Whats on Classical Christmas: Sept 2017 - Jan 2018

SEP - DEC 2017

CLASSICAL CONCERTS AT TOWN HALL SYMPHONY HALL RESIDENT

ASSOCIATE

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Ex Cathedra, Orchestra of the Swan, Birmingham City Organist Thomas Trotter, Black Voices

Certain events with Resident or Associate badges are included within respective concert packages. Contact the Box Office for more information.

HOW TO BOOK

By Phone: 0121 780 3333 Online: www.thsh.co.uk In person: Town Hall Box Office is open two hours before the start time of a performance.

Symphony Hall Box Office, in the ICC is open 10am - 6pm (Monday - Saturday). Closed Sundays and Bank Holidays except when there is an event (open two hours before event starts).

DISCOUNTS Discounts are available for some concert performances, please check with Box Office or online www.thsh.co.uk.

HOW TO REACH US Town Hall is located in Victoria Square, Birmingham, B3 3DQ. Symphony Hall is located within the International Convention Centre, 8 Centenary Square, Birmingham, B1 2EA. For further information visit www.thsh.co.uk/your-visit

PUBLIC TOURS Take a tour of our stunning auditoriums and glimpse inside the inner workings of these world-famous venues.

For more information, dates and to make a booking on a public tour visit www.thsh.co.uk/join-in/venue-tours.

Cover image Š SL Chai, Decca Find us on Facebook Badge

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For full details of all our upcoming events visit our website www.thsh.co.uk or contact our Box Office 0121 780 3333

SAVE UP TO 30% ON TICKETS BOOK THREE OR MORE CONCERTS TO START SAVING BIRMINGHAM CLASSICAL 3-4 concerts 5-7 concerts 8-11 concerts 12-15 concerts 16+ concerts

ORCHESTRA OF THE SWAN 3+ concerts 6 concerts

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3-5 concerts 6-10 concerts 11-13 concerts 14-19 concerts 20+ concerts

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Exclusions apply. Please see online or ask at the Box Office.

Numerous discounts are available for children, students and young people. Additional family packages and group offers are applicable to some performances. More information can be found on www.thsh.co.uk.

Offers can not be combined and only one offer will apply.

A limited multi-buy discount of 10% is available until 1 November for the following performances: Christmas with Katherine Jenkins; Christmas Carol Sing-a-long; Classical Carols; Christmas Spectacular; Carols by Candlelight; Musicals in Concert; Glenn Miller Orchestra; Best of John Williams; Magic Moments of Burt Bacharach; Four Seasons by Candlelight. Restrictions apply. See online for details.

To book concert packages, call Box Office on 0121 780 3333

For intimate recitals in-the-round, huge international orchestras or listening to Beethoven in a car park, everyone is welcome.

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CORY BAND

Photo: © Modestas Ežerskis

BLACK DYKE BAND

Brass Band Gala 2017

CBSO Haydn: The Creation

Sunday 10 September 2:30PM Symphony Hall

Thursday 21 September 7:30PM Saturday 23 September 7PM Symphony Hall Resident

Black Dyke Band Cory Band Isobel Daws Trombone - 2017 BBC Radio 2 Young Brass Award winner Tom Hutchinson Cornet Glyn Williams Euphonium Daniel Thomas Euphonium

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra CBSO Chorus .

Mirga Gražinyte -Tyla Conductor Lydia Teuscher Soprano Thomas Hobbs Tenor Matthew Brook Bass

Programme Includes: Paul Lovatt-Cooper Through the Flames Edenroth & Kallio, arr. Philip Harper Nordic Polka Tchaikovsky arr. Childs 1812 Overture The most successful contesting bands in the world, the Black Dyke Band and the Cory Band, return to the Symphony Hall Stage. Joined by guest soloists, including 2017 BBC Radio 2 Young Brass Award winner Isobel Daws, with a programme of specialist Brass Band repertoire combined with familiar well-loved pieces. £10 - £24 (inc. per ticket commission)*

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Haydn The Creation (sung in English) “When I think of God, I can write only cheerful music” said Joseph Haydn, and his great oratorio The Creation . finds room for both angels and earthworms. But Haydn’s vision of a universe emerging from chaos also inspired music of cosmic grandeur, and with Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla conducting the CBSO Chorus and a world-class team of soloists, there’s no more life-affirming way to open the CBSO’s new season.

There will be a 20-minute interval. .

CBSO+ 21 September, 6:15pm: Join CBSO Chief Executive Stephen Maddock OBE in conversation with Osborn Music Director Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla. £13 - £48 (inc. per ticket commission)*

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For full details of all our upcoming events visit our website www.thsh.co.uk or contact our Box Office 0121 780 3333

Photo: © Eric Richmond

Chineke! Orchestra Coleridge-Taylor, Mendelssohn and Elgar Saturday 16 September 7:30PM Symphony Hall Chineke! Orchestra Roderick Cox Conductor Tai Murray Violin Coleridge-Taylor Ballade for Orchestra in A minor Op 33 Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor Op 64 Elgar Enigma Variations

Classics by Elgar and Mendelssohn plus a magical British rediscovery, as Chineke! Orchestra makes its Birmingham debut.

Everyone loves Nimrod, but there’s more to Elgar’s Enigma Variations than just an unforgettable musical portrait gallery of Elgar’s Worcestershire friends.

Mendelssohn’s popular Violin Concerto and the passionate, unfairly-neglected Ballade by Elgar’s friend Samuel Coleridge-Taylor complete a wonderfully warmhearted concert.

