hcmf// 2025 has come to a close after ten days of adventurous music-making in Huddersfield. This year brought together an international mix of composers, performers and audiences, creating a rich landscape of premieres, bold collaborations and unexpected discoveries that unfolded across the town – including a packed day of free performances on Monday 24 November, exemplifying the festival’s ongoing effort to address financial barriers to experiencing new music.
We welcomed Composer in Residence Sarah Hennies, whose presence shaped the festival with a distinctive clarity and curiosity, and commissions from Hennies, Bryn Harrison, Mingo Rajandi, Laurence Osborn and Rytis Mažulis added striking voices to contemporary repertoire. International collaborations — including multi-year partnerships with the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Music, Music Finland, Lithuanian Culture Institute, Music Information Centre Lithuania, and Culture Ireland — invited cross-cultural explorations for audiences and artists alike; while talks, workshops and community-led events carried the festival’s momentum beyond the concert hall, opening up new ways of engaging with sound and with each other.
Our ongoing focus on accessibility and sustainability — including collaborations with Cultures of Climate, Perempuan Komponis, Nordic Music Days and Ultima Festival — continued to shape how we build and deliver the festival, helping us grow responsibly while holding space for artistic experimentation.
To everyone who joined us, supported us, collaborated with us, or simply listened, and to the wonderful artists who featured at this year’s edition: thank you. Your curiosity, commitment and openness are what keep hcmf// moving forward.
Tune in to BBC Radio 3’s New Music Show to listen to selected concert recordings from the festival for the next few weeks – two episodes are available to listen to already via BBC Sounds.
Explore Ensemble open hcmf// 2025 with world premieres from Bryn Harrison and Rytis Mažulis at Huddersfield Town Hall
Dedalus Ensemble perform the UK premiere of Composer in Residence Sarah Hennies’ outstanding piece Motor Tapes
The Carice Singers perform a tribute to legendary Estonian composer Avro Pärt for his 90th birthday
Genevieve Murphy joins powerful French ensemble ONCEIM on the bagpipes at Bates Mill Blending Shed
Mivos Quartet perform an incredible programme filled with UK and world premieres at Huddersfield Town Hall
Mingo Rajandi, Beate Weisinger, Elsa Bergman and Berlinde Deman perform Rajandi’s inspiring new work Lady Sapiens
Estonian Electronic Music Society Ensemble give a magnificent performance using their ‘Historically Informed Performance’ approach at Bates Mill Photographic Studio
Christopher Bowers-Broadbent getting our infamous hcmf// shorts day off to an amazing start at St Paul’s Hall
Natalie Hyacinth performing the world premiere of her new work After The End of The World in Phipps Hall
Sarah Hennies performing the UK premiere of Fleas alongside an ensemble of bell ringers from the local community
Heiner Goebbels and Fred Frith after their astonishing duo performance as part of hcmf// shorts
Edgy Palates’ Queen of the Night performance reimagined familiar classical vocal and instrumental works at Bates Mill Blending Shed
Sholto Dobie mesmerising audiences at Huddersfield Town Hall
Jessie Marino performing as part of a powerful triple bill in our mid-week programme at Huddersfield Town Hall
RÒIS captivating audiences with an exceptional performance featuring work from her acclaimed EP MO LÉAN
Córas Trio‘s Kevin McCullagh bowing his fiddle in their impressive improvised performance rooted in the Irish seisiún scene
The UK premiere of performance-installation Marlaut, captivating the Photographic Studio at Bates Mill
Thierry Debons of Ensemble Contrechamps delivering an outstanding percussive work out at Bates Mill Blending Shed
Annie Bloch in full control of the Town Hall organ during her performance with Akiko Ahrendt and Emily Wittbrodt as part of XN (X perimental N counters)
Gloria Yehilevsky giving a fierce performance as part of our XN quintet, led by Carolin Pook
A beautiful transformation of the Richard Steinitz building Atrium with a thought-provoking installation by 62 Group and Gavin Osborn
Clear + Park’s Paradoxical Symmetries: A Huddersfield Polytope blowing audiences away in the Create Lab
Photography by Point Of View