The Stoller Hall brings immersive, spellbinding live classical music experiences to Manchester

The Stoller Hall, Manchester’s revolutionary live concert venue at the vanguard of cutting-edge classical performance, continues to delight music-lovers of all tastes and experience levels with a peerless programme of decorated orchestras and artists throughout the year. We headed down to the contemporary hub of dazzling live classical music, located at Chetham’s, to catch the acclaimed Mystery Ensemble deliver a stunning rendition of Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar soundtrack, performed within the city’s most innovative acoustic configuration and jaw-dropping interior design.

Hailed as a ‘complex’ and ‘complete’ masterpiece in its recognition as one of RIBA’s best new buildings in 2017, the hall was constructed as a refined yet trailblazing embodiment of sonic potential, with groundbreaking features including an adjustable stage, three levels of accessible seating, elevated seating for wondrous in-the-round concerts and, in a game-changing structural flourish, a section of under-floor seating which emerges via a hydraulics system to accommodate larger audiences. The pioneering acoustic framework, designed by global sustainable development consultancy Arup, employs unobtrusive wood panelling throughout the hall’s spaces to flawlessly enhance performances across all genres and instruments, while the astonishingly sophisticated ‘box-in-box’ construction negates all urban noise interference in the heart of the city.

Prior to each concert, visitors gather in the bright, angular and cavernous Oglesby Atrium, where the Jeremy Hayworth Gallery showcases a free and regular selection of artwork by a range of talented creators and students along its walls, and is open to explore both before and after every show. Currently, the gallery features pieces by Fine Arts students from the University of Salford, whose bold, ambitious work draws on the rhythms and syncopations of 20th-century jazz and various international genres to celebrate the creative depth of musical diversity. As the performance approaches, guests can mingle and enjoy a selection of drinks and snacks from the Atrium Bar, an inviting hole-in-the-wall stocked with beer, wines, local spirits and regional snacks, with the option to decant your refreshments into recyclable cups to keep for the performance.

On Wed 29 May, the thrillingly versatile Mystery Ensemble returned to Manchester with a captivating interpretation of Hans Zimmer’s incomparable Interstellar score, as part of their ongoing series of live performances which reimagine cinematic masterpieces for classical lovers, movie fanatics and musical novices alike, with programmes spanning Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Harry Potter and the films of Hayao Miyazaki. Set against an arresting backdrop of fluid, absorbing lighting, the ensemble staged a majestic recital of Zimmer’s award-winning arrangements, blending acoustic instruments with electronic twists to bring iconic pieces like Cornfield Chase, The Wormhole and A Place Among the Stars to life with mesmerising virtuosity.

For more information and a full schedule of events and concerts at The Stoller Hall, visit the website.