The first of our pre-festival taster concerts is an entertaining and genre-crossing programme embracing classical, folk and original compositions. Free event suitable for all the family.

The second of our free pre-festival taster concerts features James McIntyre, tenor, and Ross Morris, guitar performing an irresistible mix of classical, traditional folk and feel-good songs. "Exceptional." Edinburgh Music Review

Music at Paxton and The Maltings present two relaxed mini concerts suitable for all family age groups at The Maltings at Hide Hill, when the littlest audience members join in with interactive performances of beautiful traditional tunes while everyone else can sing along. Free for under 12s.

Music at Paxton and The Maltings present two relaxed mini concerts suitable for all family age groups at The Maltings at Hide Hill, when the littlest audience members join in with interactive performances of beautiful traditional tunes while everyone else can sing along. Free for under 12s.

Pianist Steven Osborne opens Music at Paxton 2026 with a programme including Beethoven's '33 Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli'. "Steven Osborne proves that he is the ideal modern-day Beethovenian, utterly at one with the composer” Gramophone Magazine

Rachel and Holli 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. They  bring engaging interplay and musical sensitivity to original compositions and traditional melodies alike, and we are delighted to be welcoming them to Music at Paxton for the first time.

Step into the serene surroundings of St Cuthbert’s Church, Norham for a glorious programme of late Italian Renaissance works by Palestrina - including his sublime Sabat Mater and Gesualdo, alongside magnificent motets and songs by Stanford and Parry.

Enjoy a pre-concert light salad buffet from local caterer Catered by Courtney, served in the Paxton House Stables Tearoom on our festival Saturday evenings. Price includes a drink from our festival bar and post-supper tea and coffee. Must be booked in advance.

The Dunedin Consort, under director John Butt, is one of the world’s most exciting Baroque ensembles. Renowned for its ability to give fresh insights to established masterpieces of the era, the Consort is also committed to introducing listeners to the glorious wealth of chamber works by those composers whose music is more commonly associated with grand concert halls, opera houses and churches.

John Butt leads us on an entertaining tour of important 17th and early 18th century European musical centres. A delightful Sunday morning concert 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.

The trios the Gould Trio have chosen for this performance are united by their sunny disposition and high spirits. Haydn’s effervescent work, written during his extended stay in London, introduces the second of Schumann’s 1847 trios, described by the composer as having a “friendlier and more immediate impression”. In turn, Schumann declared that the D minor trio by his younger friend Mendelssohn “will gladden our grandchildren and great-grandchildren for many years to come”. James MacMillan’s Piano Trio No.2 was a joint commission from the Gould Trio and Bath International Festival.

We are delighted to welcome the Chiaroscuro Quartet back for the first of two performances that can be enjoyed individually or as a musical sequence. Formed in 2005, the group enjoys an international touring schedule that regularly takes them to major venues across Europe, Japan and the USA.

Start your day with 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. "Ravishing sonic and intonational purity” The Strad

We are excited to present the outstanding young Scottish-Indian guitarist Samrat Majumder in a programme that 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.

This evocative programme invites listeners into a world of devotion, landscape and quiet wonder, inspired by the life of St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, featuring chants dedicated to the saint that have not been heard in nearly 1,000 years

The members of Lumas Winds are committed ambassadors for wind chamber music and the rich variety of repertoire it offers, and have earned a reputation as dynamic and engaging concert hosts.The ensemble’s high-octane programme for Paxton 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.

'From the Forest of Dean to the Appalachians'. A wonderful programme that transports us across land, seas and time, shining a reflective light on an age before and after the turn of the 20th century.

Roddy’s rich tone and his unsurpassed skill in communicating song texts marks out his song recitals as compelling experiences. In this masterclass with young singers beginning their musical careers, he and Iain share their insights on interpretation and presentation

A one hour concert suitable for all the family from BBC Radio Scotland's Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2026. Rooted in Scottish traditional music, Rachel draws on influences from classical, jazz and global folk styles as a platform for exploring the rich textural range of her instrument. Suitable for all the family.

Enjoy a pre-concert light salad buffet from local caterer Catered by Courtney, served in the Paxton House Stables Tearoom on our festival Saturday evenings. Price includes a drink from our festival bar and post-supper tea and coffee. Must be booked in advance.

Ensemble Jackalope brings an invigorating brilliance to the Piano Quartet repertoire. Frank Bridge’s 1910 quartet packs immense energy into a rich, concise framework that stylistically owes much to German and French influences, while Fauré’s expansive and ardent work has an emotional direction that some commentators have attributed to the rise and subsequent demise of his first romance. Schumann’s Quartet was enthusiastically welcomed on its première in 1844 as “a piece full of spirit and vitality … with soaring flights of imagination”.

Born in 2000 in the Scottish Borders and educated at St Mary’s Music School, Edinburgh,  Hugh is rapidly establishing a fine reputation as a soloist and chamber musician across Europe. "[The cello suites] are the very essence of Bach” Pablo Casals

We are thrilled to welcome internationally-acclaimed pianist Angela Hewitt to Paxton for our festival finale. Her programme is especially apt as the beautiful Paxton Picture Gallery takes on a new lease of life as the Ballroom – historic dance forms and celebration are the essence and inspiration of the featured works.