About Aldeburgh Festival
New music, old music, reeds, marshes, vast skies and the waves of the North Sea… Aldeburgh in June offers much more than you’d expect from a classical music festival.
Aldeburgh Festival Description
Snape Maltings is an international performance centre based at one of the world’s best-loved music venues, Snape Maltings Concert Hall, and set against a stunning backdrop of reeds, water and big skies.
There’s a huge amount to do at Snape Maltings – as well as concerts and exhibitions there are great walks, outstanding photography and birdwatching opportunities, cafés, restaurants and award-winning independent shops.
Snape Maltings is a place of energy and inspiration – one of the world’s leading centres of music and a visitor destination of outstanding natural beauty.
The creative campus is home to Aldeburgh Music, a year-round programme with a unique artistic model. Having grown out of the Aldeburgh Festival, it has realised founder Benjamin Britten’s vision for an international centre of music whose performance programme makes its mark on the world’s stage and which has artist development, learning and community inclusion as its creative engine. Aldeburgh Music’s programme ranges from development opportunities for musicians at all career stages to work that explores music’s ability to have a positive impact on people’s lives when they need it most.
For visitors, Snape Maltings brings together outstanding concerts and events, distinctive independent shops, cafes, galleries, walks and river trips, all set against a breathtaking expanse of reeds, water and sky.
Reviews
Don’t miss the launch of Dance East's Autumn Season with a world premiere from James Wilton Dance, The Storm. Acrobatics, break-dancing and martial arts come together to create dance that will blow you away… Will you find the eye of the storm? #JWDSTORM
Fantastic concert from Roberto Fonseca and his trio last night at Snape Proms - great to see the prommers up dancing at the end too!
Lance Ellington and the Piccadilly Dance Orchestra with a set full of classics at the Snape Proms tonight.
Sir George Benjamin and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain rehearsing Ravel in preparation for their Snape Prom last night. They're off to Town Hall and Symphony Hall tonight and the BBC Proms tomorrow, where the audiences are in for a treat.
Thanks to the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain for kicking off the Snape Proms last night. Hearing 500 Miles with nearly 100 ukes in the audience was an experience to cherish!
Sunshine for the first day of the Snape Proms.
The band played on as the storm came in... it may have obscured the eclipse but thunder and lightning still provided an epic backdrop to AYM alumni performing at the Dovecote last night, until the rain forced the music inside anyway!
A special stage at the Dovecote for tonight's mini-festival created by former AYMs.
For just £6 there's a full evening of jazz, folk, electronic music and rock, with burgers and drinks on sale. We've even arranged a lunar eclipse for the backdrop.
https://snapemaltings.co.uk/…/aym-dovec ote-twilight-perfor…/
'I was introduced to so many ways of making new music and working with people, and that's a skill that I've been able to transfer professionally now...'
Violinist and Aldeburgh Young Musicians Alumni Evie is back to celebrate AYM @ Ten.
Come along and help celebrate this weekend with two fantastic performances - https://snapemaltings.co.uk/season/aym-te n-britten-inspired/
Our Creative Campus is buzzing this week for AYM @ Ten celebrations.
Over 80 current AYMs, Apprentices and Alumni will present two fantastic performances this weekend led by Jessica Cottis and Tim Steiner. https://snapemaltings.co.uk/season/aym-te n-britten-inspired/
'AYM really stood me in good stead for music college, for life really... I wouldn't be the musician I am today without it"
French Horn player, current Guildhall student and Aldeburgh Young Musicians Alumni Millie Lihoreau is back to help celebrate ten years of AYM.
Join the celebration this weekend - https://snapemaltings.co.uk/season/aym-te n-britten-inspired/
Aldeburgh Young Musicians Alumni Sam Jones is back to celebrate ten years of this amazing course. Now working as a professional drummer on the UK jazz scene, hear what three years as an AYM taught him.
Or come along and see for yourself at the AYM @ Ten events this weekend - https://snapemaltings.co.uk/season/aym-te n-britten-inspired/
We have a new addition to the site, the spectacular 94 foot Onderneming Barge. Originally built to transport goods, like the vessels that would have served Snape Maltings when it was still an industrial site, she's now been converted to a luxury holiday cottage on water. https://woodfarmbarges.com/barges-list/on derneming-barge/
Seventeen musicians on the BPYAP brass course serenaded passers-by with a pretty little melody on the reed beds... just kidding, they played as loud as they could!
Our friends DanceEast are recruiting a new Manager for their Centre for Advanced Training. If you’re an experienced dance professional with a real interest and passion for dance and enthusiasm for working with young people; and strong project and team management skills this could be the role for you. Deadline: Mon 23 July.
