The Bridgewater Hall What's On Guide - Summer 2023 publication

The Bridgewater Hall SUMMER 2023

Welcome

Welcome to our summer what’s on guide. The clocks have moved forward, and the long summer days are almost upon us once again. We know you will find something of interest in another exciting range of events here at The Bridgewater Hall.

We are delighted to welcome back the Live at Lunchtime series of free events during the summer months. Expect stellar performances from a wide array of musical talent, including Northern Reeds (wind quintet), traditional folk songs from The Dovetail Trio and neo-jazz singer-songwriter Ni Maxine.

Gracing the main stage will be exceptional classical artists and ensembles including our own Hallé orchestra and BBC Philharmonic. International names from the world of rock and pop, including Sparks, Katie Melua, Joe Satriani and recent Grammy Award winner Bonnie Raitt

Add to the mix the unforgettable alien drag queen Juno Birch and the very first Pride Classical featuring Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK winner Danny Beard, as well as the inaugural Manchester Classical weekender featuring many of our best local classical ensembles and artists, see pages 13-14 for more information. We are proud to once again offer a calendar of musical diversity and delight, with something for everyone.

Andrew Bolt Chief Executive Officer The Bridgewater Hall

Box Office: 0161 907 9000

www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk

The Bridgewater Hall's Classical Season 23|24 On Sale

We are delighted to announce the Hall's new 2023|24 classical season will be on general sale Tuesday 2 May. This will include series from the Hallé, BBC Philharmonic and the Hall's own International Concert Series.

See our website for more details.

Booking Fees

Please note all prices featured in this brochure include a booking fee of either £2.50 or £3.75.

Sold Out Shows

To be added to the waiting list contact the Box Office at supervisors@bridgewater-hall.co.uk or call 0161 907 9000.

Cover Artists

From the top: Postmodern Jukebox, Juno Birch & Sheku Kanneh-Mason

Hear things differently ...

Manchester Classical is a unique collaboration between our city’s most exciting classical ensembles and The Bridgewater Hall. The weekend celebrates Manchester’s musical heritage with performances from the Hallé, BBC Philharmonic, Manchester Camerata, Manchester Collective and many others, as well as the opportunity to join in with free craft activities and enjoy local food and drink. From the cutting edge to the classics, this is the perfect opportunity for everyone to listen and experience something extraordinary in the heart of Manchester.

May

The Hallé – Mahler’s 1st Symphony

Mike and The Mechanics Refueled! Tour

Monday 1 May 7.30pm

Mike and The Mechanics, who have sold over ten million records worldwide, are coming to The Bridgewater Hall as part of their Refueled! 2023 Tour – all the hits and a drop of Genesis.

Mike and The Mechanics comprise Genesis founding member Mike Rutherford (guitar), one of the UK’s most prolific R&B singers, Andrew Roachford (lead and backing vocals), and Canadian-born singer, Tim Howar (lead and backing vocals), who has toured with the likes of Rod Stewart and Paulo Nutini.

Tickets £46.25 to £53.75

Book Tickets

Maxime Pascal conductor

Vera-Lotte Boecker soprano

Thursday 4 May 7.30pm

Thomas Adés These Premises Are Alarmed

Berg Lulu Suite

Mahler Symphony No.1

‘A web of sound that delights and fascinates the ear’, was The Times verdict of Adès’s fizzing curtain-raiser. Berg’s stunning music drawn from his opera, Lulu, is all but a symphony in name, including at its heart the song of the enigmatic protagonist herself, as much a victim as femme fatale, which will be sung by Vera-Lotte Boecker. Mahler’s First Symphony reflects his vision of a symphony embracing the world: from the sounds of nature and peasant dances, to folksongs, military and hunting calls and a funeral march.

Pre-concert event at 6.30pm

Thursday Series sponsor: Siemens

Tickets £15.50 to £46

Discounts: OAPs, disabled, under 30s, students, claimants & groups

Book Tickets

£12.50 on the day tickets

Tickets for Our Pass holders

Live at Lunchtime Chetham’s School of Music

Friday 5 May 12.45pm

Once again, we’re delighted to welcome talented young musicians from Chetham’s School of Music, the specialist music school with its home in the heart of Manchester. This performance features a range of small school ensembles from the school.

Free entry, un-ticketed event in the Stalls Foyer

Postmodern Jukebox Life in the Past Lane Tour

Sunday 7 May Doors 7.00pm

Postmodern Jukebox’s Life In The Past Lane Concert Tour is a celebration of the greatest 20th century musical genres, fused with the recognizable hits of our own modern era, for the perfect patina of “vintage” and “modern.” As always, we’ll be bringing the PMJ Universe to life with a cast full of today’s most exciting vocalists, instrumentalists, and tap dancers, to bring you the top-shelf entertainment experience for which PMJ is known. Whether you’re a vinyl aficionado or a TikTok fashionista, catch a ride with us for an unforgettable trip through 100 years of timeless music.

