Local Bands

Leeds Lieder is three action-packed days filling the city with song from around the world. The festival offers celebrity recitals, world premières, new works by composers, workshops, masterclasses as well as events for schools and families in and around Leeds.

The festival which happens every two years was founded in 2005 by Jane Anthony to revive interest in song recitals and to introduce the art of song to a new audience and is dedicated to bringing performances of the very highest quality to the city.

The whole thing kicks off with Discovering Lieder - singers Rhona McKail and Maciek O’Shea together with pianist Annabel Thwaite will be performing a free concert for over two hundred schoolchildren - although there are tickets for grown-ups too!

Celebrated maverick composer Gavin Bryars will première his 'Four Songs from Northern Seas' and John Woolrich's 'And Winter Comes' will also get its first public hearing - both pieces were specially commissioned for Leeds Lieder.

Julius Drake & Christianne Stotijn

The festival guest of honour is soprano, Dame Margaret Price, who has been stunning audiences since making her operatic debut in 1962. She will be talking to artistic director and pianist, Julius Drake about her career, illustrated by a select choice of recordings from her repertoire.

Other attractions on the programme include soprano Joan Rodgers, Dutch mezzo soprano, Christianne Stotijn, tenor James Gilchrist and the Endellion String Quartet alongside award-winning young artists from Yorkshire and beyond.

Leeds Lieder takes place from Friday 2 October until Sunday 4 October 2009 at various venues across the city - check the website for details: