Manchester Camerata

Manchester Camerata prides itself on an original combination of craft and courage. With 5 star reviews from The Independent, as well as the accolade of being hailed ‘Britain’s most adventurous orchestra’ (The Times), Camerata is as comfortable opening Glastonbury Festival as it is recording Mozart at the highest level. They are passionate about the traditional craft of an orchestra and how it is evolving. By excelling artistically and having the courage to prioritise bold, compelling and diverse projects, Camerata makes a positive difference not only to their audiences but to the health and wellbeing of their communities as well.

To achieve this artistic excellence and forward-thinking ethos, collaboration is at the heart of everything Camerata does. Led by its visionary Music Director, Gábor Takács-Nagy (who considers music to be ‘spiritual medicine'), the orchestra collaborates with diverse international artists, from Martha Argerich to New Order and Aziz Ibrahim to Lewis Capaldi. Their long-standing artistic partnerships with Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Jess Gillam and AMC Gospel Choir sit alongside performances and tours with eminent artists such as Pinchas Zuckerman, Arvo Pärt, Yefim Bronfman, Javier Perianes, Istvan Vardai and Leticia Moreno amongst others.

In partnership with Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester Camerata has embarked on a five-year collaborative project to perform and record all of Mozart’s piano concerti, bringing together world-famous pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and Music Director, Gábor Takács-Nagy, to perform at Chetham’s exceptional concert venue, The Stoller Hall. The series to date has received international acclaim, including a Gramophone Awards nomination and ‘is shaping up to be a serious front-runner in a cycle of works that has never wanted for fine recordings’ (Gramophone).

With its live performances, Camerata plays music with no boundaries. From an orchestral rave performed in isolation to over one million people during the Covid-19 pandemic, to touring Mozart in the most beautifully intimate concert halls, or re-imagining classical music with electronic producers at the top of their game, they believe great music is great music and present this to you at the highest level.

As a charity, Camerata puts its communities first.
Manchester Camerata has been delivering our award-winning Music in Mind programme for people living with dementia since 2012. This specialist music therapy programme uses improvisation to help people living with dementia to express themselves and communicate with others. When the pandemic hit, they created an online training version of this programme designed to provide vital support to people living with dementia and their carers during an incredibly isolating period. Through their online resources and virtual facilitation, Camerata’s team of specially-trained musicians and resident music therapists has provided a network of support for carers whilst also providing transformative music-making opportunities for people living with dementia.
This sector-leading approach has led the orchestra to teach best practice in Japan, Taiwan and Sweden with the British Council. These international relationships have been strengthened over the last year with Camerata teaching Music in Mind to their friends the Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra as part of Dementia Action Week.


With 8 years of research in partnership with the University of Manchester, a leading global dementia research centre, and often collaborating with prestigious academic institutions such as the Economic and Social Research Council, Manchester Camerata truly are in the vanguard of dementia-based music therapy and a global leader in their field.


Manchester Camerata believes in the transformative power of music and wants to share these moments with you.