Tickets £35.25 to £51.25

Book Tickets

Manchester Mid-day Concert Series

Musicians from Manchester Camerata

Tuesday 9 May 1.10pm

Mendelssohn Octet in E-flat major, Op.20 Paul Saggers World premiere

Tickets £12.50

Concession £11 | Student £7.50

Book Tickets

Whitney –Queen of the Night

Thursday 11 May 7.30pm

Direct from the West End, Whitney – Queen Of The Night is back, celebrating the music and life of one of the greatest singers of our time with a sensational cast and stunning live band. Taking audiences on a magical rollercoaster ride through three decades of nostalgic hits that include: I Wanna Dance With Somebody, One Moment In Time, I’m Every Woman, I Will Always Love You, My Love Is Your Love, So Emotional Baby, Run to You, Saving All My Love, How Will I Know, Million Dollar Bill, The Greatest Love Of All and many more. Join us for an unmissable evening and experience the ultimate Whitney Houston tribute show as it returns to The Bridgewater Hall.

Tickets £30.75 to £41.25

Book Tickets

Live at Lunchtime Golty Farabeau

Friday 12 May 12.45pm

Golty Farabeau is a Roots Reggae and Sega musician from The Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. His music reflects the beauty and relaxed lifestyle of his homeland. Golty is a popular performer on the North-West music scene, where his performances have included Mintfest in Kendal and MIF.

Free entry, un-ticketed event in the Stalls Foyer

Thank You For The Music

The Ultimate Tribute to ABBA

Friday 12 May 7.30pm

This international smash-hit tribute show brings all ABBA’s number one hits to the stage in a production like no other. The hugely popular show, now in its 20th year, with a brandnew show for 2023 combines the unmistakable harmonies, colourful costumes, and dazzling performances by our all-star cast. Join us for the party of the year, you can dance, you can jive, and have the time of your life as we bring you all the hits, including Waterloo, Dancing Queen, Super Trouper, Mamma Mia, Knowing Me, Knowing You, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, The Winner Takes It All and many many more!

Tickets £31.75 to £38.75

Book Tickets

The Hallé The Bee Gees

A Celebration of 65 Years

Richard Balcombe conductor

Graham Bickley, Patrick Smyth, Stuart Matthew Price and Abbie Osmon vocalists

Saturday 13 May 7.30pm

Including: Massachusetts, I’ve Got to Get a Message to You, Words, Run To Me, To Love Somebody, How Can you Mend a Broken Heart?, Night Fever, How Deep Is Your Love?, You Should be Dancing, Nights On Broadway, Stayin’ Alive, Grease is the Word, Guilty, Woman in Love, Islands in the Stream, If I Can’t Have You, More Than a Woman and Heartbreaker.

The Hallé presents a celebration on the 65th anniversary of the formation of the Bee Gees and their musical legacy, which has seen record sales of over 220 million, setting them among the best-selling artists of all time. Following on from the acclaimed celebration of Elton John with the Hallé last year, conductor Richard Balcombe and our star soloists guide us through the Bee Gees highly successful career: from the early period in the 1960s and ’70s, through to their career defining multi-award winning soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever in 1977, their burgeoning reputation as writers and producers for other leading artists in the ’80s to their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. You should, most definitely, be dancing.

Presented by GRB Concerts

Concert sponsored by: Siemens

Tickets £17.50 to £46.50

Discounts: OAPs, disabled, under 30s, students, claimants & groups

£12.50 on the day tickets

Tickets for Our Pass holders

Book Tickets

Joe Satriani The Shapeshifting Tour

Sunday 14 May Doors 7.00pm

Rescheduled from 25 May 2020

World-renowned guitar virtuoso, Joe Satriani makes his Bridgewater Hall debut to support the release of his 17th solo album. The live show will feature tracks from Joe’s studio album released by Sony/Legacy in April 2020, plus he will perform many of his classic fan-favorites including Surfing With The Alien, Always with Me, Always with You and Flying In A Blue Dream. The band features celebrated drummer Kenny Aronoff (John Fogerty) bassist Bryan Beller (Aristocrats) and keyboardist Rai Thistlethwayte (Thirsty Merc).

Tickets £53.75 to £63.75

Book Tickets

BBC Philharmonic Shostakovich Symphony No.13

John Storgårds conductor

Jennifer Pike violin

Kostas Smoriginas bass-baritone

Estonian National Male Choir

Thursday 18 May 7.30pm

Arvo Pärt De Profundis

Sibelius Violin Concerto

Shostakovich Symphony No.13, ‘Babi Yar’

Dulcet tones fill The Bridgewater Hall as John Storgårds guides us through an evening of profound emotional contemplation. Opening the concert is Pärt’s De Profundis, his take on a psalm that has inspired composers throughout history. Following this, Sibelius’s Violin Concerto, his only true concerto. Inspired by sweeping landscapes and the tranquillity of nature, its captivating melodies growing into dashing virtuosity –performed here by Jennifer Pike – cement it as one of the best of all. Finally, we end the night with Shostakovich’s Symphony No.13, a grave plea against antisemitism wrapped within some of the composer’s most powerful music.

Tickets £12.50 to £26.50

Disabled patrons – 50% discount

Seniors & Claimants – 20% discount

Under 26s & Students – Stalls seats £5.50

Book Tickets

Joe Satriani

Live at Lunchtime

Dr Butler’s Hatstand Medicine Band

Friday 19 May 12.45pm

Now in their seventeenth year, Dr Butler’s Hatstand Medicine Band continue to delight audiences with their unique brand of good-time music. Drawing inspiration from British and European folk traditions, American ragtime, blues, hokum and old-time idioms, every performance delivers an exciting range of audial treats.

