The Forsyths Blog

February 5, 2025
January Roundup

We started this year by continuing our free recital series with two events, including a world premiere! See all our future events here We kicked off the year with a sold-out visit from the Ardentia Trio, who played music by Cameron Biles-Liddell (who was also at the concert!), Jennifer Higdon and Felix Mendelssohn. Missed the performance? View a livestream of it here --- Our second concert this year was a World Premiere of Colin Riley's new piano works Memory Leaves, with 14 performers! Adam Swayne and 13 of his RNCM students presented the new music to a packed house See the livestream on Facebook here --- Our ground floor Sheet Music Department shared some of their #SheetMusicPicks  across our social media in January, featuring their favourite beginner books for piano, cello, and ukulele The Instrument Department showed off one of the items in our January Sale with this demo from James --- If you want to keep up to date with the goings on here at Forsyths then follow us on Facebook and Instagram

read more

February 4, 2025
This February at Forsyths

Friday 7 February, 6:30PM - Cristo Harijan: Mompou and Liszt Join us for an intimate evening of piano music featuring Cristo Harijan, a rising British-American pianist, performing selected works from Mompou's contemplative Música Callada and Liszt's Harmonies poétiques et religieuses. Harijan, praised for his "fiery virtuosity" and currently studying at the École normale de musique Alfred Cortot in Paris, presents a thoughtfully curated program of these remarkable piano works.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Programme: Federico Mompou (1893-1986) ~ Música Callada (excerpts)- I. Angélico- VI. Lento- XI. Allegretto- XIV. Énérgique- XV. Lento, Plaintif- XXV. Lento- XXVII. Lento molto Franz Liszt (1811-1886) ~ Harmonies poétiques et religieuses III, S. 173 (excerpt)- No. 4, 'Pensée des morts' Friday 21 February, 6:30PM - Impressionist Portraits (Cello, Robert Wheatley & Piano, Winnie Su) We are delighted to welcome back Winnie Su to perform in our recital series alongside experienced cellist Robert Wheatley in an engaging programme of...

read more

January 5, 2025
Start your year right!

Join us this January for some free live music! Our free recital series continues this month with two concerts in our historic piano showroom. We will also be running a January Sale, details to follow soon! Saturday 11 January 2025, 6:30 - 7:30 PM - Ardentia Piano Trio Join the Ardentia Trio and guest violist Emma Farnsworth at Forsyth's for an eclectic program spanning two centuries. The evening features Mendelssohn's dramatic F minor Piano Quartet alongside contemporary works by Cameron Biles-Liddell and Jennifer Higdon's color-inspired Piano Trio. The Ardentia Trio comprises Max Jones-Lachman (violin), Rebekah Clarke (cello) and Nadia Dotsiak (piano). This hour-long performance brings together four RNCM postgraduates in the intimate setting of Manchester's historic music shop.  Programme: Cameron Biles-Liddell (1994-)- Clockwork Dances Jennifer Higdon (1962-)- Piano Trio- Pale Yellow- Fiery Red Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1849)- Piano Quartet No. 2 in F minor- Allegro molto- Adagio- Intermezzo. Allegro moderato- Allegro molto vivace...

read more

December 19, 2024
Christmas Gift Ideas

Every December here at Forsyths, we have our very own advent calendar where we hand pick gift ideas that are ideal for musicians of all types! Here's a collection of our favourite from this year. To scroll through all of this years gift ideas have a look at our web page here Starting off strong with Meinl's Mini and Pocket Steel Tongue Drums. These sell well all year, but make fantastic gifts at Christmas time. Its pre-tuned scale means there are no wrong notes and anyone can play it! Another Christmas classic is The Faber Music Christmas Anthology book for piano. Full of best-loved Christmas tunes for intermediate piano, the cover also looks beautiful on your music rest. The piano floor also joined in with the Christmas fun with duetting with one of our self-playing pianos. Perfect for intimate family gatherings and large holiday parties alike, an automated grand piano is the ideal accompaniment for your music-making this holiday season and beyond! Paul McCartney came to Manchester this month, and we couldn't resist making...

read more


This year we're joining in by inviting customers to come and play a piano in our ground floor sheet music department to broadcast on their social media channels to help raise funds for Manchester's music charity - the Olympias Music Foundation. We'll also be providing some festive drinks and nibbles as well as enabling you to explore an unrivalled selection of musical things that you might like to purchase for friends and family in your festive shopping! To donate to the OMF 'Play it Forward' campaign please visit their website here:- https://olympiasmusicfoundation.beaconforms.com/form/36c6fcc0

read more

Our publishing department proudly presents So Written To After-Times, a fascinating new book compiling the letters of acclaimed composer John McCabe. The book is available on our web shop here, and will also be introduced at our concert on 13th December when the composer's wife, Monica McCabe, who lovingly compiled the book, will be in attendance. You can book your free seat and see details of the concert and launch event (6.00-7.30pm) here .

read more

Forsyths is delighted to welcome back Learn to Play Day, an event created by the charity Music For All, providing an opportunity for budding and former music makers to be able to try out a new instrument for free. Sign up for your free lesson here Across the weekend, our incredible team of teachers and staff will be providing free 15 minute taster lessons in a variety of instruments. So far, we will be teaching: piano, violin, cello, double bass, guitar, bass guitar, ukulele, saxophone, flute, clarinet and more to come! Lessons are available for everyone - complete beginners of any age, to lapsed players who might want to start playing again. All instruments will be provided - however you are welcome to bring your own instrument or indeed buy one! We ask that anyone under 16 signing up for a taster lesson is accompanied by an adult. Booking open now!

read more

APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED.  ANY APPLICATIONS RECEIVED AFTER 10TH OCTOBER WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POST A great opportunity for an enthusiastic and knowledgeable musician has arisen to join our team in our Sheet Music Department. This role would be ideally suited to music students or recent graduates.  Please visit our vacancies page to read the full job advert. https://www.forsyths.co.uk/content/486-saturday-job-sheet-music-sales-advisor The application deadline is Thursday 10th October 2024

read more

We are open with reduced hours on Bank Holiday Monday (11-17)  We will be open as normal (10-17.30) from Tuesday 27th August!

read more