What's On / Bristol Concerts, Theatre & Dance / classical

Classical Concerts in Bristol

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Bristol's Classical Scene

Bristol has a long history of classical music, with new talent emerging year upon year thanks to students at Bristol University’s prestigious department of music. The largest classical music performances see complete orchestras performing at St George’s Hall where natural acoustics continue to wow audiences of over five hundred guests. Contemporary solo performances have found home in Colston Hall’s second room, The Lantern. St Stephen’s church and the Victoria Rooms in Clifton are also essential venues for classical music and orchestras in Bristol.

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Our recent classical recommendations

Sell out warning! An inspired evening of readings and literary performance riffing on the revelatory ideas nestled within Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass. Less a book, more a ceremony weaving indigenous eco-knowledge into Western thought - you don’t have to have read it in advance, but you really should! THIS IS NOT A BOOKCLUB "Braiding Sweetgrass" at Bristol Folk House.

Sell out warning! Bin Nolan! And descend into the mysteries of the ancient world with Crick Crack Club thespian and live performance storyteller Lucy Lill. She reimagines the words of Greece’s doom-dealing oracles, exploring their otherworldly power and the fine line between divine wisdom and political theatre. No refunds for bad omens… DOOM SCROLLS - the never-ending prophecies of the Sibyls at The Cube.

Sell out warning! West of England Design forum host the event of the year for illustrators, copywriters, web designers and all-round graphics bods. They’re bringing together four top speakers to explore the depths of language and visual communication, including Adobe / Google / 8 Faces typography svengali Elliot Jay Stocks + big brand scribe extraordinaire Sabrina Shim. UNION at Lantern Hall, Bristol Beacon.

Sell out warning! Ever wondered if your noble mission to save the world has wandered into the swamp of sanctimony? Author Anthea Lawson and organiser Liam Barrington-Bush discuss how to make positive change without getting lost in self-certainty, exploring how campaigners can stay open, humane and connected in the messy work of collective change. How Not to Save the World: Doing Good Without Annoying Everyone at Bookhaus.

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What our editors say

“In their traditional contexts, the folk song traditions of Britain and Ireland have been, almost without exception, unaccompanied. Approaches to the accompaniment of folk songs from the early 20th century onwards have borrowed heavily from the conventions of classical and popular musics, often to the detriment of some of the subtleties and nuances of the traditional material.”
From: Rethinking Accompaniment for Traditional Songs - Workshop with Nick Hart

“In the second part of every class, we will apply this movement to traditional Cuban social dances such as Son Cubano, Chachachá and others, blending Afro-Cuban roots with social dance, and also exploring contemporary technique and basic classical dance concepts.”
From: AFROCUBAN & BODYMOVEMENT

“Deems Experiment (https://www.instagram.com/deems.experiment/) is a group of Bristol-based composers and instrumentalists whose style blends elements of jazz, classical music, hip hop, and math rock. For this night, the crowd will be graced with a duo composed of lead keyboardist Aondoyima ‘Deems’ Ioratim-Uba and bassist and drummer Munashe 'Kaps' Kapswarah (https://www.instagram.com/kaps.drumz/ from Grace Mack & The Pack, to take us through a journey of soulful melodies and smooth, mesmerising sounds.”
From: The Big Fish Bash Gig: Fundraiser for asylum seekers

“Scarlett Smith is an electroacoustic harpist and comedian. Tired of the harps demure, classical reputation, Scarlett’s debut solo show Any Objections? is a surreal quest to prove this instrument belongs far beyond the orchestra pit. Blending live looping covers of popular songs, self-produced indie-pop jingles and fast paced punch lines, the show is a playful celebration of creativity and harp innovation.”
From: Any Objections?

“In this immersive oil painting course, we will focus on painting the two angels from The Baptism of Christ, exploring the moment where High Renaissance naturalism truly comes alive. You’ll learn how to build luminous flesh and atmosphere using the Sfumato technique—Leonardo’s famously subtle, almost magical method of soft transitions. We’ll also dive deep into convincing drapery folds, understanding how fabric flows, settles, and supports form, and you’ll learn how to integrate gold leaf into your paintings, uniting brilliance with classical tradition.”
From: Masters & Apprentices