Remembering Britten 1913 – 1976

Benjamin Britten was one of the twentieth century’s great composers. He is particularly known for his operas, but also for choral works, and the many song cycles he wrote for his muse and partner, the tenor Peter Pears.

In 2026, we mark fifty years since Benjamin Britten’s death. 1976 marked an ending, but also a beginning: the moment the care, curiosity and exacting standards Britten and Pears brought to nurturing young artists became the enduring thread of the Aldeburgh Festival and the essential core of Britten Pears Arts.

Image gallery

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Benjamin Britten

black and white image of young man with short hair playing the piano and looking intensely at the camera

Benjamin Britten

Benjamin Britten standing and smiling in the entrance of a church with a group of people standing around.

Benjamin Britten

Benjamin Britten in a deckchair, in a fun pose hands in the air.

Benjamin Britten

Benjamin Britten conducting June 1967.

Benjamin Britten conducting, June 1967

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II talks with Benjamin Britten, followed by Peter Pears, Imogen Holst and Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh during the official opening of the Snape Maltings Concert Hall, 2 June 1967.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II talks with Benjamin Britten, followed by Peter Pears, Imogen Holst and Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh during the official opening of the Snape Maltings Concert Hall, 2 June 1967

©Brian Seed
An old photograph of Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears

Britten and Pears at The Red House

©Nigel Luckhurst 1976
One man seated, the other standing, looking lovingly at each other. They are outside, in summer shirts.

Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears at a Red House garden party in June 1976

©Nigel Luckhurst 1976

Watch

Britten in the Aldeburgh Festival

Man wearing a blue sweater standing beside students at a piano and talking.

Festival Academy

Enjoy Masterclasses and more as our Festival Academy nurtures the next generation of young artists.

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Aldeburgh Church.

Aldeburgh Festival Service

Our annual Festival Service featuring two of Britten’s most spirited and inspired choral works.
Bird's eye view of BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra with Ryan Wigglesworth, standing holding their instruments under multicoloured lighting.

Welcome to the Orchestra – Monday 15 June

A rip-roaring tour of the orchestra and a Welcome to Ipswich: two of Britten’s most joyful and energetic works.

Nicolas Altstaedt and Friends – Tuesday 16 June

An inspired recital featuring Britten, Birtwistle, Shostakovich and more.

Britten Sinfonia I: Cello Symphony – Wednesday 17 June

Riveting conversations with the past, and a powerful symphony by Britten.
Blonde woman wearing a black dress, standing in front of blurred out trees and smiling.

The Poet’s Echo – Thursday 18 June

A deeply-felt programme of songs by Mussorgsky, Britten and Ryan Wigglesworth.
The Britten Sinfonia holding various instruments standing against a orange wall.

Britten Sinfonia II: Phaedra – Thursday 18 June

An evening of obsession, abandonment and raw fury, featuring Britten, Haydn and more.

Passing the Baton – Saturday 20 June

Join James Baillieu and Ryan Wigglesworth as they discuss their aspirations for the next generation of performers.
Man standing outside amidst trees and bushes, wearing all black and holding a cello at his side.

Guy Johnston: Cello Suites – Sunday 21 June

The remarkable Guy Johnston performs Bach and Britten: elegant suites for cello, in a magical setting.

Festival Walk: In Britten’s Footsteps – Friday 22 June

A guided tour from Aldeburgh to Thorpeness, retracing Britten’s famous “composing walks”.
black and white image of a woman with mid-length dark hair, wearing a jacket and smiling.

Milestones and Memory – Tuesday 23 June

Composer anniversaries: who we are celebrating this year, and why it matters.
Exterior view of Aldeburgh Cinema with a red festival flag.

Britten’s Endgame – Wednesday 24 June

A poignant study of Britten’s last years, featuring some of Britten’s most powerful music.

Nicky Spence, Sean Shibe and Francesca Lauri: Songs for Peter – Wednesday 24 June

A selection of Britten’s favourite songs paired with Schubert’s Schwanengesang.
Close-up of a statue of an angel with widespread wings, wearing a crown and holding a shield

Aldeburgh Festival Singers: Sacred and Profane – Wednesday 24 June

A choral concert featuring one of Britten’s most lively and surprising works, performed at dusk in the beautiful Blythburgh Church.
black and white view of two men, one playing the piano and one holding a violin, looking at sheet music together.

Britten and Menuhin at Bergen-Belsen – Thursday 25 June

“We simply played as one”: the music performed by Benjamin Britten and Yehudi Menuhin at Bergen-Belsen.

La Bonne Chanson – Saturday 27 June

Love and marriage, music and poetry: centuries of song from Baroque to jazz, from one of the country’s leading tenors.

Knussen Chamber Orchestra I: Lawrence Power – Saturday 27 June

An unmissable night of orchestral brilliance and innovation, including work from Britten, Brahms and Wigglesworth.
Knussen Chamber Orchestra with conductor Ryan Wigglesworth.

Knussen Chamber Orchestra II: Echoes – Sunday 28 June

Early Britten, elegant Brahms and Bach in the final Aldeburgh Festival concert.

The Red House, Aldeburgh

Visit The Red House, Aldeburgh

Immerse yourself in Britten’s world with a visit to his former home in Suffolk.

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Painting Britten: 100 Visions of the Music – Thursday 18 June

An exhibition from artist Jane McKay, featuring 100 paintings completed in 2025, one for each of Britten’s numbered works.

Red House Exhibitions – throughout the Festival

Explore the life and art of Britten and his partner Peter Pears with curated displays at their former home, The Red House.

Stories

black and white image of young man with short hair playing the piano and looking intensely at the camera

Britten Now and Then

Fifty years after his death, Dr Lucy Walker considers the remarkable staying power of Britten’s music.
Benjamin Britten conducting June 1967.

Who was Benjamin Britten?

“I want my music to be of use to people, to please them, to enhance their lives.”

Britten Abroad

Dr Lucy Walker explores Britten’s extensive travels around the world, and how they influenced his life and work.

Listen

Listen to Britten’s Peter Grimes on BBC Radio 3 with special guest Lucy Walker.

Saturday 20 June, 6pm
BBC Radio 3: Opera on 3