CLASSICAL UNLOCKED

Classical Unlocked curates a fresh space for classical music within the mainstream. We showcase fresh talent and host thought-leading conversations about the future of the genre, redefining Classical Music’s presence in modern music culture.

"The debut of Classical Unlocked's showcase at SXSW 2023 was a highlight for us. This year's lineup promises to be equally compelling as they showcase a range of what classical music can be--from traditional to modern, ambient to electronic, Hindustani to Arabic-infused, and more. We believe our attendees will be surprised by what they see and hear."
- James Minor, VP, SXSW Music Festival

Austin
10-15th March 2025

London
2-7th June 2025

ANNOUNCEMENT COMING SOON

The Ayoub Sisters

Scottish/Egyptian instrumentalists & composers, The Ayoub Sisters rose to stardom after their debut album premiered at No.1 in the Official Classical Charts. The sisters are recognised internationally for their chemistry on stage, as well as their ability to unite different genres and cultures together through their unique compositional style.

Recipients of the Arab Women of the Year award, The Ayoub Sisters new album Arabesque – a celebration of music from the Arab World, shot to No.1 in the iTunes Chart. They have performed across the UK, Europe & Middle East with highlights including; the Royal Albert Hall, The Cairo Opera House and Dubai Opera.

With an international YouTube following of over 100,000 subscribers, The Ayoub Sisters are fast becoming the sound of a truly exciting new generation of classical/crossover artists

Tiffany Poon

Hong-Kong born pianist, Tiffany Poon has appeared with orchestras and in recital throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and China since she was first accepted to the Juilliard pre-college program at the age of eight. In addition to live performances, she is also dedicated to demystifying classical music, building an audience for classical music with over 323k subscribers, and supporting music education with her charity Together with Classical.
In February 2024, Pentatone will release her debut album "Diaries: Schumann".
Career highlights include sold-out debut recitals at Dresden Music Festival, Mänttä Music Festival and the Kennedy Center, portrait documentary by Deutsche Welle, collaborations with cellist Jan Vogler, pianist Louie Lortie and conductor Josep Caballé Domenech, and recitals at San Francisco's Herbst Theatre, Gilmore Keyboard Festival, Munich’s Herkulessaal, Klavierfestival Ruhr, Rheingau Musikfestival and Zurich's Tonhalle-Orchester.
Tiffany studied piano with Emanuel Ax and the late Joseph Kalichstein on a full scholarship at Columbia University's Juilliard exchange program, graduating as a John Jay Scholar in 2018 with a degree in philosophy.

Ringdown

Ringdown's music is like calling your first love on a rotary telephone, percussively tearing out the hammers from a 1924 vintage upright, and flinging each of them into space while you wait for every heartache you've ever felt to quietly return. Collaborators Caroline Shaw and Danni Lee—who between the two of them have a Pulitzer Prize, a handful of Grammys, and a "Best Drum Major" Award—describe Ringdown as an electronic cinematic pop duo from Portland, Oregon. Others have described Ringdown as the love child of Johannes Brahms and Brandi Carlile—if they were born in the same century and if Brahms was a queer woman. You decide.

Vulva Voce

Creating radical musical experiences, Vulva Voce puts performance at the forefront, combining movement, experimentation, and improvisation to produce a truly dynamic show. They combine their musical influences of folk, jazz, contemporary classical, and beyond, to push the boundaries of what a string quartet can sound like. Each show is a unique opportunity to connect with a new audience and showcase music by women and underrepresented artists. Over the past two years, their innovative approach has gained them publicity on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Manchester, The Strad and Slipped Disc. They have performed in venues across the UK such as Moth Club, Factory International, Rich Mix, and Assembly Roxy Edinburgh.

In 2023, Vulva Voce embarked on their first European tour where they played to sold out venues across Scandinavia and Germany. They are committed to a more sustainable model of touring and received funding to complete their tour entirely by land travel. Released last year, their first single ‘Smeòrach Chlann Domhnaill’ has gained traction across multiple streaming platforms and their latest single ‘Weaver’s Key’ will be released in early March.

Caroline Shaw

Caroline Shaw is a musician who moves among roles, genres, and mediums, trying to imagine a world of sound that has never been heard before but has always existed. She is the recipient of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in Music, several Grammy awards, and an honorary doctorate from Yale. She has worked with a range of artists including Rosalía, Renée Fleming, and Yo Yo Ma, and she has contributed music to films and tv series including Fleishman is in Trouble, Bombshell, Yellowjackets, Dark, and Beyonce’s Homecoming.

Natalie Tenenbaum

NATALIE TENENBAUM (@NatalieTenenbaum, IG: 107,000) is a critically-acclaimed composer, producer & performing pianist. Graduate of the Juilliard School, Natalie has appeared as soloist and with orchestras in Israel, Europe, Asia and the US, performing in venues such as the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Shanghai's Majestic Theater, Jerusalem Music Center, Berlin's Konzerthaus, Madison Square Garden and Apollo theater; Natalie has premiered her original compositions at Carnegie Hall, Harvard University, Merkin Hall, The National Arts Gallery (NY), Lincoln Center, The Blue Note (NY), Thelonius Monk Jazz Club (Seuol, Korea) & more.

Based in New York, Natalie creates acoustic and electro-acoustic concert music for a wide scope of ensembles, soloists and organizations as well as collaborating across artistic disciplines. She has created arrangements and orchestrations that have been performed by major orchestras across the US, Europe and Asia.

Bishi

BISHI is an artist, composer and producer born in London of Bengali heritage. She has independently released three albums and several EPs to critical acclaim. Featuring revolutionary use of her trademark electric sitar and four-octave vocal range, her music focuses on subjects such as dual identities, anti-racism, feminine mythologies, and queer bodies.

BISHI is celebrated for the use of ground breaking technology in her live performances, from interactive bodysuits to live coded and mixed reality environments. Collaborations and commissions include: Tony Visconti, Sean Ono Lennon, Jarvis Cocker, The London Symphony Orchestra, Yoko Ono’s Meltdown and fashion designer Manish Arora. Alongside her compositions placed in both film and TV, BISHI’s first original score for film (VR), ‘Maya: The Birth of a Superhero’ premiered at Tribeca Film Festival (2023). In 2022, her first AV installation 'Reflektions,' became the first artist’s work to be project-mapped across UNESCO World Heritage sites, The Queen’s House & Royal Naval College, London.

Past Showcases

Classical music, long perceived as elitist and inaccessible, remains on the fringes of mainstream culture. The traditional concert setting often creates a barrier between artists and audiences, with its formal atmosphere and limited scope for interaction. Classical Unlocked aims to dismantle these barriers and bring classical music to new audiences in innovative and engaging ways. We envision a scenario where classical music is a regular part of mainstream festivals and conferences globally, enjoyed not only by seasoned enthusiasts but by a wider audience.