World premiere of Nubya Garcia's first cello concerto, performed by Manchester Camerata's Principal Cellist Hannah Roberts.
Nubya Garcia is bringing her first-ever cello concerto to The Hall, Aviva Studios on Thursday 18 March 2027. It's the world premiere of the piece, which she wrote specifically for Hannah Roberts, the principal cellist of Manchester Camerata, who'll be the one performing it. The two are joined by the full Manchester Camerata for the night, and the whole thing was created in collaboration with Factory International.
If you're not familiar with Garcia, she's a multi-award-winning jazz saxophonist who first made a name with her debut album Source in 2020, which earned her a Mercury Prize nomination. Her 2024 album Odyssey pushed her sound further into orchestral, genre-blending territory, and she was nominated for Best Jazz Act at the 2026 MOBO Awards. She's also worked with the likes of Burberry, Fossil and Vogue. Writing a cello concerto has been a long-held dream of hers, and this is the moment it actually happens.
On the other side of the music is Hannah Roberts, one of the UK's leading cellists. She studied with William Pleeth at the Yehudi Menuhin School and with Ralph Kirshbaum at the Royal Northern College of Music, and it's her playing that Garcia had in mind when she sat down to write this. The performance follows a sold-out Manchester show Garcia played back in 2025, so it's a return to the city for her.
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The concert is part of Factory International's Classical at Aviva Studios series, which takes classical music in new directions through immersive performances and world premieres. Doors open at 19:00 and the music starts at 19:30. Tickets are £31, £26.50 and £20, with a £1.50 booking fee on each; there are also £10 Aviva tickets and concessions available.
