Welcome
Thank you for your interest in the London Handel Festival.
The current Chair of the London Handel Festival, Richard Hopkin, has announced that after over a decade in the post, he will be stepping down from his position following the 2026 Festival. Richard has overseen a hugely transformative period at the Festival and we are now embarking on the search for a new Chair to lead the board in an exciting and important new chapter in the organisation’s history.
Founded in 1976 and based out of St George’s Church in the heart of Mayfair, the London Handel Festival has played an important role in the international revival of Handel’s music. The Festival is the UK’s only full-time organisation dedicated to celebrating and exploring the cultural legacy of George Frideric Handel’s music. It is a destination for world-class Handel-inspired performances by leading international artists and ensembles. It is regarded by many as the home of Handel’s music in London and one of the UK’s premier classical music festivals.
George Frideric Handel is one of history’s most important and influential musical figures. Handel’s music has a unique ability to capture the human spirit, tell timeless stories, and connect to the emotional essence of our existence - qualities that set him apart from any other composer.
The Festival is embarking on a new period of strategic development. In 2026, the Festival celebrates its 50th anniversary. The current strategic priorities of the organisation are to secure its long-term future through a major anniversary fundraise as well as continue expanding its position as a year-round home for the performance of Handel’s music in London, the city in which he lived and work. Alongside this, we are developing exciting new initiatives, including the expansion of our critically acclaimed Opera Studio and the enhancement of our creative learning and participation programming, which aims to provide greater and unrestricted access to Handel’s music.
The Handel Festival is run by a dedicated and dynamic team led by the current Festival Director with a committed and engaged board. Using the past 50 years as inspiration and fuel, we are more excited than ever about what this organisation can achieve and how we can continue to inspire and enrich people’s lives through the celebration of Handel’s music.
If you believe in the power of music to enrich lives, share a fundamental belief in the importance of music within society, and want to be part of one of the UK’s most important classical music organisations, then this is the role for you.
We look forward to hearing from you.
