- The group reshaping the future of classical and contemporary music through radical artistic work made in the north of England turns 10
- 26/27 Season: Volume II announced today, with four major projects touring to concert halls and alternative spaces across the UK
- Highlights include a fresh take on minimalism in Philip Glass and Steve Reich’s 90th year, alongside multimedia and genre-busting musical experiences
Started in early 2017 by a small group of artists, Manchester Collective have been disrupting, innovating and breaking new ground in the presentation of classical music for almost a decade, cementing a reputation as one of Britain’s most innovative and distinctive organisations.
From their base in Manchester, the Collective create bold artistic projects that tour the UK and beyond – presenting work that is rooted in human connection, collaboration and radical thinking. Over a ten-year history, they have become known for redefining audiences’ relationship with classical and bold new music through work that reflects, challenges and changes the world we live in.
Linda Begbie, chief executive of Manchester Collective, says: “Manchester Collective was founded on the fundamental belief that music and culture are essential for human connection. Now, ten years into this journey, I’m extremely proud that it has paved the way for radically rethinking the narrative around classical music – who gets to experience it, who gets to write it, and who gets to take up space in our world. We have never rested on the canon or been afraid to take risks. That has allowed us to present ambitious and relevant projects that showcase some of today’s most exciting artists.
We want the Collective to be a meeting point for different voices, ideas and artistic practices; a place where the old leans up against the new and where creative conversations and collaborations can flourish so the art form continues to move forward. It’s a real privilege to work alongside our brilliant artistic directors Rakhi Singh and Jasmin Kent Rodgman, as well as our ever-growing, shape-shifting powerhouse of creative collaborators, as the organisation continues to grow and evolve.”
10 years of shaping the music and artists of tomorrow
Smashing through the silos of different music genres and artforms, the Collective are reimagining how artists create. From ambitious collaborations with dance-theatre company Thick & Tight and electronic artist Clark, to breaking new musical ground with jazz pianist Fergus McCreadie and South African cellist Abel Selaocoe, the shape-shifting ensemble is paving the way for new types of cultural experiences. In the process, they have been blurring the line between performer and composer, showcasing how creative and versatile classical musicians can be through improvisation, communication and working with amplification.
As champions of the music of tomorrow, the Collective celebrate the commissioning of their 50th new work in 2027, marking a decade of bold artistic investment. Through an ambitious commissioning programme, they have amplified diversity and given a voice to artists who have historically been underrepresented in classical music. Major commissions from the likes of Ben Nobuto, Nabihah Iqbal and Hannah Peel, who have since been spotlit from the BBC Proms stage to Apple’s international product launch, highlight the breadth of creators shaping the Collective’s evolving sound world.
They continue to deepen their impact in the north of England through artist development programmes that support the next generation of classical and contemporary music-makers with a focus on risk-taking. The Manchester Collective x RNCM Studio gives postgraduate string players real-world experience of the alternative pathways available to musicians outside of traditional orchestral roles. Alongside this, EXPERIMENTA supports creators from diverse musical backgrounds – particularly those rooted in the North – who are curious about contemporary classical but have lacked access to it. Alumni have included LINTD, Anja Ngozi and Jacob Samuel.
10 years of shaping the audiences of tomorrow
Equally at home in a concert hall or an underground nightclub, Manchester Collective are changing the way we think about the format and presentation of classical music, transforming how, where and by whom it is experienced.
From intimate shows in Salford’s iconic The White Hotel and Future Yard in Birkenhead, to being Resident Artists at the Southbank Centre, the Collective continue to challenge expectations by inviting audiences into an experience that feels welcoming and disarmingly human. Every performance – whether on a major stage or in somebody’s front room – is an authentic expression of their core values: artistic excellence, openness and connection.
By breaking down the norms around classical performances and cultivating environments built on shared curiosity and open-mindedness, the Collective are redefining what the audience for classical and experimental new music can be. Attracting classical music aficionados and the culturally curious alike, in the process they are building a community that feels part of something alive, adventurous and forward looking.
Manchester Collective’s 26/27 Season: Volume II
Today Manchester Collective reveal the second half of an anniversary season that showcases the hallmarks of their radical human experiences. Four major projects span vastly different worlds – from a celebration of one of classical music’s biggest icons in his 90th year, Philip Glass, to a vital artistic exploration of weather and climate change. See full listings in Notes to Editors below.
Glass Reframed I (Jan–Feb 2027)
Marking Philip Glass’s 90th birthday in January 2027, Manchester Collective give their unconventional take on the musical icon by programming him alongside an artist unafraid of big metal and classical sounds. A towering figure not just in minimalism but contemporary culture, Philip Glass’s 20th-century string quartets journey from dissonance to musical freedom via his trademark lyrical repetition. Here the Collective go back to the core craft of quartet playing to perform his angular first quartet alongside his virtuosic fifth one, written nearly 30 years later. Glass’s music is flanked by Rylan Gleave, whose varied work spans doom metal, experimental and orchestral music. His Kyrie Eleison showcases haunting vocals in a dark, imaginative take on the ancient prayer, alongside a brand-new piece for string quartet and voice, while ‘Devotions’ by Edmund Finnis provides a shaft of light.
