EIF Classical Highlights: Ken Walton on the 2026 programme
Scotsman classical music critic Ken Walton picks his highlights from the 2026 Edinburgh International Festival programme
Opening Concert: Wynton Marsalis’ Symphony No 1, All Rise Classical vies with bristling jazz in Wynton Marsalis’ epic All Rise, a symphony in 12 movements paying homage to the 12-bar blues, but harnessing the symphonic might of the RSNO in tandem with Marsalis’ Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Edinburgh Festival Chorus and the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers. James Gaffigan conducts. Usher Hall, 8 August
Dunedin Consort Always a star turn at the Queen’s Hall, the Dunedin Consort bring Tansy Davies’ Passion of Mary Magdalene to their series opener. Hailed as “a startlingly sensational meditation with a sense of ritual”, not to mention a marrying of electric guitar with baroque ensemble, expect the unexpected. Anna Dennis sings the title role. Queen’s Hall, 8 August
Beth Taylor & Hamish Brown Mezzo-soprano Beth Taylor is one of the most intriguing Scottish singers to emerge in recent years. In this song recital with pianist Hamish Brown she applies her richly versatile voice to music by Lili Boulanger, Stuart MacRae and Ethyl Smyth among others. Queen’s Hall, 11 August
Brass Fanfare: A Tribute to John Wallace Among the popular Beanbag Concerts this year is a heartfelt tribute to star trumpeter and former Royal Conservatoire of Scotland principal John Wallace. Members of The Wallace Collection, the Cooperation Band, Scotland’s national orchestras and youngsters from St Andrews perform movements from Wallace’s own Symphony. Usher Hall, 13 August
Sean Shibe Guitarist Sean Shibe is known for his eclectic, often eccentric, versatility. In a programme ranging from Dowland to Thomas Adès, stylistic boundaries are laid bare. Queen’s Hall, 13 August
Tribute to Alfred Brendel In three concerts, three pianists pay their respective tributes to he great Alfred Brendel. Steven Osborne opens the trilogy with music by Schubert, MacMillan and Weir; Paul Lewis focuses on Mozart and Chopin; Pierre-Laurent Aimard rounds off the series with Ligeti, Beethoven, Schubert and Kurtág. Queen’s Hall, 17, 20 and 26 August
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The Song of Hiawatha After its 1898 premiere, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s cantata trilogy The Song of Hiawatha became a roaring success, but soon fell out of fashion. This is the Festival’s first-ever full performance of a genuinely attractive, at times spectacular, work, featuring Scots tenor Nicky Spence among its soloists and conducted by Rafael Payare. Usher Hall, 19 August
Jordi Savall: A Sea of Music Previous Festival appearances have demonstrated the captivating virtuosity of Jordi Savall and his early music group Hespèrion XXI. They’re back with a programme probing musical connections with the global slave trade, exploring musical crosscurrents between Africa, Europe and America. Usher Hall, 25 August
Mahler: Das klagende Lied Put Sir Donald Runnicles in the same room as the BBC SSO and some Mahler and the result is invariably sublime. Completed as “a fairy tale for the concert hall” when he was only 20, Das klagende Lied is laden with clues to Mahler’s later symphonies. It features the Edinburgh Festival Chorus and soloists including Scots mezzo-soprano Catriona Morison. Usher Hall, 27 August
Pavel Haas Quartet The Pavel Haas Quartet return to Scotland with a programme of music close to their Czech roots – quartets by Martinů, Korngold and Dvořák. Queen’s Hall, 28 August
Berlin Philharmonic The Festival closes with two concerts by the world-famous Berlin Philharmonic under chief conductor Kirill Petrenko. Elgar and Tchaikovsky feature in the opener, with Beethoven’s Violin Concerto and Scriabin’s Symphony No 3 “Le devin poème” as a blazing Festival finale. Usher Hall, 29 and 30 August
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