International Classical Concert Series
International Classical Concert Series at MHV
37th Season 2025 - 2026
June 2025
I have great pleasure in announcing details of the 37th Season of concerts at Marlborough House Vinehall (MHV - previously ‘Vinehall’). This year’s concerts will maintain our international approach with the added attraction of some of our finest home-grown musicians. We are also inviting back some of our most popular artists such as Northern Chords who were the first artists to sell out two seasons ago. We welcome for their first visit the acclaimed Russian pianist Sofya Gulyak and the outstanding cellist Laura van der Heijden and pianist Jâms Coleman, who will continue our tradition of encouraging the most talented of young musicians. The outstanding Calidore Quartet from New York will return, as will the leading Baroque ensemble, La Serenissima. Two of London’s finest chamber orchestras are represented by the English Chamber Orchestra and the wind players of the London Mozart Players.
The 37th Season begins on Sunday 5th October at 3.00 p.m. with a welcome return of LA SERENISSIMA led by ADRIAN CHANDLER (Violin). ‘La Serenissima, the “most serene republic of Venice”, is also the name of one of Britain’s best-loved chamber orchestras. … No classical pieces are more overplayed, recomposed and generally abused than these four concertos [Four Seasons]. And yet, when played with fire and imagination, they are revealed as the masterpieces they truly are. … Chandler and his group achieved that magnificently.” Ivan Hewitt Telegraph. Their performances are always fresh and invigorating. They will perform works by Vivaldi and others, featuring the incredible Italian master of the mandolin, RAFAELLA LA RAGIONE. “The young Raffaele La Ragione is now on the mandolin what Gustav Leonhardt was once on the harpsichord” Le Monde
On Saturday 8th November at 3.00 p.m. the second of our concerts features the CALIDORE STRING QUARTET. They are one of the most outstanding young quartets and will come to East Sussex on the way home to New York from their European tour. They gave a stunning performance at Vinehall two years ago. Their many recordings have been critically acclaimed. They have recently finished recording all the Beethoven quartets. “Each quartet was masterfully performed, but perhaps what impressed most was the way the group kept the score itself at the forefront of its interpretations... All told, a wonderful evening.” Leah Hollingsworth, The Strad. (2025 Lincoln Center). They will perform quartets by Haydn, Barber (which features the famous Adagio as the slow movement) and Dvorak’s ‘American Quartet.
On Sunday 7th December at 3.00 p.m. NORTHERN CHORDS return. These four outstanding musicians, Ben Baker (violin), Daniel Lebhardt (piano), Rosalind Ventris (viola) and Alice Neary (cello) all have busy solo careers, and Alice is also principal cellist of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. They will perform Mozart’s incredible Divertimento for String Trio before being joined by Daniel for a performance of Dvorak's irresistible Second Piano Quartet.
On Sunday 8th February, at 3.00 p.m. we can enjoy the larger musical forces of the acclaimed ENGLISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA. With over 900 recordings, they are the most recorded chamber orchestra in the world! Kind Charles III is their enthusiastic Patron, and they are led and directed by STEPHANIE GONLEY (violin). Stephanie has been leader since 1991 and also leads the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. They will perform Holst’s St Paul’s Suite, Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto, Haydn’s ever-popular ‘Farewell Symphony’ and Britten’s youthful and infectious ‘Simple Symphony’. This is particularly appropriate as Benjamin Britten for many years conducted the ECO which was his orchestra of choice, and with whom he made outstanding recordings of his own music and that especially of Mozart.
On Sunday 8th March at 3.00 p.m. the wind players of the LONDON MOZART PLAYERS make a welcome return. Founded in 1949 to delight audiences with the works of Mozart and Haydn, over the last 70-odd years the LMP has developed an outstanding international reputation, touring throughout Europe and the Far East, most recently to Dubai and Hong Kong, and have recorded for Naxos, Chandos, Signum, Hyperion, Convivium Records and the German label CPO. They will perform Beethoven’s cheery Octet, Gounod’s delightful Petite Symphonie for Winds and Mozart’s wonderful Serenade for 13 Winds (invariably 12 plus double bass) known as the ‘Gran Partita’.
On Sunday 10th May at 7.00 p.m., we are delighted that the outstanding young cellist LAURA VAN DER HEIJDEN and pianist JÂMS COLEMAN will make their MHV debut. Since winning the BBC Young Musician Competition aged 15, she has gone on to forge a stellar international career and has just been awarded the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Instrumentalist Award for 2025. Introducing her nomination the RPS said “Everything she does embodies excellence and integrity, fulfilled with heart. Luminous recordings, boundless collaborations, and new commissions showcase an artist truly in her prime.” Jâms, who comes from Anglesey, is one of the foremost accompanists of his generation. Their recent CD ‘Path to the Moon’ was described as 'intriguing and beguiling' by The Guardian and as 'gently alluring, enigmatic and romantic' by Gramophone. It reached two million streams worldwide in the first week!
