Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM)

The RNCM is one of the UK’s leading conservatoires and its concert hall is open to the public. You can watch tomorrow’s professionals performing at a level that would cost you fifty quid elsewhere, often for nothing. Free lunchtime concerts run regularly during term time.

The main concert hall seats around 600 and the acoustics are built for classical performance. There’s also a smaller recital room and a theatre space. The programme covers everything from solo piano recitals to full orchestral concerts, opera, jazz ensembles, and new music that might challenge you.

Professional artists perform here too. The RNCM hosts visiting soloists and ensembles throughout the year. The standard is consistently high because the students in the audience are the toughest critics in the city.

It’s at 124 Oxford Road, right on the university corridor. Oxford Road station is a five-minute walk. Buses run constantly. The building is 1970s institutional from the outside – don’t let that put you off. Inside, the performance spaces are well-designed and comfortable.

There’s a bar and cafe that’s perfectly decent and priced for students, which means priced for humans. Check the listings on their website – the free events don’t get much publicity and they fill up.

Best value classical music in Manchester, easily.