SUNDAY 4TH MAY - 3PM

The exciting young musicians of Tròppos - clarinet, oboe, tuba and violin - met as students at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and swiftly discovered a mutual passion for exploring the fascinating melting-pot that is Spanish and Latin American culture. Their playlist features music by Astor Piazzolla and Manuel de Falla, together with other pieces and styles that celebrate the marriage of music and dance. Suitable for all the family.

This is a free event.

SUNDAY 1ST JUNE - 3PM

JKL Duo - Kerry Lynch (flute, whistle and bodhran) and Jacopo Lazzaretti (classical/electric guitar)  -  teamed up in 2015, connecting over their shared love for Improvisation, World, Classical, Jazz and Celtic music, and have since used their eclectic musical tastes to cultivate exciting multi-genre projects. Their music-making has been inspired by the poetry of Robert Burns, and their work also features jazz standards and instantly recognisable film music. Suitable for all the family.

This is a free event.

SUNDAY 22ND JUNE - 3PM

Our Family Concert has moved! Join Isla and Evie for this pre-festival musical treat suitable for all the family. Traditional tales and magical music accompanied by percussive stepdancing, with songs in Gaelic, Scots, English and BSL.

Free entry for under 12s (children must be accompanied)

FRIDAY 18TH JULY - 6:45PM

Music at Paxton Artistic Director Angus Smith presents a short overview of the 2025 festival. Free for ticket holders.

FRIDAY 18TH JULY - 7:30PM

JS Bach: Fantasia & Fugue in A minor, BWV904
Liszt: Funérailles
Scriabin: Sonata No.10, Op.70
D Scarlatti: Sonatas in B minor, K.197; in G, K.125;in A, K.208; in D minor, K.417
Prokofiev: Sonata No.4 in C minor, Op.29

Hailed by the Daily Telegraph as “potentially one of the greatest pianists of the 21st century”, Yevgeny Sudbin has earned the highest international acclaim for his recordings and his appearances on the concert platform. The varied and dynamic programme he has chosen to play in Paxton’s Picture Gallery allows him to show the multi-faceted aspects of his technique and interests, from his championing of the delicate Baroque compositions of JS Bach and Domenico Scarlatti through to the intensity and brilliance of spectacular works by Liszt, Scriabin, and Prokofiev.

""One of the most important pianistic talents of our time” International Record Review

Sponsored by Andrew & Hilary Walker

Artist info: yevgenysudbin.com

SATURDAY 19TH JULY - 3PM

Join us for a fabulous programme of uplifting choral music performed by one of our region’s most accomplished choirs. They will present classical favourites by Byrd and Debussy, Northumbrian folk songs, the music of Lennon & McCartney, and irresistibly catchy madrigals by talented young composer Will Harmer.

SATURDAY 19TH JULY - 5PM

Katie Allen, originally from Callander, and Mairi McGillivray, raised on Islay, are a folk duo now based in Glasgow who add their own distinctive style to songs in Gaelic, Scots and English.

SATURDAY 19TH JULY - 7:30PM

Clara Schumann - Three Romances, Op.22 (arr. Amy Tress)
Robert Schumann: String Quartet in A minor, Op. 41 No.1
Brahms: Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op.115

Marking the third and final year of their current association with the festival, the Consone Quartet and their special guests are presenting an outstanding series of programmes. They complete their Robert Schumann cycle with the first quartet, a piece that was dedicated to the composer’s great friend Mendelssohn, but which is irresistibly drawn towards regular references to Beethoven’s late quartets. The Clarinet Quintet is one of Brahms’s last works and is considered by many to be his most profound chamber composition. An air of melancholy pervades, but the work is punctuated by moments of wild frenzy,not least in the extraordinary ‘Bohemian’ outburst in the slow movement.

POST CONCERT: Stay for a short informal Q&A immediately after the concert.

Artist info: consonequartet.com | katherineannspencer.com

SUNDAY 20TH JULY - 11:30AM

Beethoven: String Quartet in F, H.34
Purcell: Chacony in G minor (arr. Britten)
Oliver Leith - On a horse, on a hill, faraway, through fog and bonfire (Scottish première)
Emilie Mayer: String Quartet in G

This concert is full of revelations. Opening with Beethoven’s own arrangement of his Piano Sonata Opus 14 No.1, it concludes with the Quartet in G by Emilie Mayer (1812–1883), the most prolific woman composer of the German Romantic period, whose work was greatly influenced by Felix Mendelssohn. The early Baroque musical dance form ‘Chacony’ provides inspiration for a new work by Oliver Leith, a young British composer whose music is earning widespread international acclaim.

""There was an air of hushed spiritual intensity … played with extreme lyricism, it was a beautifully shaped meditation” The Strad

Artist info: consonequartet.com

SUNDAY 20TH JULY - 3:30PM

Mozart: String Quartet in A, K.464 ‘The Drum’
Schubert: String Quintet in C, D.956

Mozart’s Quartet in A is one of six that the composer dedicated to Haydn and, while the task of writing a set worthy of a tribute to his ‘most celebrated and very dear friend’ caused him much anxiety that led to numerous revisions of the score, the version that emerged is full of effortless grace and ingenuity. It is astonishing to think that Schubert’s Quintet – his final, majestic composition – was not heard in public until 22 years after the composer’s death. Framed by lively outer movements that bear strong folk influences, it is nevertheless the profound slow movement with its beauty, innocence and pathos that plucks at every heart.

