About DEBUT

DEBUT is redefining how classical music is shared, experienced, and supported.
We create welcoming, story-led concerts and development programmes that connect audiences with outstanding emerging artists — in London and beyond.

Founded in 2015 by soprano and creative producer Lizzie Holmes, DEBUT has worked with over 250 musicians and brought classical music to thousands of people, many for the very first time. Whether in a Shoreditch loft or a 19th-century museum, our concerts are designed to be intimate, joyful, and inclusive — breaking down barriers between music and listener, performer and audience.

What We Do

Secret Concerts

Monthly sell-out performances at Shoreditch Treehouse and The Brunel Museum, featuring guest line-ups, relaxed atmospheres, and world-class music.

We’ve hosted over 125 concerts, with around 40% of audience members attending their first-ever live classical event. Since launching in 2017, we’ve garnered 500 five-star reviews.

Horizon Project

Our artist development programme, launched in 2022 with support from the Genesis Foundation, empowers early-career musicians to explore their artistic identity and build confidence through mentoring, masterclasses, and public performance.

Opera in a Day

Play-through opera workshops for singers, instrumentalists and curious audiences that make opera fun, approachable and collaborative.

Recognition & Reach

Featured by BBC Radio 3, Radio 4, Classical Music Magazine, Opera Now, Steinway & Sons, Alternative Classical and The Nudge (The Definitive Insiders’ Guide to London)
Named Airbnb’s No.1 Global Music Experience in 2018
Where we’ve hosted concerts:
– Shoreditch Treehouse
– The Brunel Museum, Thames Tunnel Shaft
– Queen’s House
– The Royal Opera House
– The Cutty Sark
– Old Operating Theatre
– Russell-Cotes Museum
– Chettle House

Our work has reached thousands of concertgoers and continues to inspire new relationships between artists, audiences, and the world of classical music.

We are particularly passionate about showcasing emerging musicians and helping to develop their unique voice as professional artists, cultivating a positive classical music community and sharing classical music with new audiences.

Founder

Lizzie Holmes, DEBUT’s Founder & Artistic Director, is a classical soprano, creative producer, and Guest Lecturer in Creative Enterprise at the Royal College of Music, where she trained. With a background spanning both the performing arts and the tech sector, Lizzie leads DEBUT with a focus on innovation, accessibility and artist empowerment.

Meet the Team

Lizzie Holmes – Founder & Artistic Director
Hannah Shilvock – Head of Operations & Artistic Programming
Sam Peña – Resident Pianist Improviser for DEBUT’s Secret Concerts
Jonathon Tester – Chair of Trustees
Debra Young – Trustee
Charlotte Ireland – Trustee
Hannah, Siri & Fabiana — DEBUT volunteers

Supporters

As of August 2025, DEBUT is proud to be operating as a charitable organisation and we are currently awaiting confirmation of this registration with the Charity Commission.

The Carne Trust Philip Carne
Genesis Foundation John Studzinski
The Carr-Gregory Trust Russ & Linda Carr
Shoreditch Treehouse Ross Elder
Royal College of Music Creative Careers Centre, Diana Roberts
Omnibus Theatre Clapham
Frensham Heights School Surrey
Lighthouse Poole’s Centre for the Arts
Airbnb Experiences Jort Statema