OPUS ONE
Opus One Summer Music Festival
JULY, 2026 LONDON
The Opus One Summer Music Festival 2026 unfolds across London and Paris, offering participants a carefully curated musical journey that combines intensive study, high-level performance, and cultural immersion. The festival opens in London with registration, a welcoming meet-and-greet, and an opening concert at St Mary le Strand Church, setting the artistic tone for the days ahead.
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In London, students will take part in full-day masterclasses led by distinguished professors, including Julian Jacobson (piano), Marc Djokic (violin), Kirsten Jenson (cello), and Piotr Dec (Clarinet) alongside duo and small-ensemble rehearsals that encourage collaborative music-making. As the week progresses, participants refine their repertoire through focused rehearsal and performance preparation, leading to a competition and concert at the Royal Academy of Music’s Duke’s Hall, followed by a celebratory reception. Some participants will conclude their programme in London at this stage.
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The festival then continues to Paris, with travel taking place after the London programme. Following the city’s Bastille Day celebrations, participants will perform in a series of concerts in central Paris, including a Debussy tribute concert, with an additional performance scheduled later in the week. These Paris concerts form a fitting finale to the festival, bringing together artistic excellence, international exchange, and the inspiration of two of Europe’s great cultural capitals.
Julian Jacobson is a distinguished British pianist, conductor, and educator, renowned for his versatility and deep musical insight. A graduate of the Royal College of Music, he studied under John Barstow and Louis Kentner, later establishing himself as a leading interpreter of classical and contemporary repertoire.Jacobson has performed as a soloist with major orchestras, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and has appeared at prestigious venues such as Wigmore Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall. He is particularly acclaimed for his complete performances of Beethoven’s 32 Piano Sonatas in a single day, a feat demonstrating his exceptional endurance and artistry.Beyond performance, he is a sought-after pedagogue, serving as a Professor of Piano at the Royal College of Music and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. His masterclasses and lectures inspire musicians worldwide, and his recordings and editions contribute significantly to piano literature.
Violinist Marc Djokic is concertmaster of the Orchestre classique de Montréal, winner of the 2024 Juno Award for Album of the Year, and co-director of the multidisciplinary ensemble ART CRUSH (Ensembl’arts). He is a recipient of the Mécénat Musica Prix Goyer, Prix Opus, and the 2020 ECMA Classical Recording of the Year for his debut album Solo Seven.
Recent recordings include Shadow & Light (Centrediscs) and Piazzolla – Port of Call: Buenos Aires (Analekta). His second solo album, Solo Eight, will be released by ATMA Classique in early 2026.
An active chamber musician, Djokic tours widely across Canada, the United States, and Europe, performing in innovative ensemble formats and multidisciplinary projects through ART CRUSH. As a soloist, he has appeared with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra, and Orchestre classique de Montréal.
Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Djokic studied with his father Philippe Djokic, and later with David Russell, Donald Weilerstein, and Jaime Laredo. He performs on a 1740 Guarnerius violin.
Cellist Kirsten Jenson has appeared internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. While studying with Johannes Goritzki, she performed Schumann’s Cello Concerto with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. After completing her studies in Switzerland, she joined the Netherlands-based Ragazze Quartet, recording for Channel Classics, appearing on live television and radio, and performing at major venues including Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw.
Returning to the UK, she was named Best British Cellist at the 2016 International Music Competition Grand Prize Virtuoso. She has since performed at leading venues including Wigmore Hall, the Barbican, Kings Place, and Victoria Hall, Geneva. As a member of the United Strings of Europe, she has toured internationally, recorded for BIS Records, and appeared on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune.
Kirsten has collaborated with the Allegri Quartet and Primrose Piano Quartet, and performed at festivals worldwide. She also gives masterclasses internationally and looks forward to upcoming festival appearances and a septet release on Orchid Classics.
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Piotr Dec is regarded as one of the most compelling clarinettists of his generation, pursuing an increasingly prominent international career as both soloist and artistic director. In recent seasons, he has given distinguished solo recitals in France, including at the Palace of Versailles, and made his concerto debut at the Bahrain National Music Festival, performing Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto under the baton of Giuseppe Monopoli. In 2025, he was appointed Executive and Artistic Director of the International Chamber Music Festival in Szczawno-Zdrój, Poland, assuming full responsibility for its artistic vision and international development. Highlights of the forthcoming season include recital and concerto appearances in Vienna, London, Paris and Warsaw, alongside the release of his debut CD recorded with Japanese pianist Kaori Saeki. In December 2026, he will join a Viennese orchestra for a major concert tour across China. A prizewinner of the Yamaha Music for Europe Competition and the London Woodwind Competition, he is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music in London.
AGENDA
JUL. 10
All day Masterclass 2
plus duo/small ensemble rehearsals.
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How to apply:
​Each applicant must complete and submit the application form below. In addition, please send one performance video (which may include multiple pieces) to info@opusone.studio. Chamber repertoire will be assigned based on the applicant’s current skill level approximately two weeks after the application is submitted, allowing sufficient time for preparation.
What participant will get:
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Festival certificate to be handed on July 12th during prize ceremony
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Trophy (Gold, Bronze, or Silver) will be award on July 12th during prize ceremony
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Professional Photos to be taken during the performance and award ceremony
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Video recordings along with jury comments on the final performance will be sent electronically one week after the festival conclusion
Dates:
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Registration opening: February 1st, 2026
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Registration closing: May 30th 2026
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Exact date of masterclasses and will be confirmed by the end of June 2026
JUDGES
Melanie Spanswick is an award-winning pianist, composer, author, and educator. A graduate of the Royal College of Music, she has performed internationally as a soloist, chamber musician, and accompanist, with appearances on Classic FM, BBC Radio, and at venues such as Wigmore Hall and the Southbank Centre.
As a respected educator, she teaches at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Eton College, and has given masterclasses and workshops across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia.
Melanie has authored over 30 acclaimed piano books, including the best-selling Play it again: PIANO series and the award-winning Women Composers – A Graded Anthology for Piano. Her compositions, published by leading music publishers, are featured on syllabuses and in festivals worldwide.
Michael Maxwell Steer is a composer, producer, writer, and teacher based in Tisbury, Wiltshire. He directs the Cherubim Music Trust, a charity founded by his wife Clancy that loans professional-calibre instruments to young musicians and presents them in concerts and recordings. He also curates the Aperitif Concerts at London’s Savile Club, showcasing Cherubim Young Musicians. Formerly Head of 20th-Century Studies at the Junior Royal College of Music, Michael pioneered audiophonic composition and created over 120 BBC drama broadcasts, including 25 original scripts. He also performed on BBC Radio 3 as a harpsichordist. Since relocating to Wiltshire in 1991, he has taught piano, developed the ColourMuse method for beginners, and composed extensively for voice. He is currently planning Cherubim’s 25th anniversary in 2026.
Supported by
2024 Opus One Festival
