Hebden Bridge Piano Festival 2020

The famous annual Hebden Bridge Piano Festival is in it’s eighth year. Each year, over the three days, we present afternoon and evening concerts, plus lunchtime recitals, given by performers of national and international renown.

It is also important to us to showcase talented local amateur pianists and to put on events aimed at people of all ages, including an annual children’s concert. The Festival also has a firm commitment to promoting new talent whenever possible, and to staging free, accessible events.

Headlining the weekend festival, which all takes place in Hebden Bridge Town Hall, are Joanna MacGregor and Martin Roscoe – distinguished classical pianists who have graced concert halls all over the world. They are joined by the young American pianist Eric Lu, who was the overall winner of Leeds International Piano Competition in 2018, the 2010 BBC Young Musician Lara Melda and highly-praised Chinese virtuoso BingBing Li.

Hebden Bridge Piano Festival has never been exclusively about Classical piano music and this year there are performances by Sheffield-based pianist and singer Dale Storr who is regarded as probably the greatest exponent of New Orleans jazz in the UK, and the sensational award-winning jazz pianist, composer, songwriter, poet and author Robert Mitchell.

The Festival has always had a strong commitment to programming contemporary music and this year has commissioned Beauty and the Beast, a new multi-media work exploring the juxtaposition of industrial heritage and the natural world, written and performed by West Yorkshire pianist and composer Phil Taylor.

These high-calibre concerts are interspersed with events intended to involve the whole community. Alongside the headline performances, the Festival programme features a children’s concert given by the astounding Harry the Piano, recitals by local pianists and students, free concerts featuring non-classical piano music, and impromptu al fresco performances by anyone who enjoys playing.

“The programme launch is always great fun”, said David Nelson.

“The Town Hall bar will be open so come along, have a drink, enjoy some live jazz piano, take time to absorb the excellent programme we’ve put together and secure tickets for what will undoubtedly be another sell-out weekend.”

Tickets go on sale both at the launch and online at 7pm on March 13th, and the Festival box office opens at the Town Hall reception desk on Monday March 16th.

Alternatively, postal bookings can be made via the booking form available from the Festival website.

For in-person booking, the Town Hall box office will be open Monday to Friday, 9am-4pm, right up to the Festival weekend. There is a quick link for online booking and much more information about the recitals and performers at www.hebdenbridgepianofestival.com

The festival guide can be found here https://www.hebdenbridgepianofestival.com/festival-programme-2020/