Free entry, un-ticketed event in the Stalls Foyer

The Hallé

Beethoven’s Triple Concerto

Dalia Stasevska conductor

Nicola Benedetti violin

Sheku Kanneh-Mason cello

Benjamin Grosvenor piano

Friday 19 May 7.30pm

Sibelius Karelia Suite

Beethoven Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano

Andrea Tarrodi Paradisfåglar II (Birds of Paradise)

Sibelius Symphony No.7

Undoubtedly one of the season’s highlights: this concert features Nicola Benedetti's second appearance and the hugely anticipated Hallé debut of Sheku KannehMason. Completing a dream team for Beethoven’s ‘Triple’ Concerto is Benjamin Grosvenor, no stranger to Hallé audiences. Dalia Stasevska, Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, also makes her debut with the Hallé, framing the concert with music by her compatriot Sibelius. Swedish composer Andrea Tarrodi's Paradisfåglar II, ‘inspired by BBC Planet Earth films, musically illustrates the strange yet beautiful birds of paradise, their many different colours, the way they fly, sound and sing.

Concert sponsored by: The Edwardian Manchester

Tickets £15.50 to £46

Discounts: OAPs, disabled, under 30s, students, claimants & groups

Book Tickets

Katie Melua

Love & Money Tour

Saturday 20 May Doors 7.00pm

Georgian-British singer-songwriter and musician Katie Melua returns to The Bridgewater Hall for a very special show in 2023 as part of the huge Love & Money tour. In support of her brand new album Love & Money

Katie will perform her classic hits including Nine Million Bicycles and The Closest Thing To Crazy, plus songs from the new album.

Tickets £31.25 to £46.25

VIP packages £78.75 to £128.75

Jonathan Scott organ Brilliant Baroque

Tuesday 23 May 1.10pm

Purcell Rondeau (Abdelazar)

JS Bach ‘Gigue’ Fugue BWV 577

Book Tickets

£12.50 on the day tickets

Tickets for Our Pass holders

Handel Passacaglia (Suite No.7 in G minor HWV 432)

JS Bach Air on the G String BWV 1068; Allegro from Brandenburg Concerto No.5 BWV 1050

Pachelbel Canon in D

JS Bach Chaconne (Partita No.2 BWV 1004)

Jonathan Scott presents a special programme of baroque favourites to celebrate ten years of his lunchtime organ concerts. The programme includes some of the most famous and virtuosic pieces by Handel and Pachelbel, as well as some of Bach’s greatest works.

Tickets £12.50 | Concession £11 | Student £8.50

Book Tickets

Katie Melua

The Hallé Dvořák’s Eighth Symphony

Kevin John Edusei conductor

Nelson Goerner piano

Wednesday 24 May 2.15pm

Thursday 25 May 7.30pm

Sunday 28 May 4.00pm

Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2

Missy Mazzoli Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres)

Dvořák Symphony No.8

The Hallé welcomes, for the first time, German conductor Kevin John Edusei who is joined by pianist Nelson Goerner. Dubbed by BBC Music Magazine as ‘An artist of a very high order’, he plays the concerto with which Rachmaninov, as composer and virtuoso pianist, swept the world. American composer Missy Mazzoli wrote her animated Sinfonia in ‘the shape of a solar system’, elaborating that ‘it’s a piece that churns and rolls, that inches close to the listener, only to leap away at breakneck speed’. To conclude, Dvořák’s genial, sunny Eighth Symphony, bursting with the beguiling folk tunes of Bohemia.

Thursday Series sponsor: Siemens

Tickets £15.50 to £46

Discounts: OAPs, disabled, under 30s, students, claimants & groups

£12.50 on the day tickets

Tickets for Our Pass holders

Book Tickets

Manchester Mid-day Concert Series

Mithras Trio

Thursday 25 May 1.10pm

McDowall Cavatina at Midnight Dvořák Trio No.4, Op.90 ‘Dumky’

Pianist Dominic Degavino gave an impressive recital for us a few years ago, and it’s great to welcome him back as part of the Mithras Trio, which has been building up quite a reputation as one of the most exciting chamber groups now emerging. They are multiple international prizewinners, including Royal Overseas League, Kirckman, and Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition, and we are lucky to catch them near the beginning of what promises to be a glittering international career.

Sponsored by the Kirckman Concert Society

Book Tickets

Tickets £12.50

Concession £11 | Student £7.50

Live at Lunchtime

Ellen Beth Abdi

Friday 26 May 12.45pm

Mancunian music-maker Ellen Beth Abdi uses live loops, pokey drums, undulating synths and quietly subversive lyrics to mould her unique sound.

Free entry, un-ticketed event in the Stalls Foyer

Celebrating Meatloaf

The Official Meat Loaf Celebration

Friday 26 May 8.00pm

Celebrate the legendary Meat Loaf and experience his hit songs performed brilliantly by The Neverland Express plus American Idol winner, Caleb Johnson.

The Neverland Express includes world-class alumni of Meat Loaf’s official band. Led by his record producer, music director, guitarist, Paul Crook with drummer, John Miceli and guitarist, Randy Flowers, the band stays true to the original recordings while delivering the excitement of a live Meat Loaf show.

Tickets £33.25 to £46.25

Book Tickets

Sparks SOLD OUT

Saturday 27 May 7.30pm

Levels of interest in the work of Sparks are at heights unsurpassed in their 50+ year career, with the ultimate cult band now centre stage in the full beam of the spotlight. Now into their sixth decade of making music, Sparks have never been more relevant.