Pre-concert conversation at 6:15pm with Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE, Founder & Artistic Director of Chineke! This conversation will be signed by a British Sign Language Interpreter. £12.50 - £48 (inc. per ticket commission)*

We are grateful to Mr William Jones – known as Bill to his friends - for remembering THSH in his will. He was a wonderful man who loved music and his legacy has helped us to make this concert possible.

*Prices shown are inclusive of per ticket commission

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Photo: © Ambra Vernuccio

The Multi-Story Orchestra Beethoven’s Fifth Friday 22 September 7PM Saturday 23 September 5PM North Car Park Level 1 Barclaycard Arena Birmingham B1 2AA Please use the Pedestrian entrance on the corner of St Vincent St and King Edwards Rd

Led by Christopher Stark, their approach to presenting live classical music in unexpected settings has been widely celebrated (“the response was ecstatic, and it deserved to be” – The New York Times), and this performance includes one of their unique ‘Living Programme Notes’, where the whole Multi-Story Orchestra celebrate and explore the symphony with the audience.

The Multi-Story Orchestra Christopher Stark Conductor

£5 Not available as part of a Birmingham Classical concert package.

Beethoven Symphony No 5

This is a Classic FM recommended performance.

La La Land – Live In Concert Sunday 24 September 2:30PM Symphony Hall The film everyone is talking about.

The most exciting musical motion picture of a generation…

Winner of six academy awards including Best Original Score, Best Original Song & Best Director, it captured the hearts of everyone whilst breaking records around the world.

Now La La Land will be brought to audiences like never before; the ultimate immersive experience via a huge screen accompanied by a 60-piece orchestra. £42.50 - £68 (inc. per ticket commission)*

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Come and be part of a dynamic take on one of Beethoven’s towering masterpieces as The Multi-Story Orchestra make their Birmingham debut.

Fluid Conversation Saturday 22 September 2PM Town Hall Lower Bar Composers, musicians and writers taking part in FLUID Festival: A weekend of new Queer sound and music talk about their work and what it means to be Queer.

FREE – booking essential via www.fluidfestival.org The Multi-Story Orchestra and La La Land Live In Concert are also part of Birmingham Weekender, which returns in 2017 with three great days out for all the family from 2224 September. For more information visit www.thsh.co.uk/weekender2017

For full details of all our upcoming events visit our website www.thsh.co.uk or contact our Box Office 0121 780 3333

Thomas Trotter Lunchtime Organ Concert Monday 25 September 1PM Town Hall Associate

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Thomas Trotter Organ Locklair T. Susato (arr. Trotter) C. P. E. Bach Mendelssohn Stanford

Rubrics Dansereye Sonata in D major Sonata No 3 in A major Fantasia & Toccata in D minor

History is built into the very walls of Town Hall, Birmingham and when City Organist Thomas Trotter plays the organ there, that heritage springs vibrantly to life. The first of this season’s lunchtime concerts features two composers who actually performed in Town Hall themselves: Mendelssohn and Stanford. But they’re just part of a musical journey that spans five centuries in one hour, from Susato’s lively medieval dances to Dan Locklair’s 20th century classic. £6

CBSO Mirga Conducts Mahler’s Fourth

CBSO Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto

Wednesday 27 September 7:30PM Thursday 28 September 2:15PM Symphony Hall Resident

Wednesday 4 October 2:15PM Thursday 5 October 7:30PM Symphony Hall Resident

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra .

Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla Conductor Marie-Christine Zupancic Flute (28 Sep only) Xavier de Maistre Harp

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra .

Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla Conductor Jörg Widmann Clarinet

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Sibelius Kaija Saariaho Mozart Mahler

Scene with Cranes Trans (UK premiere) (27 Sep) Flute and Harp Concerto (28 Sep) Symphony No 4

A jingle of sleigh bells and a flurry of birdsong: Mahler’s Fourth Symphony begins like Mozart and ends with a child’s idea of heaven. But .there’s a lifetime of emotion in between. Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla starts the concert in the Finnish forests, then offers a choice: something wholly new from one of Finland’s pre-eminent living composers, or Mozart himself, freshly performed by star harpist Xavier de Maistre and the CBSO’s MarieChristine Zupancic.

CBSO+ 27 September, 6:15pm: CBSO violinist David Gregory offers a performer’s angle on Mahler’s most intimate symphony. £13 - £48 (inc. per ticket commission)*

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Weber Mozart Jörg Widmann Brahms

Der Freischütz: Overture (4 Oct) Clarinet Concerto (5 Oct) Babylon Suite (English premiere) Symphony No 1

Brahms wrestled with his First Symphony for ten years, and from the pounding heartbeats with which it opens to final roof-raising triumph, it’s one of music’s most compelling journeys.

Just imagine the energy that .

Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla will bring to it! And meet our Artist in Residence, Jörg Widmann – maverick composer, dynamic conductor and today, clarinettist extraordinaire in Mozart’s hugely popular concerto.

CBSO+ 4 October, 1pm: Music writer and broadcaster Gavin Plumley explores the most unique of all Brahms’ symphonies.

