Where World-Class Music Meets Jersey’s story. By Jaz Hamiton of Music in Action
In May, the Liberation International Music Festival returns not simply as a celebration of music, but as a living, breathing story, one that connects Jersey’s past with the voices, instruments, and artistry of the world.
Running from 8–17 May, the festival will bring together internationally acclaimed artists and outstanding local talent. At its heart, however, is an expanding outreach programme designed to ensure that music can be experienced by everyone, regardless of age, background, or ability.
This work is led by the charity Music in Action, whose outreach initiatives have engaged thousands across the Island. In 2025 alone, over 5,000 children and care home residents have participated in workshops and performances, demonstrating a clear commitment to accessibility, inclusion, and the transformative power of music.
A Festival That Travels the World — and Comes Home Again
As dusk settles over Hamptonne Country Life Museum on Saturday 17 May, the first notes drift into the open air — not from Jersey, but from far beyond it. At the piano sits Jon Regen, his unmistakable New York sound threading its way through the Island’s quiet countryside along with Jersey-based Brian White Quarter.
Elsewhere in the programme, another journey unfolds, this time from Ireland. Finghin Collins brings with him the depth and lyricism of European piano tradition, his playing shaped by a lineage that stretches across concert halls and generations. In his hands, the music feels both rooted and borderless, as though the distance between Dublin and Jersey has quietly dissolved.
Then there is the unmistakable presence of David Cohen, principal cellist of the London Symphony Orchestra. When he performs, the room seems to draw closer, the sound of the cello rich with nuance and gravity. His playing does more than impress. It invites listeners inward, into something more reflective, more personal. It is in moments like these that the true scale of the festival reveals itself: not simply a series of concerts, but a gathering of artists whose careers span the world’s great stages.
And woven through it all is a sense of return. Qian Wu and Sir Willard White step back onto Jersey stages throughout the festival, not as newcomers, but as familiar voices. For those who have witnessed their talent previously, there is recognition; for those who haven’t, a quiet anticipation.
Music, Memory, and Liberation
This year’s festival is inseparable from the Island’s Liberation story. Music becomes a bridge between generations, between those who remember the Occupation and those discovering its legacy for the first time.
That connection will be felt most powerfully in the programme’s more reflective moments. On 12 May, audiences will be transported to France through Debussy’s delicate and atmospheric compositions, such as Petite Suite. Claude Debussy briefly stayed in Jersey, where he worked on parts of his iconic orchestral work La Mer, drawing inspiration from the Island’s surrounding seascapes. This evening will be an atmospheric journey into a Europe both fragile and beautiful, echoing the cultural world that existed before and after the war, with celebrated New York Lincoln Centre artists Qian Wu and Juho Pohjonen, as guide audiences on a journey of dreams and fantasy on one piano, enriched by Mendelssohn’s lyrical romanticism.
One of the most evocative events takes place on 18 May at La Hougue Bie, where music, poetry, and place come together in a truly unique experience. Inside this unique event, music and poetry will come together. Readings will be shared by Springfield School pupils, as part Music in Action’s ongoing outreach programme, alongside with texts specially written for the occasion, inspired directly by the music performed.
At the centre of this performance is a deeply moving musical homage Elgar’s Salut d’Amour, offered in tribute to the legendary cellist Jacqueline du Pré. With her paternal roots in Jersey, the piece takes on a profound local resonance a quiet, intimate acknowledgment of one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century, remembered in the Island that forms part of her story.
There will also be a special nod to the virtuosity of Paganini, showcasing the expressive and dramatic possibilities of the cello, further highlighting the instrument’s central role in this year’s festival.
Inspiring the Next Generation
Education remains a cornerstone of the festival’s outreach. Throughout the week, musicians from across the programme will lead sessions in schools island-wide, offering students the rare opportunity to engage directly with professional performers.
These sessions go beyond demonstration. Students will participate in hands-on workshops, interactive performances, and creative exploration, helping to spark curiosity and confidence while nurturing the next generation of musicians and audiences.
A particular highlight will be a special schools’ concert at the Jersey Arts Centre, featuring the internationally acclaimed Jon Regen Trio. Known for their dynamic blend of pop and jazz, the trio will present an engaging, accessible performance designed specifically for young audiences, offering an inspiring introduction to live music at the highest level.
The 2026 festival will also feature a specially designed musical workshop for the hearing-impaired community. This innovative programme will explore new ways of experiencing music beyond sound, through vibration, visual cues, and physical interaction, opening up creative participation for those who are often excluded from traditional musical settings.
This initiative reflects a broader ambition, not simply to present music, but to rethink how it can be shared, felt, and understood by all.
A Festival with Purpose
Chairman of Music in Action, James Mews MBE said: ‘At its core, the Liberation International Music Festival is about connection between artists and audiences, between generations, and across communities. All proceeds from festival events support Music in Action’s outreach programmes, ensuring that the impact of LIMF continues long after the final performance. As LIMF 2026 approaches, its message is clear: music belongs to everyone. And in Jersey this May, it will be heard, seen, and felt in more places than ever before.’
By booking a ticket, audiences become part of that story. Every performance helps raise vital funds for Music in Action’s outreach programmes and bursary scheme, opening doors for children, young people, and community members to experience music in a meaningful way.
This May, LIMF 2026 offers not just unforgettable performances, but the chance to support artists, uplift communities, and share in the transformative power of music.
Tickets are available on musicjersy.com and here: Liberation Festival 2026 — Music in Action
Reprinted from The Jersey Evening Post with kind permission
