Hugo Wolf: Italienisches Liederbuc

Wolf’s evocative settings of Tuscan and Venetian lyrics, brought to life here by three outstanding Lieder interpreters, move from delight in small things to a sense of wonder at the vastness of creation and the all-consuming power of love. All of life is on display.

These songs are by turns witty, pithy, outrageously salacious, and heartfelt. The concert, in association with Leeds Lieder, is the first of a European Tour that will see the trio perform at Wigmore Hall, Vienna Musikverein, Frankfurt Opera, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Barcelona and Cambridge.

Tangram: Nature Echo

After their sold-out London premiere at LSO St Luke’s in January 2024, trailblazing music collective Tangram tour their production Nature Echo around the UK in celerbration the new Lunar New Year.

Praised for the show’s “highly imaginative presentations and truly limitless virtuosity ” (I CARE IF YOU LISTEN), Nature Echo traces a journey navigating the fragile and destructive relationship between humans and our environment featuring guest director and performance artist Echo Morgan.

Distilled: Schubert's Schöne Müllerin

A vocal recital featuring Schubert’s beloved song cycle journeying through joy, longing, and heartbreak with tenor Nicolas Watts and David Cowan on piano.

A master in the art of German Lieder, Schubert wrote his first evocative song cycle in 1823 based on a series of poems by Wilhelm Müller about a miller’s unrequited love. A work of lyrical beauty and emotional depth, it is a piece that lingers long in the mind.

Christmas Tales with Julie Hesmondhalgh

BAFTA-nominated (Broadchurch) actor and narrator Julie Hesmondhalgh (Coronation Street, Mr Bates vs The Post Office) joins us for two nights of seasonal stories and glorious festive music performed by an ensemble from the Orchestra of Opera North.

The stage is set on a chilly Christmas Eve, as our Storyteller weaves traditional tales through musical arrangements including ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies’ and ‘Good King Wenceslas’ – made especially for a group of ten musicians, by composer Andy Stamatakis-Brown.

John Hoyland: Imaginary Beings

Born in Sheffield, John Hoyland (1934–2011) achieved international recognition as an abstract painter, known for his powerful large-scale images, full of energy and feeling. In 1994, in the lead-up to his sixtieth birthday, he made his only mature group of sculptures. Working at the Royal College of Art in London, he produced around 25 ceramic works, which he described as “these mad little hybrids”. Our new display focuses on this body of work, bringing together a selection of sculptures shown in conversation with related paintings.

Ellis Arey Prizewinning Solo Piano Performance

Rising star and Leeds Conservatoire student, Ellis Arey will perform a solo piano concert at Seven showcasing a repertoire of Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Haydn York Bowen and Mompou. 

As third-time Victor of the 2024 Leeds Conservatoire Piano Competition sponsored by Besbrode Pianos, Ellis was awarded £500 prize money and the chance to star in his own solo performance. Seven Artspace provides the perfect backdrop, offering a tiered seating theatre with welcoming bar and restaurant.

The Traumatic Surreal

Marking the centenary of Surrealism, The Traumatic Surreal explores the appropriation and development of surrealist sculptural traditions by women artists in German-speaking countries after World War II.

Co-curated with Professor Patricia Allmer (University of Edinburgh) and based on her book The Traumatic Surreal, the exhibition brings together work by Renate Bertlmann, Birgit Jürgenssen, Bady Minck, Meret Oppenheim, Pipilotti Rist, Ursula (Schultze-Bluhm) and Eva Wipf to explore their potent and multiple critiques of patriarchy. 

Radical Politics/Radical Painting: Emma Novello’s portrait of Richard Cobden

This event investigates the radical context of Emma Novello’s portrait of the politician Richard Cobden, painted in Paris in 1861.

Join Professor Simon Morgan (Leeds Beckett University) and Dr Rebecca Wade (Special Collections and Galleries, University of Leeds) for a pair of talks related to Emma Novello’s portrait of the politician Richard Cobden, accompanied by a pop-up display from the Novello Cowden Clarke Collection.

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