CBSO+ 5 October, 6:15pm: Artist in Residence Jörg Widmann talks to CBSO Chief Executive Stephen Maddock OBE. £13 - £48 (inc. per ticket commission)*

*Prices shown are inclusive of per ticket commission

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Basel Symphony Orchestra

Photo: © Mike Gutteridge

Thomas Trotter Birds of a Feather

Basel Symphony Orchestra Beethoven’s Seventh

Monday 9 October 1PM Town Hall Associate

Tuesday 10 October 7:30PM Town Hall

Thomas Trotter Organ

Basel Symphony Orchestra Ivor Bolton Conductor Sol Gabetta Cello

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J. S. Bach Toccata & Fugue in D minor, BWV 538, Dorian Handel ‘Introduction’ & ‘Allegro’ from Organ Concerto, The Cuckoo and the Nightingale Mauricio Kagel Three Pieces from RRRRR… Johann Kerll Le coucou Messiaen ‘Communion’ & ‘Sortie’ from Pentecost Mass Grieg ‘Little Bird’ from Lyric Pieces Rossini Overture to The Thieving Magpie It’s not just about pigeons here in Birmingham City Centre. Today at Town Hall we’ve got nightingales, blackbirds, cuckoos (a pair) and even a thieving magpie.

They’ll all flutter by in this delightfully conceived recital from Thomas Trotter. And whether they’re wearing the dazzling plumage of Olivier Messiaen, escaping Handel’s gilded baroque cage, or singing their hearts out to melodies by Grieg, Rossini and Bach, there’s no more charming way to spend your lunch hour.

Busoni Lustspiel Overture Op 38 Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto Beethoven Symphony No 7 Beethoven’s Seventh is the exhilarating climax of a rare visit from the Basel Symphony Orchestra and superstar cellist Sol Gabetta.

Conducting is the Basel Symphony Orchestra’s chief conductor, British maestro Ivor Bolton. He’s got a real chemistry with this leading Swiss orchestra, and together they’ll be opening the concert with a delightful comedy overture by Mahler’s maverick friend Ferruccio Busoni. Up close in Town Hall, you’ll almost be able to touch the sound. £12.50 - £48 (inc. per ticket commission)*

£6

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For full details of all our upcoming events visit our website www.thsh.co.uk or contact our Box Office 0121 780 3333

Photo: © Alexander Shapunov

Photo: © Lube Saveski

CBSO Shostakovich’s Twelfth

Mariinsky Orchestra Symphonic Dances

Wednesday 11 October 7:30PM Symphony Hall Resident

Thursday 12 October 7:30PM Symphony Hall

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Vassily Sinaisky Conductor Simon Trpceski Piano ˇ

Mariinsky Orchestra Valery Gergiev Conductor Denis Matsuev Piano

Beethoven Fidelio: Overture Beethoven Piano Concerto No 5, Emperor Shostakovich Symphony No 12 (The Year 1917)

Rimsky-Korsakov Suite from The Golden Cockerel Prokofiev Piano Concerto No 2 Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances Op 45

Petrograd, 1917. Crowds fill the streets, the guns of a warship thunder in the distance, and the air crackles with menace. Shostakovich’s Twelfth Symphony is all about history on a blockbuster scale – and a century after the Bolshevik Revolution, former Bolshoi music director Vassily Sinaisky will bring it vividly to life. But not ˇ before pianist Simon Trpceski unleashes all his charisma and power on Beethoven’s majestic Emperor concerto.

Valery Gergiev and his legendary Mariinsky Orchestra make a hotly-awaited return to Birmingham, with a colourful all-Russian programme.

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£13 - £48 (inc. per ticket commission)*

*Prices shown are inclusive of per ticket commission

Gergiev and the Mariinsky need no introduction here, of course. Now, for one night only, they join pianist Denis Matsuev to perform Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff – music they play more excitingly than any other orchestra in the world. £12.50 - £51 (inc. per ticket commission)*

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Ex Cathedra Bach’s Magnificat Saturday 14 October 7:30PM Symphony Hall Resident & Associate

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Ex Cathedra City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Jeffrey Skidmore Conductor Elizabeth Adams, Katie Trethewey, Amy Wood Sopranos Martha McLorinan Alto Bradley Smith Tenor Greg Skidmore Bass Bach Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott BWV 80 Christ lag in Todesbanden BWV 4 Suite No 3 in D BWV 1068 Magnificat in D BWV 243

CBSO Brilliant Brahms Wednesday 18 October 7:30PM Symphony Hall Resident

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City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Alpesh Chauhan Conductor Nicola Benedetti Violin Leonard Elschenbroich Cello Brahms Three Hungarian Dances Double Concerto Symphony No 3

“My soul doth magnify the Lord!” Johann Sebastian Bach contemplates God, and his imagination catches fire: even he never wrote anything more joyous and more richly inspired than his Magnificat. Two famous cantatas and the resplendent Orchestral Suite No 3 provide the upbeat to this celebration by Ex Cathedra and the CBSO of one of music’s most beautiful minds.

The concert opens with Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, which Bach based on one of Martin Luther’s most famous hymns, as Ex Cathedra mark the Reformation Day 500 anniversary.

6:15pm: Jeffrey Skidmore explores contexts for Bach’s cantatas, with performances from Ex Cathedra’s Girls Academy of Vocal Music conducted by Susannah Vango. £13 - £48 (inc. per ticket commission)* There’s a reason why Nicola Benedetti is the nation’s favourite violinist – and when she teams up with cellist Leonard Elschenbroich in Brahms’ ardent Double Concerto, you just know that things are about to get emotional. That’s the glowing heart to a whole evening of Brahms at his most tuneful, colourful and sincere, conducted with love by one of his finest young interpreters: Birmingham’s own Alpesh Chauhan.

