Beethoven - String Quartet No. 12 in E-flat major Op. 127

Beethoven - String Quartet No. 8 in E minor Op. 59 No. 2 ‘Rasumovsky’

The Elias String Quartet is celebrated for its deep musical understanding and bold performances. Their ability to convey profound musical meaning, especially across entire quartet cycles, has made them a fixture in the world’s most prestigious concert halls and festivals. They recently toured with a complete Beethoven quartet cycle which they have also recorded. As the finale of the Manchester Chamber Concerts Society's 25/26 the Elias quartet present an all-Beethoven programme, celebrating the composer's genius at writing breathtaking, dramatic works for the string quartet. The programme opens with Quartet No.12 in E flat major, one of the last pieces he completed before his death  followed by the second of the middle period Opus  59 quartets commissioned by Count Razumovsky that are considered to be  a revolution in quartet writing. At the time they  were so completely original that in one stroke they redefined the entire paradigm of the string quartet.

Bruch - Selection from 8 Pieces, Op. 83 arr for Violin, Cello & Piano

Cecile Louise Chaminade - Piano Trio No. 2 in A minor, Op. 34

Brahms - Piano Trio No. 2 in C, Op. 87

The Sitkovetsky Trio has established themselves as an exceptional piano trio of today. The trio has previously received the BBC Music Magazine's Chamber Music Award. This  concert starts with a fresh interpretation of works from Max Bruch's 'Eight Pieces', (originally written for piano, viola and clarinet), that allows each of the trio's soloist talents to shine through in turn. The concert’s a rare opportunity to hear music by French composer Cècile Chaminade. In 1913, she was awarded the Légion d'Honneur, a first for a female composer. Her Piano Trio No. 2 in A min is a work filled with gorgeous and lyrical melodies, as is the concert's finale work, Brahms' Piano Trio No. 2 in C Major.

Haydn - String Quartet op. 20 no. 2 in C major

Dobrina Tabakova - The Smile of Flamboyant Wings

H. Purcell - Fantasia in F major

L. Janacek - String Quartet no. 2 “Intimate letters”

The Alkyona Quartet is known for its fresh, imaginative interpretations, captivating performances and warm connection with audiences. Described as “vibrant and memorable as their ‘Kingfisher’ namesake,” the quartet has been recognised in the music community for its unique artistry. They were Tunnell Trust Award Holders for 2020-2021 and Making Music Selected Artists for 2021-2023, and enjoyed the position of Royal College of Music String Quartet Fellows between 2022-2024.

Borodin - Scherzo from Les Vendredis

Rachmaninoff - Vocalise Op. 34. no 14 (arr. Paul Cassidy)

Shostakovich - String Quartet No. 9 in E-flat, Op. 117

Smetana - String Quartet No. 1 in E minor “From my life”

Following their acclaimed post-Covid Manchester Chamber Concerts Society concert, the Brodsky Quartet return for our 2025-26 season. Having recently celebrated their 50th anniversary, the Brodsky Quartet continue to enjoy a busy international performing schedule, extensively touring the globe. The Brodsky Quartet are legendary for their performances of Shostakovich. ”The performances as a whole achieve a rare degree of intensity” BBC Music magazine. The centre of this concert will be Shostakovich’s Quartet No. 9, concluding with the dramatic and unconventional semi-autobiographical Quartet “From My Life” by Smetana.

Schubert - String Quartet no.10 in Eb major

Caroline Shaw - "Entr'acte"

Shostakovich - String Quartet no.2 

The Carducci Quartet have been described by The Guardian as having"...high-octane playing, balanced control with devil-may-care spontaneity..." .They won a Royal Philharmonic Society award in 2016 for their project, Shostakovich15, an immense cycle of Shostakovich’s Quartets which they subsequently recorded. In the 50th anniversary year since Shostakovich’s death they perform his second string quartet which has many allusions to Russian folk music. Their programme also includes  a piece by the contemporary Pulitzer Prize winning American composer Caroline Shaw, and they open with Schubert’s lyrical  String Quartet No 2.

Manchester Chamber Concerts Society welcomes back award-winning violinist Fenella Humphreys, recently appointed Artist in Residence at the Wigmore Hall for the 2025/2026 season, alongside Martin Roscoe MCCS Artistic Director and  internationally renowned pianist. The programme includes the World Premiere of 'Eulogy' by British composer Adrian Sutton. Adrian’s album won the BBC magazine Orchestral award 2025 which includes a performance by Fenella of his violin concerto. By exploring music from the late 19th century right up to the present day, the programme is a testament to the violinist’s imaginative programming and determination to place familiar pieces in fresh contexts and features pieces from composers who were groundbreaking in their time. The duo offers “…performances combining passionate élan with dizzying virtuosity & ripe Romantic expression”.
Hugh Canning - The Times at the Oxford Lieder Festival

We regret to inform you that Trio Gaspard will now not be performing on this date as previously advertised. We apologise for this change of programme which was beyond our control, but we look forward to welcoming the exciting young Mithras trio who were BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists for the 2021-2023 seasons and first prize winners at the 10th Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition.

Manchester Chamber Concerts Society gives notice of its Annual General Meeting to be held at 6pm (at The Stoller Hall) prior to the concert. All Welcome.

1st Prizewinner and Audience Prizewinner at the 9th Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition in 2017 and hailed as “brilliantly fresh, unexpected and exhilarating” by The Scottish Herald, the Maxwell Quartet is now firmly regarded as one of Britain's finest young string quartets, with a strong connection to their folk music heritage and a commitment to bringing together wide-ranging projects and programmes to expand the string quartet repertoire. They perform a quartet by Mozart, Scottish work songs & the Schumann Piano Quintet.

Trio Respira

(Lucy Farrimond - soprano, Bogdan Jeler - flute, Rose McLachlan, piano).

Soir Païen                                                                                         Philipe Gaubert Op 9. No 1.

The Shepherd on the Rock                                                         Franz Schubert D965

Two Remembrances                                                                    Andre Previn

The Flower Duet from “Lakme”                                                 Leo Delibes  

La Vie en Rose                                                                                Edith Piaf (lyrics), Guglielmi (Music) 

Chetham’s Brass Ensemble

God is Gone Up, from Three Anthems op.27 - no.2 (1951)

                                                                                    Gerald Finzi (arr. Matthew Knight)

Russian Theme (from 6 Duets, Op. 11)                                      Sergei Rachmaninov (arr. Simon Cox)

The Devil's Waltz                                                                            Steven Verhelst

Mélodies for Brass Septet                                                            Gabriel Fauré (arr. Matthew Knight)

Prelude No.1 (1926)                                                                         George Gershwin (arr. Matthew Knight)

Aestus Quartet

Chacony in G minor                        Purcell -   (Arr. Benjamin Britten)

String Quartet in  E-flat major     Fanny Hensel Mendelssohn

Valencia                                            Caroline Shaw

Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective is a flexible ensemble of wonderful, joyful, kind, passionate musicians who can’t wait to share chamber music with you. They perform pieces by Coleridge-Taylor, Brahms & Dvorak.

Embodying the quintessential elements of a chamber music ensemble, the Danish String Quartet has established a reputation for their integrated sound, impeccable intonation and judicious balance.