Updated 31 August 2026

Header photo: SOPHIE ROSA

---

Dear Friends,

We are delighted to welcome back Sophie and Ian to start our autumn season. They join us from 18-19 September.

Mendelssohn Violin Sonata in F minor, Op 4
Beethoven Sonata no 5 in F, Op 24 ‘Spring’
Elgar Salut d’Amour, Op 12
Chanson de Matin &
Chanson de Nuit Op 15
Grieg Violin Sonata no 1 in F major, Op 8

Bridport: Mendelssohn, Elgar and Grieg

SOPHIE ROSA is in demand as a soloist, director and chamber musician. She has performed across the UK as a recitalist in major festivals and venues including the Royal Festival Hall, and Wigmore Hall and has appeared as soloist with orchestras including the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Manchester Camerata. Sophie is Leader of Sinfonia Viva and appears regularly with the orchestra as soloist and director.
www.sophierosa.com

IAN BUCKLE maintains a varied freelance career as solo pianist, chamber musician, orchestral pianist and teacher. He is the founder and artistic director of Pixels Ensemble. He also enjoys longstanding associations with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the John Wilson Orchestra.
www.pixelsensemble.org

---

Booking started on 5 January for the whole season. We look forward to seeing you at one of our venues – all our regulars and new faces.

You can download the Brochure 2026 HERE.

---

Dates for our 2027 Season will be available towards the end of September/early October. Details will follow and booking will start in early January 2027.

---

The best way to hear about upcoming concerts is by receiving our email newsletters. You can join the list very simply by filling in the form at the bottom of this page.

---

You can find the dates for 2026 HERE. Details are available via the BOOK TICKETS button above.

---

News – please check for news about our artists.

---

Taking part – We are delighted to hear from musicians who would like to take part in the series. However we get so many requests that it is difficult to respond to every email (we do try) but thank you for your interest. I am sorry if this appears rude but we are a very small team. If you don’t hear from me then I am afraid there are no dates available for the foreseeable future.

Applications will be considered carefully but as we only have eight to ten tours a year I can make no promises. You will need to email me a CV, a concert biography and a photograph. Our performers have generally been trained to a minimum of post-graduate conservatoire level and are in the process of establishing themselves in the profession; some are a little older and returning to CinW. A little warning: we are not able to pay big fees as we play in small, intimate venues; we are a small charity; and out of London, where life is very different.

---

To return to this Home page click on the Concerts in the West logo at the top of any page.

---

Bridport Arts Centre – please note that bookings for Bridport go through their booking arrangements. All the concert tours go to Bridport.

Ticket prices: £20 for evening concerts – £16 for the morning concerts in Bridport.

---

2019, 2020, 2020 Online, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 Seasons – you can see the list of performers for each year under our News section.

Archived concerts from 2006 when the concert series began – if you go to Concerts by date, scroll down to Previous concerts, this will take you back to earlier seasons.

Under Concerts by venue you will find venues where we have held concerts in the past as well as those we go to currently. In 2026 we will be visiting Bridport (all tours), Ilminster (all tours), and Crewkerne (all tours).

---

Concerts in the West was launched in 2006. We aim to bring talented young professional musicians to small, intimate venues in the West Country, in areas that may not have easy access to music of this quality. Short intensive tours, lasting a few days, are arranged mainly in Dorset and Somerset.

We feel privileged to hear music performed to such a high standard. The repertoire is enormously varied and gives local audiences a wonderful opportunity to hear both familiar and unusual works for voice and instrument in many combinations.

IAN BUCKLE

SOPHIE ROSA violin
IAN BUCKLE piano

18 – 19 September 2026

Organisations putting on all sorts of arts events in Somerset and Dorset
This is not an exhaustive list but will be added to bit by bit.

FilmCrew – The Crewkerne and District Community Cinema – 18 September 2026 to May 2027
https://crewkernefilm.wordpress.com/

South Somerset Music Centre, Crewkerne 
https://www.southsomersetmusiccentre.co.uk/

Bridport Arts Centre – https://www.bridport-arts.com/

Ilminster Arts Centre
https://www.ilminsterartscentre.com/

The Warehouse Theatre, Ilminster
https://www.thewarehousetheatre.org.uk/

Forde Abbey – https://www.fordeabbey.co.uk/

Beaminster Festival
https://www.beaminsterfestival.com/

Bridgwater Arts Centre
https://www.bridgwaterartscentre.co.uk/

CICCIC, Taunton
https://www.creativeinnovationcentre.co.uk/

Taunton Brewhouse
https://www.tauntonbrewhouse.co.uk/

Guildhall Young Artists Taunton is a vibrant, creative space, welcoming children and young people to learn and perform music and drama. They are based at Wellington School.
www.gsmd.ac.uk/taunton