Special discounts policy applies, please check when booking. The CBSO Benevolent Fund is a registered friendly society, no. 735F, supporting CBSO players and staff. £13 - £48 (inc. per ticket commission)*

10 For full details of all our upcoming events visit our website www.thsh.co.uk or contact our Box Office 0121 780 3333

CBSO CBSO Classic FM Smooth Classics Myths and Legends - Family Show Friday 20 October 7:30PM Symphony Hall Resident

Sunday 22 October 2:30PM Symphony Hall Resident

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Michael Seal Conductor John Brunning Presenter

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Jonathan Bloxham Conductor Tom Redmond Presenter

Programme Includes: Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker: Pas de Deux Barber Adagio for strings Debussy La fille aux cheveux de lin & Clair de lune Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Nocturne Grieg Peer Gynt: Solveig’s Song and In the Hall of the Mountain King Bizet Entr’acte from Carmen Rachmaninoff Vocalise Massenet Méditation from Thaïs Elgar Chanson de Matin J. S. Bach Suite No 3 in D: Air Borodin Polovtsian Dances

Programme Includes: John Williams Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Fawkes the Phoenix Wagner Lohengrin: Prelude to Act III Sibelius Lemminkäinen’s Return Copland Billy the Kid John Williams Raiders of the Lost Ark: Raiders March Stravinsky The Firebird: Berceuse and Finale

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Nights drawing in? Had one of those weeks? Or just want to drift off into a warm bath of soothing melody?

Then this is the concert for you: a whole evening of the smoothest and most serene music ever written – tunes you love, from Barber’s Adagio to Bach’s Air on the G String. Symphony Hall is designed for comfort: so just sit back, stretch out, and relax…

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Do you want to hear a story? Today presenter Tom and the amazing City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra take you back through the mists of time to the world of myth and legend. We’ll meet mighty warriors and swan princes, princess brides and a monster with green claws.

But don’t be afraid: this family concert will be just as much fun whether you’re eight – or eighty!

FREE craft activities in the foyer from 1pm. Concert is 1 hour long with no interval. Family discounts available. £12

£13 - £52 (inc. per ticket commission)*

The Armed Man A Mass for Peace Saturday 21 October 7:30PM Symphony Hall

Manchester Concert Orchestra Manchester Chorale Sir Karl Jenkins conductor Joo Yeon Sir violin Kathryn Rudge mezzo-soprano The acclaimed The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace conducted by composer Karl Jenkins.

With premiere performances of excerpts from Symphonic Adiemus. £19.50 - £44.50 (inc. per ticket commission)*

*Prices shown are inclusive of per ticket commission

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Thomas Trotter Lunchtime Organ Concert Monday 23 October 1PM Symphony Hall Associate

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Thomas Trotter Organ Toccata in F major, BWV 540 Three Dances Suite Carmelite Sonata on the 94th Psalm

£6

Photo: © Andreas H Vega

J. S. Bach Dowland Francaix Reubke

“Arise, thou Judge of the world!” The 19th century Romantics did everything on an epic scale – and Julius Reubke’s mighty Sonata on the 94th Psalm is no exception. Music this grand needs an organ to match it; and with Thomas Trotter at the keyboard of the Symphony Hall organ, it’ll be a thunderous climax to a concert that begins with Bach, as well as the gentler visions of John Dowland and Jean Francaix.

Quatuor van Kuijk Haydn, Janácek ˇ and Ravel

The ECHO Rising Stars series spotlights the French string quartet Quatuor van Kuijk, in music by Haydn, ˇ and Ravel.

Janácek

Monday 23 October 7:30PM Town Hall

A programme that ranges from the wit of Haydn to the Gallic grace of Ravel – by way of Janácek’s raw passion, ˇ and something completely new – should suit them down to the ground. The Guardian has praised their “style, energy and sense of risk” – one reason why the Quatuor van Kuijk won multiple prizes at the 2015 Wigmore Hall String Quartet Competition.

Quatuor van Kuijk Haydn Quartet Op 33, No 2 ˇ Janácek Quartet No 1 Édith Canat de Chizy New work (World premiere) Ravel Quartet in F major

ECHO Rising Star nominated by Cite de la MusiquePhilharmonie de Paris and Festspielhaus Baden-Baden Pre-concert conversation at 6:15pm with Quatuor van Kuijk. This conversation will be signed by a British Sign Language Interpreter. £12.50 - £31 (inc. per ticket commission)*

12 For full details of all our upcoming events visit our website www.thsh.co.uk or contact our Box Office 0121 780 3333

Photo: © Benjamin Ealovega

Orchestra of the Swan Julian Bliss Plays Weber

CBSO Verdi’s Requiem

Wednesday 25 October 2:30PM Town Hall Associate

Wednesday 25 October 7:30PM Symphony Hall Resident

Orchestra of the Swan David Curtis Conductor Julian Bliss Clarinet

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra CBSO Chorus Edward Gardner Conductor Tamara Wilson Soprano Karen Cargill Mezzo Soprano Gwyn Hughes Jones Tenor Brindley Sherratt Bass

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Rossini The Barber of Seville (Overture) Weber Clarinet Concerto No 2 in E flat major Beethoven Symphony No 8 in F Major

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Verdi Requiem

We welcome one of the UK’s most outstanding young soloists to perform Weber’s virtuoso showpiece for clarinet, complemented by a symphony that Beethoven considered one of his finest and the overture to Rossini’s Barber of Seville, considered so popular that it formed the foundation of The Rabbit of Seville, a Warner Bros. cartoon from 1950 that introduced opera to new generations of music lovers!

