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CBSO 90th Birthday Concer...
More Info Book TicketsWed 10 Nov 7:30pm Symphony Hall
On 10 November 1920 in Birmingham Town Hall, Sir Edward Elgar mounted the podium to conduct the first official concert by the brand-new City of Birmingham Orchestra - the future CBSO. And exactly 100 years ago in London, he conducted the world premiere of his Violin Concerto: arguably his most personal work, certainly his most passionate. Tonight Andris Nelsons, violinist James Ehnes and the CBSO celebrate this double anniversary in lavish style, and mark another milestone on the CBSO’s 10-year 2020 project with a second masterpiece from 1910: the sumptuous suite from Richard Strauss’s most gorgeous opera (and that’s saying something). Haydn's joyous 90th Symphony completes this 90th birthday celebration. 6.15pm Pre-concert talk. Christopher Morley, of _The Birmingham Post_, and veteran CBSO players and supporters share their memories of the last half-century of the CBSO.
*Andris Nelsons* _conductor_ *James Ehnes* _violin_
*Strauss* _Der Rosenkavalier_ - Suite 21’ *Haydn* Symphony No. 90 25’ *Elgar* Violin Concerto 45’
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CBSO 90th Birthday Concer...
More Info Book TicketsThu 11 Nov 2:15pm Symphony Hall
On 10 November 1920 in Birmingham Town Hall, Sir Edward Elgar mounted the podium to conduct the first official concert by the brand-new City of Birmingham Orchestra - the future CBSO. And exactly 100 years ago in London, he conducted the world premiere of his Violin Concerto: arguably his most personal work, certainly his most passionate. Andris Nelsons, violinist James Ehnes and the CBSO celebrate this double anniversary in lavish style, and mark another milestone on the CBSO’s 10-year 2020 project with a second masterpiece from 1910: the sumptuous suite from Richard Strauss’s most gorgeous opera (and that’s saying something). Haydn's joyous 90th Symphony completes this 90th birthday celebration. 1.15pm Pre-concert talk. Christopher Morley, of _The Birmingham Post_, and veteran CBSO players and supporters share their memories of the last half-century of the CBSO.
*Andris Nelsons* _conductor_ *James Ehnes* _violin_
*Strauss* _Der Rosenkavalier_ - Suite 21’ *Haydn* Symphony No. 90 25’ *Elgar* Violin Concerto 45’
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Takács Quartet Birmingham International Concert Season 2010/11
More Info Book TicketsThu 11 Nov 7:30pm Town Hall
Generally regarded as Europe's pre-eminent string quartet, the "Takács":http://www.takacsquartet.com return to Town Hall with quartets by Haydn and Shostakovich alongside Schubert’s gravely beautiful _Death and the Maiden_ Quartet. 'This is chamber-music playing of overwhelming intensity, insight and intelligence, simply the best I have ever heard in concert', wrote the critic of The Guardian recently. BBC Music magazine’s Editor Oliver Condy explains why he has recommended tonight’s concert: “The Takács Quartet were the first ever winners of the BBC Music magazine’s Disc of the Year award back in 2006. I’ve since seen them live several times and have never yet failed to be entranced by their ability to breathe new life to into well-worn masterpieces.”
*Haydn* String Quartet, Op 74, No 3 18’ *Shostakovich* String Quartet No 2 33’ *Schubert* String Quartet, _Death and the Maiden_ 40’
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In Perfect Diapason City of Birmingham Choir
More Info Book TicketsSat 13 Nov 7:30pm Town Hall
Diapason n. 1. A rich outpouring of harmonious sound. 2. The entire range of an instrument or voice. 3. Either of two principal stops on a pipe organ that give it its characteristic tone colour. 'Adrian Lucas and the City of Birmingham Choir’s performance…scored high on the tingle-factor scale' Birmingham Post "City of Birmingham Choir website":http://www.citychoir.org.uk
*City of Birmingham Choir* *Thomas Trotter* _organ_ *Adrian Lucas* _conductor_
*Parry* Blest Pair of Sirens *Duruflé* Prelude et Fugue sur le nom d’Alain *Fauré* Cantique de Jean Racine *Bernstein* Chichester Psalms *Duruflé* Requiem
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Lunchtime Organ Concert Thomas Trotter: Keeping It in the Family
More Info Book TicketsMon 15 Nov 1:00pm Symphony Hall
A programme of works by J S Bach and sons *J S Bach* Fantasia in G BWV 572 *W F Bach* Allegro Moderato in A major Capriccio in D minor *C P E Bach* Fugue on the name of BACH Fantasy and Fugue in C minor *J C Bach* Concerto No 6 in D major, Op 1 *J S Bach* Passacaglia BWV 582
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Centre Stage - Brass Expl...
