Fantasia Orchestra to Perform at Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
The performance will feature regular collaborator and long-time friend of the orchestra Jess Gilliam MBE.
Tickets for Fantasia Orchestra's remaining concerts in its 2025–26 season are now on sale, following an opening night at Smith Square Hall on Sunday 23 November.
The concert which launched both the new season and a residency at the London venue, originally was set to feature soprano Lucy Crowe OBE, but saw international star Elizabeth Watts step in with less than 24 hours’ notice, delivering a dazzling performance of birdsong-inspired repertoire spanning Strauss, Mozart, Messiaen and Sherwin.
The evening also included a surprise guest appearance by Braimah Kanneh-Mason, who joined the orchestra during Vivaldi’s Spring from The Four Seasons and again for Sherwin’s A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, helping to mark the beginning of Fantasia’s new season and inaugural Smith Square Hall residency.
The event was the first of four appearances at the venue this season, with subsequent performances on 10 April with Jasdeep Singh Degun, 29 May with Steven Osborne and 3 July with Niamh O’Sullivan. The other concert in the 2025-26 programme will be at the Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham on 16 February with regular collaborator and long-time friend of the orchestra Jess Gilliam MBE.
Tickets for all upcoming performances — in London and Nottingham (16 February) — are now released and available to book.
Over the past decade, Fantasia has developed a reputation for its imaginative programming, collaborative spirit, and top-level players drawn from across the UK. The new season takes that ethos even further.
Under the direction of conductor and founder Tom Fetherstonhaugh, the orchestra is now building on the success of their BBC Proms debut in summer 2024 with a season featuring hand-curated programmes. Each concert is shaped by Tom’s personal musical connections, friendships, and artistic vision.
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Trainspotting The Musical Blackpool Opera House (12/14-12/19) |
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Count Arthur Strong - And Its Goodnight From Me! The Fire Station (2/28-2/28) |
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United We Stand Live - Andy Cole & Andy Mitten The Limelight 1 (8/14-8/14) |
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English Chamber Orchestra Royal Gala 2026 English Chamber Orchestra Royal Gala 2026 (10/17-10/17) |
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Parent and Baby Soundbath Elgar Room, Royal Albert Hall (9/23-9/23) |
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Trainspotting The Musical Theatre Royal Glasgow (3/15-3/20) |
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Future Makers The Royal Albert Hall (11/04-11/04) |
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Kick the Door Down Theatreship (9/25-9/25) |
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Blue | Glas Aberystwyth Arts Centre (11/18-11/19) |
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Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl in Concert (12A) The Royal Albert Hall (12/29-12/29) |