Portsmouth Chamber Music Series

The Portsmouth Chamber Music Series returns for its 2022-2023 season, featuring six exciting and internationally renowned ensembles.

The series is unique for its informality and ‘in-the-round’ format, with the audience just a couple of metres from the musicians. The dress code is casual (no ties!), the musicians talk to the audience about what they are going to play, and drinks are welcome during the performance. The whole idea of chamber music was originally to be shares between friends, and this series strives to encapsulate that.

The Guildhall asks the musicians to stay around at the end to chat in case attendees want to ask questions. You might want to ask about the music, but also about what it’s like to go on tour, how they decide programmes, how they rehearse, or even what they had for breakfast!

With its versatile spaces, the Portsmouth Guildhall is the perfect venue, and the series takes place either on the stage in the main auditorium, with both musicians and audience on stage, or in the Guildhall Studio. Concerts are always on Monday evenings, which otherwise tend to be very quiet in the city centre, and so it is easy to get dinner beforehand for those so inclined.

The series begins on Monday 24 October with the Amsterdam-based Dudok Quartet. Then on 21 November it features Welsh pianist Llŷr Williams in a programme which culminates with two show-stopping works by arguably the greatest pianist of all time, Franz Liszt.

After Christmas, concerts continue on 30 January, 20 March, 17 April, and 22 May, with musicians ranging from the Guildhall's ‘resident’ Ensemble 360 to the Romanian Arcadia Quartet and the Korean Esmé Quartet. The music includes popular favourites such as Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet and Beethoven’s Septet; great 19th and 20th century works by Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Debussy and Shostakovich; all the way through to Huw Watkins’ new piano trio, composed just last year.