More Info Book TicketsWed 17 Nov 1:10pm Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre
*Bernstein* _Fanfare for Bima_ *Michael Nyman* _Masque Arias_ *Bernstein* _West Side Story_ - Suite
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Vaughan Williams - An Eng... Orchestra of the Swan
More Info Book TicketsWed 17 Nov 2:30pm Town Hall
Sarah Williamson is a favourite with audiences and critics alike. Classic FM gave a rave review of her recording of the Finzi concerto with Orchestra of the Swan, noting in particular her ‘luminous accuracy [and] sensuously velvety tone’. Judge for yourself with this performance, replete with Vaughan Williams, Barber and Britten.
*Orchestra of the Swan* *Sarah Williamson* clarinet *David Curtis* conductor
*Vaughan Williams* Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis *Finzi* Clarinet concerto *Barber* Adagio for Strings *Britten* Variations on a theme by Frank Bridge
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CBSO Mozart's Requiem
More Info Book TicketsThu 18 Nov 7:30pm Symphony Hall
The mysterious commission from a masked stranger, Mozart’s deathbed struggle to complete the score, the rumours of murder... if you’ve seen _Amadeus_, you’ll know the legends behind Mozart’s Requiem. But the reality is even more extraordinary. Hear for yourself, because Andris Nelsons has assembled some of the freshest and finest new voices on the concert scene to join him, the CBSO and the acclaimed CBSO Chorus for a very special performance of Mozart’s sublime final masterpiece. First, though, we hear from a younger and happier Amadeus, in two of the sunniest gems from his Salzburg years: the exuberant _Haffner_ Symphony and the First Flute Concerto, a sparkling showcase for the CBSO’s popular principal flute, Marie-Christine Zupancic.
*Andris Nelsons* _conductor_ *Marie-Christine Zupancic* _flute_ *Sarah-Jane Brandon* _soprano_ *Wendy Dawn Thompson* _mezzo_ *Andrew Kennedy* _tenor_ *Benedict Nelson* _bass_ *CBSO Chorus*
*Mozart* Symphony No. 35 (_Haffner_) 17’ *Mozart* Flute Concerto in G major 25’ *Mozart* Requiem 50’
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CBSO Mozart's Requiem
More Info Book TicketsSat 20 Nov 7:00pm Symphony Hall
The mysterious commission from a masked stranger, Mozart’s deathbed struggle to complete the score, the rumours of murder... if you’ve seen _Amadeus_, you’ll know the legends behind Mozart’s Requiem. But the reality is even more extraordinary. Hear for yourself, because Andris Nelsons has assembled some of the freshest and finest new voices on the concert scene to join him, the CBSO and the acclaimed CBSO Chorus for a very special performance of Mozart’s sublime final masterpiece. First, though, we hear from a younger and happier Amadeus, in two of the sunniest gems from his Salzburg years: the exuberant _Haffner_ Symphony and the First Flute Concerto, a sparkling showcase for the CBSO’s popular principal flute, Marie-Christine Zupancic.
*Andris Nelsons* _conductor_ *Marie-Christine Zupancic* _flute_ *Sarah-Jane Brandon* _soprano_ *Wendy Dawn Thompson* _mezzo_ *Andrew Kennedy* _tenor_ *Benedict Nelson* _bass_ *CBSO Chorus*
*Mozart* Symphony No. 35 (_Haffner_) 17’ *Mozart* Flute Concerto in G major 25’ *Mozart* Requiem 50’
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Beethoven's Eighth Sympho... Birmingham International Concert Season 2010/11
More Info Book TicketsSun 21 Nov 7:30pm Town Hall
Two piano concertos by composers who conducted their own music at Town Hall - Mendelssohn’s intensely dramatic First Concerto and Saint-Saëns’s sparkling Second. The legend of a falling chandelier that left the audience unharmed at the premiere of Haydn’s Symphony No 96 earned it the nickname ‘Miracle’ - a title that might also be used to describe the good-humoured genius of Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony. Classic FM’s Anne-Marie Minhall, says of tonight’s recommended concert: “Howard Shelley is something of a firm favourite with Classic FM listeners whether he’s playing the piano or conducting. Tonight he’ll be wearing both hats on the concert platform.” 6.15pm Pre-concert talk.