Drums thunder, trumpets blast, and a great chorus yells out in terror: Verdi’s Requiem isn’t what you might expect from religious music! But it’s exactly what you’d expect from the grand master of Italian opera – and with the massed CBSO Chorus and four star operatic voices, hold on to your seats as conductor Edward Gardner unleashes his unparalleled sense of theatre – and turns the volume up to eleven.

£9.50 – £27.50 (inc. per ticket commission)*

There will be no interval.

CBSO+ 6:15pm: Members of the CBSO Chorus talk with Edward Gardner about preparing and performing Verdi’s thunderous choral masterpiece. £13 – £48 (inc. per ticket commission)*

*Prices shown are inclusive of per ticket commission

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CBSO Youth Orchestra Spanish Fiesta Sunday 29 October 7PM Symphony Hall Resident

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CBSO Youth Orchestra .

Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla Conductor

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Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla meets the CBSO Youth Orchestra for the first time – and you just know this is going to be something special. Mirga is passionate about working with young artists, and these 100 Birmingham-based student musicians are some of the most energetic and inspirational young players in Europe. Ahead of our Debussy celebrations in March, his sumptuous images head a programme with a Spanish flavour. Tonight, it’ll sound brand new. £23 (inc. per ticket commission)*

Dame Mitsuko Uchida Schubert Sonatas

Dame Mitsuko Uchida plays the piano sonatas of Schubert. An artist of unique stature encounters music of timeless beauty.

Monday 30 October 7:30PM Town Hall

With some performers, the name is enough, and for more than five decades Mitsuko Uchida has been a byword for everything that’s freshest, most thoughtful and most natural about great piano playing. Three perfectly-chosen Schubert piano sonatas make the ideal showcase.

Photo: © Justin Pumphrey

Debussy Images Bizet Carmen: Suites No 1 & No 2 Falla The Three-Cornered Hat: Suite No 2

Dame Mitsuko Uchida Piano Schubert Sonata in B major D 575 Schubert Sonata in A minor D 845 Schubert Sonata in D major D 850

“…intensely coloured, fiercely dramatic, generously expressive”. The Guardian £12.50 - £38 (inc. per ticket commission)*

14 For full details of all our upcoming events visit our website www.thsh.co.uk or contact our Box Office 0121 780 3333

Photo: © Benjamin Ealovega

graphic by freepik.com

Halloween Silent Movie Special Frankenstein and Nosferatu

CBSO Reformation Symphony

Tuesday 31 October 7:30PM Town Hall

Wednesday 1 November 2:15PM Symphony Hall Resident

Frankenstein (1910) Nosferatu (1921)

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Jérémie Rhorer Conductor Francesco Piemontesi Piano

Nigel Ogden Organ There’s nothing quite like the sound of the historic Town Hall organ to send shivers down your spine at Halloween. Join us if you dare!

To really get people in the mood for a scare, the foyer of Town Hall will be transformed into a ghostly version of itself, and audience members are encouraged to come dressed in ghoulish or grisly attire. The best costume of the night will win £50 THSH vouchers and a bottle of champagne. £18 (inc. per ticket commission)*

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Prokofiev Classical Symphony Ravel Piano Concerto in G Mendelssohn Overture, The Hebrides Symphony No 5 (Reformation) Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony goes off like a rocket – one of the most delightful musical jokes of all time, written by a young firebrand in an age of revolution.

It’s the perfect way to launch a concert that ends with honorary Brummie Felix Mendelssohn’s gloriously tuneful Reformation Symphony, and which stars another Birmingham regular, pianist Francesco Piemontesi, in the smouldering passions and rapid-fire wit of Ravel’s G major Piano Concerto.

CBSO+ 1pm: Join the Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Michael Seal, for a pre-concert performance. £13 - £48 (inc. per ticket commission)*

*Prices shown are inclusive of per ticket commission

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CBSO Dudley International Piano Competition Saturday 4 November 3PM Symphony Hall Resident

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City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Michael Seal Conductor Dudley International Piano Competition Finalists

CBSO Star Wars Friday 3 November 7:30PM Symphony Hall Resident

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City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra CBSO Chorus Michael Seal Conductor Programme Includes: Main Title • The Flag Parade • The Duel of the Fates • Across the Stars • Cantina Band • Battle of the Heroes • Princess Leia’s Theme • Throne Room • The Asteroid Field • Yoda’s Theme • The Imperial March • Parade of the Ewoks • Luke and Leia • The Forest Battle • March of the Resistance • Rey’s Theme • Scherzo from X-Wings A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… John Williams lifted his baton and cued one of the greatest scores in movie history. As the world awaits the launch of The Last Jedi, conductor Michael Seal and the CBSO perform John Williams’ music for the first seven films in the saga. Relive the story so far, from The Phantom Menace to The Force Awakens – in thrilling full orchestral sound.

