20th Anniversary Programme Revealed For Music At Paxton Festival

The 20th anniversary Music at Paxton programme is both a celebration of the festival's past - distinguished returning artists include Angela Hewitt, Roderick Williams and Iain Burnside, Chiaroscuro Quartet, Gould Piano Trio and Steven Osborne - and a vision of an exciting future with a distinctly Scottish flavour - guitarist Samrat Majumder, Lumas Winds, cellist Hugh Mackay and Ensemble Jackalope.

Running from 17 to 26 July in the Scottish Borders, the 10-day festival takes place at Paxton House and venues across the surrounding area, presenting world-class performances in intimate settings and demonstrating a commitment to access and participation.

The 20th anniversary programme reflects the festival's core strengths - piano recitals, chamber music and song - while broadening its scope through new collaborations and repertoire spanning eight centuries.

Festival highlights

The 2026 festival opens with pianist Steven Osborne, whose programme moves from Schubert - including new song transcriptions by Steven - to Beethoven's Diabelli Variations, one of the defining works of the piano repertoire.

Baroque specialists the Dunedin Consort present a programme of trio sonatas and instrumental works by Corelli, Handel and Vivaldi, offering a snapshot of 18th-century European style, with director John Butt also offering a Sunday morning solo harpsichord recital,  while the Gould Piano Trio bring together Haydn, Schumann, Mendelssohn and Sir James MacMillan's second Piano Trio, composed especially for the Goulds.

Beethoven's late quartets form the centre of a two-concert residency from the Chiaroscuro Quartet, featuring two late works (Op.132 and Op.135) and additional quartets by Haydn and Mendelssohn.

Newly appointed BBC New Generation Artist Samrat Majumder, guitar, traces a line from Renaissance Spain to the early 20th century, featuring works by Narváez, Dowland, Sor and Granados.  

Wind ensemble Lumas Winds present a wide-ranging programme from Bernstein and Holst to Ligeti and Arnold, while Ensemble Jackalope showcase piano quartets by Bridge, Schumann and Fauré. Baritone Roderick Williams and pianist Iain Burnside explore evocative British and American poetry from the turn of the 19th/20th century set to music by the greatest composers of the era, and the festival closes with young Borders cellist Hugh Mackay playing unaccompanied Bach, and a recital of music by Bach, Schumann, Couperin and Ravel performed by international-acclaimed pianist Angela Hewitt.

Marking Music at Paxton's 20th anniversary, this year sees the launch of Take Your Seat, offering 20 free tickets for under 26's for every concert.

Song and storytelling

A central strand of the festival has always been song. This year, baritone Roderick Williams and pianist Iain Burnside present From the Forest of Dean to the Appalachians, tracing connections between English song, American poetry and folk traditions, with music by Vaughan Williams, Holst, Bliss and others alongside American spirituals arranged by Roderick.

Festival finale

The closing weekend features solo Bach from cellist Hugh Mackay, followed by a final recital from pianist Angela Hewitt, whose programme pairs Bach with Schumann, Couperin and Ravel.

Beyond the main stage

Alongside the core programme, Music at Paxton continues its work with local communities and young audiences, with free and informal performances, family events and partnerships with Live Music Now Scotland. As in previous years, the festival offers direct and intimate connection between artists and audiences.

Music at Paxton at 20

Since founding in 2006, Music at Paxton has grown from three events over one weekend, to more than 24 events featuring 37 professional musicians over ten days. 2016 was the first year the festival ran the free taster concerts in May and June, Music at Paxton Plus, in association with Live Music Now Scotland. During its 20 years, Music at Paxton has programmed more than 400 performances from over 600 artists and has become a firm fixture in the UK chamber music calendar, known for the quality of its programming and the character of its setting.

Artistic Director Angus Smith said: Our 20 year celebration is founded on our core programming principles: inviting established, brilliant and engaging musicians to perform in the glorious setting of Paxton House for the enjoyment of people who live in the Border region, and giving a platform to outstanding young musicians whose appreciation of the opportunity we can provide is evident in their inspirational performances.

Main festival programme

On Friday 17 July at 7.30pm, pianist Steven Osbourne’s recital opens with his own original perspective on an isolated movement and two late songs by Franz Schubert from the Schwanengesang collection that was posthumously published. The programme also features Beethoven’s monumental ‘Diabelli’ Variations. There is a short informal Q&A after the concert.

In association with Live Music Now Scotland, duo Rachel Campbell, accordion/piano and Holli Scott fiddle, are an exciting new addition to the Scottish traditional music scene, drawing on their shared roots in Argyll to create a fresh and expressive blend of instrumental music and vocals on Saturday 18 July at 1.30pm.

Haddington’s’ Hadley Court Singers, directed by Kit Hobkirk, head to the historic riverside setting of St Cuthbert’s Church in Norham on Saturday 18 July at 5.00pm for a glorious programme of late Italian Renaissance works by Palestrina – including his sublime Stabat Mater – and Gesualdo, alongside magnificent motets and songs by Stanford and Parry. This concert is free (booking advised).