"A hymn which floats above the mortal sphere” Mark Steinberg on Schubert’s Quintet in C

Artist info: consonequartet.com

TUESDAY 22ND JULY - 7:30PM

Philip Glass: String Quartet No.3 ‘Mishima’
Shostakovich: String Quartet No.8 in C minor, Op.110
Ravel: String Quartet in F

The Carducci Quartet’s programme celebrates two important composer anniversaries, with 2025 marking both 150 years since Ravel’s birth and the 50th anniversary of Shostakovich’s death. Written in 1902, Ravel’s only quartet is his first masterpiece, displaying an astonishing variety of tonal colours and the seductive sensuality that became a feature of his style. Shostakovich’s 8th Quartet (1960) has achieved widespread popularity through its dramatic use of striking motifs and quotes from existing works that hint at a dark autobiographical narrative. Philip Glass’s third quartet presents the ‘flashback’ scenes from his score for Paul Schrader’s film ‘Mishima’ (1985) that reflect on the carefree nature of childhood in the composer’s own hypnotic style.

“A deep sense of unity, full of life and vitality … extravagantly beautiful” Carducci Quartet, The Washington Post

Artist info: carducciquartet.com

WEDNESDAY 23RD JULY - 11AM & 2PM

Back by popular demand! Our interactiveand fun performance is specially designed to introduce traditional tunesand songs to young children and their families. Join in with songs in Scots, Gaelic, and English, and learn some simple stepdancing. Recommended for families with children aged 3–7.

Note: children must be accompanied (max 3 children per adult).

WEDNESDAY 23RD JULY - 5PM

DOWLAND’S SHADOW
The great English Renaissance lutenist and composer John Dowland was celebrated across Europe as the ‘English Orpheus’. This programme traces his legacy in the works of Philip Rosseter,Daniel Bacheler and Robert Johnson, whose innovations led to new music of soft-edged delicacy and resonant beauty.

"Carr’s playing is sensuous and vivid" The Guardian

Special ticket price of £8 (£5 concessions) for bookers of the Helen Charlston/Sholto Kynoch concert. Discount automatically applied at checkout

Artist info: tobycarr.co.uk

WEDNESDAY 23RD JULY - 7:30PM

NOTES OF OLD
Programme includes:
Schubert: Die Mutter Erde
JS Bach: Wiederstehe doch der Sünde
Pauline Viardot: Canción de la infanta
Ravel: Ballade de la Reine morte d’aimer
Robert Schumann: Kerner Lieder, Op.35
and songs by Monteverdi, Hahn, Mompou and Anna Semple

Following her spell-binding performance in partnership with the Consone Quartet in 2024, we are delighted that Helen Charlston returns this year with pianist Sholto Kynoch in a programme that weaves together music from across the centuries, juxtaposing works from the Baroque with Romantic and contemporary songs. Their selection highlights a tapestry of human experience that transcends temporal constraints, and nowhere more vividly than in Schumann’s captivating sequence of songs set to poems by Justinus Kerner. In these pieces, the composer truly reveals his own soul and personality.

"Supremely sensitive playing from Kynoch, Charlston mesmerising with the blackcurrant quality of her voice, her even tone [and] liquid phrasing. A triumphant recital" The Guardian

Bookers for this concert can book tickets at a discounted rate for the Toby Carr afternoon concert at St Cuthbert's Norham and the Helen Charlston/Toby Carr morning concert at Duns Parish Church - see individual event listings for details

Sponsored by Neville & Kathleen Cartwright
Artist info: helencharlston.com / sholtokynoch.com

THURSDAY 24TH JULY - 11:30AM

GARDEN OF EDEN
Programme includes:
Purcell: Come all ye songsters; Music for a while; Sweeter than roses
Barbara Strozzi: Begli occhi; Il Romeo; Amor dormiglione
Pelham Humfrey: A Hymne to God the Father

Spend a morning in paradise with Gramophone Award winning duo, mezzo Helen Charlston and theorbo player Toby Carr. With songs by Henry Purcell, Barbara Strozzi and Marc-Antoine Charpentier welcoming the day with the endless chattering of birds in the sky, lose yourself in the stillness of sunshine dappling the trees, and revel in the radiance of Love’s everlasting joy.

"The performance from Charlston and Carr was devastating, combining power and intimacy" Planet Hugill

Special ticket price of £8 (£5 concessions) for bookers of the Helen Charlston/Sholto Kynoch concert. Discount automatically applied at checkout

Artist info: helencharlston.com / tobycarr.co.uk

THURSDAY 24TH JULY - 7:30PM

THE SOUTHALL STORY
Late 1970s West London was the setting for a remarkable explosion of cultural activity in film, dance and music as, against the background of tense political times, the British Asian community unleashed a wave of irresistible artistic expression. One of the pioneers of this time, Kuljit Bhamra – composer, producer and tabla player – charts a course with his brilliant colleagues from classical Indian music to east/west collaboration, with generous helpings of Bollywood and Bhangra along the way!

