Thanks! You'll now receive emails from us!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Putting Oxford’s new concert hall to the test
30
November
2025
Earlier this month, we had the unique opportunity to take part in acoustic testing of the brand-new Sohmen Concert Hall in the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities in Oxford prior to its public opening earlier this year.
We were among the first musicians to perform in this state-of-the-art concert hall, exploring the space and putting the acoustics through their paces before going on to perform in a special ‘thank you’ performance for some of the people who helped fund, design and build the Centre.
Our Artistic Director Tom Fetherstonhaugh reflected on the experience:
“It’s not everyday that an orchestra has the honour of being the first to play in a brand new concert hall. So, doing just that at the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities last year was a real highlight for Fantasia Orchestra and me. It was fascinating to test the highly-crafted acoustics of the hall, which have a clarity and warmth — perfect for music-making. Then, performing for those who funded, designed, and built the Centre was very special. The Centre for the Humanities is a pioneering new cultural space for Oxford, and it was a treat to be the first musicians playing on its stage.”
Our involvement was all under wraps prior to the public opening, but we can say now that it was a huge privilege to play our small but vital part in the story of this new cultural space.
We’ve now been invited to return, this time in public performances with one of the most inventive composers, performers and producers of his generation, Nitin Sawhney, with concerts on 6 and 7 November.
Composition Workshop
Our time in Oxford wasn’t only about testing a new building. It was also about creating new music within it.
During the same period, we worked with the Faculty of Music at the University of Oxford for a composition workshop involving six student composers.
Led by Tom Fetherstonhaugh, our musicians played and workshopped each student’s piece, giving the composers an opportunity to hear their music performed and explored by a professional ensemble.
Supporting emerging creative voices and exploring new music has always been an important part of what we do, and there was something particularly fitting about bringing music being heard for the first time into a concert hall that was itself still waiting to be discovered by audiences.