The final concert of the season will be on Saturday 7th June at 7.00 p.m. when the sensational Russian pianist SOFYA GULCHAK will perform for us. Sofya grabbed musicial attention when she won the Leeds Piano Competiton in 2009, the first woman ever to achieve this distinction. She has gone on to establish a busy international career and delights audiences around the world. Her recordings are praised: The American Record Guide said, “The Handel Variations is among the top contenders on record. She keeps you on the edge of your seat, as the music presses ever forward. Sometimes I was reminded of the young Argerich”. “Fanfare” Magazine said, “Her musicality is beautifully attuned to the spirit of Brahms…I must praise Kazan-born Russian pianist Sofya Gulyak, whose impressive reading places a stronger emphasis than Perahia’s on the continuity of the variations…She’s a natural Brahmsian whatever his moods.” I am delighted to say that she will be performing the Brahms Handel Variations after a Clementi Sonata, and she will end her recital with Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.
Let’s hope the weather will match the sunny mood, so we can enjoy picnicking in the grounds beforehand and meet for complimentary Pimm’s at 6.00 p.m.
The standard price of £28 (including refreshments) is for all individual concerts, but please consider the much cheaper season ticket. This offers a massive saving and works out at an extremely reasonable £19.28 per concert. The ticket price for children and students remains at only £10 as it is so important to encourage the next generation of music lovers. We are very proud to attract such distinguished artists down to this part of Sussex and are enormously grateful to our sponsors, without whom the ticket prices would have to rise substantially.
I very much look forward to welcoming you to the Thirty-Seventh Season at MHV and hope that you find our programme to be of interest to you and your friends. If you would like tickets, then please follow the instructions below. We do, of course, take bookings by post, telephone and email throughout the season.
With best wishes,
Geoffrey Whitehead
MHV International Classical Concerts Organiser
Tel: 01580 883092
Web: www.vinehallschool.com/international-classical-concert-series
email: concerts@mhvschool.co.uk
HOW TO BOOK
Bookings are made on Trybooking.com which is an on-line booking service requiring a debit or credit card. However, you can still have a hard copy of the leaflet, should you request one.
Please EITHER complete the hard copy booking form and return it by post with a cheque (details on the leaflet)
OR preferably - follow this link www.trybooking.com/uk/ETLX
ONLINE BOOKINGS OPEN ON WEDNESDAY 23 JULY 2025
A few helpful (and important) tips!
The choice is to buy either the full season ticket or individual tickets. Mathematically inclined regulars will see that if you know you are going to miss one concert (as you already have a holiday booked, for example) it is still cheaper to buy a season ticket at £140 than 6 individual tickets at £168.
If this is the case, you can either give the seats away to friends or neighbours, or hand them back to me for sale. What we do not want are lots of empty seats, whether they are paid for or not.
If you definitely know that you won’t make a concert and are not going to pass them on to friends, then it would be very helpful when you make your booking if you can send me an email or a message on Trybooking to say e.g. “I have booked 4 season tickets, but we will not be needing any seats for X concert.”
It will save the huge bother of trying to fit you into the complex seating plan for something you won’t attend!
You will get a receipt and ticket immediately sent back to you from Trybooking. It will NOT have a seat number on. It is purely an acknowledgement of the booking and payment.
After two weeks from the start of bookings the applications will be processed by me as usual. After this, you will then get an email from me with your ticket numbers for all the concerts you have booked. Please DO NOT delete it, as it will have all your seats for the season.
If a concert is sold out and you are seeking either a season ticket, then you should book individual tickets for the ones available and send a message to me, so I know to put you on the waiting list for the other concerts. If by the end of the season you have managed to come to all seven, you won’t be charged more than the season ticket price!
If you wish to request a particular seat/area/sit with a friend or send any other relevant information or message, then you will find on the first screen a little box which says ‘Contact event organiser’ If you click on that you can then send me a message.
When you come to the concert, all you need is the seat numbers. You do not need to print everything out.
If you are booking several concerts, for example, 2 season tickets, and 4 individual tickets, then do it all on the booking page. You don't have to make separate bookings. You will see your purchases add up in the 'basket' at the top right of the page. If you make a mistake when booking just delete the contents of your basket and start again.
If you can’t find a concert on the list, it means it is sold out and has automatically been removed. If this happens and you want to go on the waiting list, please send me a message (as above) and I’ll put you on the waiting list. Last season nearly everyone on the waiting lists got to the event they wanted, so please do not be discouraged!
If you experience any difficulties, then please email me on concerts@mhvschool.co.uk and I will endeavour to ensure that your booking is processed.