CBSO+ 6:15pm: Join film music specialist Tommy Pearson to hear more about tonight’s programme and the man behind these iconic scores. £13 - £52 (inc. per ticket commission)*

For 50 years, the Dudley International Piano Competition has been one of the UK’s leading piano competitions – and with past competitors including Paul Lewis, Peter Donohoe and Joanna MacGregor, it has a habit of discovering the keyboard stars of tomorrow. Today’s concerto final tests three exceptional young pianists in three epic concertos: whoever wins, this will be dazzling. £23 (inc. per ticket commission)*

Mozart Requiem Sunday 5 November 3PM Symphony Hall Mozart Festival Orchestra City of Birmingham Choir Adrian Lucas Conductor Tom Poster Piano Tereza Gevorgyan Soprano Anna Huntley Mezzo Soprano Oliver Johnston Tenor Morgan Pearse Baritone Mozart’s choral masterpiece crowns a sublime afternoon of his greatest works. The Magic Flute Overture, Piano Concerto No 21 and Requiem. £16 - £40 (inc. per ticket commission)*

16 For full details of all our upcoming events visit our website www.thsh.co.uk or contact our Box Office 0121 780 3333

Thomas Trotter Lunchtime Organ Concert Monday 6 November 1PM Town Hall Associate

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Thomas Trotter Organ J. S. Bach Saint-Saëns Frances Pott

Dupré

Concerto in A minor after Vivaldi Prelude & Fugue in B major La Chiesa Del Sole – In memoriam John Scott (World premiere) Variations on a Noel

There’s been a lot of musical history made in Town Hall, Birmingham. Today there’ll be a bit more, as Thomas Trotter gives the first Birmingham performance of a major new organ work written specially for him by Francis Pott. It’s a powerful new addition to a long and noble tradition – and Trotter makes the most of that, pairing it with famous showpieces by Marcel Dupré, Camille Saint-Saëns, and of course Bach. £6

Maria João Pires Schubert and Mozart Monday 6 November 7:30PM Town Hall Maria João Pires Piano Mozart Sonata No 12 in F major K 332 Mozart Sonata No 13 in B major K 333 Schubert Sonata No 21 in B flat major D 960 The great Portuguese pianist Maria João Pires comes to Town Hall for piano sonatas by Schubert and Mozart.

Photo: © Deutsche Grammophon

Pires’ combination of musical intelligence and intense charisma means that she’s one of those artists that you really do have to hear live. She’s chosen this programme herself, complementing Schubert’s late sonata with two perfectly-chosen masterpieces by Mozart.

*Prices shown are inclusive of per ticket commission

Pre-concert conversation at 6:15pm with Maria João Pires. This conversation will be signed by a British Sign Language Interpreter. £12.50 - £38 (inc. per ticket commission)* This is a Classic FM recommended performance.

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Photo: © SL Chai, Decca

Photo: © Felix Broede

Pires & Popovic´ Piano Duos

CBSO Russian Classics

Tuesday 7 November 1PM Town Hall

Wednesday 8 November 7:30PM Symphony Hall Resident

Maria João Pires Piano Miloš Popovic´ Piano

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra .

Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla Conductor Sheku Kanneh-Mason Cello

Schumann Three Romances Beethoven Piano Sonata No 23 in F minor Op 57 Appassionata Schumann Waldszenen Op 82 Schumann Six Impromptus Op 66 Bilder aus Osten Maria João Pires teams up with rising star Miloš Popovic´ to play piano duos – a one-off meeting of two extraordinary musical personalities.

Something magical happens when two great pianists sit down together, and in this second concert of her short Birmingham residency Pires shares that joy with Popovic´ in duos by Schumann, plus Beethoven’s mighty Appassionata sonata. £12.50 - £33 (inc. per ticket commission)*

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Rachmaninov Shostakovich Tchaikovsky

The Isle of the Dead Cello Concerto No 1 The Sleeping Beauty: Highlights

Remember when Sheku Kanneh-Mason won BBC Young Musician in 2016? The nation was bowled over by the charisma and energy of his playing. Today, . for the first time, he teams up with Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla in Shostakovich’s thriller of a First Cello Concerto.

The results should be gripping – and a powerful contrast both to Rachmaninov’s shadowy fantasies, and the sparkling melodies and fairytale romance of Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty.

CBSO+ 6:15pm: CBSO violinist Catherine Arlidge MBE talks to recent winner of BBC Young Musician of the Year Sheku Kanneh-Mason, and former winner, CBSO percussionist Adrian Spillett. £13 - £48 (inc. per ticket commission)*

18 For full details of all our upcoming events visit our website www.thsh.co.uk or contact our Box Office 0121 780 3333

Photo: © Riccardo Cavallari

I Fagiolini The Other Vespers

Spectacular Classics

Thursday 9 November 7:30PM Town Hall

Saturday 11 November 2:30PM & 7:30PM Symphony Hall

I Fagiolini English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble Robert Hollingworth Conductor

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra City of Birmingham Choir Anthony Inglis Conductor Ilona Domnich Soprano David Butt Philip Tenor Alexander Sitkovetsky Violin

Viadana Deus in adiutorium Monteverdi Dixit Dominus Confitebor tibi, Domine Beatus vir Laudate pueri Laudate Dominum Hymn – Monteverdi Iste confessor Giovanni Gabrieli Magnificat a 14 Monteverdi Salve Regina The brilliant I Fagiolini recreate a stunning lost sacred masterpiece by the leading composers of renaissance Venice.

Imagine the glittering domes of St Mark’s, Venice in the early 17th century, ringing and resounding with majestic sacred music. Tonight at Town Hall, Robert Hollingsworth and I Fagiolini travel back in time to recreate one of music’s greatest “might have beens”.