Tickets £38.75 to £58.75

Contact the Box Office on 0161 907 9000 for restricted view seats, or to be added to the waiting list.

June

Pride Classical

Live at Lunchtime

Northern Reeds

Friday 2 June 12.45pm

Northern Reeds is the UK’s first established reed quintet, founded by five RNCM Graduates. They are the winners of the Royal Philharmonic Society Henderson Award 2022, June Emerson Wind Music Prize 2022, RNCM Fewkes Prize 2022, and RNCM Christopher Rowland Prize Audience Vote 2022.

Free entry, un-ticketed event in the Stalls Foyer

Friday 2 June 8.00pm

The soundtrack to 50 years of love, hope and celebration, Pride Classical fuses anthemic melodies with irresistible rhythms and evocative lyrics. Danny Beard – winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race – leads a lineup of incredible singers and musicians. Danny’s joined by West End star, Matt Henry; Alison Jiear, star of Jerry Springer: The Opera and a Manchester Pride regular; and by a chorus, orchestra and ensemble of outstanding LGBTQ+ performers and allies. Now through new orchestral arrangements, same-sex duets and medleys juxtaposing eulogy and euphoria, this concert celebrates everyone who shares our love, and our pride.

Tickets £38.75 to £53.75

Danny Beard

The Hallé – The Dream of Gerontius

Sir Mark Elder conductor

Sunday 4 June 6.00pm

Elgar The Dream of Gerontius

Alice Coote mezzo-soprano

Michael Spyres tenor

Neal Davies bass-baritone

Hallé Youth Choir and Alumni director Stuart Overington

Confidently, Elgar wrote on the manuscript of The Dream of Gerontius, ‘This is the best of me’. Elgar adapted Cardinal Newman’s poem of the death and resurrection of ‘a man like us … a sinner’, creating the work’s dynamic through Wagnerian leitmotifs and superb, varied choral writing. Sir Mark’s personal high spot is Elgar’s masterly control of momentum from the moment when Gerontius’s soul encounters the Angel, to his split-second vision of the Almighty, a huge musical span including two of the work’s marvellous set pieces, the ‘Demons’ Chorus’ and ‘Praise to the Holiest’.

Pre-concert event at 5.00pm

Sponsored by: PZ Cussons

Tickets £15.50 to £46

Discounts: OAPs, disabled, under 30s, students, claimants & groups

£12.50 on the day tickets

Tickets for Our Pass holders

Book Tickets

Opera North: The Pearl Fishers

Thursday 8 June 7.00pm

The Pearl Fishers tells the story of two men, Nadir and Zurga, whose vow of friendship founders on their love for the same woman, the priestess Léïla. Bizet’s music brims with lyric beauty, imaginative orchestration, magnificent choruses and gorgeous melodies, nowhere more so than in what is perhaps the best-loved tenor/baritone duet in all opera, ‘Au fond du temple saint’. This new concert staging of the opera in which Bizet found his distinctive voice as a composer is conducted by Matthew Kofi Waldren (Don Giovanni, La bohème) and directed by Matthew Eberhardt (Trouble in Tahiti, Street Scene).

Tickets £20.00 to £52.50

The Hallé – The Apostles

Sir Mark Elder conductor

Saturday 10 June 6.00pm

Elgar The Apostles

Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha soprano

Alice Coote mezzo-soprano

Ed Lyon tenor

Roderick Williams baritone

David Stout bass-baritone

Brindley Sherratt bass

Hallé Choir choral director Matthew Hamilton

Sopranos and Altos from Hallé Youth Choir director

Stuart Overington

The Apostles was composed for the 1903 Birmingham Festival, its seeds sown by a teacher’s remark Elgar never forgot: ‘Christ’s disciples were young men, and very poor, perhaps no cleverer than some of you here’. For Sir Mark, it’s the closest Elgar came to writing an opera and he particularly admires its opening – ‘the mystical introduction, then dawn over Jerusalem, setting the scene for an epic.’ Elgar again skilfully uses leitmotifs in his portrayal of the characters, particularly the powerful music for Judas. Among the exceptional soloists are 2021 Cardiff Singer of the World, Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, Clive Bayley and Ed Lyons, who makes his Hallé debut. In its review of the Hallé’s recording of The Apostles, BBC Music Magazine commented ‘Elder has perfect control of the large forces and dramatic pacing’.

BBC Radio 3 recording

Sponsored by: PZ Cussons

Tickets £15.50 to £46

Discounts: OAPs, disabled, under 30s, students, claimants & groups

Book Tickets

£12.50 on the day tickets

Tickets for Our Pass holders

Book Tickets

The Hallé – The Kingdom

Sir Mark Elder conductor

Sunday 11 June 6.00pm

Elgar The Kingdom

Gemma Summerfield soprano

Dame Sarah Connolly mezzo-soprano

Thomas Atkins tenor

Ashley Riches bass-baritone

Hallé Choir and Associates choral director Matthew Hamilton

Of The Kingdom Elgar wrote that his aim was to ‘embody the Calling of the Apostles, their Teaching (Schooling) and their Mission’. It shares leitmotifs with The Apostles and hearing them on consecutive evenings will intensify these connections. Sir Mark cites the Virgin Mary’s aria, ‘The sun goeth down’, as its gem, indeed a ‘standout moment in all Elgar where the exultance of the music is very real’. It will be sung by Gemma Summerfield; and as Mary Magdalene, Dame Sarah Connolly makes a most welcome return. Thomas Atkins and Ashley Riches sing St John and St Peter respectively. What Sir Mark describes as Elgar’s ‘Malvern trilogy’ ends with a fervent setting of The Lord’s Prayer, with the composer drawing together the now familiar themes that have woven their way through these iconic oratorios.

