Summer Festival of Music 2023

The annual Summer Festival of Music is a highlight of the academic year for musicians at the University of Birmingham and, this year, University Music and the University of Birmingham Music Society is delighted to announce a two-week period of events at the end of the semester for students, staff, and members of the wider community. 

Running from 10 – 23 June 2023, the Summer Festival of Music will include a variety of events on-campus and across the city. Performances will include contributions from the University Folk Band and Brass Band, as well as electro-acoustic student compositions as part of miniBEAST. There will also be opportunities to hear from University Music scholarship holders, as well as talented members of the Music Society. The central weekend of the festival will focus on a concert presented by the Summer Festival Orchestra, celebrating a year of outstanding student music-making with a performance of Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, along with new music by student, Michael Triggs and Bernard Hermann’s memorable music from the film Taxi Driver.

We also welcome guest vocalist, Cherise to the Jennifer Blackwell Performance Space at Symphony Hall, as she collaborates with the University’s flagship Jazz Orchestra performing as-yet unreleased material orchestrated by Jonathan Silk, before moving across the city for an evening of student bands from Jazz Collective and a performance of Bobtail by Alicia Gardener-Trejo.

The festival opens with a singing day of Handel’s much-loved oratorio, Messiah led by Simon Halsey, celebrating the University’s unique position in the pre-professional singing world.

For a full schedule of all of the events, as well as information on how to book tickets for our concerts, please visit uobmusicsociety.org.uk. All information can also be found in our Summer 2023 brochure, which can be picked up across campus and in the city, and on the University website.

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University Music provides the University of Birmingham with one of the liveliest music-making scenes of any campus. With around 1500 positions available in our 35-plus ensembles, members participate in a variety of instrumental and vocal groups, across a range of abilities and styles. University Music is open to students, staff, and the local community, and provides participants with opportunities for professional coaching, exceptional concerts, as well as the chance to apply for yearly scholarships. To find out more, please visit our website.