Cadenza Project and Manchester Camerata Research Concert
When it comes to live concerts, people with hearing loss often talk of a poorer
experience.
We’ve listened... so we put on a concert of our own!
On Thursday 29 November 2026, together with Manchester Camerata, we held a free concert at Manchester's Stoller Hall. It was a unique opportunity for the audience to help shape future research on hearing aids while enjoying live music.
The concert featured Beethoven's Symphony No. 6, the "Pastoral". Over 200 people attended and provided valuable data for the project.
The Camerata opened by playing a movement from the symphony. The orchestra then performed short excerpts in different ways to explore common problems faced by people with hearing loss. For example, loud sounds can become uncomfortable, so in one excerpt the Camerata held back at the peak of a big crescendo to see whether that helped. The audience rated each version using a simple questionnaire.
The event ended with a short Q&A, where audience members asked experts from the Cadenza project about hearing loss, hearing aids and listening to music.