Sponsored by: PZ Cussons

Tickets £15.50 to £46

Discounts: OAPs, disabled, under 30s, students, claimants & groups

£12.50 on the day tickets

Tickets for Our Pass holders

Juno Birch

Monday 12 June 7.30pm

Book Tickets

Wa wa wa … Welcome to The Juno Show! She’s back! Everyone’s favourite alien drag queen Juno Birch stars in her theatrical one woman show. Witness the alien queen express her delusional self love through slapstick song and 'dance'. She will be joined by her plastic puppet daughter on a chaotic stage adventure full of lobsters, legs and laughter. Planet Earth, prepare to be stunned!

Tickets £28.75 to £48.75 | VIP £48.75

Book Tickets

Alice Coote

Sir Mark Elder

Bonnie Raitt Just Like That Tour

Wednesday 14 June 7.30pm

Grammy Award winning legend Bonnie Raitt is back, bringing her latest album on tour to The Bridgewater Hall. With Just Like That…, her first new album in more than six years, Raitt draws on a range of influences that have shaped her career, while creating something that speaks to the circumstances and challenges of these unprecedented times.

Tickets £38.75 to £58.75

Book Tickets

BBC Philharmonic Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances

Ben Glassberg conductor

Steven Osborne piano

Saturday 17 June 7.30pm

Ethel Smyth Prelude to Act II (The Wreckers); ‘On the Cliffs of Cornwall’

Britten Piano Concerto

Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances

Ben Glassberg closes the BBC Philharmonic’s 22-23 season with a dazzling programme of 20th century treasures. Starting with one of Britain’s lesser-known composers, Ethel Smyth’s Cornish Cliffs from The Wreckers precedes and predicts Britten’s revolutionary operas and is equally as tantalising as it is radiant.

Britten’s bravura Piano Concerto, a welcome chance for Steven Osborne to show off his virtuosic flair in the glistening textures and quirky interplay between piano and orchestra. Lastly, an explosive showstopper in the Symphonic Dances – Rachmaninov’s love-letter to his homeland and his final work.

Tickets £12.50 to £26.50

Disabled patrons – 50% discount

Seniors & Claimants – 20% discount

Under 26s & Students – Stalls seats £5.50

Book Tickets

Live at Lunchtime Music for the Mind & Soul:

Kaviraj Singh & Kousic Sen

Friday 23 June 12.45pm

Take a perfect break from your busy day and relax to the soothing sounds of the one hundred stringed Indian santoor along with the tabla, performed by Kaviraj Singh and Kousic Sen.

Free entry, un-ticketed event in the Stalls Foyer

Please note that no alcohol will be served during this performance

Rob Lamberti

A Celebration of the Songs & Music of George Michael

Friday 23 June 7.30pm

No other tribute artist captures George’s musical talent, charisma and passion as closely as Rob Lamberti. With some of George Michael’s personal musicians proudly joining Rob’s band, his performances are guaranteed to hypnotise your senses and do justice to one of the greatest singer-songwriters of our time.

Tickets £31.25 to £42.25

Book Tickets

Bonnie Raitt

Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 June

Manchester Classical is a unique collaboration between our city’s most exciting classical ensembles and The Bridgewater Hall. The weekend celebrates Manchester’s musical heritage with performances from the Hallé, BBC Philharmonic, Manchester Collective and many others, as well as the opportunity to join in with free craft activities and enjoy local food and drink, both inside and outside the Hall. From the cutting edge to the classics, this is the perfect opportunity for everyone to listen and experience something extraordinary in the heart of Manchester. See our website for further details.

Tickets | Individual event tickets £10 each | Under 16s £2

Saturday or Sunday Day Ticket £15 | Student Day Ticket (over 16s) £10 | Weekend Ticket £25

Mrs Overall Genius

A Victoria Wood celebration for families and the young at heart!

The Hallé

Stephen Bell conductor Hallé Children’s Choir

Saturday 24 June 11am

Victoria Wood commission

Join us for a family concert like no other! The Hallé, Hallé Children’s Choir and two surprise actors will combine to celebrate the music and laughter of a true British original –Victoria Wood.

BBC Philharmonic

Anja Bihlmaier conductor

Saturday 24 June 1.30pm

Brahms Hungarian Dances No. 1, 3 & 10

Bartok Concerto for Orchestra

Anja Bihlmaier conducts three Hungarian Dances by Brahms, brimming with memorable tunes and catchy rhythms. A further dash of spice is added with the colourful Concerto for Orchestra by Bartok.

Neon Manchester Collective

Saturday 24 June 4.30pm

Hannah Peel Neon

Michael Gordon Industry

Steve Reich Double Sextet

Built around Steve Reich’s monumental Double Sextet, Neon evokes the darker side of our urban dreams. Hannah Peel’s titular piece captures the decadent and bustling spirit of cities at night, with a taste of loneliness. Michael Gordon’s Industry for solo cello is raw and jarring –music as a self-destructive force of nature. Merging electronics with contemporary classical sound worlds via American minimalism, this show is quintessential Manchester Collective, bold and unpredictable.