Touring to Leeds, Bristol, London (as part of Southbank Centre’s Philip Glass at 90), Nottingham, Manchester, and Liverpool.
Glass Reframed II (Mar–Apr 2027)
Some of the most visceral, memorable experiences in the Collective’s 10-year history have taken place off the beaten track, and this tour visits venues old and new – a former market hall, trades club, storage depot, church – each with its own character and story to tell. The second part of the Collective’s Philip Glass series places the drama of two of his string quartets at its heart. The brooding intensity of No. 2 ‘Company’ sits alongside the earthy No. 4 ‘Buczak’, an expression of love and remembrance dedicated to the artist of the same name after his untimely death at 32 from AIDS complications. Glass’s music is leaned up against other artists – including John Luther Adams, Missy Mazzoli and Andrea Tarrodi – building a whole new world around his work through pieces that either complement or sharply contrast.
Touring to Hebden Bridge, Bristol, Stalybridge, Glasgow, Bradford, Birkenhead and Cambridge.
Night Works (Apr 2027)
The 10th anniversary offers the opportunity to look back on the Collective’s roots with a programme suffused with the ecstatic energy and radical spirit of nighttime urban life. First presented in 2022, a pairing of works by Steve Reich and Hannah Peel is complemented by the addition of a brand-new commission from composer Jacob Samuel in which pop culture and classical sounds collide. Peel’s mesmerising ‘Neon’ opens with the rush hour bustle of Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, while Reich’s Double Sextet plunges the audience into the heady darkness of 90s club culture through the lens of Manchester filmmaker Graham Hector.
Touring to Manchester with more dates to be announced.
WEATHER (May 2027)
A breathtaking musical journey suffused with nature sounds and visuals, WEATHER is an artistic record of threatened habitats, where live music meets audiovisual installation. At the heart of this hour-long odyssey is Michael Gordon‘s cult piece ‘Weather’ for string orchestra – brought to life by the Collective and animated by the rich archive of seminal sound artist and field recordist Chris Watson and a two-screen film installation by his long-time collaborator, Carlos Casas. From an East Asian rainforest to the world’s oldest desert, and from an Icelandic glacier to a sunken medieval town off the English coast, audiences will be transported to a series of habitats, each of which bears the marks of extreme weather events.
Touring to Oxford and London.
Rakhi Singh, co-founder and co-artistic director of Manchester Collective, says: “Ten years ago, Adam Szabo, Simmy Singh and I planted a seed and watered it with a whole lot of love and dedication. Little did we know that it would end up growing into a pioneering company that has changed the classical music scene in the UK. It’s been an interesting, challenging and rewarding process to experience how a dedication to instinct and the act of creation can be a guiding force. It’s also proven to me that bravery to go into the unknown, combined with rigour and devotion, can result in experiences that connect us on a deeper level as players and with our audience.
Working with Philip Glass on a premiere in MIF 2019 made a deep impression on me. It was a beautiful moment to talk to him, to play with him and to appreciate his amazing art and gentle manner. Since then I’ve wanted to feature his music more prominently, so it sits at the core of this anniversary season. It’s instantly recognisable, yet full of variation – transparent and rich at the same time. He draws on so many influences, from Bulgarian rhythms to Schubertian structure and form, from classical traditions to sounds from across the world.”
Jasmin Kent Rodgman, co-artistic director of Manchester Collective, says: “The beating heart of classical music is as powerful as it’s ever been. It has the power to enact change, to rally, to commemorate, to celebrate. In the second half of our 26/27 season we embrace this passion as we open our arms to new perspectives. Whether that be passing our history through a contemporary lens or projecting into the future with hope, aspiration and purpose.
In WEATHER we imagine our future in an era of climate emergency – by coupling Michael Gordon’s ‘Weather’ with Chris Watson’s epic soundscapes from across the globe, we position Mother Nature as a composer in her own right. In Night Works, we draw upon the power of dance and subculture in our very own time capsule from the 1990s to now, reconnecting classical music with the power of grassroots movements in an energetic romp through some of our favourite hits from Steve Reich and Hannah Peel. As ever, we invite our audiences and collaborators from all walks of life to join us in these conversations – theatremakers, pop musicians, climate activists, filmmakers, sound recordists – to dream and reflect with us. The connective tissue between us all is the stuff of magic and where we can see and feel real change taking place.”
For full programme details, visit manchestercollective.co.uk