LONDON HANDEL FESTIVAL

2019 - 27 March to 29 April 

We are pleased to announce details of the 2019 London Handel Festival.  The 2019 Festival takes ‘Handel’s Divas’ as its theme and will explore the lives of the famous female singers, the ‘divas’ of their day, who were associated with Handel and for whom he wrote many of his most famous roles. We pay tribute to the women who inspired and gave life to Handel’s music, captured the popular imagination and occasionally caused riots amongst their rival supporters, filling the gossip pages of newspapers at the time!

The highlight of this year’s festival is Berenice, our debut at the newly refurbished Linbury Studio at the Royal Opera House, which has not been heard there since Handel presented it in 1737. Other major events include performances of the rarely heard oratorio Athalia and serenata Aci, Galatea & Polifemo.

We welcome for the first time Le Concert de l’Hostel Dieu from Lyon with a ravishing programme of Handel and Porpora, and Festival Voices with their surprising remix of Dixit Dominus. We welcome back Opera Settecento with Venceslao, along with London Early Opera and Early Opera Company who each present programmes focused on specific Handelian divas. These performances sit alongside the usual packed calendar of intimate chamber music recitals, lunchtime concerts, guided walks and the annual international Handel Singing Competition, now in its 18th year. Back by popular demand is our ‘Come and Sing’ event, a wonderful opportunity to perform Messiah excerpts with our Musical Director, Laurence Cummings.  Before the main Festival begins, we have a wealth of events in our ‘Festival Prelude’, including Alcina with La Nuova Musica, an insight discussion on divas with leading voice experts, and our popular Christmas Messiah - this year with two performances.

Please click here to download a copy of the 2019 London Handel Festival brochure.  Please note that booking for events in the 'Festival Prelude' begins on 1 October and in November for the main 2019 Festival.

If you would like to join as a Friend or Handel Supporter or would like to check the status of your membership or to renew please click here. 

We are a small arts organisation, with big ambition, and our aim is to bring the glory of Handel’s music to larger audiences. Please encourage your music-loving friends to come to the 2019 Festival, and we do hope you might consider joining as a Handel Supporter (click here for further details) as ticket sales cover less than 40% of our costs, and we therefore rely on your generosity for our continued success.

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We look forward to welcoming you to the Festival in 2019!

Samir Savant
Festival Director
 

If you have any general questions about the Festival, please contact Samir Savant, Festival Director - festivaldirector@londonhandelfestival.org.uk.