Thursday, 9th July Festival Talk: So, what is chamber music, really? 5:00pm Nottingham City Library Talk by: William Ruff & Carmen Flores, viola So, what is chamber music, really…? If you’ve ever wondered what chamber music actually is, this opening session is your perfect starting point. For our welcoming Festival Talk with Nottingham Post music writer William Ruff and Festival Director Carmen Flores, we’ll get to the heart of the etiquette, the traditions, and the “wait, do I clap now?” moments to see how chamber music has evolved for today’s audiences. Expect stories and live music — the ideal launch into the Festival weekend. This event will last approximately 1 hour. Ticket includes tea & coffee. This venue is wheelchair accessible. WHEN: Thursday, 9th July, 5:00pm WHERE: Nottingham Central Library, 1 Carrington Street, Nottingham NG1 7FH TICKETS: £7 advance booking | £10 on the door

Friday, 10th July VQ Discovery Play Along: Beethoven Op. 59/1 1:00pm St Mary’s in the Lace Market Villiers Quartet Bring your instrument and step into the sound world of Beethoven’s Razumovsky Quartet Op. 59/1 with the Villiers Quartet. This friendly play-along workshop offers you the chance to play alongside a string quartet and explore the music from the inside, all within the stunning setting of St Mary’s in the Lace Market. Open to students and adults. Grade 5 playing level and above is encouraged. We also welcome observers of the play-along workshop. WHEN: 1:00pm - 2:30pm, Friday July 10th WHERE: St Mary’s in the Lace Market, High Pavement, Nottingham NG1 1HN TICKETS: £30 General participant | £15 Student (under 21yrs) | £10 Observer ACCESSIBILITY: This venue is wheelchair accessible.

Friday, 10th July Villiers Quartet & Marcus Farnsworth, baritone 7:30pm The Villiers Quartet are long‑time NCMF Festival favourites, and this year they’re joined by baritone powerhouse and Southwell Music Festival founder, Marcus Farnsworth, in a concert about the enduring power of folk song. Caroline Shaw’s By & By is an intimate work for voice and string quartet, inspired by hymn and folk song. Beethoven’s Razumovsky Quartet Op. 59/1, originally a play on Russian folk melodies, pushes the string quartet into bold, symphonic territory. Together, these works reveal how folk song sparks reinvention across time. Expect gorgeous music and world‑class performers, all amidst the magic of St Mary’s in the Lace Market. PROGRAMME: Caroline Shaw - Valencia Caroline Shaw - By & By, for voice and string quartet - with Marcus Farnsworth Ludwig van Beethoven - “Razumovsky” String Quartet in F Major, Op. 59/1 WHEN: 7:30pm WHERE: St Mary’s in the Lace Market, High Pavement, Nottingham NG1 1HN TICKETS: £17 advance booking | £20 on the door | £8 under17yrs ACCESS: This venue is wheelchair accessible. This concert will end at approximately 9:15pm. A cash bar will be available.

Saturday, 11th July The People’s Hall: Music for Violin 7:00pm The People’s Hall, Heathcote Street Darragh Morgan, violin NCMF welcomes renowned contemporary violinist Darragh Morgan — described by The Strad as a “new music wizard” — for a special Salon‑style concert at the Grade II* listed The People’s Hall on Heathcoat Street. Back in the 18th century, Salon concerts were intimate gatherings where people heard live music up close. This concert brings that vibe into the present: part low‑fi, part hi‑fi, and all-immersive. And if you haven’t been to the People’s Hall before, you’re in for a treat, with an insider’s tour around the building before the concert begins. You might remember Darragh from his NCMF appearance five years ago with the Fidelio Trio. A boundary-hopping musician, he’s equally at home as a soloist with orchestras, playing in chamber groups, or performing on period instruments. Now he returns with his programme 'Exploding Stars' — a set where one violin becomes an entire universe. The concert features music by Philip Glass, Georg Philipp Telemann, and more, plus a special work for violin by Errollyn Wallen, current Master of the King’s Music. This concert includes a short tour of The People’s Hall, and the evening is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes long in total. A bar will be available for drinks, card payments only. EXPLODING STARS Telemann - Fantasias 7 & 10 Philip Glass - Knee Play 2 from Einstein on the Beach Linda Buckley - Exploding Stars Donnacha Dennehy - Overstrung Skopsko Oro - Angel Nancewski Errolyn Wallen - For Airi Alex Paxton - Lurv Ya 'New music wizard' The Strad WHEN: Doors open 6:15pm | Tour begins 7:00pm WHERE: The People’s Hall, Heathcote Street, Nottingham NG1 3AA TICKETS: £14 advance booking | £17 on the door | £7 under17yrs ACCESS: This venue is not wheelchair accessible and you will be required to navigate steps.

Sunday, 12th July Tunnel Vision: Closing Concert 6:00pm The Park Tunnel Vivaldi: The Four Seasons Festival Musicians: Darragh Morgan, violin Sophie Rosa, violin Jenny Sacha, violin Rose Redgrave, viola Tim Smedley, cello Petra Hajduchova, harpsichord For our final concert of NCMF26, we invite you into one of Nottingham's extraordinary spaces: the Victorian-era Park Tunnel, carved in 1855 as a grand passageway to the Park Estate. In this atmospheric cavern, Vivaldi's Four Seasons comes to life, with nature as part of the performance. These dazzling violin concertos are performed with virtuosity by our incredible ensemble of Festival Musicians. It's a joyful finale to the summer weekend! Presented in association with the Nottingham Park Residents Association supporting their campaign to enhance the wildlife and biodiversity of the Park Estate. WHEN: 6:00pm This performance is approximately 1 hour long. WHERE: The Park Tunnel, Nottingham (entrance access from Derby Road, and Tunnel Road in the Park) TICKETS: £13 general seated admission REFRESHMENT: A bar will be available for drinks. ACCESSIBILITY: Please note there is a slight incline in the Park Tunnel that can affect ease of access to the concert site. Please wear comfortable shoes when traveling to the Tunnel. Wheelchair access is only available from Tunnel Road entrance.