Booking has opened today for our September-May programme.
In September we have a new addition to our calendar, Festival of New, a whirlwind two days of freshly-devised music and performance, all made at Snape. https://snapemaltings.co.uk/season/festiv al-of-new/
... The Britten Weekend in October focuses on Britten's four string quartets with the Doric Quartet, including a rare immersion into the Third Quartet with the audience on the darkened stage where the work was premiered. https://snapemaltings.co.uk/season/britte n-weekend/
For the BBC Radio 3 Big Chamber Weekend in late October, centring on the lyrical and poetic genius of Franz Schubert, we welcome members of the New Generation Artists scheme together with some of their musical friends. https://snapemaltings.co.uk/…/bbc-radio -3-big-chamber-week…/
There's plenty of opera including a hugely varied week, with English Touring Opera, Music Theatre Wales, National Dance Company Wales and work from our Jerwood Opera Writing Fellowshps. https://snapemaltings.co.uk/whats-on/genr es/music/opera/
Packed with events for both children and adults, including Irish folk star Cara Dillon, Handel's Messiah, and two magical performances of The Snowman & Babar the Little Elephant. https://snapemaltings.co.uk/season/christ mas/
The Friday Lunchtime Concert series return from February to April, showing some of the young chamber music stars on the future in Aldeburgh. https://snapemaltings.co.uk/seas…/frida y-lunchtime-concerts/
And at Easter we present contrasting masterpieces of sacred music from different eras, from Beethoven and Adès to the sacred masterpieces of Bach's St John Passion and Fauré's Requiem. https://snapemaltings.co.uk/season/easter -weekend/
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Musicians on the BPYAP brass masterclass course serenaded surprised onlookers with a particularly loud section of Prokofiev from the boardwalk yesterday lunchtime. Video coming soon...
On Saturday evening at 7.30pm come and hear some folk and funky tunes from our choir Group A at Walpole Chapel, near Halesworth.
The one hour concert is FREE and guaranteed to lift your spirits!
Group A are performing with Camberwell Community Choir and both groups have been sounding fantastic in their rehearsals.
... More info and to book your free ticket: https://snapemaltings.co.uk/…/group-cam berwell-community-c…/
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The cafe called granary disappoints me, why ?
No gluten free food except a fruit cake !
This is disappointing it’s not difficult to cater for all people.
Will I return yes but with own food, the flat white is lush
My first visit last Sunday 24/6, I was looking forward to walking around and saw on the site map Barbara Hepworth’ Family of Man sculpture. I was totally dismayed to find it with cars parked closely around it, making it impossible to stand back, view and appreciate it - let alone take a decent photo. Who thought this was a good idea? Incredibly disrespectful of a fine work of art! For a site focused on the arts - (and the concert was wonderful) - this left me feeling angry and disappointed. I hope someone will rethink the car parking policy - and no, the fact that it was a busy day is no excuse.
Really disappointed with my experience today. Staff member at café 1885 was very rude telling us to ‘go and come back if you want to’ due to there being no seats available. Attitude was awful and made us feel like we had done something wrong by trying to get a table. Will not recommend to anybody.
Just had a very uncomfortable and unfriendly experience in Little Rascals. We walked into a women behind the till glaring at my two year old who was playing with the train set that had been set out, so much so we felt we had to ask if it was display or set out for that purpose to which she said it was fine. Not the best start, I then handed my daughter a little soft toy to see if she liked it, she did, so much so she put it in her mouth. I suddenly hear a curt “I take it you’re going to buy that?!” from across the shop, in front of all of the other customers, we did, and a polite request would have been fine but she was very rude and it was embarrassing, we felt very uncomfortable as she then proceeded to watch from the doorway. So we left. We planned on going around all of the shops and buying bits and bobs but after that experience left us with a sour taste in our mouth we left, and won’t be returning! What a shame as I used to regularly frequent little rascals! Apparently children aren’t welcome in a children’s toy shop, to much of an inconvenience I guess!
The cafe called granary disappoints me, why ?
No gluten free food except a fruit cake !
This is disappointing it’s not difficult to cater for all people.
Will I return yes but with own food, the flat white is lush
My first visit last Sunday 24/6, I was looking forward to walking around and saw on the site map Barbara Hepworth’ Family of Man sculpture. I was totally dismayed to find it with cars parked closely around it, making it impossible to stand back, view and appreciate it - let alone take a decent photo. Who thought this was a good idea? Incredibly disrespectful of a fine work of art! For a site focused on the arts - (and the concert was wonderful) - this left me feeling angry and disappointed. I hope someone will rethink the car parking policy - and no, the fact that it was a busy day is no excuse.