Pre-concert conversation at 6:30pm with Robert Hollingworth. This conversation will be signed by a British Sign Language Interpreter. £12.50 - £43 (inc. per ticket commission)* *Prices shown are inclusive of per ticket commission

Programme Includes: Handel Vaughan Williams Glinka Verdi Sibelius Vivaldi

Monti Tchaikovsky Elgar Bizet

Puccini Verdi Puccini Arne Elgar

Hallelujah Chorus The Lark Ascending Russlan and Ludmilla Overture Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves Finlandia Finale of Summer from The Four Seasons Csardas Sleeping Beauty Waltz Nimrod Danse Boheme from Carmen O soave fanciulla Brindisi from La traviata Nessun Dorma Rule, Britannia!

Land of Hope and Glory

Music… Lasers… Fireworks… Classic… After classic… After classic.

Including an explosive 1812 Overture complete with cannon effects and indoor firework finale. £19.50 - £50 (inc. per ticket commission)*

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Photo: © Mike Gutteridge

Grand Organ Gala

CBSO Beethoven and Elgar

Sunday 12 November 3PM Symphony Hall

Thursday 16 November 7:30PM Symphony Hall Resident

London Concert Orchestra Birmingham Choral Union Stephen Bell Conductor Darius Battiwalla Organ

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra .

Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla Conductor Vilde Frang Violin

Saint-Saëns Bach Fauré Walton Elgar Handel Strauss Mascagni Mozart Widor Parry

Symphony No 3 Organ Symphony Toccata and Fugue In Paradisum Crown Imperial Pomp and Circumstance March No 1 Zadok the Priest, Hallelujah Chorus Sunrise from Also sprach Zarathustra Intermezzo from Cavalleria rusticana Lacrimosa from Requiem Toccata I was glad

The amazing Grand Organ Gala returns to Symphony Hall to celebrate the power and majesty of the King of Instruments featuring the magnificent Organ Symphony

by Saint-Saëns, plus so much more! £17.50 - £42.50 (inc. per ticket commission)*

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Messiaen Un Sourire Elgar Violin Concerto Beethoven Symphony No 6 (Pastoral) Birds singing, streams flowing, summer sunshine and a distant rumble of thunder – Beethoven’s Pastoral symphony is the sound of a genius . relaxing amidst nature, and with Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla conducting, it’ll refresh your spirit. First, though, dive deep into the dark heart of English music as the “exquisite” (The Washington Post) Vilde Frang plays Elgar’s impassioned Violin Concerto. Thought British music was unemotional?

Think again! .

CBSO+ 6:15pm: Osborn Music Director Mirga GražinyteTyla talks to CBSO Chief Executive Stephen Maddock OBE. £13 - £48 (inc. per ticket commission)*

20 For full details of all our upcoming events visit our website www.thsh.co.uk or contact our Box Office 0121 780 3333

Photo: © Nadia F Romanini

Photo: © Alex Woodward

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Beethoven’s Third

Sir András Schiff Mendelssohn, Brahms and Bach

Friday 17 November 7:30PM Symphony Hall

Saturday 18 November 7:30PM Town Hall

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Ilan Volkov Conductor Ilya Gringolts Violin Juliet Fraser Voice Sound Intermedia Electronics

Sir András Schiff Piano

Cassandra Miller Sciarrino John Croft Beethoven

Round (UK premiere) Allegoria Della Notte Lost Songs (World Premiere) Symphony No 3, Eroica

Feel the energy, as powerhouse conductor Ilan Volkov conducts Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony, and makes some dynamic discoveries.

With the two explosive chords, Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony launched a new era for music – and created a world of limitless sonic possibility. So Ilan Volkov and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra pair it with three dazzlingly inventive new pieces.

Pre-concert conversation at 6:15pm with Ilan Volkov. This conversation will be signed by a British Sign Language Interpreter.

Mendelssohn Brahms Brahms Bach

Fantasy in F sharp minor Op 28 8 Klavierstücke Op 76 7 Fantasien Op 116 English Suite No 6 in D minor BWV 811

Pianist Sir András Schiff returns to Town Hall to play Mendelssohn, Brahms and – of course – his beloved Bach.

Sir András Schiff is an old friend here in Birmingham – one who’s always welcome, and always has something new and fascinating to say. This Town Hall recital pairs Mendelssohn and Brahms with the composer at the centre of Schiff’s musical life: Bach.

“Bach’s music is very important for me; it is the most important” Sir András Schiff £12.50 - £38 (inc. per ticket commission)*

£12.50 - £25 (inc. per ticket commission)* This performance will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 This is a BBC Music Magazine recommended performance. *Prices shown are inclusive of per ticket commission

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Photo: © Mike Gutteridge

Thomas Trotter Spaced Out!

Orchestra of the Swan Tamsin Waley-Cohen Plays Mozart

Monday 20 November 1PM Town Hall Associate

Wednesday 22 November 2:30PM Town Hall Associate

Thomas Trotter Organ

Orchestra of the Swan David Curtis Conductor Tamsin Waley-Cohen Violin

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N. de Grigny J. P. Sweelinck W. Herschel L. Vierné Wagner (arr. E. H. Lemare) Holst (arr. T. Trotter)

Hymn: Hail star of the sea Variations on Est-ce Mars Two Voluntaries Clair de Lune – Hymne au soleil Romance to the Evening Star ‘Jupiter’ from The Planets

When an organ plays, you can’t help but raise your eyes to the heavens. Thomas Trotter has put together a whole lunchtime of music with a celestial theme, ranging from the timeless grandeur of Sweelinck and de Grigny to the unbuckled energy of Holst’s Jupiter. Music by Wagner, Vierné and the astronomer-composer William Herschel means that even if you’re sitting in the stalls, your head will be in the stars.

