In te r n at io n a l
o r chestra Se r ies 2015/16
Media Mediapartner partner
Media partner
International Orchestra Series brings the great orchestras and ensembles from around the world to Southbank Centre audiences. Throughout 2015/16, the series makes a special feature of opera, brought to life for the concert hall by some of the world’s greatest performers. Hear Mozart’s The Magic Flute performed by the Budapest Festival Orchestra and Iván Fischer, alongside Zurich Opera’s all-star performance of Berg’s tragic Wozzeck, and Janáček’s heartbreaking Jenůfa performed by the Czech Philharmonic, with the great dramatic soprano Karita Mattila. The series culminates with Wagner’s epic Ring cycle when Opera North brings its brilliantly reviewed production to Royal Festival Hall over four nights. The International Orchestra Series also offers the chance to experience the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela and their dynamic Musical Director Gustavo Dudamel. Now regarding Southbank Centre as their London home, they play three purely instrumental concerts in Royal Festival Hall – one with Daniel Barenboim, who uses the occasion to celebrate 60 years since he first performed at the venue, aged 13, back in 1956. Gillian Moore MBE Head of Classical Music, Southbank Centre
Christian Gerharher ©P E Bergeron
Front cover images (clockwise): Christian Gerhaher © Hiromichi Yamamoto, Dudamel Gustavo © Vern Evans, Karita Mattila © Marcia Rosengård
*Transaction fees may apply: £1.75 online; £2.75 over the phone. No transaction fee for bookings made in person or for Southbank Centre Members and Supporters Circles.
‘Luisi showed his suppleness in ... a thrilling performance.’ (The Guardian)
Fabio Luisi © Barbara Luisi and BALU
Wozzeck performed by Zurich Opera Berg’s operatic tale of madness Friday 2 October 2015
Fabio Luisi conductor Christian Gerhaher Wozzeck Gun-Brit Barkmin Marie Brandon Jovanovich Drum Major Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke Captain Lars Woldt Doctor Berg Wozzeck (concert performance in German with English subtitles) Zurich Opera continue their series of collaborations with Southbank Centre in this performance of Alban Berg’s masterpiece featuring an all-star cast. Wozzeck tells the tragic story of a soldier driven to madness and murder by poverty and oppression. It was written during the First World War, during which Berg served in the Austro-Hungarian Army. One of the great operas of the 20th century, it achieved popularity thanks to the highly expressive musical language, which leads us to identify powerfully with the characters. Royal Festival Hall, 7.30pm Premium Seats £65* £50* £35* £20* £10*
Save up to 20% when you book multiple concerts. See back page for details. tickets 0844 847 9934 southbankcentre.co.uk/ios
Gustavo Dudamel, Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela
Gustavo Dudamel © mathew-imaging
stravinsky Thursday 14 January 2016
Stravinsky Petrushka (1947); The Rite of Spring Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela return to the South Bank with a spectacular all-Stravinsky programme. They offset the carnivalesque sounds of Petrushka, about a puppet who comes to life at a fair in St Petersburg, against the electrifying rhythmic force of The Rite of Spring, whose primeval eruptions of sound culminate in a shattering dance of death. Royal Festival Hall, 7.30pm Premium seats £85* £65* £45* £28* £15*
Messiaen’s ecstatic Turangalîla – Symphonie Saturday 16 January 2016
Messiaen Turangalîla-symphonie A performance of Messiaen’s ecstatic and erotic celebration of love, nature and the universe. Inspired by the Tristan myth, Turangalîla-symphonie expresses intense feelings using a vast orchestra, exotic percussion, a fiery piano solo and the unearthly sound of the ondes martenot. Premiered soon after the Second World War, it shocked audiences with its ecstatic music and opulent orchestrations. Royal Festival Hall, 7.30pm Premium seats £85* £65* £45* £28* £15*
*Transaction fees may apply: £1.75 online; £2.75 over the phone. No transaction fee for bookings made in person or for Southbank Centre Members and Supporters Circles.
