Spring 2025 highlights at Saffron Hall include Penguin Cafe, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Gerstein and Adam Kay
Orchestral masterpieces, vibrant contemporary performances, soulful jazz and even comedy make up a rich tapestry of events at Saffron Hall this coming spring.
The season at the Saffron Walden venue brings together returning favourites like the acclaimed Aurora Orchestra, Madeleine Peyroux and the ever-inventive Penguin Café alongside some new faces, including the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Domingo Hindoyan, making its Saffron Hall debut.
The orchestral highlights include two concerts by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. An extraordinary choral gathering will unite representatives from Cambridge’s colleges under the direction of Edward Gardner on February 15 while Schubert’s epic Symphony No. 9, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski, will form the centrepiece of a performance on April 6.
Aurora Orchestra returns to perform Beethoven’s Symphony No.7 as part of its renowned memorised performances series on February 23.
And the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra will present Elgar’s elegiac Cello Concerto performed by Pablo Ferrández on May 18.
For classical music fans, a programme of vocal and instrumental music from Les Arts Florissants can be enjoyed on February 9 along with a piano recital by Kirill Gerstein showcasing his unique sensitivity and lyrical gift in a programme inspired by dance, flowers, and plants on May 10.
There will also be an enchanting performance of music for guitar and accordion by star soloists MILOŠ and Ksenija Sidorova on July 11.
On Mother’s Day (March 30), the BBC Concert Orchestra and The King’s Singers will perform a nostalgic selection of Disney classics.
The sensational duo Liza Pulman and Joe Stilgoe promise an evening of great storytelling, dazzling musicianship and old-fashioned glamour on May 17 while there is a welcome return from Penguin Café, bringing the music of the legendary Penguin Café Orchestra back to life on May 25.
If jazz and swing are your thing, the internationally-acclaimed BBC Big Band are joined by the incredible vocal talent of Elaine Delmar in an evening dedicated to classics inspired by Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington on February 8.
On February 22, Madeleine Peyroux digs deep with her 2024 album, Let’s Walk, showcasing the disarming grace and gravitas of an artist in peak form.
The Neil Cowley Trio is bringing its characteristic brand of riff-driven, lyrical jazz to the venue on May 3.
There is a great selection of spoken-work performances too, starting with literary sensation Adam Kay, the author of This is Going to Hurt, on March 23.
Award-winning British garden designer and Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost leaves the garden for his talk on April 5 while national treasure Pam Ayres will discuss her latest book, Doggedly Onward: A Life in Poems, 1970 to 2020s, on April 13.
And be prepared to be bowled over by cricket legend and renowned BBC correspondent Jonathan Agnew as he takes centre stage in his solo show on April 25.
Visit www.saffronhall.com/whats-on for full details and to book tickets or call the box office on 0845 548 7650.