Really disappointed with my experience today. Staff member at café 1885 was very rude telling us to ‘go and come back if you want to’ due to there being no seats available. Attitude was awful and made us feel like we had done something wrong by trying to get a table. Will not recommend to anybody.
Just had a very uncomfortable and unfriendly experience in Little Rascals. We walked into a women behind the till glaring at my two year old who was playing with the train set that had been set out, so much so we felt we had to ask if it was display or set out for that purpose to which she said it was fine. Not the best start, I then handed my daughter a little soft toy to see if she liked it, she did, so much so she put it in her mouth. I suddenly hear a curt “I take it you’re going to buy that?!” from across the shop, in front of all of the other customers, we did, and a polite request would have been fine but she was very rude and it was embarrassing, we felt very uncomfortable as she then proceeded to watch from the doorway. So we left. We planned on going around all of the shops and buying bits and bobs but after that experience left us with a sour taste in our mouth we left, and won’t be returning! What a shame as I used to regularly frequent little rascals! Apparently children aren’t welcome in a children’s toy shop, to much of an inconvenience I guess!
The cafe called granary disappoints me, why ?
No gluten free food except a fruit cake !
This is disappointing it’s not difficult to cater for all people.
Will I return yes but with own food, the flat white is lush
My first visit last Sunday 24/6, I was looking forward to walking around and saw on the site map Barbara Hepworth’ Family of Man sculpture. I was totally dismayed to find it with cars parked closely around it, making it impossible to stand back, view and appreciate it - let alone take a decent photo. Who thought this was a good idea? Incredibly disrespectful of a fine work of art! For a site focused on the arts - (and the concert was wonderful) - this left me feeling angry and disappointed. I hope someone will rethink the car parking policy - and no, the fact that it was a busy day is no excuse.
Really disappointed with my experience today. Staff member at café 1885 was very rude telling us to ‘go and come back if you want to’ due to there being no seats available. Attitude was awful and made us feel like we had done something wrong by trying to get a table. Will not recommend to anybody.
Just had a very uncomfortable and unfriendly experience in Little Rascals. We walked into a women behind the till glaring at my two year old who was playing with the train set that had been set out, so much so we felt we had to ask if it was display or set out for that purpose to which she said it was fine. Not the best start, I then handed my daughter a little soft toy to see if she liked it, she did, so much so she put it in her mouth. I suddenly hear a curt “I take it you’re going to buy that?!” from across the shop, in front of all of the other customers, we did, and a polite request would have been fine but she was very rude and it was embarrassing, we felt very uncomfortable as she then proceeded to watch from the doorway. So we left. We planned on going around all of the shops and buying bits and bobs but after that experience left us with a sour taste in our mouth we left, and won’t be returning! What a shame as I used to regularly frequent little rascals! Apparently children aren’t welcome in a children’s toy shop, to much of an inconvenience I guess!
The cafe called granary disappoints me, why ?
No gluten free food except a fruit cake !
This is disappointing it’s not difficult to cater for all people.
Will I return yes but with own food, the flat white is lush
My first visit last Sunday 24/6, I was looking forward to walking around and saw on the site map Barbara Hepworth’ Family of Man sculpture. I was totally dismayed to find it with cars parked closely around it, making it impossible to stand back, view and appreciate it - let alone take a decent photo. Who thought this was a good idea? Incredibly disrespectful of a fine work of art! For a site focused on the arts - (and the concert was wonderful) - this left me feeling angry and disappointed. I hope someone will rethink the car parking policy - and no, the fact that it was a busy day is no excuse.
Really disappointed with my experience today. Staff member at café 1885 was very rude telling us to ‘go and come back if you want to’ due to there being no seats available. Attitude was awful and made us feel like we had done something wrong by trying to get a table. Will not recommend to anybody.
Just had a very uncomfortable and unfriendly experience in Little Rascals. We walked into a women behind the till glaring at my two year old who was playing with the train set that had been set out, so much so we felt we had to ask if it was display or set out for that purpose to which she said it was fine. Not the best start, I then handed my daughter a little soft toy to see if she liked it, she did, so much so she put it in her mouth. I suddenly hear a curt “I take it you’re going to buy that?!” from across the shop, in front of all of the other customers, we did, and a polite request would have been fine but she was very rude and it was embarrassing, we felt very uncomfortable as she then proceeded to watch from the doorway. So we left. We planned on going around all of the shops and buying bits and bobs but after that experience left us with a sour taste in our mouth we left, and won’t be returning! What a shame as I used to regularly frequent little rascals! Apparently children aren’t welcome in a children’s toy shop, to much of an inconvenience I guess!