"*English Chamber Orchestra*":http://www.englishchamberorchestra.co.uk/ *Howard Shelley* _conductor/piano_
*Haydn* Symphony No 96, _Miracle_ 27’ *Mendelssohn* Piano Concerto No 1 20’ *Saint-Saëns* Piano Concerto No 2 24’ *Beethoven* Symphony No 8 28’
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Centre Stage - Tchaikovsk...
More Info Book TicketsTue 23 Nov 1:10pm Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre
*CBSO Players*
*Tchaikovsky* Piano Trio in A minor (In Memory of a Great Artist)
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CBSO The Birmingham Mahle...
More Info Book TicketsTue 23 Nov 7:30pm Symphony Hall
Every Mahler symphony tells a life-or-death story, but none does it with more romance, more melody or more epic sweep than the Fifth. Opening with a desolate trumpet call and ending with a joyous hymn of triumph, it’s one of music’s great emotional odysseys, taking in Viennese waltzes, funeral marches, and - above all - the famous _Adagietto_, Mahler’s tender love song to his young wife. It’s probably Mahler’s most popular symphony - so Andris Nelsons’s interpretation, part of our year-long Birmingham Mahler Cycle, is sure to be a high point of the season. Tonight's performance includes Judith Weir’s Shakespeare-inspired _Storm_, performed by the very choir and conductor who premiered it back in 1997. 6.15pm Pre-concert talk. CBSO violinist David Gregory offers a performer’s perspective. Part of "The Birmingham Mahler Cycle":http://www.thsh.co.uk/the-birmingham-mahler-cycle
*Andris Nelsons* _conductor_ *Simon Halsey* _conductor_ *CBSO Youth Chorus* *CBSO Children’s Chorus*
*Weir* _Storm_ 20’ *Mahler* Symphony No. 5 72’
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CBSO The Birmingham Mahle...
More Info Book TicketsWed 24 Nov 2:15pm Symphony Hall
Every Mahler symphony tells a life-or-death story, but none does it with more romance, more melody or more epic sweep than the Fifth. Opening with a desolate trumpet call and ending with a joyous hymn of triumph, it’s one of music’s great emotional odysseys, taking in Viennese waltzes, funeral marches, and - above all - the famous _Adagietto_, Mahler’s tender love song to his young wife. It’s probably Mahler’s most popular symphony - so Andris Nelsons’s interpretation, part of our year-long Birmingham Mahler Cycle, is sure to be a high point of the season. This afternoon's performance includes Bach’s masterly double violin concerto. 1.15pm Pre-concert talk. CBSO violinist David Gregory offers a performer’s perspective. Part of "The Birmingham Mahler Cycle":http://www.thsh.co.uk/the-birmingham-mahler-cycle
*Andris Nelsons* _conductor_ *Laurence Jackson* _violin_ *Zoë Beyers* _violin_
*Bach* Concerto in D minor for two violins 16’ *Mahler* Symphony No. 5 72’
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Royal Philharmonic Orches...
More Info Book TicketsFri 26 Nov 7:30pm Symphony Hall
Back by popular demand and following 2009’s sell-out show, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra returns to Birmingham to perform more legendary rock anthems and classic tracks. Featuring popular hits by: *COLDPLAY, BON JOVI, ERIC CLAPTON, ELBOW, QUEEN, LED ZEPPELIN, TINA TURNER, THE MOODY BLUES* and many more! PLUS! NEW FOR 2010: Symphonic Sgt. Pepper (The Beatles)
Ken Bruce, BBC Radio 2 _Presenter_ Nick Davies _Conductor_ Metro Voices
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Ludovico Einaudi: The Sol...
More Info Book TicketsSat 27 Nov 7:30pm Town Hall
A real event for for lovers of Ludovico Einaudi's music - the composer and his piano for one special solo concert. "If you expect a normal piano concert, think again! This is an exploration, a thrilling and unpredictable challenge, that opens up new paths for our music" - La Repubblica Incorporating influences from rock, world, electronica and classical music Ludovico Einuadi's sweeping compositions are contemporary and deeply touching. His work seems to strike a strong visual response with audiences and film directors with parts of his album _Divenire_ being used in the soundtrack of the Shane Meadows film _This is England_. Past albums such as _Eden Roc_, _Le Onde_, _I Giorni_ and _Una Mattina_ have also been woven into film scores.
