RNCM Saxophone Day 2026

  • Classical
  • Jazz
  • Saxophone

When

Sun 8 Nov 2026, 10am

Price

£22 – £40

Where

RNCM Venues

Promoter

RNCM

This event will end at approximately 8.30pm.

About

The UK’s biggest annual sax gathering returns this Autumn. Whether you’re a student, teacher, seasoned player, or just sax-curious, join us for a high-energy, hands-on day packed with workshops, concerts and performances for all ages and abilities. You can expect a vibrant mix of inspiration and participation, from massed ensembles to world-class artistry. We are honoured to welcome saxophonist and composer

Emma Rawicz alongside pianist and composer Gwilym Simcock in a showcase of their new collaboration. Already making waves in the jazz scene, the duo brings a mix of original music and fresh takes on the Great American Songbook, as they prepare to release their debut album,

Trio Abril gives a special chamber music performance; following the release of their album Two Seasons in October 2025, John Butcher and Angharad Davies unleash their formidable improvisatory prowess.

As always, the day features our legendary Massed Saxophone Orchestra, an expansive trade exhibition, and plenty of chances to play, listen, and connect with fellow sax enthusiasts. Our full schedule will be published soon.

Photo credit: Gregor Hohenberg

Schedule

10am – 11.30am / RNCM Concert Hall 
MASSED SAXOPHONE ORCHESTRA 

The day begins with our popular massed playing session. Parts will be available for all levels, including easier parts for less experienced players. Bring your instruments along and join in!


12pm – 1pm / RNCM Venues 
WORKSHOPS 
 
Choose from one of the following options: 

OPTION 1 with Emma Rawicz

Headline artist and saxophonist Emma Rawicz leads a workshop, full details to be confirmed.

OPTION 2 with Ruth Bourn and Gilly Blair  

Join Junior RNCM tutors Gilly and Ruth to explore the striking and distinctive sound world of Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares. In this exploratory playing session, participants will experiment with translating the choir’s unique vocal style to the saxophone.

OPTION 3 with Mike Hall

This session will feature three of Mike’s arrangements for intermediate ability saxophonists and will focus on the ensemble aspects of jazz performance. There will be a live rhythm section and plenty of opportunities for those who want to improvise.

OPTION 4 with Naomi Sullivan  

Zen and the Art of Saxophone Quartet Maintenance
In this workshop, we’ll look at all aspects of how to be the best chamber musician we can be. From the practicalities of rehearsing, tips and ideas on tuning, ensemble, balance, blend, finding repertoire, putting on concerts, and more.

2pm – 3pm / RNCM Concert Hall 
LUNCHTIME CONCERT: TRIO ABRIL (FEAT. ARNO BORNKAMP)

3.30pm – 4.30pm / RNCM Venues 
WORKSHOPS 
 
Choose from one of the following options: 
 
OPTION 1 with Arno Bornkamp and Trio Abril

Join the musicians from Trio Abril for this workshop, full details to be confirmed.

OPTION 2 with Ruth Bourn and Gilly Blair  

Join Ruth and Gilly to play through a selection of arrangements and compositions for large saxophone group. Aimed at players of all ages and abilities. 

OPTION 3 with Mike Hall
Learn how to advance your improvisation skills through structured practice. Nurture your musical intuition with just enough theory and a clear method. This is a hands-on playing session.

OPTION 4 with Carl Raven  

Help! What Am I Doing Wrong?  Discover common technical problems in saxophone playing and how to overcome them.  This is a practical guide to improving your playing, practise, and maintaining your technique.


5pm – 5.30pm / RNCM Concert Hall 
SPOTLIGHT CONCERT: JOHN BUTCHER ( SAXOPHONE) AND ANGHARAD DAVIES (VIOLIN)

7pm / RNCM Theatre 
EMMA RAWICZ (SAXOPHONE) AND GWILYM SIMCOCK (PIANO)

Please note we strongly recommend that anyone under the age of 14 is accompanied by an adult. Parents or guardians observing workshops or participatory events to accompany their children do not need to purchase a ticket. However, all audience members must hold a valid ticket to attend the Trio Abril (feat. Arno Bornkamp) (2pm) and Emma Rawicz (saxophone) and Gwilym Simcock (piano) (7pm) performances.