Book Tickets

Pictures at an Exhibition

The Hallé

Kahchun Wong conductor

Jess Gillam saxophone

Saturday 24 June 7.00pm

John Harle Briggflatts

Mussorgsky (orch. Ravel) Pictures at an Exhibition

Superstar saxophonist Jess Gillam performs John Harle’s Briggflatts, the piece is based on an autobiographical poem by Basil Bunting of the same name.

Pictures at an Exhibition is arguably one of Mussorgsky’s most well-known compositions. Mussorgsky wrote the piece in tribute to his friend, artist Vladimir Hartmann, who died at a young age at the peak of his career, and the music was written to accompany an exhibition displaying Hartmann’s work.

I was guided by the following vision

Manchester Camerata

Agata Zajac conductor

Daniel Pioro violin/director

Caroline Pether leader/ director

Saturday 24 June 10.00pm

Sonic meditation

Pioro (arr. Tom Coult) Saint Boy

Anna Clyne Sound & Fury

Nikki Martin Kolysanka

Holly Harisson Black Ice

Peteris Vasks Lonely Angel, Meditation for violin and string orchestra

This concert is the embodiment of the internal struggle between chaos and the need for peace, taking us on a journey somewhere between transcendental spirituality and gut-wrenching disruption. We begin with a sonic meditation for orchestra alongside two newly orchestrated works from violinist

Daniel Pioro’s recently released album, Saint Boy. Pioro's serene sound is juxtaposed by Anna Clyne and Holly Harrison’s works, full of relentless chaos and anguish.

Vasks' Lonely Angel is inspired by the vision of 'an angel hovering over the world, contemplating the state of the battered Earth with tears in his eyes'.

These are troubling times we live in, but we invite you to join us as we look to reconnect with the beauty in all of it.

BBC Philharmonic

Joshua Weilerstein conductor

Sunday 25 June 11.00am

Beethoven Overture: Egmont

Ravel Alborada del Gracioso

Takemitsu Towards the Sea II

Bartok Romanian Folk Dances

Dawson Negro Folk Symphony (The bonds of Africa)

BBC Philharmonic return, beginning with Beethoven’s Overture for Egmont, which tells the story of the Dutch Count who defied a Spanish attack, securing freedom for his country. We then take a visit to Spain courtesy of Ravel in the frenzied dance rhythms of his Alborada del Gracioso. Our whirlwind tour then calls in on Japan in Takemitsu’s Towards the Sea II before returning again to Europe for Romanian Folk Dances, before our final piece by the African-American composer William Dawson where we return to ideas of freedom and salvation in the opening movement of his Negro Folk Symphony.

On the Town

BBC

Philharmonic

Anja Bihlmaier conductor

Sunday 25 June 2.30pm

Bernstein On the Town: Overture and Three Dance Episodes

Lili Boulanger D’un matin de printemps

Coleridge-Taylor Ballade

Kodaly Dances of Galanta

Anja Bihlmaier returns to the theme of dance with Bernstein’s music from On the Town, its jazzy melodies accompanying sailors on leave in 1940s New York. The upbeat mood is continued with Lili Boulanger’s D’un matin de printemps, an ode to the pleasures of waking up on a Spring morning. The energetic pace is sustained in Coleridge-Taylor’s Ballade with its sweeping romantic orchestration. The concert ends with the Hungarian folk music-inspired Dances of Galánta by Kodaly.

The Rite of Spring

The Hallé

Delyana Lazarova conductor

Sunday 25 June 5.30pm

Stravinsky The Rite of Spring

Stravinsky’s cataclysmic ballet

The Rite of Spring, he explained was inspired by ‘the mystery and great surge of the creative power of spring’. This orchestral score was considered outrageous at its 1913 premiere and resulted in a riotous outcry from the audience, today the piece is rightfully considered a masterpiece. It changed the musical landscape forever with its use of rhythms, and is performed regularly by orchestras and ballet companies around the world.

Legend – The Music of Bob Marley

Saturday 1 July 7.30pm

When you think reggae, there is only one name that comes to mind. The legend that was Bob Marley. Legend – the Music of Bob Marley is an unforgettable evening celebrating this musical icon in one fantastic stage show extravaganza. Combining his superb, distinctive vocals with flawless musicianship, a supremely talented cast recreate the timeless hits Could You Be Loved, Is This Love, One Love, No Woman No Cry, Three Little Birds, Jammin’, Buffalo Soldier, Get Up Stand Up, I Shot the Sheriff and many more reggae classics.

Tickets £31.75 to £38.75

Chetham’s School of Music

Thursday 6 July 4.30pm & 7.30pm

Live at Lunchtime

Donna Marie

Friday 7 July 12.45pm

Donna Marie is a singer-songwriter hailing from the North-West of England. Her song writing style mixes musical genres from Americana to blues and country, all that have inspired her as a musician. Her musical style is deeply rooted in storytelling with melodies and earworms that keep you listening.

