Music in the Round

Who we are

Music in the Round is the leading national promoter of chamber music. Our aim is to bring people and music closer together through performance and participatory activity characterised by passion, excellence and proximity. Founded in Sheffield in 1984 by Peter Cropper, leader of the Lindsay String Quartet, Music in the Round now runs a year-round programme of events in venues across South Yorkshire and the rest of the country, reaching around 30,000 people annually. In 2005 we established a world-class 11-piece group, Ensemble 360, who are our resident musicians and are at the heart of all our events on- and off-stage. A highlight is our annual nine-day Sheffield Chamber Music Festival (SCMF), which takes place in the unique surroundings of the Crucible Studio each May, and we are also known for our extensive Learning & Participation (L&P) programme, which reaches around 10,000 children and young people each year. Music in the Round is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) and is supported in kind by Sheffield City Council.

As well as attracting high quality artists to Sheffield, such as Steven Osborne, Tasmin Little, Fay Hield and our singer-in-residence Roderick Williams, we look to build on burgeoning collaborations with Leeds Lieder, the Royal Philharmonic Society and Young Classical Artists Trust to expand our profile and reach across the north and nationally. There are plans for even closer relationships with Sheffield Music Hub, Sheffield Music Academy and other youth music groups, as well as developing partnerships with local promoters and arts organisations, as we aim to inspire people of all ages and turn Sheffield into a city of half a million music makers.