York Early Music Festival

8 days, 19 concerts, all welcome

The festival intertwines three very different themes: the music of Renaissance composer Orlando Gibbons - opening with Fretwork (Fri 4); the genius of the Baroque with Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (Sun 6) presented in fine style by the French-based Le Consort and rising-star violinist Theotime Langlois de Swarte and the strand that gives us this year’s title, a reflection on man’s fall from grace - from Heaven to Hell - with YEMF Artistic Adviser Helen Charlston and lutenist Toby Carr (Wed 9).

Guest artists also include The Tallis Scholars (Sat 5) and The Sixteen (Mon 7) sharing their programmes in the glorious surroundings of York Minster; the Spanish ensemble Cantoria (Tues 8) and Swiss based medievalists Sollazzo (Thurs 10) and we finish the festival with a flourish in the company of The Academy of Ancient Music and their leader violinist Bojan Cicic (Fri 11).

Emerging musicians continue to be supported with invitations to two of the winners from the 2024 York Early Music Festival Young Artists Competition - Ayres Extemporae and Ensemble Bastion.

Thanks are due to Arts Council England, John Feldberg Foundation, Mayfield Valley Arts Trust, Instituto Cervantes, Harrowells Solicitors, Hinrichsen Foundation and to the Festival Friends and NCEM Patrons.

Priority Booking opens to NCEM Patrons on Monday 24 February and to Friends of the Festival on Wednesday 26 February.  Find out how to join our Patrons and Friends here.

BOOKING OPENS TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC FROM FRIDAY 28 FEBRUARY