New music by Nitin Sawhney and poetry by Booker Prize-winning author Samantha Harvey will come together in Oxford this November for the world premiere of Orbiting Orbital.
Fantasia Orchestra will perform the work at the Schwarzman Centre’s Sohmen Concert Hall on Friday 6 and Saturday 7 November 2026, with both performances starting at 7.30pm.
Inspired by Harvey’s novel Orbital, the production combines live music and new writing with drawings by Antony Gormley and photography by Mary McCartney. Sawhney will perform alongside guest musicians and the orchestra, conducted by its founder and artistic director, Tom Fetherstonhaugh.
The concerts also mark a further step in Fantasia’s work with Oxford University, which includes helping test the new concert hall’s acoustics and working with student composers.
At a glance: Orbiting Orbital in Oxford
| What | Nitin Sawhney: Orbiting Orbital, a new work combining music, poetry and visual art |
| Dates | Friday 6 and Saturday 7 November 2026 |
| Start time | 7.30pm on both evenings |
| Venue | Sohmen Concert Hall, Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities |
| Address | Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG |
| Running time | Two hours, including an interval |
| Age recommendation | 12+ |
| Advertised ticket prices | £30.80 to £61.60. Check the booking page for available seats and any applicable charges. |
| Booking | Official event information and tickets |
What is Orbiting Orbital about?
Harvey’s Orbital, which won the 2024 Booker Prize, follows six astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station over a single day. As they circle the Earth, their observations of the planet sit alongside thoughts about the lives and people they have left below.
The new performance takes inspiration from that movement between individual lives and a much wider view of humanity. Its subjects include identity, human connection and our relationship with the planet.
Harvey has written six new poems, accompanied by six new pieces of music and a new cantata composed by Sawhney. The venue’s programme also promises some more familiar pieces alongside the new work.
Gormley has contributed six specially selected drawings, while McCartney’s photographs add another visual perspective. Together, these elements make this a collaboration across art forms, rather than simply a concert taking its title from a book.
Sawhney’s connection with the novel predates the commission: he was one of the judges on the Booker panel that selected Orbital as its 2024 winner.
Who will be performing?
Sawhney will play piano and guitar, joined by Aref Durvesh on tabla and dholak, violinist Eos Counsell and vocalists Shapla Salique and YVA. The venue’s current line-up also includes Ashwin Srinivasan on bansuri flute and vocals.
Fantasia Orchestra will perform under Fetherstonhaugh, who has his own connection to the city: he read music at Merton College, Oxford, before studying conducting at the Royal Academy of Music.
The project’s Oxford academic collaborators include ecosystem scientist Professor Yadvinder Malhi, literature scholar Professor Pablo Mukherjee, planetary scientist Professor Neil Bowles and space instrumentation specialist Dr Carly Howett.
The performances form part of the Schwarzman Centre’s Utopia Now! season, which explores how the arts can contribute to imagining and creating a better future.
Fantasia’s growing relationship with Oxford
The November concerts build on work that began before the Schwarzman Centre’s public cultural programme opened.
Fantasia took part in acoustic testing at the Sohmen Concert Hall in November 2025 and a composition workshop with the Faculty of Music later that month. It then performed at a soft-launch event at the centre in February 2026.
The orchestra will return to the Faculty of Music this November for another workshop with undergraduate and graduate composers, giving students the opportunity to hear their orchestral writing played by professional musicians and develop it further.
Fetherstonhaugh said:
“What excites me most is the breadth of what we’re able to explore. Orbiting Orbital brings together music, literature, visual art and academic thinking on a remarkable scale, while our work with student composers gives us the chance to support new musical voices directly.”
Fantasia celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2026. Founded while Fetherstonhaugh was still in Year 13, the orchestra made its BBC Proms debut in 2024 and returned to the Royal Albert Hall for two performances this August.
For Oxford audiences, the November dates offer the chance to hear a newly commissioned work at the start of its public life, while the accompanying university activity gives student composers a separate opportunity to work directly with the orchestra.
Tickets and performance details
The promoter advertises tickets from £30.80 to £61.60. Select the performance date and seating area through the Schwarzman Centre’s booking page to check current availability and the final price.
Both performances begin at 7.30pm and are scheduled to last two hours, including an interval. That suggests an approximate 9.30pm finish, although visitors should leave some flexibility when arranging return travel.
The published age recommendation is 12+. The venue’s ticketing conditions require children under 14 to be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.
For booking assistance, contact the Box Office on 01865 615500 or email tickets@schwarzmancentre.ox.ac.uk. Further information about the orchestra is available at fantasiaorchestra.com.
Getting to the Schwarzman Centre
The centre is in the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, between Woodstock Road and Walton Street, on the edge of Jericho. The full visitor address is Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG.
Oxford University’s visitor information puts the walk from Oxford railway station at approximately 20 minutes and from Gloucester Green coach station at around ten minutes. Allow additional time to find the concert hall once inside the building.
The university advises visitors arriving by car to consider Park & Ride. Parking on university property is by permit, so do not assume the concert ticket includes a parking space.
The centre’s visitor guide includes its location and building maps. A Foyer Bar on Basement Level 2 serves drinks and seasonal snacks.
Accessibility and companion tickets
The building has step-free entrances and lifts to all floors, with dedicated wheelchair spaces in the concert hall. Accessible toilets are available throughout the building, and a Changing Places facility is on Basement Level 2.
Performance spaces use an infrared hearing enhancement system. Visitors should contact the team about the equipment and seating arrangements that best meet their needs.
The centre operates a free Schwarzman Centre Access Pass with Nimbus Disability. Its booking system directs customers to this scheme for access seating and free companion tickets where eligible; existing Nimbus Access Card holders can link their card to the venue.
Blue Badge parking is available on site, but arrangements should be checked in advance. The accessibility page provides further information, and the Box Office can help with booking requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Is Orbiting Orbital a performance of Samantha Harvey’s novel?
It is a new work inspired by Orbital, combining newly written poems and music with drawings and photography. The programme is not advertised as a conventional dramatisation of the novel.
Will Nitin Sawhney perform on both nights?
He is advertised to perform piano and guitar at both Oxford concerts, alongside Fantasia Orchestra and the guest musicians.
Will Antony Gormley and Mary McCartney appear in person?
Their drawings and photography form part of the project. The published programme does not confirm an in-person appearance by either artist.
Is the event open to people outside the university?
Yes. These are ticketed performances in the Schwarzman Centre’s public cultural programme, not university-only events.
Programme and visitor information checked on 1 October 2026. Confirm current ticket availability and access arrangements before booking.
