If you want to know where the future of live classical music is heading, look no further than Westminster tonight. This evening, Smith Square Hall hosts Bold Moves, a striking, genre-blurring performance by Fantasia Orchestra. Serving as the third chapter in their inaugural four-date residency at this historic venue, the concert is a perfect distillation of what this ensemble does best: smashing through traditional programming boundaries with infectious energy and absolute artistic precision.
The timing couldn’t be more electric. Fantasia Orchestra is currently celebrating its landmark tenth anniversary year—a milestone freshly crowned by today’s major announcement of their full summer 2026 programme, culminating in a triumphant return to the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall this August.
From school friends to the Royal Albert Hall
Founded in 2016 by conductor Tom Fetherstonhaugh while many of its musicians were still at school, Fantasia began as an ambitious, self-starting collective of friends. Over the past decade, it has evolved into one of the UK’s fastest-rising and most distinctive symphonic forces, earning a fierce reputation for its collaborative spirit, curiosity, and outright refusal to be constrained by traditional boundaries.
“Fantasia’s tenth anniversary feels like a moment to reflect on just how far we’ve come,” says Artistic Director Tom Fetherstonhaugh. “From a group of school friends making music together to performing on some of the UK’s biggest stages and approaching classical music with a fresh perspective. At the same time, it’s about looking forward—continuing to push boundaries, work with artists we admire, and create programmes that feel fresh, collaborative and alive.”
That forward-thinking identity is precisely why the BBC Proms has invited them back for two massive dates this August following their acclaimed festival debut in 2024:
- Sunday 9 August (Relaxed Prom): A wide-ranging afternoon featuring the BBC Singers, blending classical works by Dvořák and Vaughan Williams with contemporary Pulitzer-winner Caroline Shaw, alongside unexpected orchestral treatments of Duke Ellington and Radiohead’s haunting 2001 track Pyramid Song.
- Tuesday 11 August (Late Night Prom): A deeply experimental night featuring legendary percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie. The performance will showcase the world premiere of Wood Pigeon—a brand-new BBC commission by soprano-composer Héloïse Werner—sitting alongside avant-garde pieces by Meredith Monk, Morton Feldman, and John Coltrane (marking the 100th anniversaries of both Feldman and Coltrane).
Bartók, Shostakovich, and Jazz giants
Tonight’s Bold Moves performance captures the orchestra at this soaring high point. True to its title, the programme is a brilliant sonic tightrope walk that bridges the gap between classical grit and jazz intimacy.
Audiences will be treated to the rustic textures of Bartók’s Divertimento before diving headfirst into the sleek, cinematic world of Shostakovich’s Jazz Suite No. 2 (including its iconic, sweeping Waltz 2). From there, the orchestra pivots beautifully into the Great American Songbook, bringing rich orchestral weight to timeless standards by Cole Porter, George Gershwin, and Rodgers & Hart.
To pull off a shape-shifting repertoire like this, you need collaborators who can pivot on a dime. Tonight, Fantasia shares the stage with the legendary, OBE-awarded pianist Steven Osborne, whose world-class reputation in standard classical repertoire is matched only by his deep, instinctive love for jazz improvisation. Joining him is the stellar Nigerian-Scottish trumpeter Aaron Azunda Akugbo, a phenomenal young talent who effortlessly matches the mellow, late-night charm of Gershwin’s I Loves You Porgy with the punchy bravura required for Shostakovich.
The crown jewel of the evening brings all these forces together: Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1, a double-concerto featuring both piano and trumpet soloists. Expect fireworks as Osborne and Akugbo trade blistering lines alongside Fantasia’s strings, interspersed with bespoke, brand-new arrangements of jazz staples like I’ve Got You Under My Skin and My Funny Valentine, crafted specifically for the night by composer-pianist Harry Baker.
A summer on the road
Tonight is just one stop in a busy summer for the young ensemble. Following tonight’s concert, Fantasia will wrap up its Smith Square Hall residency on Friday 3 July with From Mahler to Manhattan, collaborating with mezzo-soprano Niamh O’Sullivan.
They will also add a touch of classical magic to the UK’s leading summer festivals, including Proms at St Jude’s (27 June) with pianist Junyan Chen, the Cheltenham Music Festival (7 July) alongside sitar virtuoso Jasdeep Singh Degun, and weekend stops at the Guiting Music Festival (1 August) and Snape Festival (2 August).
As Executive Director Michael Garvey notes, “What defines Fantasia Orchestra is the way each project is built from the ground up. Every concert is shaped by the artists involved and the music they want to explore, rather than following a set formula.”
For young Londoners looking to experience orchestral music stripped of its stuffy stereotypes, tonight’s performance—and the brilliant summer season ahead—proves that a concert hall can feel just as alive, spontaneous, and vibrant as a smoky jazz club.
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