ABOUT US
Leeds International Concert Season is run by Leeds City Council and is the largest local-authority-run concert season in the UK outside London.
We programme more than 200 concerts a year in the Leeds area featuring sought-after chamber ensembles, incredible soloists and brilliant brass bands.
Read on to find out more about what we do.
Our annual programme
Leeds Best of Brass
The UK’s finest brass bands perform at Pudsey Civic Hall whilst Morley Town Hall is closed for refurbishment. These eight concerts feature top ranking brass bands including Black Dyke Band, Grimethorpe Colliery Band and Brighouse & Rastrick Band.
Find out more about the Leeds Best of Brass series.
Leeds International Chamber Series
Each year we invite guest Artistic Directors to curate the six concerts in the Leeds International Chamber Series.
Our Artistic Director alumni includes pianist Junyan Chen, violinist Jonian Ilias Kadesha, flautist Adam Walker, Kaleidoscope Chamber Ensemble, harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani, cellist David Waterman, pianist Sam Haywood, pianist Kathryn Stott and The Gould Piano Trio. The series takes place on Tuesday evenings at Leeds Conservatoire.
Find out more about the International Chamber Series.
Leeds International Orchestral Series
While Leeds Town Hall is closed for refurbishment Leeds International Orchestral Series concerts have been paused. Find out more about the refurbishment on Leeds Town Hall’s website.
Leeds International Piano Series
The Leeds International Piano Series is presented in association with Leeds International Piano Competition and features renowned pianists from across the world. The series of six concerts takes place at Leeds Conservatoire. Previous artists include Dame Imogen Cooper, Angela Hewitt, Alexander Gavrylyuk, Jaeden Izik-Dzurko, Junyan Chen, Anna Tsybuleva and Jeneba Kanneh-Mason.
Find out more about the International Piano Series.
Quartet in Residence
Following the retirement of the Endellion String Quartet in 2020 we partnered with the triennial Wigmore Hall String Quartet Competition to award a prize winner at the competition a residency for three years. Each three years we welcome a new Quartet in Residence. The Quartet in Residence for 2026-28 is Opus 13.
Find out more about the Quartet in Residence series.
Sound Out Leeds
A unique combination of daring programming and unusual and unexpected venues lies at the heart of the Sound Out Leeds programme. Previous line-ups have included sought-after chamber ensemble Manchester Collective, saxophonist Jess Gillam, viola da gamba player Liam Byrne, and Chineke! Orchestra.
As part of the Sound Out Leeds series, we have commissioned brand-new pieces of music. These include Small Journeys, a song cycle by Cheryl Frances-Hoad; Four Seasons of the Caribbean, created by Philip Herbert, Cassie Kinoshi, Renell Shaw and Ayanna Witter-Johnson - a new take on Antonio Vivaldi’s original piece that blends the sounds and stories of Britain’s Caribbean community; and Parable - an exciting mix of turntablism and orchestral music, inspired by the graphic novel adaptation of Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower, created by award-winning DJ, turntablist and producer, NikNak.
We’re grateful to have received public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England for the Sound Out Leeds series.
Free concerts
A unique series of 60 lunchtime chamber and organ recitals and over 100 concerts in parks offers the most extensive programme of free music in Britain.
Leeds Lunchtime Organ Music series is curated by Leeds City Organist, Darius Battiwalla, and includes some of the leading organists from the UK and beyond. The series is hosted temporarily at Leeds Cathedral during the refurbishment of Leeds Town Hall. Find out more about the Lunchtime Organ Music series.
Leeds Lunchtime Chamber Music series is a wonderful mix of talented musicians, recent graduates beginning their careers, and professional artists from Yorkshire and further afield. Find out more about the Lunchtime Chamber Music series.
Summer Bands in Leeds Parks invites the region’s best brass, jazz and concert bands to perform in the city’s parks and green spaces.
No pre-booked tickets are required for our free concerts, simply turn up and enjoy the music!
Competitions
Leeds Pub Piano Competition runs triennially alongside the Leeds International Piano Competition.
Work with us!
If you’d like to perform in our series we’d be happy to hear from you. Please send us an email and a member of the team will be in touch.