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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GETTING REKT (The Evening Star) The Union Theatre (9/21-9/24) |
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Disneys Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert - Film with Live Orchestra Symphony Hall (12/09-12/09) |
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LOLA: Grief Bacon Pyjama Party Upstairs at the Gatehouse (9/18-9/18) |
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The Musical Medea Upstairs at the Gatehouse (9/30-10/04) |
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Burn Baby Burn: LA Inferno Upstairs at the Gatehouse (10/17-10/17) |
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Trainspotting The Musical Blackpool Opera House (12/14-12/19) |
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Paradise Found: A Dedication to The Legend Of Meat Loaf Victoria Theatre Halifax (1/15-1/15) |
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Trainspotting The Musical New Theatre Oxford (2/15-2/20) |
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Count Arthur Strong - And Its Goodnight From Me! Stockport Plaza (4/25-4/25) |
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Disney''s Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert Royal Concert Hall Nottingham (12/04-12/04) |