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Lunchtime Organ Concert Thomas Trotter
More Info Book TicketsMon 29 Nov 1:00pm Town Hall
*Handel* Overture to Messiah (arr. Best) *J S Bach* Canonic Variations on _Vom himmel hoch, da komm ich her_ *Whitlock* Canzona and Scherzetto from Sonata *Chauvet* Cloche du Soir (arr. Goss-Custard) *Reger* Fantasy and Fugue on _Wachet auf, ruft uns die stimme_
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John Wilson & The Joh...
More Info Book TicketsMon 29 Nov 7:30pm Symphony Hall
In August 2009, John Wilson and the John Wilson Orchestra caused a sensation with a live television broadcast from the Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Proms, with a celebration of the MGM film musicals. This November John and the orchestra will reunite the original proms cast including Sir Thomas Allen, Curtis Stigers and Kim Criswell for this concert. The sumptuous sounds of the MGM studio orchestra will be revived by John Wilson paying tribute to composers George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Harry Warren, Jerome Kern, Andre Previn and the great Hollywood arrangers Conrad Salinger, Johnny Green and Nelson Riddle. The concert will feature some of Hollywood’s best loved music from the MGM film musicals including _High Society_, _Singin in the Rain_, _An American in Paris_, and _The Wizard of Oz_ to name a few. Much of this music will be heard for the first time live, in its original version in scores newly reconstructed by John Wilson.
Sir Thomas Allen Kim Criswell Sarah Fox Curtis Stigers
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CBSO Elgar's Cello Concer...
More Info Book TicketsWed 1 Dec 2:15pm Symphony Hall
Tune after tune after tune. There’s a good reason why Elgar’s Cello Concerto routinely tops polls to find Britain’s favourite piece of classical music; its haunting melodies and suppressed passion make it perhaps the single most "English" piece of music ever written. Grieg’s first _Peer Gynt_ suite, meanwhile, is simply a deliciously colourful parade of tunes you’ll already love - from the radiant _Morning_ to the notorious _Hall of the Mountain King_. For conductor Andrew Manze, they’re both secret passions - as is the romantic, gloriously life-affirming Second Symphony by the “Swedish Sibelius” Wilhelm Stenhammar. Begun in 1911, this is its first CBSO performance, though when you hear it, you’ll wonder what took us so long!
*Andrew Manze* _conductor_ *Torleif Thedéen* _cello_
*Grieg* _Peer Gynt_ Suite No. 1 13’ *Elgar* Cello Concerto 26’ *Stenhammar* Symphony No. 2 40’
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Jurowski Conducts Mahler ... Birmingham International Concert Season 2010/11
More Info Book TicketsThu 2 Dec 7:30pm Symphony Hall
Few conductors have received the plaudits that have been awarded to Vladimir Jurowski, Chief Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Described as 'the most creative force in London's orchestral life' (Financial Times), his concert contains Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, one of the composer’s most relaxed works - classical, song-like and culminating in a representation of a child’s view of heaven. Steven Osborne is the soloist in the gentle lyrical poetry of Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto. 6:15pm Pre-concert talk. Part of "The Birmingham Mahler Cycle":http://www.thsh.co.uk/the-birmingham-mahler-cycle
"*London Philharmonic Orchestra*":http://www.lpo.co.uk/ *Vladimir Jurowski* _conductor_ *Steven Osborne* _piano_ *Christine Schäfer* _soprano_
*Beethoven* Piano Concerto No 4 32’ *Mahler* Symphony No 4 54’
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CBSO Friday Night Classic...
More Info Book TicketsFri 3 Dec 7:30pm Symphony Hall
This season’s silent movie is a swashbuckling adventure starring Douglas Fairbanks, one of the all-action stars of the pre-talkie era. Revel in this take on an 18th-century legend as the CBSO turns Symphony Hall into a giant cinema for the night, with every twist and turn on the screen reflected by the Orchestra in conductor and composer Carl Davis’s score. There’s a scheming Cardinal, an evil count, kidnappings, and plenty of sword-fighting - all the ingredients needed for a great sequel to _The Three Musketeers_. The story of _The Iron Mask_ has appeared on the big screen many times since this 1929 version - most recently starring Leonardo DiCaprio; if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, we’re in for a real treat.
*Carl Davis* _conductor_
*Douglas Fairbanks* stars in _The Iron Mask_ (1929 version) 103’
