Upcoming Concerts

Concerts are free and open to everyone. They take place fortnightly at 8:30pm on Sunday evenings in Balliol’s historic Great Hall – but due to renovations, some may now be held in our beautiful Chapel from October 2027. Directions via the Porters’ Lodge (main site, Broad Street entrance).

Additional events, such as the unscheduled George Malcolm Memorial Concerts by Sir András Schiff, are not listed here.

Michaelmas Term 2026

MTW2 18^th October: 1970^th concert
Artists: The Kate Luxmoore Group

Jazz percussionist Lekan Babalola – who has twice been awarded a Grammy – and the classically-trained clarinettist Kate Luxmoore are joined by Ann Jones (violin, viola and vocals), Jon Escoto Brown (guitar), Thomas Marsh (bass) and Ruth Ible (percussion). This very active group, formerly in residence at Wolfson College, Oxford, will kick off the academic year with a multicultural programme – in their words, “English Folk Songs over West African, Yoruba grooves.”

MTW4 1^st November: 1971^st concert – annual Balliol Society concert
Artist: Lubomyr Melnyk (Любомир Мельник) (piano)

The master pianist Lubomyr Melnyk returns to Balliol after 6 incredibly well-received concerts in Oxford in the last academic year, selling out in the Colleges Balliol, Exeter, Magdalen and New, as well as in the Holywell Music Room. With a career of spanning more than five decades of pioneering technique, Lubomyr’s describes his work as ‘continuous music’, which is best summarised as ‘operatic classical music’; devoted to the harmonic insights of Beethoven as he is, he also drew on virtuosity of the Indian classical traditions and some of the ideas of 12-tone composition and early minimalism – though for the last 30 years, his work has been opposed to minimalism.

As his live performances are often experienced as very emotional, he is also the subject of a (currently small) study by the research team Creative Empirical – a group of neuropsychologists interested in musicians and their audiences – and a documentary spearheaded by Rupert Clague.

We express our gratitude to the Balliol Society for their continuing support.

MTW6 15^th November: 1972^nd concert – annual Ernest Walker concert
Artists: Rémy Ballot (violin)
^{with Oxford University Orchestra Solo Players}

The ‘unrivalled’ conductor and highly acclaimed violinist Rémy Ballot returns to Oxford for a week of events, lodging in Balliol but in partnership with the Oxford University Orchestra. He will be delivering the annual Ernest Walker concert – Balliol’s own Dr. Walker grew the Society, from 1890 on, to an influential state – and performing one of the Dr.’s compositions, as well as works of Ysaye and Chausson.

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Thursday 12^th of November
Concert in the Sheldonian Theatre, with a discount for BCMS members. Members (Fellows, Staff, Students) wishing to attend may contact Towa directly to enquire. Ticket link is here.

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MTW8 29^th November: 1973^rd concert – termly Members’ concert
Artists unknown

A warm-spirited evening of performances from Balliol Members and friends, celebrating and developing the College’s talent.

Hilary Term 2027

HTW2 24^th January: 1974^th concert
Artists: Przemyslaw Baranek, Malvic Baldacchino (voice)

In this refreshing start to the new calendar year, we will be joined by these decorated singers: the baritone Przemyslaw, who won the Grand Prix in the first European Festival of the Operetta, and the soprano Malvic, who has performed extensively in Europe and on Broadway.

HTW4 7^th February: 1975^th concert – annual Usborne concert
Artists: Philippe Graffin (violin), Raphael Wallfisch (cello), Dr. Simon Callaghan (piano), Mardyah Tucker (violin), Carol Ella (viola)

For the bicentennary of Beethoven’s death, music director Andrew Strange has put forward a programme for the year celebrating Beethoven’s music all over the country, of which we are very glad to be a part.

In Balliol, we are due to hear his Spring Sonata, Cello Sonata and, most excitingly, the Emperor Concerto – in its reduction (arr. Sahun Sam Hong) for four strings, delivered by a suite of world-renowned musicians.

HTW6 21^st February: 1976^th concert – annual John Farmer concert
Artist: Dr. Emilie Capulet (piano)

For this year’s John Farmer concert (who founded, at the behest of Jowett, the Society in 1885), we welcome back Dr. Emilie Capulet, former Visiting Fellow at Keble College and director of studies for the Trinity Laban conservatoire for an evening of masterful pianism with the accompanying masterclass the next day.

HTW8 7^th March: 1977^th concert – termly Members’ concert
Artists unknown

A warm-spirited evening of performances from Balliol Members and friends, celebrating and developing the College’s talent.

Trinity Term 2027

TTW2 2^nd May: 1978^th concert – annual Lonsdale concert
Artists: Dominic Degavino (piano), Fanny Fheodoroff (violin), Oleg Shebeta-Dragan (clarinet)

As we welcome back Dominic’s delightful pianism, we will be joined by the phenomenal violinist Fanny Fheodoroff and the rising clarinettist Oleg, who took off after winning first prize at the Carl Nielsen international competition in 2022.

We express our gratitude to the Lonsdale family for their continuing support: these concerts are to the late memory of Professor Roger Lonsdale, for many years an outstanding scholar of English Literature at Balliol.

TTW4 16^th May: 1979^th concert – termly Members’ concert
Artists unknown

A warm-spirited evening of performances from Balliol Members and friends, celebrating and developing the College’s talent.

TTW6 30^th May: 1980^th concert – annual Peggotty Graham concert
Artist: Maki Namekawa (piano)

Internationally renowned interpreter of the music of Philip Glass, Maki will share her definitive performances of various ‘Glassworks’, including pieces from the ‘Mishima’ suite.

We express our gratitude to Peggotty and Andrew Graham for their continuing support.

We welcome suggestions for the 2027-2028 academic year.