Massed Saxophone Orchestra

Part of the RNCM Saxophone Day Festival

Explore all events in the UK's largest annual saxophone gathering.

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Things to know before your visit

Become a Member

Nothing beats live music, and as an RNCM Member you can enjoy an unforgettable feast of concerts and events featuring our talented students, alumni, artists-in-residence, and professional partners – all while supporting the next generation of musicians!

Things to know before your visit

We want everyone to have the opportunity to engage with our performances. That’s why across the 2026/27 season we’ve introduced a limited number of Affordable Tickets on RNCM promoted events.

They are available to everyone who feels they may benefit from this option, with no eligibility criteria or proof required. As there is a limited allocation for each event, tickets are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. We recommend booking early to avoid disappointment.

For general admission events, Affordable Tickets can be unlocked using the promo code RNCM10. If the discount is not applied, this usually means all Affordable Tickets for that event have been claimed.

As long as there are still Affordable Tickets available, this offer can be used for accessible seating. Please contact our Box Office for more details.

Please note Affordable Tickets cannot be combined with any other promotion, discount, or offer.

We’ve transitioned away from mass‑produced, single‑use print for the majority of our events and instead provide online programmes featuring the most up‑to‑date event information. Many of our concerts now also open with personal introductions from RNCM students and staff, offering insights into the repertoire and a chance to connect more closely with our community.

Where printed materials remain necessary – such as for RNCM Opera productions, RNCM Symphony Orchestra, RNCM International Brass Band Festival, and RNCM Family Events – we design and print them carefully and responsibly, using limited resources, with an online version available for anyone who wishes to support our sustainability goals.

At the RNCM, the safety of our students, staff, and audiences is our highest priority. To improve safety for our visitors, we have enhanced our security provision. If you bring a bag with you, this may be searched on entry to the building. For a list of prohibited items and other security information, please visit our Security page.

Unless otherwise stated on the event listing page, our Front of House team will permit latecomers into a performance at a suitable opportunity.

We do not operate a cloakroom at our venue. Please do not bring large bags with you, as these are not permitted in the auditoria. Coat rails may be available, and for some family events, we may provide a dedicated buggy park area. Please note that these items are not monitored by staff and are left at the owner’s risk.

If you have accessible seating requirements or need to bring an Essential Companion to assist you, please contact [email protected] or phone 0161 907 5555. You can also visit our Access page for full details about our building’s accessibility to help you plan your visit.

We want everyone to enjoy our performances in the clothes they feel most comfortable in whether that’s a t-shirt and jeans or something a little more formal.

About our venues

RNCM Concert Hall

The RNCM Concert Hall is a striking performance venue with tiered seating for up to 550 audience members, including balcony seating for 165, offering excellent sightlines and an intimate concert experience.

Access

The Concert Hall offers a range of access options, including step-free routes to selected seating areas, lift access to the Upper Hall, and handrails on all staircases. Step-free access is available to Row A in the Lower Hall and Row GG in the Upper Hall, with additional accessible stalls seating available for some performances.

RNCM Theatre

The RNCM Theatre is one of Manchester’s most distinctive performance spaces, combining tiered seating for up to 650 people with one of the city’s largest black box stages to create an immersive experience for audiences and performers alike.

Access

The Theatre can be reached via either set of venue doors by using two flights of 16 steps, with handrails on both sides, or via the passenger lift. Inside the auditorium, step-free seating is available in Row T, with dedicated wheelchair spaces in Row S of the centre block.

Carole Nash Recital Room

The Carole Nash Recital Room is an intimate and versatile performance space, offering a welcoming setting for chamber music, solo recitals, masterclasses, and talks.

Access

Located on the ground floor and step-free, the Carole Nash Recital Room combines excellent acoustics with a fully accessible, flexible layout that brings audiences closer to performers.

Our complete listings guide

Discover our latest season all in one place with extraordinary music from world-class artists and the next generation of musicians.