Daniel Barenboim performs Brahms
BARENBOIM’S 60th anniversary concert Sunday 17 January 2016
Gustavo Dudamel conductor Daniel Barenboim piano Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela Brahms Piano Concerto No.1; Piano Concerto No.2 A special concert featuring some of the biggest musical personalities in the world today. Daniel Barenboim joins Gustavo Dudamel and the vigorous Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela for a concert in Royal Festival Hall. Barenboim – a mentor to Dudamel – celebrates the 60th anniversary of his debut concert at Royal Festival Hall in 1956 when he performed aged just 13. Tonight he performs both of Brahms’ piano concertos. Royal Festival Hall, 7.30pm Premium seats £90* £70* £50* £30* £20*
‘in a different class altogether’ (The Guardian on Daniel Barenboim)
‘stupendous energy and finesse’
(Daily Telegraph on Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela)
Daniel Barenboim © Monika Rittershaus
tickets 0844 847 9934 southbankcentre.co.uk/ios
*Transaction fees may apply: £1.75 online; £2.75 over the phone. No transaction fee for bookings made in person or for Southbank Centre Members and Supporters Circles.
Jiří Bělohlávek © Czech Philharmonic
Jenůfa performed by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra monday 18 April 2016
Jiří Bělohlávek conductor Adriana Kohútková Jenufa Karita Mattila Kostelnička Buryjovka Ales Briscein Laca Klemen Pavel Cernoch Steva Buryja To be announced Grandmother Buryjovka Svatopluk Sem Stárek (Foreman) Lucie Silkenová Karolka Janáček Jenůfa (concert performance in Czech with English surtitles)
Hear one of the leading dramatic sopranos of her generation, Karita Mattila, perform in Janáček’s powerful music drama. Jiří Bělohlávek conducts the Czech Philharmonic in this tragedy about village life, with heartbreak, jealousy and child murder at its heart. As in Janáček’s other operas, the emotional impact of the story is delivered powerfully, realistically and without sentimentality. Its immediacy comes, in part, from the melodies which are derived directly from the Czech language, underpinned by the composer’s vivid orchestrations. Royal Festival Hall, 7pm Premium seats £65* £50* £35* £20* £10*
tickets 0844 847 9934 southbankcentre.co.uk/ios
The Magic Flute performed by the Budapest Festival Orchestra Iván Fischer conducts Mozart’s enchanting opera Tuesday 10 May 2016
Iván Fischer conductor, director Bernard Richter Tamino Hanno Müller-Brachmann Papageno Nuria Rial Pamina Mandy Fredrich Queen of the Night To be announced Sarastro Kirsten Blaise First Lady Olivia Vermeulen Second Lady Barbara Kozelj Third Lady Norma Nahoun Papagena Rodolphe Briand Monostatos Peter Harvey Speaker, Third Priest, Second Armed Man Mozart The Magic Flute (concert performance in German with English surtitles and video projection)
‘The whole orchestra played with wild abandon.’ (The Telegraph)
Comic characters, secret rituals, the terrifying Queen of the Night, magic spells and two different love stories feature in The Magic Flute, Mozart’s sublime last opera. Southbank Centre welcomes back Iván Fischer, regarded as one of the great musical personalities of our time, with the Budapest Festival Orchestra. They perform this universally appealing opera, which features dazzling vocal fireworks and some of Mozart’s most glorious and recognisable melodies. The Budapest Festival Orchestra bring their sparkling wit and character to this concert performance, which is also the first time they have performed opera in Royal Festival Hall. Coproduced by the Palace of Arts Budapest. Royal Festival Hall, 7pm Premium seats £65* £50* £35* £20* £10*
Save up to 20% when you book multiple concerts. See back page for details. tickets 0844 847 9934 southbankcentre.co.uk/ios
