DEWSBURY TOWN HALL
2026
Wed 2 Sep 12.30pm Strings of Opera North
Wed 28 Oct 12.30pm Schubert’s String Quintet
Wed 11 Nov 12.30pm Ravel, Debussy and Bax
Sun 1 Nov 3.30pm Tchaikovsky’s Second Symphony with ONYO
Thu 10 Dec 7.30pm Christmas Gala
2027
Wed 27 Jan 12.30pm Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet – music for reed and strings
Wed 24 Feb 12.30pm Korngold and Frank Bridge Trios – voice, trombone and piano
Sun 21 Mar 3.30pm Beach’s Gaelic Symphony and more with ONYO
Wed 31 Mar 12.30pm Beethoven’s ‘To the distant beloved’ – songs for soprano and tenor
HOWARD ASSEMBLY ROOM, LEEDS
2026
Sun 6 Sep 3.00pm Distilled: Strings of Opera North
Sat 19 Sep 11.30am Little Listeners: Carnival of the Animals
Sat 19 Sep 2.00pm Little Listeners: Carnival of the Animals
Sun 1 Nov 3.00pm Distilled: Schubert’s String Quintet
Mon 30 Nov 6.00pm Distilled: Ravel, Debussy and Bax
2027
Sun 31 Jan 3.00pm Distilled: Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet
Sun 28 Feb 3.00pm Distilled: Korngold and Frank Bridge Trios
Sun 4 Apr 3.00pm Distilled: Beethoven’s ‘To the distant beloved’
FILMS WITH LIVE SCORE
2026
Tue 27 Oct 7.00pm How to Train Your Dragon Leeds Grand Theatre
Tue 8 Dec 7.30pm Home Alone Connexin Live, Hull
Wed 9 Dec 7.30pm Home Alone Sheffield City Hall
Sun 13 Dec 7.30pm Home Alone Leeds Grand Theatre
Wed 16 Dec 7.30pm Home Alone Bradford Live
Mon 21 Dec 7.00pm Home Alone Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham
2027
Sat 23 Jan 6.00pm How to Train Your Dragon Bradford Live
Photography by Chris Payne unless otherwise captioned. Main image: Members of the Orchestra of Opera North.
