Hatfield House

Sean Rafferty MBE to become the first Head of the Friends of Hatfield House Music Festival

The Trustees of the Festival and the Salisbury family are delighted to announce that the distinguished broadcaster, Sean Rafferty, has accepted this new role. Sean has been a loyal supporter of the Festival ever since it began fifteen years ago and his genial presence is a welcome feature at its concerts. Sean hosted In Tune for BBC Radio 3 for many years and has a wide knowledge and love of classical music. He is a great ‘people person’ – guests on In Tune were always very keen to be invited back! – and his expertise and warmth will be valuable assets to the newly revitalised Friends organisation. We look forward to welcoming him at this year’s Launch Concert on 8 May.

“Sublime music performed by outstanding artists in sublime places… nowhere better than Hatfield. I’ve watched the Festival grow and bring so much pleasure. It’s an honour to be a small part of the next chapter.”  Sean Rafferty April 2026

To join as a Festival Friend, please visit our Support Us page

DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES:

Launch Concert will take place on Friday 8 May. Book your tickets here.

Our 2026 Festival runs Thursday 8 – Sunday 11 October

We were delighted to be listed in The Guardian’s 2024’s classical critics’ highlights of the year

‘A medal, too, for live music in special venues, in this case the Marble Hall in Hertfordshire’s Jacobean Hatfield House, home to what has become, under the cellist Guy Johnson’s direction, an annual chamber music festival of special quality and intimacy. Could anything be more extraordinary than the juxtaposition of Claire Booth’s performance of Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire in front of one of Hatfield’s fabulous portraits of Elizabeth I?’

Full review can be enjoyed here.

You can still view our 2021 films…

Brahms Piano Quartet in G minor No 1, Op. 25
Performed by Magnus Johnston violin, Brett Dean viola, Guy Johnston cello and Tom Poster piano.

Saturday 27 November 7pm
Poulenc Trio for Oboe, bassoon and piano, FP43
Brett Dean Demons for solo flute
André Caplet Quintet for Piano and Winds, Op.8
Performed by Orsino Ensemble and Tom Poster piano

Sunday 28 November 7pm
Shostakovich String Quartet No 7 in F sharp minor, Op. 108
Stephen Johnson Angel’s Arc for clarinet and string quartet
Dvořák String Quartet in F, Op. 96, American
Performed by the Carducci Quartet

Have you considered supporting the Festival? We would love to hear from you.

All details of the Friends and Patrons Scheme can be found on our supporters page. Your donations make such a difference to the future of this Festival and we appreciate your support hugely.

Join our e-newsletter to be amongst the first to hear. The Festival also plans to record selected performances and release them shortly after the live Festival events.

… and the Festival to date

Inspiration to start a festival came to me almost 10 years ago. I was travelling back from a performance at ‘Music in Great Irish Houses’ when I was reminded of the extraordinary historic houses in my home county of Hertfordshire.

I was introduced to our board member, Nick Moorhouse who was, at the time, working at Hatfield House and, later, to Lord and Lady Salisbury, who were enthusiastic about formally reintroducing music into their home. I couldn’t have imagined a more inspirational setting for making music. Hatfield House, with its Marble Hall, the Old Palace, the Chapel and other various rooms in the House, is truly breathtaking. I am delighted with what we have managed to achieve over the years.

Looking back at the last decade, we are proud to have hosted an extraordinary list of ensembles, artists and speakers including the Sixteen, Kings College Choir, the Aurora Orchestra, Alison Balsom, Melvyn Tan, Lawrence Power, Anthony Marwood, the Navarra and Endellion Quartets, Kristian Bezuidenhout, Angela Hewitt, Tom Poster, Rachel Podger, Sheku Kanneh Mason, Michael Collins, Sir Nicholas Kenyon, Sean Rafferty, Sam West, Brett Dean, Ian Bostridge, plus local artists including Susannah Stranders, Julian Bliss, and the Hertfordshire Chorus.

Our Festival themes have included ‘Remembrance’ to commemorate WW1, ‘Vienna’, ‘Inspired by Bach’, ’Brahms and Friends’ and, more recently, ‘Pour l’Amour de la Musique’.

It has been very exciting to watch our education work evolve and grow. Now led by Maria Thomas, the programme offers opportunities to hundreds of school children from the surrounding area, while also building collaborations with the Purcell School and Hertfordshire Music Services.

None of this would have been possible without all the incredible efforts of our founding team, festival managers, the board of trustees, funders, Festival Friends and Patrons, and volunteers. It has truly been the greatest privilege working with everyone to realise our dream of bringing memorable musical experiences to Hatfield House.

Sincere thanks to our audience for supporting this special Festival and, of course, to Lord and Lady Salisbury for making us feel so welcome in their home.