Sheffield Chamber Music Festival 2027 brings world premiere, major names and musical surprises to the city
The Sheffield Chamber Music Festival, running from Friday 14 to Saturday 22 May 2027, promises nine days of diverse musical experiences, curated by Master of the King's Music Errollyn Wallen, featuring a world premiere, celebrated artists, and a unique cake-themed finale.
Sheffield is set to become a centre for musical discovery next May as Sheffield Chamber Music Festival returns from Friday 14 to Saturday 22 May 2027, bringing world-class performers, unexpected musical collaborations and exciting new work to venues across the city.
With acclaimed British composer and Master of the King’s Music Errollyn Wallen as Guest Curator, the nine-day festival, presented by Music in the Round with its resident musicians Ensemble 360, promises an ambitious and eclectic celebration of music, from classical masterpieces and folk traditions to poetry, cabaret, brass band and newly rediscovered musical treasures.
Among the highlights is the world premiere of Wallen’s own Battenberg Concerto, performed in a spectacular cake-themed Festival Finale. The programme also brings together two of Britain's most distinctive literary and musical voices, as Wallen and Poet Laureate Simon Armitage share the stage for an evening of words and music – a first-time collaboration.
Other major names joining Ensemble 360 include world-renowned Grimethorpe Colliery Band, folk musician Eliza Carthy, pianist Roman Rabinovich, actor Adjoa Andoh, poets Jackie Kay and Paul Muldoon, and acclaimed performers Héloïse Werner and Colin Alexander. The Festival also features the UK premieres of George Crumb’s Easter Dawning and new works by Wallen.
Errollyn Wallen said: “Curating this year’s Festival has been a fascinating adventure for me personally. As everyone knows, having one's cake and eating it too is not always possible, or even recommended, but it is with resolve and great delight that I have brought you not only music which will stop you in your tracks, but a cake-themed concert where you can eat cake! There are jewels of chamber music alongside astonishing musicological discoveries. We are so looking forward to welcoming you to this celebration of music and life.”
Jo Towler, Chief Executive of Music in the Round, said: “This is our sixth year of having a guest curator for the Festival, and each year it gets better! A shortlisting for a 2026 Sky Arts Award increased its national recognition even further this year and we’re so excited for 2027. Errollyn has put together a cracking programme featuring top-notch international artists from classical, folk, poetry, cabaret and brass bands, all in nine days, plus family-friendly events, film screenings and, most importantly, cake. You’ll only find that at our Festival.”
The festival opens on Friday, May 14, with Wallen performing and introducing a programme that brings together fellow composer-performers and Ensemble 360. Across the following nine days, audiences can expect everything from Bach, Beethoven and Schubert to newly rediscovered song, contemporary composition, folk music and silent film.
Highlights include:
Grimethorpe Colliery Band: The celebrated South Yorkshire brass band performs Wallen’s Chrome alongside brass band favourites on Saturday 15 May.
Music at sunrise: A special early-morning concert on Sunday 16 May at Samuel Worth Chapel features British-Bengali singer Sohini Alam performing a morning raga, Wallen’s All the Blues I See and the UK premiere of George Crumb’s atmospheric Easter Dawning.
Eliza Carthy celebrates Martin Carthy: Folk musician Eliza Carthy and her band pay tribute to the songs of her father, legendary folk musician Martin Carthy on Monday 17 May.
A meeting of Royal Appointments: On Wednesday 19 May, Master of the King’s Music, Errollyn Wallen joins Poet Laureate Simon Armitage for an intimate evening of conversation, poetry and music.
A joyful and eclectic afternoon with the Massive Violins: Seven amazing cellists perform everything from the Beatles and Queen to Mozart and Dolly Parton on Sunday 16 May at The Steamworks.
Rediscovering musical history: Abolition Songs, performed by Ensemble 360, actor Adjoa Andoh and guest singers on Friday 21 May, brings rarely heard British protest songs from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries back to life. The programme is part of an important research project exploring the music and legacy of the abolition of slavery movement.
A New York-style cabaret: Poets Jackie Kay and Paul Muldoon join Errollyn Wallen, Ensemble 360 and special guests for a lively late-night celebration with Wesley Stace, whose legendary New York cabaret night debuts in Sheffield on Thursday 20 May.
International pianist Roman Rabinovich makes Sheffield his only UK stop on an international tour, performing Beethoven's Waldstein Sonata, Bach keyboard concertos and, alongside Ensemble 360 pianist Tim Horton, a programme of works for two pianos, including Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring.
The Festival also explores music beyond traditional concert formats. The Miller-Porfiris Duo brings together live performance and striking landscape projections in Between Earth & Sky, and provides a live, improvised soundtrack to accompany Charlie Chaplin’s silent films. Elsewhere, audiences can discover chamber music from the pioneering CBS Black Composers recording series, including works receiving their UK premieres.
The Festival reaches its conclusion on Saturday 22 May with Cake!, a playful celebration of musical and edible delights. Alongside Schumann’s much-loved Piano Quintet, the evening features musical treats by Strauss, Saint-Saëns and Rossini, alongside the world premiere of Wallen’s Battenberg Concerto performed by Ensemble 360.
The idea of sharing music and bringing people together is at the heart of the festival, echoing the words of Music in the Round founder Peter Cropper:
“If you bake a cake, you don’t want to stuff your face with the whole lot, you want to share it.”
With internationally celebrated performers, local musical connections, fascinating discoveries and opportunities to experience music in unexpected ways, Sheffield Chamber Music Festival 2027 promises something for curious newcomers and seasoned concertgoers alike.
For the full programme and further information, visit musicintheround.co.uk.
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