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW The story behind the music Get to know the stories behind eight great pieces of music. What were the composers inspired or obsessed by? How did world events affect them? And what are the secrets behind the score? Following on from the award-winning The Rest Is Noise festival in 2013, Southbank Centre is offering a course of eight in-depth sessions in the hands of music experts. We’ve selected eight pieces of music to spark lively discussion. Whether you know nothing about music or already have some knowledge, this is a rounded look at the music and its context. Each session is led by broadcasters, university professors and writers including Director of Music at Southbank Centre Gillian Moore, BBC Radio 3 and The Guardian’s Tom Service, Oxford University’s Professor Jonathan Cross and BBC Radio 3’s Sara Mohr-Pietsch. Join us for informal discussions in a welcoming environment and a chance to experience the music. For more information visit southbankcentre.co.uk/whatyouneedtoknow
The Eight Pieces: Berg’s Wozzeck Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring Stockhausen’s Hymnen Messiaen’s Turangalîla Janacek’s Jenůfa Mozart’s The Magic Flute Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians Wagner’s Ring cycle
Images © Ben Larpent
(The Telegraph)
‘Beg, borrow or be like Wotan and steal a ticket for this show’
(The Times)
(The Times)
Wag n er’s
R i n g Cyc l e Tuesday 28 June – Sunday 3 July 2016
southbankcentre.co.uk/ringcycle
Please note: The Ring Cycle is not included in the International Orchestra Series 2015/16 series discount.
How to book
Visitor Information
southbankcentre.co.uk/ios* 0844 847 9934*
ACCESS
9am – 8pm (daily)
* Transaction fees apply: £1.75 online; £2.75 over the phone. No transaction fees for Southbank Centre Members and Supporters Circles.
IN PERSON Royal Festival Hall Ticket Office, 10am – 8pm (daily)
SERIES SAVINGS Book 3 – 4 concerts and save 10% Book 5 or more concerts and save 20% (Not available on Premium seats)
GROUP DISCOUNTS 20% discount for groups of ten or more. Call 0844 875 0070 (Not available on Premium Seats)
CONCESSIONS A limited allocation of half-price tickets is available for recipients of Jobseekers Allowance, Income Support, Pension Credit, those aged 16 and under and full-time students. Appropriate cards to be shown and discounts cannot be combined.
experience MORE WITH MEMBERSHIP
Get priority booking on all concerts, series and festivals at Southbank Centre, never paying booking fees. Enjoy relaxing in your own Members’ bar with stunning views of London. Free Hayward Gallery exhibitions including private views with guided tours. Discounts across Southbank Centre, including Foyles bookshop, Topolski Bar and Cafe and our own Southbank Centre Shops. Plus so much more... Join today. southbankcentre.co.uk/membership 0844 875 0071
Southbank Centre is accessible to people with disabilities. For more information, visit southbankcentre.co.uk/ access, call us on 0844 847 9910 or fax 020 7921 0607 TRANSPORT Waterloo and Embankment Southbank Centre Car Parks: – Belvedere Road (7am – 1am) – Hayward Gallery (7am – 1am)
JOIN THE CONVERSATION /southbankcentre
@southbankcentre
SHOP, EAT AND DRINK We have an extensive range of restaurants, cafes and shops here at Southbank Centre. For full details visit southbankcentre.co.uk/shop-eat-drink
BEHIND THE SCENES WITH SUPPORTERS CIRCLES
If you would like to get behind the scenes of our classical music concerts, the Supporters Circles enjoy a year-round programme of exclusive events like rehearsals, backstage visits, ‘in conversations’ with performers, private recitals, pre-concert drinks receptions and opportunities to meet artists, musicians and programmers. Supporters also benefit from privileged booking through a personal contact, help with tickets for sold-out events and use of our Members’ bar with a reserved space if requested. For full details please call 020 7921 0937 or email circles@southbankcentre.co.uk