When Justin Lee took the helm as director of Cambridge Music Festival in 2012, his mission was to bring musicians of the highest calibre to the city and explore the refreshingly unusual. Not only has he excelled in this, but through innovative programming – embracing the eclectic and the extraordinary – he has shaken off the traditional image of ‘classical music’ and sparked the interest of a younger audience.
For Justin, who has worked with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Academy of Ancient Music and the Southbank Sinfonia, live music has an unmatchable exhilarating quality. And thanks to CMF’s new model, audiences can savour more live music, with ‘seasons’ of concerts replacing the static two-week November festival.
Tickets are now on sale for Cambridge Music Festival’s Autumn season. Set across a range of the city’s chapels and concert halls, the Festival presents a rich tapestry of music from across time and culture—from monumental choral works and Renaissance polyphony to Indian classical traditions and exquisite solo piano.
Artists appearing this Autumn include: pianists Imogen Cooper and Marc-André Hamelin, The Tallis Scholars, BBC Singers and Choir of King’s College with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Danel Quartet and sitar-player Jasdeep Singh Degun with a quintet of musicians.
Cambridge Music Festival returns in Spring 2027 with another compelling line-up, including soloists Mariam Batsashvili (piano) and violinist Ning Feng, Borodin Quartet, Talich Quartet with Michael Collins (clarinet), Jordi Savall Septet, I Fagiolini in Monteverdi's Vespers, the Choir of King's College, and Piano Circus with a programme of music by Steve Reich. Full programme details will be released early in the new year.