"An absolute delight" Audience member

POST-CONCERT: Stay for a short informal Q&A immediately after the concert.

FRIDAY 25TH JULY - 11AM

Join these three charismatic performers for a ‘hands-on’ session demystifying classical and contemporary Indian music. You can try the tabla, join in with some chants and songs, and learn a few simple dance moves – whether seated or standing – in a celebration of the meeting of East and West!

Recommended for ages 9 and upwards.

FRIDAY 25TH JULY - 7:30PM

FATHER, GODFATHER & SON

JS Bach
Organ Trio in G major for flute,violin and continuo, BWV525
Sonata for Violin and Obbligato Harpsichord in A major, BWV1015
Sonata for Flute and continuo in E minor, BWV1034

Telemann
Paris Quartet No.1 in D major, TWV43:D3
Quartet in G minor (Sonata Secondafrom 6 Quadri), TWV43:g1

CPE Bach
Trio Sonata in C major, H. 571/Wq.147

Since making their debut in 2000 at Handel’s parish church – St George’s, Hanover Square, in London’s Mayfair – the London Handel Players have thrilled audiences across the world with their performances and recordings. The elder Bach and Telemann met as young men in Eisenach in 1709 and, in an early sign of their lifelong friendship, the latter was invited to be Godfather to Bach’s son, CPE Bach, in 1714. The range and breadth of imagination possessed by these three great composers offers an evening of unbridled charm, grace and vivacity.

"Consummate skill and musicianship" New York Times

Artist info: londonhandelplayers.co.uk

SATURDAY 26TH JULY - 5PM

Sally and Catriona form a well-established duo that has earned an enthusiastic following for their dynamic and exciting repertoire of Scottish music blended with their own new compositions influenced by folk traditions in Scandinavia and beyond.

SATURDAY 26TH JULY - 6:45PM

Music at Paxton’s Artistic Director, Angus Smith, sets the scene for this evening’s entertainment in Paxton House’s very own ‘Salon’, the Picture Gallery.

SATURDAY 26TH JULY - 7:30PM

Princesse Edmond de Polignac Requests the Pleasure of Your Company

We have been commanded by the Princesse to invite you to a musical evening of compositions and performances by just some of her many brilliant protégés who have illuminated her glittering soirées at her Paris salon in the 40 or so years since she arrived from the USA. You will not only hear the most enchanting music by Satie, Fauré, Ravel, Debussy,Stravinsky, Lili Boulanger, Cécile Chaminade and Beethoven, but you can also be sure to discover the very lates tParisian society gossip (c.1935).

"The recreation provided a charming scene. The range and significance of the pieces debuted in the [Princesse’s] drawing room was astonishing" The Guardian

Maggie Steed has enjoyed an enviable stage, film and TV career, with recent appearances including Paddington 2, Fisherman’s Friends and EastEnders. At the beginning of 2025 she joined the cast of the BBC’s popular long-running drama, Silent Witness.

Artist info: chloepianotrio.com

SUNDAY 27TH JULY - 11:30AM

Beethoven: Piano Trio in D, Op.70 ‘Ghost’
Judith Weir: ‘O Viridissima’
Amy Beach: Piano Trio in A minor, Op.150

The Chloé Piano Trio, winners of the Royal Philharmonic Society Henderson Prize 2021, was formed in 2017 at the Royal College of Music, London. Following performances in the UK, France, Italy, Switzerland and the Netherlands, they recently curated their first ‘Chloé Festival’ in London. In January 2026 they will be touring Scotland as Tunnell Trust Artists. In this programme, Judith Weir’s realisation of a haunting hymn by the medieval Abbess Hildegard of Bingen, and Amy Beach’s 1938 dynamic trio infused with Native American influences, are preceded by Beethoven’s ever-popular ‘Ghost’ Trio.

Artist info: chloepianotrio.com

SUNDAY 27TH JULY - 3:30PM

Mozart: Variations on Gluck’s ‘Unser dummer Pöbel meint’, K.455; Adagio from Sonata in F, K.280; Sonata in C, K.330
Ravel: Oiseaux tristes from ‘Miroirs’
Mozart: Rondo in A minor, K.511
Ravel: Une barque sur l’océan from ‘Miroirs’
Mozart: Rondo in F, K.494
Ravel: Menuet antique
Mozart: Rondo in D, K.485
Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte

We are thrilled to be joined by a Music at Paxton audience-favourite artist, Pavel Kolesnikov, for our festival finale. Aside from his outstanding technical mastery, Pavel’s ingenious programming and deeply personal interpretative insights shed new light on the work of even the most familiar composers. The first half of this recital introduces the supreme elegance of which only Mozart is capable, while the interspersing of Ravel’s radical impressionistic sounds in the second half adds an entirely new perspective to the recital. Prepare to be transfixed!

"Kolesnikov’s playing combines great emotional intelligence with understated virtuosity … A truly outstanding recital" The Guardian

Sponsored by Wynne Harlen

Artist info: pavelkolesnikov.co.uk