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! A celestial highlight in the Impermanence calendar bursts onto the stage in a shower of rose petals and illuminating candles. Songs of the Bulbul melds deep Persian myths with the whirling dramatics of Sufi Kathak dance and a sweeping, epic score by Rushil Ranjan. A joyous and mesmerising experience; if you give contemporary dance just one chance this year, make sure this is it. Songs of the Bulbul, a new dance work by Aakash Odedra with choreography by Rani Khanam and music by Rushil Ranjan.

A beacon of contemporary classical and a past collaborator with Earth, Nirvana, and David Byrne (among countless others), Lori Goldston’s cello explorations are a marvel in their own right. Better still, she's joining The Cube to live-score a series of short films from underground visionaries including prolific Seattle outsider artist Jon Behrens, Ukrainian-American multi-disciplinary experimentalist Anna Kipervaser, and BEEF co-founder Vicky Smith. Cinematic Symbiosis

Stories of displacement, resilience and hope take centre stage as Bristol City of Sanctuary joins forces with oral history project Child Migrant Stories, sharing the voices of those who escaped war and oppression to build new lives in the UK. With short films, in-person testimonies, and a stirring live performance from local refugee-led ensemble Dovetail Orchestra. Join us for an evening of powerful oral histories, short films, and live music that share the stories of child migrants who made the UK their home. Hear from those who fled war, oppression, and hardship, and learn about their journeys and the impact of migration on their lives.

Essential film screening in Bristol’s celestial home of contemporary dance, the Mount Without. Is this the most radical interpretation of Rite of Spring ever? Seeta Patel revises 100+ years of classical ballet through the frenetic lens of the ancient south Indian bharatanatyam dance tradition - the results are simply glorious. IMPERMANENCE Presents... A screening of Seeta Patel's _ The Rite of Spring

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What our editors say

“The Actors’ Workshop Bristol has built a unique reputation for teaching and performing Shakespeare – it lies at the very heart of our work. All students receive extensive training in classical verse.”
From: Playing Shakespeare - Language & Character by Actors' Workshop

“This performance highlights Yakshagana’s musical soul, where each beat becomes dialogue and every melody, a character. The music is rooted in its own raga system, distinct from Indian classical traditions, giving it a rich, unfiltered energy and raw emotional resonance.”
From: Yakshagana

“South West Dance Theatre are collaborating with Bristol Breakers to create some thrilling dance theatre in response to Being Here. Throughout the evening South West Dance Theatre will be pairing classical ballet with the sizzling high octane displays from Bristol Breakers, playing with the harmonies and contrasts between the two dance styles to express what Walker’s touching and poetic artwork brings to mind.”
From: Arnolfini Late: Being Here

“Tina Hitchens is a flautist, improviser, and composer/sound artist who works largely in the fields of free improvisation, sound art, and contemporary classical music, playing and writing in a variety of musical groups as well as working with artists from other disciplines.”
From: Improv Sounds: Nick Moore, Kay Grant & guests

“Hear the story of two Bristol-based poets / revolutionaries who helped change the face of history. William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge have been brought back to life in this rapturous collision of ecstatic poetry and classical instruments. Learn about the Romantic poets’ relationship to nature, imagination, and psychedelics in this intiguing journey of lyricism and laughter. This is a one of a kind act of enchantment and madness from a time of slavery and war.”
From: Romantics, Mystics & Revolutionaries