How to Get Here

Bus

There are frequent bus services from Manchester City Centre (Piccadilly Gardens) to Oxford Road and Booth Street West.

These bus stops are all within a five-minute walk to the RNCM:

Aquatics Centre (Southbound):
Bus Numbers 15, 18, 41 CrossCity, 42, 42A, 42B, 42C, 43, 111, 142, 142N, 143, 147, 191, 197, V1 Vantage, V2 Vantage, V4

Cavendish Street (Northbound), Higher Cambridge St/Boundary St West (Southbound):
Bus Numbers 101, 102, 103

Royal Northern College of Music (both directions):
Bus Numbers 53 Orbits, 85, 85A, 86, 250, 263 Sapphire

University Shopping (Northbound):
Bus Numbers 15, 18, 41 CrossCity, 42, 42A, 42B, 42C, 43, 111, 142, 142N, 143, 147, 191, 197, V1 Vantage, V2 Vantage, V4

Tram

The nearest tram stop is St Peter’s Square (0.8 miles). From there you can walk to the RNCM in 15 minutes or catch a southbound bus down Oxford Road.

Bike

A public bike rack can be found in the RNCM surface car park located on Rosamond Street West, next to the entrance doors – don’t forget to bring your bike lock!

There is also a Bee Network docking station on the corner of Rosamond Street West and Oxford Road, next to the RNCM.

Please note that e-bikes are not permitted at the RNCM.

Train

The nearest train station is Manchester Oxford Road (0.5 miles). From there you can walk to the RNCM in 13 minutes or catch a southbound bus down Oxford Road.

Other train stations include:
Manchester Piccadilly (0.8 miles/20 minute walk)
Deansgate (0.9 miles/21 minute walk)
Manchester Victoria (1.5 miles/33 minute walk)

Car and Parking Information

If you are travelling by car we recommend that you allow plenty of time for your journey. Please note that general traffic along Oxford Road is no longer permitted to use the route between 6am and 9pm, seven days a week. Visitors driving into and across the city centre will need to use alternative routes, such as Upper Brook Street and Princess Street, rather than Oxford Road.

Parking 

Please note that there is no public car parking available at the RNCM on weekdays and Saturdays before 5pm. Daytime visitors are advised to use nearby public car parks.

We have limited blue badge spaces within our surface car park that can be pre-booked by customers at [email protected] (these are subject to availability). There is also limited on street provision for disabled parking on Rosamond Street West, adjacent to the main car park entrance.

Sir Charles Groves Hall of Residence Underground Car Park (evenings and all day on Sundays) Off Rosamond Street West

On weekdays and Saturdays between 5 – 11.30pm, and on Sundays between 6am – 11.30pm, visitor parking is available in the RNCM secure underground car park, located next to the College in the basement of Sir Charles Groves Hall of Residence. This is a cashless car park.

The current charge per visit is £5 per car, payable by contactless or chip and pin only.*

Please note that the underground car park entrance/exit is 2.1 metres high and 2.3 metres wide. Customers who own larger vehicles may wish to consider using alternative car parks in order to reduce the risk of damage to vehicles.

Overnight parking in the Sir Charles Groves Hall car park is prohibited, and is subject to a fine of £50 per night.

The two closest public car parks to the RNCM are:

University of Manchester Booth Street West Car Park
Booth Street West
M15 6AR (access via Higher Cambridge Street)
Further information

Manchester Aquatics Centre Car Park (NCP)
Booth Street East
M13 9SS
Further information

Please note that travel and parking information has been given as a guide only, and may be subject to change. Car parks 2 and 3 are not managed by the RNCM. Visitors are advised to check travel plans ahead of your journey.

Air

Our nearest airport is Manchester Airport, located about 10 miles south of the city centre. There are regular train, bus and taxi connections to the city.

For more information please visit the Manchester Airport website.

Where to eat

Our fully accessible RNCM Café Bar serves freshly prepared breakfasts, lunches, and evening meals, as well as takeaway salads, sandwiches, wraps, cakes, and snacks. All our selections include vegan options, and we operate our service in a sustainable, environmentally responsible way.