The 46th edition of Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival kicked off just yesterday, with two concerts heralding 10 days of performances, talks and workshops from cutting-edge composers, thrilling ensembles and engaging music practitioners.

For hcmf// 2023, we are proud to continue our tradition of opening up as much of the festival as possible in order to ensure these incredible events are as inclusive as they can be. Swathes of events are free for anyone to attend, including our intriguing programme of installations, our fascinating talks and discussions, our iconic hcmf// shorts day of free concerts and The Current Climate, our day dedicated to environmental politics in sound.

Join us in traversing the furthest frontiers of sound in Huddersfield this November – and find out just how much of the festival you can be a part of at no cost whatsoever in our guide below.

Saturday 18 November

Head to Huddersfield Art Gallery to see Composer in Residence Jennifer Walshe in conversation with BBC Radio 3’s Kate Molleson to launch her new exhibition opening today, featuring music performed by Ragnar Árni Ólafsson. AT THE FIRST SOUND, THE WHOLE WORLD FREEZES is on exhibit for most of the festival period.

Across the piazza, A Walk with We In Front will prove to be a lively exploration of Huddersfield’s rich Caribbean cultural and musical history! This soundwork incorporates the joyous stories shared by We In Front, a local walking group, and is on exhibit at Dai Hall for the majority of the festival period too.

Sunday 19 November

Join us on the University of Huddersfield campus where our talks programme continues. New York-based Lithuanian composer Žibuoklė Martinaitytė discusses her sonic dive into the deepest fathoms of the ocean with writer Tim Rutherford-Johnson and science communicator Georgia Wells.

Monday 20 November

It’s Monday during hcmf//, so drop whatever it is you’re doing and come along to our action-packed day of free-to-attend concerts spread across the entire town. hcmf// shorts features curated events as well as performances by artists selected from an open call, providing a platform for emerging artists to present new works or innovative interpretations of contemporary repertoire at the UK’s leading new music festival.

All concerts are free with no booking required, so whether it’s Sharif Sehnaoui’s improvised guitar that intrigues you or Rosie Middleton’s plastic-chewing opera that you can’t tear your eyes and ears away from, you’ve no excuse not to see something astonishing today. Click here to explore all the concerts.

Tuesday 21 November

It’s a welcome return to hcmf// for Australian composer Liza Lim, who is joined in discussion with Tim Rutherford-Johnson to interrogate her artistic practice – particularly its efforts to connect the arts to wider movements of multispecies justice.

Using Jennifer Walshe’s work as a starting point and making use of the multi-modal creative AI named ‘Chimere’, a unique machine specifically developed to collaborate with artists, Maria Sappho delves into AI, composition and improvisation in a composer-oriented workshop.

Wednesday 22 November

Come and experience the World Premiere of 140 Experiments in Sound, performed by edges ensemble and devised via the graphic scores of some 140 children from five local schools. All the children will join the ensemble for the Sound Waves concert in a stirring display of sound and light.

Thursday 23 November

The Current Climate is our ongoing exploration of the cultural world’s far-reaching influence on sustainability, and a consideration of issues involving artists, organisers and audiences around the world. Throughout the day, we’ll take a holistic look at the music industry’s potential as a positive force for a sustainable future. We’ll think about how artists channel environmental activism through their music, while also examining the idea of industry messaging and how festivals can make climate change the topic sentence of their programming.

For an overview of this free-to-attend, day-long programme of concerts, discussions and art, click here.

Friday 24 November

Join us at Bath House Gallery to meet sound artist Rebecca Lee, who will discuss her fascinating practice and guide the group in how to create unique soundscapes using loops of sound and turntables. There are two workshops – one for women and gender minorities, and one open to attendees of all genders.

Saturday 25 November

We’re celebrating the 70th birthday of Jürg Frey this year with an entire day dedicated to the legendary Swiss composer, and there are two ways to join us for free. Frey’s sound installation, Weites Land, Tiefe Zeit (Wide Land, Deep Time), will fill the sounds of the Richard Steinitz Building’s Atrium for the full day, so do have a wander inside. There is also a conversation with the composer himself, chaired by BBC Radio 3’s Kate Molleson, taking place in the same building during the afternoon.

Sunday 26 November

Percussionist and community music leader David Insua-Cao delivers our Music at Play sessions for the little ones this year, with a focus on rhythm, groove creation and, of course, percussion. There is a relaxing, sensory session geared towards pre-walking children as well as a more energetic session for active toddlers and pre-schoolers.

Images: Colin Frank © Laura Mateescu, Jürg Frey © Alannagh Brennan