Recitals

9 May Benjamin Saunders

Leeds Cathedral: 1.15–2.00 pm

Join us for our opening weekly recital at Leeds Cathedral as together we celebrate Leeds International Organ Festival, in partnership with Leeds City of Culture 2023. This week’s recitalist is Benjamin Saunders, Director of Music for the Diocese of Leeds. His programme includes music for both organ and accordion, with works by Bach, Scarlatti and Herschel.

15 May Thomas Leech

Leeds Cathedral: 1.15–2.00 pm

Join us for our weekly recital at Leeds Cathedral as together we celebrate Leeds International Organ Festival, in partnership with Leeds City of Culture 2023. This week’s recitalist is Thomas Leech, Director of the Diocese of Leeds Schools Singing Programme, and his programme includes works by Bach, Errollyn Wallen and Dupré.

22 May Carlos Paterson (Spain)

Leeds Cathedral: 1.15–2.00 pm

Join us for our weekly recital at Leeds Cathedral as together we celebrate Leeds International Organ Festival, in partnership with Leeds City of Culture 2023. This week’s recitalist is Carlos Paterson from Spain, and his programme includes works by Narvajas, Franck and Guilmant.

5 June Valerie Barr and Djordje Gajic [Accordion]

Leeds Cathedral: 1.15–2.00 pm

This week is Accordion week at the Festival and we’re delighted to be joined by Djordje Gajic, Head of Accordion at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Valerie Barr, Accordion Tutor for the Diocese of Leeds. They will present a collection of solo and duet pieces, including organ classics arranged for the accordion.

Programme TBC

7 June Triskelion [Clarinet, Saxophone and Accordion Trio]

Leeds Cathedral: 7.00 pm–8.00 pm

Triskelion is a new collaboration between Valerie Barr (accordion), Richard Scholfield (saxophone) and Cathal Killeen (clarinet). As a trio, they aim to present new and reimagined music to communities throughout the UK via innovative programming, new transcriptions and original compositions. Drawing on the shared cultural history of Ireland and Scotland, along with their own classical training, the trio present their home traditions of music and contrast this proud heritage with original arrangements of classical favourites and new music, including works by J.S. Bach, Astor Piazzolla and James MacMillan.

12 June David Bendix Nielsen (Denmark)

Leeds Cathedral: 1.15–2.00 pm

Join us for our weekly recital at Leeds Cathedral as together we celebrate Leeds International Organ Festival, in partnership with Leeds City of Culture 2023. This week’s recitalist is David Bendix Nielsen from Denmark, and his programme includes music by Widor, Stanley and Stanford.

14 June Kit Downes

Leeds Cathedral: 7.00–8.30 pm

Join BBC Jazz Award-winning and Mercury Music Award-nominated Kit Downes for a special performance at Leeds Cathedral. Spend an evening with one of the most creative jazz musicians of his generation, as he explores the kaleidoscopic soundscape of the Cathedral organ in this unique event.

Programme TBC

19 June Frederick Hohman (USA)

Leeds Cathedral: 1.15–2.00 pm

Join us for our weekly recital at Leeds Cathedral as together we celebrate Leeds International Organ Festival, in partnership with Leeds City of Culture 2023. This week’s recitalist is Frederick Hohman from the USA, and his programme includes Bach alongside transcriptions by Tchaikovsky and Wagner.

26 June Darius Battiwalla

Leeds Cathedral: 1.15–2.00 pm

Join us for our weekly recital at Leeds Cathedral as together we celebrate Leeds International Organ Festival, in partnership with Leeds City of Culture 2023. This week’s recitalist is Darius Battiwalla, Leeds City Organist, and his programme includes works by Mendelssohn, Bach and Reubke.

2 July Keyboard Studies Programme Celebratory Concert

Leeds Cathedral: 3.00–4.00 pm

Now an annual feature, we're thrilled that young students from the Diocese of Leeds Keyboard Studies Programme will have the opportunity to play in this celebratory concert at Leeds Cathedral, featuring accordionists, pianists and organists.

Programme TBC

3 July Angela Metzger (Germany)

Leeds Cathedral: 1.15–2.00 pm

Join us for our weekly recital at Leeds Cathedral as together we celebrate Leeds International Organ Festival, in partnership with Leeds City of Culture 2023. This week’s recitalist is renowned German concert organist Angela Metzger, and her programme includes works by Reger, Mamlok and Vierne.

10 July David Grealy

Leeds Cathedral: 1.15–2.00 pm

Join us for our weekly recital at Leeds Cathedral as together we celebrate Leeds International Organ Festival, in partnership with Leeds City of Culture 2023. This week’s recitalist is David Grealy, Assistant Organist at Leeds Cathedral, and his programme includes music by Bach and Franck.

17 July David Pipe

Leeds Cathedral: 1.15–2.00 pm

Join us for the final recital at Leeds Cathedral as together we celebrate Leeds International Organ Festival, in partnership with Leeds City of Culture 2023. This week’s recitalist is David Pipe, the Festival’s Artistic Director and Organist at Leeds Cathedral. His programme includes Coates, Bruhns and Florence Price.