The final day of the 2026 Festival shines a spotlight on our  Young Artists, with an informal Lieder Lounge featuring these young talents.

The final day of the 2026 Festival shines a spotlight on our  Young Artists, with a showcase featuring these young talents.

The Day of Dreams concludes with our first ever Song Exchange: expect multi-cultural dialogue and utopian visions of harmony inspired by the 14th Century poet, Hafiz, and Goethe’s inspiring response, his West-eastern divan. The recital combines Persian songs with works by Alma and Gustav Mahler, and an exciting new commission from Composer in Residence, Emily Hazrati with text by Nazli Tabatabai-Khatambakhsh. Pianist Jocelyn Freeman joins exciting emerging artists Filippo Turkheimer baritone, Negin Raggazhi soprano and Joe Zeitlin cello who will be improvising between songs.

Acclaimed tenor James Gilchrist works with 2026 SongEasel Young Artists at this public masterclass.

The evening continues in St Matthews with a soulful evening of popular Spanish and Latin American music for guitar and voice, starring Diana Florez vocals and Ubeimar Llanten, guitar. Expect Astor Piazzolla and Silvo Rodriguez interspersed with folk and jazz flavours.

Star Spanish soprano Lorena Paz Nieto returns to SongEasel with a wonderful programme featuring songs by Latin women composers. Together with British-hispanic pianist Helen Glaisher-Hernández, their programme brings to life these hidden gems, including works by Teresa Carreño, Pauline Viardot and Alicia de Larrocha for a recital that promised to be both enlightening and uplifting.

Spanish Fringe event from former SongEasel Young Artists Cecilia Rodríguez soprano and Esther Vilar-Portillo piano, introducing a fun selection of Spanish songs.

Acclaimed pianist Roger Vignoles works with 2026 SongEasel Young Artists at this public masterclass.

Former BBC New Generation Artist, baritone James Newby makes a welcome return to SongEasel with accompanist, Malcolm Martineau for an imaginatively curated sea-themed programme from two star performers. The recital will feature anniversary composer Carl Loewe, who lived much of his life in the coastal city of Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland), alongside songs from Elgar’s Sea Pictures, and songs by Schubert, Duparc, Rachmaninov and Kurt Weill.

Pre-concert talk and short recital of songs by our composer of the day, Carl Loewe.

Acclaimed Professor Richard Stokes works with 2026 SongEasel Young Artists at this public masterclass.

Our celebrated Fringe programme returns to South East London’s favourite hospitality establishments. Join this exciting song duo of former SongEasel Young Artist Programme alumni for an evening of light-hearted classical music with a hearty dose of folk music from around the world!

Former SongEasel Young Artist, the Irish-Egyptian bass Johannes Gerges makes his recital debut with SongEasel with a transcendent programme of songs that explore images of Paradise. The programme combines Lieder by Schubert, Brahms and anniversary composer Carl Loewe with English Song by Ives, Adams and Elgar, and is accompanied by SongEasel’s Artistic Director, pianist Jocelyn Freeman.

Former SongEasel Young Artist, the Irish-Egyptian bass Johannes Gerges makes his recital debut with SongEasel with a transcendent programme of songs that explore images of Paradise. The programme combines Lieder by Schubert, Brahms and anniversary composer Carl Loewe with English Song by Ives, Adams and Elgar, and is accompanied by SongEasel’s Artistic Director, pianist Jocelyn Freeman.

Join SongEasel on the eve of Franz Schubert's birthday for an intimate celebration of Schubert's Lieder, featuring international rising stars.

A recital of light-hearted songs and Lieder from Jocelyn Freeman and friends, including Mark Padmore CBE and Lorena Paz Nieto.

Celebrated Jamaican-Indian soprano Nadine Benjamin MBE joins us for our 2025 series finale, with a personal programme outlining her life and journey. Also a renowned coach, she will be joined by her mentees, including soprano Danae Eleni accompanied by Andrea Kmecova, for a programme that features a wide variety of songs and cultural influences.

Acclaimed soprano Juliane Banse works with 2025 SongEasel Young Artists at this public masterclass.

Star German soprano Juliane Banse partners Finnish pianist Pauliina Tukiainen for a heart-felt conclusion to our Schumann celebrations. Their programme combines rousing Spanish songs with selections from Wolf’s Spanisches Liederbuch and Robert Schumann’s heart-felt Frauenliebe und -leben, his evocation of a woman’s journey in life-long love.

Acclaimed bass-baritone Stephan Loges works with 2025 SongEasel Young Artists at this public masterclass.

SongEasel 2025 Artist-in-Residence Stephan Loges joins Artistic Director Jocelyn Freeman for a heart-warming programme that pays homage to the 185th anniversary of the marriage of Clara Wieck to Robert Schumann 185 years ago. They present a selection of Clara’s songs alongside Robert’s Liederkreis  Op 39 and selections from Kernerlieder Op 35.

Acclaimed pianist Pauliina Tukiainen works with 2025 SongEasel Young Artists at this public masterclass.

BBC New Generation Artist, stunning mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston presents  an inspired programme pairing songs by Héloïse Werner and Fanny Hensel with  Schumann’s Dichterliebe, in the original version for mezzo soprano. She is joined by renowned pianist Sholto Kynoch, who makes a welcome return to SongEasel, kicking off our Schumann weekend.

Join us for our final Fringe event, performed by exciting young mezzo-soprano Nafissatu Batu Duramy and Jocelyn Freeman in the wonderful space at Rocketvan Coffee Shop and Bar.. Expect a moving and evocative programme ranging from gems of the Lieder repertoire to songs in French and Bambara.

Stay with us for a family-friendly musical treat from exciting young mezzo-soprano Nafissatu Batu Duramy and Jocelyn Freeman as we continue our Fringe programme. Expect a moving and evocative programme ranging from gems of the Lieder repertoire to songs in French and Bambara.

Exceptional young Zambian baritone Themba Mvula performs a recital of works by Mokale Koapeng, Robert Fokkens and Amanda Aldridge, accompanied by Jocelyn Freeman.

Participants in SongEasel’s 2025 Young Artist Programme present a resplendent programme of Lebendige Lieder (Living Song) that captures the utopian ideals and cross-cultural dialogue of the current recital series DREAMS: A Place. Lieder from Robert and Clara Schumann pairs with Goethe and Hafiz settings, culminating with songs from more sociable settings, such as cabaret and salon, in a true celebration of the place of Lieder in today’s society.

Incomparable tenor James Gilchrist joins pianist Jocelyn Freeman for Schumann’s epic Dichterliebe alongside musical settings of lyrical Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas. A new commission by Isabella Gellis augments this thought-provoking repertoire, which includes works by William Mathias and Rhian Samuel, and a selection of idyllic English Song.

Begin your weekend with a family-friendly musical treat as we launch our Fringe programme with an eclectic programme of salon, classical and show tunes at Rocketvan Coffee Shop & Bar.