Free entry, un-ticketed event in the Stalls Foyer

Manchester International Fesitval 2023

Sonic Geography

BBC Philharmonic

The Hallé – Dance Extravaganza

Stephen Bell conductor

Saturday 8 July 7.30pm

Gershwin Cuban Overture

Delibes Coppelia: Prelude and Mazurka

Brahms Hungarian Dance No.5

Moncayo Huapango

Piazzolla Libertango (for trumpet)

Tchaikovsky The Sleeping Beauty: Waltz

Copland Rodeo: Hoe-Down

Bernstein West Side Story: Mambo

Smetana The Bartered Bride: Dance of the Comedians

Shostakovich Tahiti Trot

Price Symphony No.1: Juba Dance

Grieg Norwegian Dance No.2

Massenet Le Cid: Navarraise

de Falla Ritual Fire Dance

Vimbayi Kaziboni conductor

Ralph Van Raat piano

Friday 7 July 7.30pm

4.30pm – Chetham’s Philharmonic and Sinfonia perform music by Prokofiev, Ravel and more in this celebration of some of the UKs most outstanding young musicians.

7.30pm – Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra and Chorus are joined by Grant Llewellyn to conduct Richard Harvey Concerto Incantato (soloist Anna Williams); Rachmaninov

Piano Concerto No.2 (soloist Jamie Brown); Walton Belshazzar’s Feast.

Tickets from £7.50

Book Tickets Book Tickets

New music inspired by the climate crisis. Lose yourself in a world premiere by John Luther Adams, played by pianist Ralph Van Raat alongside new commissions by Ailís Ní Ríain and Alissa Firsova, all performed by the BBC Philharmonic and conducted by Vimbayi Kaziboni.

Tickets 17.50 to £32.50

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Tchaikovsky Swan Lake: Finale

Grand waltzes, leg-kicking hoedowns and mambas galore all feature in this spirited celebration of music and dance! Here are melodies that have found their way into our lives from small screen to big screen, in adverts and on the stage. You may not remember exactly where you first heard them, but you’ll find yourself humming along and tapping your toes nevertheless.

Concert sponsored by the Stock Exchange Hotel

Tickets from £15.50 to £42.50

Discounts: OAPs, disabled, under 30s, students, claimants & groups £12.50 on the day tickets

Tickets for Our Pass holders

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Rhythm of the Dance

Sunday 9 July 7.30pm

Rhythm of the Dance has brought audiences around the world to their feet for over two decades and is returning with a brand new production. Featuring world-class live musicians, vocalists and champion dancers, the show will be a completely immersive experience. Rhythm of the Dance is an array of everything Irish dance has evolved into, from its roots in ‘Sean Nos’ (meaning old-style), to the militant, clean, modern style we see on stage today. With lyrical and contemporary influences, it will be Irish in essence, with a new edge and promises to be an exploration of how far you can push the boundaries of Irish dance.

Tickets £33.75 to £38.75

Jonathan Scott organ Organ Symphony

Tuesday 11 July 1.10pm

Rossini Thieving Magpie Overture

Mascagni Intermezzo (Cavalleria Rusticana)

Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony No.3 in C minor Op.78

Jonathan Scott presents a rare opportunity to hear a complete live performance of his epic solo organ transcription of Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony. This unmissable performance is complemented by symphonic favourites from Rossini and Mascagni.

Tickets £12.50 | Concession £11.00 | Student £8.50

Rhythm of the Dance

Live at Lunchtime

The Dovetail Trio

Friday 14 July 12.45pm

Performing traditional folk songs with a new energy, The Dovetail Trio combines the distinctive voices and acclaimed instrumental talents of Rosie Hood, Jamie Roberts, and Matt Quinn.

Free entry, un-ticketed event in the Stalls Foyer

The Hallé – The Best Of British Pop

With Ken Bruce

David Arnold conductor

Ken Bruce presenter

Jon Boydon and Laura Tebbutt vocalists

Saturday 15 July 7.30pm

Take That Shine

Wham! Club Tropicana

Electric Light Orchestra Mr. Blue Sky

Adele Make You Feel My Love

Tom Jones It’s Not Unusual

Coldplay Viva La Vida

Elton John and Kiki Dee Don’t Go Breaking My Heart

The Police Every Breath You Take

Ed Sheeran Shape of You

One Direction What Makes You Beautiful

Amy Winehouse Love is a Losing Game

The Rolling Stones Paint It, Black

Spice Girls 2 Become 1

Deep Purple Smoke on the Water

Robbie Williams Angels

Bonnie Tyler Total Eclipse

Queen We Are The Champions

Radio and broadcasting legend Ken Bruce presents and introduces a concert of iconic British pop. These charttoppers have been specially arranged for West End singing stars Jon Boydon and Laura Tebbutt, guest rhythm section and the full forces of the Hallé. .

Concert sponsored by The Lowry Hotel

Tickets from £15.50 to £42.50

Discounts: OAPs, disabled, under 30s, students, claimants & groups

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Greater Manchester Music Hub Celebration Concert

Sunday 16 July 3.00pm

Greater Manchester Youth Brass Band | Greater Manchester Show Choir | Greater Manchester Youth String Orchestra | Greater Manchester Youth Wind Orchestra | Greater Manchester Junior Chorus

The GM Music Hub returns to present the region’s flagship youth ensembles in concert. Presenting a stunning variety of music from traditional brass band sounds through to musical theatre and classical, 600 young musicians will perform a ‘never to forget’ concert celebrating the best in educational music performance.

