Shaldon Music Festival
The Shaldon Festival of Music brings classical chamber performances to the heart of a South Devon village each summer. Founded as a memorial to pianist David Parkhouse, the event has grown into a fixture that draws accomplished musicians alongside emerging talent for recitals and ensemble pieces.
St Peter’s Church serves as the primary venue, its acoustics suiting piano trios, string quartets, and solo works. The building sits on higher ground with views toward the Teign estuary, creating a contained space where sound carries clearly through the nave. Evening concerts form the core, typically structured around varied programmes that span classical repertoire with occasional folk or contemporary elements.
Beyond the main events, the festival includes educational workshops for local school pupils, introducing younger audiences to live performance and instrument technique. Run by a volunteer committee as a registered charity, the organisation maintains ties to the Parkhouse Award, a competition for young chamber ensembles that often feeds performers into the lineup.
London Tango Quintet
Shaldon Festival of Music Programme
The festival runs over four consecutive evenings from Wednesday 17 June to Saturday 20 June 2026. All concerts take place in St Peter’s Church, Shaldon, with doors opening at 6.30pm and performances starting at 7.30pm.
Wednesday 17 June – Kosta Popović (cello)
- Robert Schumann – Five Pieces in Folk Style op. 102
- Salvatore Sciarrino – Melencolia I for Cello and Piano
- Igor Stravinsky – Suite Italienne (Arr. Piatigorsky)Interval
- Ludwig van Beethoven – Variations for Piano and Cello in E-flat major op.44
- Frédéric Chopin – Sonata for Cello and Piano op.65
Thursday 18 June – Trio Bohémo [https://www.triobohemo.com/]
(Matouš Pěruška – violin, Kristina Vocetková – cello, Jan Vojtek – piano)
- Bohuslav Martinů – Piano Trio No. 2 in D Minor, H.327
- Benjamin Yusupov – Piano Trio No. 2 ‘From Jewish Traditions’Interval
- Felix Mendelssohn – Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, op. 49
Friday 19 June – London Tango Quintet [https://londontangoquintet.com/]
- Astor Piazzolla – Milonga del ángel
- Osvaldo Pugliese – La Yumba
- Django Reinhardt arr. Roland Dyens – Nuages
- Astor Piazzolla – Soledad
- Julio de Caro – Tierra querida
- Juan Carlos Cobián – La casita de mis viejos
- Astor Piazzolla – Contrabajisimo
- David Gordon – Bebop TangoInterval
- Astor Piazzolla – Michelangelo ’70
- William Kroll – Banjo and Fiddle
- Astor Piazzolla – Oblivion
- Horacio Salgan – El bosque mágico
- Horacio Salgan – A fuego lento
- Astor Piazzolla – Mumuki
- Isaac Albéniz – Asturias (Leyenda)
- Feliciano Brunelli – Iliusión de mi vida
- Astor Piazzolla – Adios Nonino
Saturday 20 June – Lizzie Ball (vocals and violin) & Miloš Milivojević (classical accordion)
- Béla Bartók – 6 Romanian Folk Dances
- Manuel de Falla – Nana (from 7 Spanish Songs)
- Aaron Copland – El Salón México (Arr. Pearson)
- Miloš Solo: Isaac Albéniz – Asturias, Op.47 No.5
- Igor Stravinsky – Introduction from Suite Italienne (Pulcinella)
- Igor Stravinsky – Finale Theme from Firebird Suite (Arr. Ball/Milivojević)Interval
- Miloš Solo: Viacheslav Semenov – Don Rhapsody No.2 (Second Movement)
- Lizzie – vocals: Édith Piaf – La Vie En Rose
- Aaron Copland – Hoe-down Medley
- Astor Piazzolla – Ave Maria
- Maurice Ravel – Pièce en forme de Habanera
- Irish Traditional – Toss the Feathers
- Vittorio Monti – Czardas
Tickets go on general sale from 1 April 2026 via Ticketsource
Shaldon itself provides a backdrop that complements the music. The village lines the estuary opposite Teignmouth, connected by a passenger ferry. Narrow streets lead to a shingle beach, independent shops, and pubs serving local produce. Walks along the South West Coast Path or to the Ness headland offer open views across the water.
Attending means stepping into a setting where professional music meets village scale. The church interior fills quickly for performances, fostering close engagement between artists and audience.Official website and facebook page.