Oxford Chamber Musical Festival is back as a renowned selection of world famous musicians descend on Oxford to perform an extraordinary series of concerts and talks, all encapsulated into 2026’s theme NEW WORLDS.
The 26th annual OCMF is taking place at some of Oxford’s most prestigious venues from The Schwarzman Centre to Holywell Music Rooms, New College and Burford Church, and running from September 21-26.
And with such a wide range of music on offer from classical to jazz, lullaby, Broadway, tango, concert hall and film scores, there really is something for everyone, in a programme that aims to take its audiences on a musical journey through the diverse rhythms, roots and harmony of the Americas.
First up on September 21 is Meta4, one of the most daring and celebrated Scandinavian string quartets performing today, who will open the Oxford Chamber Music Festival 2026 with their celebrated, multi-award-winning brilliance in Dark Land, Bright Land – a musical journey through the diverse rhythms, roots and harmony of the Americas featuring Osvaldo Golijov’s Tenebrae for String Quartet, George Crumb’s Black Angels for Electric String Quartet, Amy Beach’s String Quartet in One Movement, Op. 89 and AntonÃn Dvořák String’s Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96 “American”, all taking place at The Schwarzman Centre BOOK HERE
Dame Imogen Cooper will then take centre stage at The Schwarzman before retiring next year, joined by Roderick Williams, Julius Drake, Adrian Brendel, Tim Beattie, star violinist Alina Ibragimova and other OCMF artists to bring together an evening of old worlds left behind and new worlds sung in to being in Homelands. Expect the driving minimalist rhythms of Steve Reich’s Electric Counterpoint, the timeless beauty of Mozart’s final piano concerto, Barber’s evocative Dover Beach and the UK premiere of Osvaldo Golijov’s Earth and Shadow, this eclectic and adventurous programme crosses new worlds and traditions. Throw in songs by Copland, Ives and Bernstein sitting alongside Kern’s Ol’ Man River and a collection of traditional spirituals arranged by Roderick Williams. BOOK HERE
Syncopation Nation picks up the rhythm on September 23 at Holywell Music Room with ragtime struts, Latin lilt and modern voyages evidenced through Bach, Joplin, Debussy and Golijov and a century of restless invention. This concert traces nine routes to the New World via musicians Janne Thomsen, Jordi Carrasco Hjelm, Natacha Kudritskaya & OCMF Artists. BOOK HERE
Loops and Lullabies, Holywell Music Room, September 23. Glass, Adams and Gershwin meet Piazzolla, Villa-Lobos and Golijov in hypnotic loops and songs of home from a new world. Follow American music through its restless inventions and its quietest moments through minimalist pulse and lullaby, Broadway and tango, the concert hall and the film score as depicted by Dirk Mommertz, Priya Mitchell, Tim Beattie & OCMF Artists. BOOK HERE
From The Prairie To The Pampas, September 24, New Space, New College. Tracing four routes through the Americas join Dvořák, Cage, Ginastera & Still on a music journey through the Americas. Classical heritage meets innovation thanks to Adrian Brendel, Antti Tikkanen, Minna Pensola & OCMF Artists. BOOK NOW
Two Americas, One Storm, Burford Church, September 24, brings together European Romanticism and South American passion in a programme that includes Ludwig van Beethoven’s String Quintet in C major, Op. 29 ‘Storm’, Arthur Foote’s Night Piece for Flute and String Quartet, Astor Piazzolla’s Tango Sensations for Bandoneón and String Quartet and Alberto Ginastera’s Impresiones de la Puna for Flute, Cello and Piano. World-class musicians Marcelo Nisinman, Minna Pensola, Priya Mitchell & OCMF Artists bring transcendent beauty and emotive storytelling to the dusk-bathed stones of this historic haven. You can also relish a pre-concert dinner at Thyme & Lovage from 6pm. BOOK HERE
Both Sides Of The Americas, September 25, Holywell Music Room. From West Side Story to Joni Mitchell, Andean highlands to a Hebrew shtetl trio — Bernstein, Ginastera and Copland’s borrowed voices – to evidence four routes to the New World. Adrian Brendel, Emma Bonnici, Natacha Kudritskaya & OCMF Artists deliver Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story Suite for Violin and Piano, Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now and Aaron Copland’s Vitebsk: Piano Trio on a Hebrew Theme. BOOK HERE
Dreams and Prayers, September 25, Holywell Music Room. Piazzolla, Amy Beach, Golijov’s klezmer-soaked clarinet quintet and Dvořák’s ‘American’ Quintet brought to you by Adrian Brendel, Natacha Kudritskaya & OCMF Artists. BOOK HERE
Blue Hour: Night Music From the Americas, Schwarzman Centre, Closing Concert, September 26 – featuring works by Gershwin, Barber, Cage, Florence Price and others, masterworks of American and New World-influenced music. The acclaimed global collective of OCMF Artists comprises some of the world’s most exceptional musicians, whose profound artistry and virtuosic performances have captivated audiences across the globe come together to close this year’s Festival with a thrilling grand finale. BOOK HERE
TALKS: The State of the Union: American Culture in the Trump Era, September 21, Schwarzman Centre. A conversation on culture, power and identity in America today. With US midterm elections looming, this extraordinary panel discussion asks how is culture faring in the age of Donald Trump and MAGA? To debate these crucial issues, music journalist and author Philip Clark is joined by world-renowned historian and Guardian columnist Timothy Garton Ash, former BBC North America editor and BBC Today presenter Justin Webb. This panel steps beyond the music to analyse the socio-political climate surrounding this year’s festival theme, New Worlds. BOOK HERE
Take on 5, Sept 22, Schwarzman Centre. Join renowned music journalist Philip Clark as he hosts an intimate conversation with Darius Brubeck who offers a personal look into his artistic journey, reflecting on the key musical influences that shaped his career, including the profound impact of his father. The discussion will be paired with a live jazz set featuring Darius’s distinct, captivating style. BOOK HERE
What is American Music, Schwarzman Centre, September 26. Celebrated music journalist, author, and broadcaster Philip Clark takes to the stage to untangle the complex, vibrant DNA of music from the Americas. This thought-provoking talk provides the ultimate listening guide and intellectual backdrop to the 2026 Oxford Chamber Music Festival’s overarching theme. This illuminating journey into the melting pot of a continent’s sonic identity envelops syncopated pulse of jazz, the wide-open spaces of classical orchestrations, the radical boundary-pushing of the avant-garde, the deep roots of spirituals and folk traditions. https://www.schwarzmancentre.ox.ac.uk/whats-on/what-is-american-music-lkzg
Oxford Chamber Music Festival’s New Worlds runs from September 21-26. Go to https://ocmf.net/tickets
