About this Event
A luminous Oxford premiere — Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, featuring soprano Abigail Barker and countertenor Gleb Zakharov as soloists.
In 2026, we mark 290 years since Giovanni Battista Pergolesi composed Stabat Mater — a work written in the final weeks of his life and forever associated with the Easter season. This anniversary year is a unique opportunity to experience Stabat Mater exactly as it was intended: as a deeply human meditation on grief, faith, and transcendence.
A hymn of sorrow and celestial beauty, it has inspired composers from Bach to Vivaldi, and performers from Montserrat Caballé and Barbara Hendricks to other legendary interpreters as Cecilia Bartoli, Renée Fleming, Philippe Jaroussky, Nathalie Stutzmann, and Andreas Scholl — artists whose performances over the past century have elevated Pergolesi’s masterpiece to the highest international acclaim.
Now, in the heart of Oxford University, this profound meditation on compassion and human fragility receives a new, intimate staging — conceived specifically for the sacred acoustics of Hertford Chapel. A subtle, carefully crafted lighting design will shape the space throughout the performance, offering a contemporary visual reading that enhances rather than distracts, illuminating the emotional and architectural depth of Pergolesi’s masterpiece.
This one-night-only Oxford premiere offers a rare opportunity to experience three sections of Pergolesi’s masterpiece exactly as it would have sounded in his own time — performed in the authentic Neapolitan church pitch used in 18th-century Naples, in lower, warmer tuning which lends the music a darker, more velvety colour.
The concert organised by Red Events & Distribution Ltd. — the creative agency which makes exceptional cultural events in ancient mansions, on rooftops, in greenhouses and in other most atmospheric venues of Europe, the United Kingdom, Georgia, Armenia and other countries. Also in the repertoire – a collection of concerts by candlelight and with complete immersion in the space of video art and sound.
🎟️ Doors open at least 30 minutes before the concert. Follow the instructions of administrators and security. We recommend arriving at concerts in advance. Out of respect for guests and performers, late entry may not be permitted.
⏳ Duration: approx. 60 minutes (without interval)
Age restriction: 6+
🎟️ Tickets are selling fast! Don’t miss your chance to witness this breathtaking concert that brings the magic worlds to life — now with voice and soul.
PROGRAMME
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi — Stabat Mater (Complete performance, approx. 40 minutes)
PRFORMERS
Abigail Barker (soprano)
Abigail Barker, a 24-year-old soprano from Nottingham, recently graduated with first-class honours in Vocal Studies (BMus) from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. She is currently enriching her vocal study with Patricia Rozario OBE, Marcus van den Akker, and vocal coach Panaretos Kyriazidis.
Abigail has performed widely across the UK and Europe. Recent highlights include singing for Lord of the Rings in Concert at St George’s Hall, Liverpool, and touring Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands with Gleb, exploring the connection between the Soprano and Countertenor voices. She spent the summer with Opera de Bauge, appearing in the choruses of 'Don Giovanni' and 'Der Rosenkavalier', and singing Minerva in 'Orpheus in the Underworld'. At Trinity Laban, she performed as Prima Nereidi in Monteverdi's 'Il ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria'.
As a frequent competitor, Abigail was a semi-finalist in the Leach Vocal Competition and took part in the Eastbourne International Singing Competition. She won the Trinity Laban English Song prize, was a finalist in the Lilian Ash French Song and Elisabeth Schumann Lieder Competitions, won the Nottingham-based Liz Chant Bursary, and was selected for the Kathleen Ferrier Bursary Competition.
Abigail has sung with the Old Royal Naval College Chapel Choir under Ralph Allwood, appearing on BBC songs of Praise and also the the Rodolfus Choir, where she had the chance to perform Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem at the Royal Festival Hall. She has attended SienAgosto school, performing Baroque repertoire as a soloist in Siena, and the Oxenfoord International Summer School, where she sang scenes as Elisetta (Il Matrimonio Segreto) and Cobweb (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). She has also honed her craft in masterclasses with Ailish Tynan, Pascal Rogé, Janis Kelly, Catherine Wyn-Rogers and Lynne Dawson.
Gleb Zakharov (countertenor)
Gleb Zakharov is a London-based countertenor and first-class graduate of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, where he studied with Patricia Rozario. His recent and upcoming operatic roles include Pisandro in Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria and the title role in Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto, which he will perform in his international debut in Trieste in 2026.
Gleb has refined his artistry through studies with Professor Faltin at the Hanns Eisler Hochschule in Berlin and masterclasses with Ailish Tynan. He has appeared in productions such as Strozzi! and Errollyn Wallen’s Dido’s Ghost, and performs a wide range of repertoire from Baroque to contemporary music. His concert work has taken him across Europe, including performances in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the United Kingdom.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Hertford College Chapel of Oxford University, Catte Street, Oxford, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00