John Butt directs one of the world’s most exciting Baroque ensembles, Dunedin Consort, in an exploration of outstanding works featured in the sale catalogues of family duo Estienne Roger and Michel-Charles Le Cène, prolific printers and publishers of music in Amsterdam. The concert, on Saturday 18 July at 7.30pm, features work by Torelli, Corelli Froberger, Albinoni and Vivaldi amongst others.

John Butt, harpsichord, returns on Sunday 19 July at 11.30am for an entertaining tour of important 17th and early 18th century European musical centres, commencing with a whimsical suite of dances by French composer Louis Couperin, followed by short stopovers in Italy and England, and arriving in Germany for a selection of Preludes and Fugues from Bach’s monumental Well-Tempered Clavier Book I.

Gould Piano Trio take to the stage on Sunday 19 July at 3.30pm for James MacMillan’s Piano Trio No.2, a joint commission from the Gould Trio and Bath International Festival. The trios, chosen for this performance for their sunny disposition and high spirits, also include Haydn’s Piano Trio No.44 and Schumann’ Piano Trio No.2 - described by the composer as having a “friendlier and more immediate impression”.

The festival is delighted to welcome the Chiaroscuro Quartet back for two performances that can be enjoyed individually or as a musical sequence. On Tuesday 21 July at 7.30pm the group perform a trio of Beethoven Quartets: from the early genial Quartet in D, to his upbeat and final completed composition, Quartet in F, and his dark and brooding Quartet in A minor, famous for its striking ‘Chorale hymn of thanksgiving for recovery from illness’ - considered by many to be one of Beethoven’s greatest creations. There is also a short informal Q&A after the concert.

On Wednesday 22 July, Chiaroscuro Quartet head to Duns Parish Church at 11.00am for a witty, energetic quartet by Haydn, the first of a set of six that has been grouped as the ‘Sun’ quartets for their genial disposition, and Mendelssohn’s Quartet in A minor, written when the composer was just 18.

Scottish-Indian guitarist (YCAT Artist, Classic FM Rising Star, BBC New Generation Artist) Samrat Majumder, makes his festival debut on Wednesday 22 July at 7.30pm. His programme offers a dynamic selection of guitar repertoire stretching from England to Germany, and from Spain to Paraguay. Praised for his range of expression and beauty of tone, Samrat has also received great acclaim for his sensitive transcriptions and beautiful interpretations of Schubert songs.

Amyas Ensemble are joined by members of St Cuthbert’s Church Choir in Northam on Thursday 23 July at 5.00pm for ‘Meditatio’, an evocative programme inviting listeners into a world of devotion, landscape and quiet wonder, inspired by the life of St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne. At its heart are chants dedicated to the saint that have not been heard in nearly 1,000 years.

Lumas Winds high-octane programme, on Thursday 23 July at 7.30pm, is packed with a sparkling mix of lively mid-20th century pieces, contrasting with the calm beauty and elegance of works by Bach and Holst. As winners of the 71st Royal Over-Seas League Mixed Ensemble Prize, the quintet are praised for lively performance style and enterprising in their choice of repertoire.

On Friday 24 July at 7.30pm, baritone Roderick Williams and pianist Iain Burnside have devised a wonderful programme, From the Forest of Dean to the Appalachians, to transport audiences across land, seas and time. Shining a reflective light on an age before and after the turn of the 20th century, this concert features music by Vaughan Williams, Holst, Bliss and others alongside spirituals.

Roderick Williams and Iain Burnside return on Saturday 25 July at 11.00am for a Masterclass with young singers beginning their musical careers, sharing insights on interpretation and presentation. The Masterclass is free entry for Friday night concert ticket holders when booked at same time.

Aberdeenshire harpist, Rachel Groves, performs on Saturday 25 July at 1.30pm in association with Live Music Now Scotland. Rooted in Scottish traditional music, she draws on influences from classical, jazz and global folk styles as a platform for exploring the rich textural range of her instrument.

Ensemble Jackalope bring an invigorating brilliance to the Piano Quartet repertoire on Saturday 25 July at 7.30pm. Frank Bridge’s 1910 quartet packed with immense energy, is followed by Fauré’s expansive and ardent work and Schumann’s Quartet - full of spirit and vitality. There is a short informal Q&A after the concert.

Scottish cellist Hugh Mackay is rapidly establishing a fine reputation as a soloist and chamber musician across Europe. On Sunday 26 July at 11.30am, he performs the very essence of Bach -Cello Suits No 2 and No 3.

Internationally acclaimed pianist Angela Hewitt closes the festival on Sunday 26 July at 3.30pm with a programme especially apt as the beautiful Paxton Picture Gallery takes on a new lease of life as the Ballroom. Dance rhythms lie at the heart of this concert, featuring Bach’s Partita No.5, Schumann’s Piano Sonata in G Minor, François Couperin’s ‘From the Sixième Ordre’ and Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin.

Artistic Director, Angus Smith, added: We are delighted and proud to present our 20th Anniversary festival and believe the programme will stir emotions and bring many smiles to faces. We owe much to the dedication and hard work of those who first contemplated and launched the festival, and to everyone tasked with devising and delivering the exceptional musical experiences in the years since that have established Music at Paxton as an essential part of the UK’s summer music festival calendar.

Music at Paxton is committed to attracting new and younger audiences, and is proud to launch Take Your Seat, a new scheme offering 20 free tickets for under 26’s for every concert as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations.