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Celebrating Music and Drama in our 200th Year

30 Oct 2024

A special night of classical performance as part of our bicentennial celebrations hosted at the Martin Harris Centre - with many more events to come at the heart of our campus

Operatic performers on stage at the Martin Harris Centre

As part of our bicentennial celebrations, the University hosted a special concert to mark the 20th anniversary of the naming of the Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama and 20 years since the Victoria University of Manchester (VUM) merged with the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), creating  the institution we are proud to be part of today. 

Generously supported by Martin Harris, former Pro Vice-Chancellor of VUM and, his wife Barbara, the evening began with a drinks reception with President and Vice Chancellor Duncan Ivison in the atmospheric Living Worlds Gallery at Manchester Museum. Afterwards, guests were invited to enjoy a captivating concert in the Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall at the Martin Harris Centre. 

This wonderful evening of music and drama featured two stunning classical performances. Firstly, the Martin Harris Centre’s resident string quartet Quatuor Danel, known for its bold and fresh interpretations of string quartet cycles, performed Schubert’s “Death and The Maiden”. Written in 1824, the piece was carefully selected in homage to the University’s year of origin. 

Afterwards, the great operatic star and Manchester alumnus Sir John Tomlinson CBE took on the role of Shakespeare’s King Lear in former Professor of Music and now Emeritus Professor and recent honorary graduand, John Casken’s “The Shackled King,” opposite award-winning mezzo-soprano Rozanna Madylus.  

During the evening, Deputy Vice-President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Luke Georghiou invited guests to reflect on the historical importance of the University’s bicentenary and the 20th anniversary of its current form. The merger of VUM and UMIST was a pivotal moment in our history, bringing together two great institutions with rich legacies of innovation, research, and education. It set the stage for the University to become a global leader in higher education, developing a community that thrives on diversity, excellence, and impact. As a University, we continue to mark this momentous occasion every October by celebrating Foundation Day. 

As Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Victoria University of Manchester, Martin Harris was one of the original four founders of our new University, along with Vice Chancellor of UMIST Professor John Garside; Chairman of Council at the Victoria University of Manchester Dr Rodger Pannone; and Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council at UMIST Professor Tom Hinchcliffe, who sadly passed away last year. 

It was during this transformative period that Martin recognised the need for a dedicated performance space for music and drama to bring the heart of campus to life, leading to the establishment of the Centre in 2003, which was then named after Martin on his retirement in 2004. As a University, we remain incredibly grateful for Martin’s lifelong love of the Arts and the Centre continues to play a crucial role in enriching the cultural fabric of our University, as well as the lives of our students, staff, alumni, and wider community. 

The concert was not just a celebration of music and drama, but a tribute to the enduring legacy of The University of Manchester and its community. 

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