25 February 2026 - 7:00 pm
Raphael Wallfisch
Raphael Wallfisch (cello), Michael Bochmann (violin), Simon Callaghan (piano)
25February 2024
Bach, Mendelssohn & Bruch
Tonight’s programme explores profound emotional and musical landscapes through three strikingly different yet deeply expressive works.
Bach’s Cello Suite No. 6 in D major stands apart from the other five suites. Composed for a five-string instrument, it pushes technical boundaries while offering luminous textures and jubilant energy. Its dance movements radiate optimism and joy, yet with Bach’s typical depth and introspection beneath the surface.
Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio in D minor, one of the great Romantic chamber works, blends lyricism, brilliance, and structural elegance. Written in 1839, the trio showcases Mendelssohn’s mastery of melody and counterpoint. The first movement surges with passion, the slow movement sings with heartfelt beauty, and the finale is a whirlwind of virtuosity and drive.
Bruch’s Kol Nidrei, composed in 1880, draws on Jewish liturgical themes, particularly the haunting Aramaic prayer chanted on Yom Kippur. Written for cello and orchestra (here performed with piano), it is a moving, meditative work, blending spiritual reflection with Romantic expressiveness. Though Bruch was not Jewish, his sensitive treatment of the material reveals deep respect and understanding.
Together, these works span Baroque clarity, Romantic fervour, and spiritual introspection, offering a rich, emotional journey through time and style.
Details
Programme
Bach | Cello Suite No. 6 in D for fice stringed cello |
Mendelssohn | Piano Trio in D Minor |
Bruch | Kol Nedrei |
Location
Tickets
Adults - £20
Students or Under 16's - Free
Tickets are available to purchase by post by downloading and completing the booking form here or online by clicking on the button below.

Artists

Raphael Wallfisch
Cello
Raphael Wallfisch is one of the world’s most celebrated cellists performing on the international stage, renowned for his curiosity and commitment to exploring and broadening the full range of repertoire for the instrument, and drawing on a rich musical heritage.He was born in London into a family of distinguished musicians, his mother the cellist Anita Lasker-Wallfisch and his father the pianist Peter Wallfisch, and was inspired at an early age by hearing Zara Nelsova play, going on to study in California with Gregor Piatigorsky, who chose him to perform with Jascha Heifetz in the informal recitals at his home. His career was launched at the age of twenty-four when he won the Gaspar Cassadó International Competition in Florence.Since then he has enjoyed a global career, much loved in his home country where he has forged close relationships with orchestras including the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Philharmonia, BBC Symphony, BBC Philharmonic, Hallé, BBC NOW, Royal Scottish National, BBC Scottish and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic; and respected around the world

Simon Callaghan
Piano
Simon Callaghan performs internationally as a soloist and chamber musician, in parallel with a highly successful career as a recording artist. A favourite performer at the internationally- renowned Husum Festival of Piano Rarities in Germany, Callaghan’s recent sell-out concert was praised by VAN Magazine as a “cleverly curated recital full of discoveries” and by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as “technically brilliant”. Callaghan has developed a wide following and appears on a regular basis in the UK’s major concert halls, and on tours to Asia, North America and Europe. Recital partners have included Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Nicholas Daniel, Adrian Brendel, Feng Ning, Samuel West, Prunella Scales and Timothy West. BBC Young Musician of the Year Finalist Coco Tomita and Callaghan have a successful duo partnership which saw their first record released in 2022 on Orchid Classics. He is also a founding member of the London Piano Quartet, joining colleagues from the renowned Piatti Quartet to showcase the repertoire for piano quartet with a particular focus on revivifying works that have fallen into obscurity.

Michael Bochmann
Piano
Michael Bochmann, MBE, is an internationally acclaimed British violinist and conductor, founder and Artistic Director of the Lenthall Concerts. Educated at Burford School he went on to study violin at the Royal Academy of Music. He was a participating pupil on Menuhin’s Master classes on BBC2 TV. In February 1990 Michael partnered Sir Yehudi Menuhin in the Bach Double Violin Concerto in a most successful tour of 16 concerts throughout the USA and Canada. He formed the Bochmann Quartet in 1977 with which he made over 50 broadcasts within their first 10 years. During this period, he also performed with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields directed by Neville Marriner and the English Chamber Orchestra. He directed the English String Orchestra until 2016. He is very active as a teacher and is Professor of Violin and Chamber Music at Trinitylaban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. .
The Venue
All the concerts take place at Burford School, the venue provides an intimate, welcoming atmosphere, unusual at concerts of this calibre. Tea, coffee and drinks are served in the interval and there is plenty of parking available.
Burford School
Cheltenham Road
BURFORD
Oxfordshire OX18 4PL
Located on the A40 just west of the roundabout junction with the A361.