Inside DEBUT’s Secret Concerts at Queen’s House

What makes DEBUT at Queens House so special?
Founder Lizzie Holmes shares the thinking, the vision and the story behind our new series.

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DEBUT began with a feeling I couldn’t ignore: classical music didn’t have to be presented the way we were so often seeing it.

Before studying at the Royal College of Music, I read English Literature at Warwick University and took part in around 20 student productions. That world felt free: close collaboration, experimentation, risk-taking. Making work together felt immediate and alive.

Arriving at the Royal College of Music was a sharp contrast. Everything was highly polished and carefully prepared. In many recital settings, the focus on refinement left little space for spontaneity or shared discovery - the elements that had first drawn me to performing.

What stayed with me instead from my time at the RCM were the informal spaces: song classes, studio rehearsals, moments where musicians could present work in progress. These settings felt generous, and fun, creating connection rather than distance. That contrast planted the seed for what would later become DEBUT’s Secret Concerts.

From the outset, the idea wasn’t just about listening. Secret Concerts are intentionally small - usually fifty to seventy people (and no two are the same!). The programme of each show is different, shaped by our musicians and the pieces that they want to share, all tied into our curated format (which I’ll have to share more about in another blog post!). Each concert is shaped by the room, the artists, and the audience present that evening.

We think carefully about the experience as a whole. From the first interaction someone has with the DEBUT team, through pre-show drinks, the interval, and the performance itself, the aim is to help people finish the night feeling relaxed, energised, and open.

That matters in a city like London, where life moves quickly and attention is constantly pulled in a million directions. There’s something so powerful about creating a space where people can pause, take things in, and hear a pin drop after a piece of music - while still holding onto warmth, liveliness, and the pleasure of being together. That said, during the interval, or while introducing the pieces, we love to make our audiences laugh, whether it’s an off-hand comment, or cheeky (/naughty!) remark, a recent audience said the one word she’d use to sum up the night was ‘delight’.

That balance becomes especially clear when audiences arrive without knowing exactly what they’re about to hear. There’s often a moment of nervous excitement at first, quickly replaced by curiosity. People walk into these spaces and visibly stop. Many tell us they have no idea what they’re coming to. Friends often bring friends, passing it on almost like a shared secret. That sense of discovery shapes the room before the music even begins. We know that, usually, you may expect to arrive at a concert with hushed tones, quietly commenting to your neighbour about the beautiful surroundings. At a DEBUT night, we flip that on it’s head, you’ll hear loud cheers when a champagne bottle pops, or see the host calling across the room to request audience favourites from our warm up musicians. The atmosphere is lively, and buzzing.

For music, it’s a beautiful space. The acoustic is warm, and the layout lets our singers and instrumentalist move through the room - among the audience, around them, and onto the balcony. Seating on three sides creates proximity without formality and brings the audience into a shared experience with one another.

Last year, we held two Secret Concerts at Queen’s House; this year, we’re returning for four - which feels genuinely exciting.

As a new London home for DEBUT, the increased programme also allows a regular audience to form: people who return, bring others, and build a sense of connection to the series and the local Greenwich area.

Queen’s House now sits alongside two other venues where our DEBUT Secret Concerts feel at home, forming a small group of unique spaces that suit the format - distinct in character, yet united by an intimate, audience-led approach.

That’s what makes returning so compelling: more time in the space means more shared evenings, familiar faces, and the chance for something lasting to take shape.

Queen’s House entered the picture through that same shared zest for creating something new.

Before Covid, we held a concert at the Cutty Sark, where Fabiana from Royal Museums Greenwich attended. She later volunteered with us at the Brunel Museum, and through those conversations we discovered a shared interest in audience-centred ways of bringing classical music into historic spaces. Queen’s House felt like a natural next step.

We always adapt Secret Concerts to the venues we work in, and Queen’s House offers an extraordinary setting. In summer, we hosted pre-show drinks on the terrace overlooking the Thames and Canary Wharf; this February (and in the colder months), audiences will gather in the Orangery, with views towards the Observatory and VIP tickets onto the upstairs (covered!) balcony.

Designed by Inigo Jones as his first classical work and originally a personal gift, the building is architecturally grand yet deeply welcoming. Its scale is truly impressive, but the rooms invite a closeness.

Photos by Marc Gascoigne

Join DEBUT at Queens House on 14th February for a valentines day like no other.
6:15PM — 7:45PM (early show)
8:00PM — 9:30PM (late show)

Zahid Siddiqui tenor
Pietro Genova Gaia violin
Liza Rakovska harp
Petra Hajduchova harpsichord

Lizzie Holmes soprano & host

Book your tickets now!

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