Tickets £14.50 | Under 19s £8.50

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The Hallé – Some Enchanted

Evening: The Music Of Rodgers and Hammerstein

Martin Yates conductor

Scott Davies, Alice Fearn and Gina Beck vocalists

Saturday 29 July 7.30pm

Carousel Waltz; June Is Bustin’ Out All Over; If I Loved You; You’ll Never Walk Alone

Oklahoma! Oklahoma; Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’; People Will Say We’re in Love; I Cain’t Say No

South Pacific Overture; Younger Than Springtime; Some Enchanted Evening; I’m in Love with a Wonderful Guy

The King And I March of the Royal Siamese Children; I Have Dreamed; Getting to Know You

Flower Drum Song Love, Look Away

The Sound of Music The Sound of Music; Favourite Things; Sixteen Going on Seventeen; Edelweiss; Climb Ev’ry Mountain

Concert sponsored by The Edwardian Manchester

Tickets from £15.50 to £42.50

Discounts: OAPs, disabled, under 30s, students, claimants & groups

Book Tickets

£12.50 on the day tickets

Tickets for Our Pass holders

£12.50 on the day tickets

Tickets for Our Pass holders

Encanto In Concert Film with Orchestra

Tuesday 1 August 3.00pm

Walt Disney Encanto tells the tale of the Madrigals, an extraordinary family living in a magical house in the mountains of Colombia. But when Mirabel, the only ordinary Madrigal, discovers the magic surrounding their home is in danger, she may be her family’s last hope. Encanto received the Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Producers Guild of America Award for Best Animated Feature. The soundtrack features eight original songs by Academy Award-nominated, Tony and Grammy-winning songwriter/composer Lin-Manuel Miranda with an original score by Academy Awardnominated composer Germaine Franco.

Ticket £29.25 to £64.25

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Take a look behind the scenes at The Bridgewater Hall

Book a Tour!

Sunday 7 May 11.15am

– BSL interpreted

Monday 22 May 11.15am

– Organ tour

Saturday 27 May 11.15am

– BSL interpreted

Wednesday 31 May 11.15am

– Organ tour

Book Tickets

Box Office: 0161 907 9000 www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk

Coming Soon

Lost in Music

Saturday 2 September

The Massed Band of His Majesty’s Royal Marines

Saturday 16 September

Paul Carrack

Friday 6 October

National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine

Friday 27 October

Book Tickets

Box Office: 0161 907 9000 www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk

Booking Information

Booking Online

Visit www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk where you have the option to select your own seat or choose the best available. You can also add dining and parking vouchers to your order. If you select your own seat, you can see at a glance which seats are available.

Booking By Phone

0161 907 9000

Booking In Person

Box Office, The Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3WS

Booking By Post

To the Box Office at the address above

Box Office Opening Hours

Monday to Friday 10.00am—5.00pm

Saturday & Sunday (concert nights only) 2.00—5.00pm

Counter service until 8.00pm on concert nights

As at March 2023. Please phone the Box Office or visit www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk to check for changes in opening times.

Forms of Payment Accepted

Payment can be made by cash, cheque, Mastercard, Visa or debit card. If paying by cheque, please make your cheque payable to ‘The Bridgewater Hall’.

Booking Fees

Prices shown in this brochure include booking fees. A booking fee of £2.50 or £3.75 per ticket applies to telephone and online transactions. No fee applies to tickets bought in person or purchased as part of a fixed or flexible subscription.

For details of ticket exchange, group discounts, concessionary and standby tickets, please visit www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk or call the Box Office

Flexible Booking

Save 15% on the full ticket price when you book 5 or more concerts featuring

Parking Discounts

A limited number of prepay discounted spaces are available to patrons attending evening concerts at Q-Park First Street car park (see map) at a rate of £8.10 (from September 2023 £8.85). Spaces must be booked at the time of purchasing your concert tickets, no less than 24 hours before the event. Parking is limited to a maximum stay of 8 hours at the discounted rate.

Q-Park, Anne Horniman St, Manchester M15 4FN

Accessibility

The Bridgewater Hall is fully accessible for disabled patrons. For full information on facilities please visit www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk or call the Box Office on 0161 907 9000.

Hotel Accommodation

Innside by Melia Manchester is an ideal choice. The hotel is located two minutes’ walk from The Bridgewater Hall – see map on opposite page. Innside offers 208 spacious, modern guest rooms, with comfortable king-size or twin beds, and fantastic cityscape views.

Innside by Melia

1 First Street

Manchester M15 4RP

Tel: 0161 200 2500

Email: innside.manchester@melia.com

Getting Here

The Hall is in the centre of Manchester, easily accessible by public transport and by road.

Metrolink tram passengers should alight at St Peter’s Square or Deansgate-Castlefield.

The nearest bus stops for major routes into the city centre are St Peter’s Square/Portland Street or Deansgate.

The nearest rail stations are Deansgate and Oxford Road.

Coaches can drop off and pick up outside the main entrance on Lower Mosley Street.

The nearest car parks are Q-Park First Street, NCP Manchester Central, NCP Great Northern or NCP Oxford Street. You can book Q-Park parking when you buy your concert tickets. If travelling by car, please allow plenty of time for your journey.

The Bridgewater Hall

Lower Mosley Street

Manchester M2 3WS

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