Fantasia Orchestra expands University of Oxford partnership

Fantasia Orchestra is expanding its partnership with the University of Oxford through several artistic and educational initiatives. A central component of this collaboration is the world premiere of ‘Orbiting Orbital’ by composer Nitin Sawhney, scheduled for November 6 and 7, 2026, at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities’ Sohmen Concert Hall.

Inspired by Samantha Harvey’s Booker Prize-winning novel ‘Orbital’, the multidisciplinary project integrates music, literature, and visual art. The production features six new poems by Harvey, a new cantata and six musical pieces by Sawhney, alongside artistic contributions from sculptor Antony Gormley and photographer Mary McCartney. The performances will be conducted by Fantasia Orchestra founder and artistic director Tom Fetherstonhaugh.

Beyond the performances, the orchestra will engage with the University’s Faculty of Music through composition workshops for undergraduate and postgraduate students. This follows previous collaborations involving acoustic testing at the Sohmen Concert Hall and various workshops. The project also involves academic participation from University of Oxford professors across fields such as ecosystem science, planetary science, and literature.