Over the past 30 years Bath Mozartfest has built an enviable reputation for artistic excellence in chamber and orchestral music. In its annual festival each November it presents the finest classical music performed by world-renowned artists. Excellent ticket sales, capacity audiences, and glowing national broadsheet reviews confirm this.

Bath Mozartfest was created in 1991 thanks to a generous bequest by Mrs Mary Purnell, in memory of her late son Mark who adored the music of Mozart and the City of Bath. The A M Purnell Charitable Trust continues to support the festival, although today its income comes predominantly from the generosity of private and corporate sponsors as well, of course, as ticket sales. Unlike almost all comparable organizations, Bath Mozartfest receives no council or government funding.

Sadly, Mrs Purnell did not live to enjoy the first festival which was programmed by Yehudi Menuhin. Amelia Freedman CBE, took over as artistic director in 1995. Amelia has had a long and distinguished career, not least as founder of the Nash Ensemble and as a former Head of Classical Music at the South Bank Centre. With Amelia’s peerless programming, and with a small and committed Board and staff team, Bath Mozartfest has gone from strength to strength and today is firmly established as one of Europe’s leading classical music festivals.