Britten Pears Arts has announced the opening of the upgraded Britten Pears Building at Snape Maltings, marking the completion of the first phase of its £17.7 million Capital Program.

The modernization of the building, originally converted in 1979, was led by architects De Matos Ryan and built by Hutton Construction. The renovated facility features five larger music studios, modernized technical facilities, a new lift, and a state-of-the-art Clore Learning Space on the upper floor funded by the Clore Duffield Foundation. The building will serve as home to the O’Hare Music Centre, encompassing the organization’s Artist Development and Children, Families and Young People programs, as well as its arts and health work.

The inaugural Festival Academy, led by James Baillieu with Lise Davidsen, Nicky Spence, Julia Faulkner, and Caroline Dowdle as tutors, is among the first programs to take place in the new space. A Summer Academy led by Ryan Wigglesworth will follow in August, welcoming international young artists to work alongside tutors including Adrian Brendel, Imogen Cooper, and Steven Osborne.

The second phase of the Capital Program, funded in part by a £1.9 million Creative Foundations Fund grant from Arts Council England, will focus on restoring Snape Maltings Concert Hall, with work set to commence in January 2027 ahead of the 2027 Aldeburgh Festival. Britten Pears Arts has also launched a public fundraising campaign to raise the remaining £3.6 million needed for flood defenses and climate cooling infrastructure.

“It is thrilling to see the Britten Pears Building opened and in use for this year’s Aldeburgh Festival and it will be transformational in the expansion of our work with children, young people, the community and Creative Health,” said Andrew Comben, Chief Executive of Britten Pears Arts, per an official press release.

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