Chromatica Orchestra announces its Spring/Summer 2026 Series led by returning Emerging Conductor Fellows Tess Jackson and Charlotte Politi. Across four bold and imaginative concert programmes, the orchestra explores the power of storytelling and shared music-making.
At the heart of the season is Chromatica Orchestra’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of musicians. Peter and the Wolf at Battersea Arts Centre will feature students from the Music in Secondary Schools Trust (MiSST), marking the latest chapter in Chromatica Orchestra’s growing Orchestrate initiative. Through this long-term partnership with schools including Bobby Moore Academy, students perform side-by-side with professional musicians and gain hands-on experience in artistic and technical roles each season.
Spring/Summer 2026 Series
Peter and the Wolf
Tuesday 17 February 2026, 2pm & 4.30pm – Battersea Arts Centre
Following the success of last year’s Carnival of the Animals family concert, Chromatica Orchestra returns with Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. Tess Jackson conducts this timeless tale where each character springs to life through the orchestra.
Songs and Dances
Thursday 26 February 2026, 7.30pm – Battersea Arts Centre
A richly coloured programme of song and dance traditions reimagined by 20th-century composers. Mezzo-soprano Lotte Betts-Dean joins Chromatica and conductor Tess Jackson for a vibrant evening spanning the rustic, the elegiac, and the celebratory.
Programme:
Luciano Berio – Folk Songs
Béla Bartók – Romanian Folk Dances
Maurice Ravel – Le Tombeau de Couperin
Echoes of Albion
Thursday 30 April 2026, 7.30pm – Wilton’s Music Hall
This concert will feature clarinettist Julian Bliss and conductor Tess Jackson in a programme celebrating British musical voices.
Edward Elgar – Serenade for Strings
Gerald Finzi – Clarinet Concerto
Freya Waley Cohen – Talisman
Benjamin Britten – Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge
New York, New York
Wednesday 17 June 2026, 7.30pm – Battersea Arts Centre
A glittering finale inspired by the city that never sleeps. Ryan Wang joins Chromatica and conductor Charlotte Politi for a concert full of transatlantic energy and colour.
Copland – Quiet City
Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue
Charles Ives – Central Park in the Dark
Steve Reich – City Life