Music at King Charles

20.7.26

"The healing power of music"

Britain's favourite baritone, Roddy Williams, comes to King Charles in October with accompanist Christopher Glynn. Here they are with Schubert on the healing power of music.

https://youtu.be/MDhoVPlcpxA?si=y8dKAaQgWvZnxGVN

And learn a bit more about Roddy from this interview.

Tickets for his concert in Tunbridge Wells on 10th October 2026 are available now. Sign up for discounts here.

3.7.26

Rising star soprano to perform in October

We're very excited to be welcoming the British soprano Lucy Cox for the concert on Saturday 17th October 2026. She will be performing with

The Villiers Quartet, whose programme includes rarely-heard music by the British composers Frederick Delius and Ailsa Dixon.

Tickets and further information

Lucy read Music at Oxford before winning a scholarship for postgraduate studies at the Schola Cantorum in Basel, Switzerland. A former Brighton Early Music Festival Young Artist and finalist in the 2020 John Kerr Award for English Song, she has performed widely across the UK and Europe. She has appeared as a soloist at the Wigmore Hall, performing songs for unaccompanied soprano from Jonathan Dove’s song cycle Ariel and in Sebastiani‘s Matthew Passion with viol ensemble Fretwork, as well as at the Vienna Konzerthaus with baroque ensemble Fair Oriana.

Watch a video of Lucy singing an aria from Bach's St John Passion

2.6.26

A fun evening of piano duos for all the family

Friday 3rd July
Duo Pleyel - Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya and Richard Egarr, present a magical pogramme for a summer evening, including Czerny's arrangement of Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony.

Watch a video preview here!

Programme
Beethoven - Symphony 6 (arr. Carl Czerny)
JC Bach - ‘Allegretto’ from Sonata in A
Tchaikovsky - Nutcracker excerpts
Faure - Berceuse from ‘Dolly’ suite
Ravel - ‘Laideronnette’ from Mother Goose suite
Mozart - Adagio & Presto molto from Sonata in B-flat

Family-friendly concert - free to children
This is a one-hour programme, with refreshments before and afterwards, with a mixture of classical items ideal for all ages to enjoy. Tickets for under-18s are FREE.

Booking information

Reviews
"Richly rewarding...technically near-flawless... they can be recommended without reservation" (Early Music Review)

[They] personlify style without pedantry. Their caprice and gallantry come as a breath of fresh air" (International Piano)

"[Their] musical chemistry was palpable and the concert performance sounded like a shared intimacy [including] the audience as a genuine part of the concert experience." (Steve Crowther)

9.4.26

Concert news for 2026

We're looking forward to welcoming superstar baritone Roddy Williams this October, among other great concerts.

Here are some dates for your diary!

Saturday 11th April, 7pm
Matchbox Opera present a selection of favourite arias and choruses, with guest tenor Richard Rowe and pianist Jong-Gyung Park. Book tickets.

Friday 3rd July, 7pm
A summer night's entertainment with international piano duo Richard Egarr and Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya, whose programme includes Czerny's arrangement of Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony. Book tickets.

Saturday 10th October, 7pm
Roddy Williams and accompanist Christopher Glynn will perform an English song recital, featuring Vaughan Williams' Songs of Travel. Booking opens 1st May.

Saturday 17th October, 7pm
The Villiers Quartet perform unusual and beguiling works by Frederick Delius and Ailsa Dixon.

DISCOUNTED TICKETS
Get cheaper tickets for many of our concerts: join the Tunbridge Wells International Music Festival mailing list.

10.3.26

Villiers Quartet to play at KCM

We're delighted to announced that the Villiers Quartet will be playing a concert on Saturday 17th October 2026, featuring the music of Frederick Delius and Ailsa Dixon. Find out more about the quartet in this little clip...

28.2.26

Coffee Concert 14th March

Saturday 14th March 11am: Coffee Concert for Spring.

Seasonal music for all the family with the Lyndon Trio and others; a diverse mix including pieces for piano, violin and cello, from Beethoven to Piazzola. 45 minutes of great music in a relaxed format, with tea and coffee available.

Programme inludes movements from Beethoven's Archduke Trio.

Free with retiring collection.

1.2.26

International piano duo to visit in July 2026

Very excited to announce the return of Richard Egarr, with his duo partner Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya, for a fantastic summer concert on Friday 3rd July.

Here them this Tuesday (3rd February) on BBC Radio 3's In Tune.

Their programme includes a wonderful arrangement of Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony. Booking opens on 1st March.

Find out more.

4.1.26

Hear a winning pianist!

On Friday 23rd January, the Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition host a concert at King Charles the Martyr to raise funds towards the 2026 competition. Winner in 2024, pianist Xu Peng returns to Tunbridge Wells to showcase the phenmomal talent that amazed the judging panel.

Hear him for yourself! Tickets available now.

Xu Peng started playing piano at the age of four. In 2008, Xu entered the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where he studied with Zhang Zhiwei. He received his MM and BM from the class of Jon Kimura Parker at Rice University (Houston, TX), where he also graduated with a Minor in French Studies and a Special Distinction in Creative Research.

Having completed his AD at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London) under the tutelage of Noriko Ogawa and Ronan O’Hora in May 2025, Xu is currently pursusing a Research Degree at the same institution, with a thesis on Debussy and Jankélévitch.

Xu is the winner at the Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition and the Macau-Asia International Piano Competition. Recently, Peng was also awarded the Golden Hand Prize with Special Jury Mention at the Carlos&Sofia Piano Competition, and Second Prize at the William Knabe Piano Concerto Competition.

Xu has performed recitals at notable venues, including the Barbican in London, the Stoller hall in Manchester, the Stude Concert Hall in Houston, and the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. His interest in contemporary music has led to collaborations with composers and visual artists, presenting new compositions in thematic recitals and interdisciplinary productions at the Moody Center for the Visual Art in Houston. Xu made his concerto debut in 2019 with Khachaturian’s Piano Concerto in D-flat Minor.

31.12.25

Past performers 2006-2025

Happy New Year! This is an annual post, celebrating the growing list of eminent musicians we've had the privilege to welcome to King Charles since Rupert Preston Bell took over as Director of Music in 2006.