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Mozart Grieg Mozart Haydn

Symphony No 15 in G major Holberg Suite, Op 40 Violin Concerto No 4 in D major Symphony No 22 in E flat major ‘The Philosopher’

A firm friend of our audience and musicians, Tamsin Waley-Cohen always brings freshness and spontaneity to every performance. This afternoon we hear the most scintillating of Mozart’s five violin concertos, all penned before Mozart was 19 years of age! £9.50 – £27.50 (inc. per ticket commission)*

£6

The RAF in Concert Wednesday 22 November 7:30PM Symphony Hall To mark the 70th anniversary of the US Air Force, the Royal Air Force’s finest musicians will perform a Stars and Stripes flavoured musical tribute to their fellow aviators on this year’s RAF in Concert Tour.

With big band numbers from the swing era, rock and roll, motown and classics from the Great American Songbook, music legends from the United States have helped provide the soundtrack to our lives over the past seven decades. The programme of music will include Send in the Clowns, Hoe Down, Stars and Stripes March and I Left My Heart in San Francisco. £22 - £29 (inc. per ticket commission)*

22 For full details of all our upcoming events visit our website www.thsh.co.uk or contact our Box Office 0121 780 3333

Miss Moneypenny’s Presents Night At The Proms Friday 24 November 8PM Symphony Hall

It was the glamorous club brand that put Birmingham on the map in the early 1990s. Now, marking 25 years since Miss Moneypenny’s began, Birmingham’s dance music heritage will spectacularly fuse with the powerful world of orchestra to bring music lovers a new sensational show.

Photo: © IMG Artists

Price: £38 - £48 (inc. per ticket commission*)

NDR Radiophilharmonie Hanover Beethoven and Brahms Saturday 25 November 7:30PM Symphony Hall NDR Radiophilharmonie Hanover Andrew Manze Conductor Igor Levit Piano Beethoven Beethoven Brahms

Egmont Overture Piano Concerto No 4 Symphony No 2

Notorious at 20 Fauré Requiem and Rutter Magnificat Saturday 25 November 7:30PM Town Hall

Beethoven and Brahms from one of Germany’s finest orchestras – plus the phenomenal Igor Levit.

Beethoven’s Egmont Overture begins in deep shadow; Brahms’ Second Symphony ends in sunlit jubilation.

Between them comes a lifetime of emotion, explored

by NDR Radiophilharmonie Hanover, the wonderfully imaginative Andrew Manze, and multi-award-winning pianist Igor Levit. £12.50 - £53 (inc. per ticket commission)* This is a Classic FM recommended performance.

Join Notorious for the finale of their 20th year celebrations featuring two of the most uplifting and sublime choral works in the repertoire.

The Fauré Requiem is enduringly popular and the Rutter Magnificat is filled with pure joy - both a pleasure to sing and to listen to. Sung by their largest ever choir, as they welcome back past members to perform with the current choir, this will be an unforgettable night. £12 – £18 (inc. per ticket commission)*

*Prices shown are inclusive of per ticket commission

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Photo: © Marco Borggreve

John Wilson & The John Wilson CBSO Beethoven’s Pastoral Orchestra A Celebration of the MGM Thursday 30 November 2:15PM Film Musicals Symphony Hall | Resident Tuesday 28 November 7:30PM Symphony Hall

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra .

Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla Conductor Rafał Blechacz Piano

John Wilson and The John Wilson Orchestra returns to Symphony Hall with their brand new show A Celebration of the MGM Film Musicals. The orchestra has established an international reputation performing repertoire from the golden era of Hollywood and Broadway musicals and music for the big screen.

Mozart Chopin Beethoven

Joined by guest soloists and for the first time the John Wilson Orchestra Chorus, the John Wilson Orchestra’s joyous celebration of the MGM film musicals is an evening not to be missed, featuring all the classics, such as, Singin’ in the Rain, An American in Paris, Show Boat, Annie Get Your Gun, The Band Wagon plus lots more! £31 – £52 (inc. per ticket commission)*

The Magic Flute: Overture Piano Concerto No 2 Symphony No 6 (Pastoral)

Bask in the romantic moonlight of Chopin’s dreamy Second Piano Concerto, enjoy Mirga’s personal favourite – Mozart’s Magic Flute Overture – and refresh your spirit as Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony conjures up birds singing, summer sunshine and a distant rumble of thunder.

CBSO+ 1pm: CBSO violinist David Gregory joins two of his colleagues to walk us through the musical landscape of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony.

CBSO+ 4:30pm: Return to Symphony Hall for a special . post-concert performance of Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols with Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla and CBSO Youth Chorus £13 - £48 (inc. per ticket commission)*

Dear Esther Live Tuesday 28 November 7:30PM Town Hall A deserted Hebridean landscape, memories of a fatal crash, a book written by a dying man – explore a haunting, deserted, island shrouded in mystery in a live performance of the videogame Dear Esther.

Price: £20 - £22.50 (inc. per ticket commission*)

24 For full details of all our upcoming events visit our website www.thsh.co.uk or contact our Box Office 0121 780 3333

Birmingham Bach Choir J S Bach Mass in B Minor

CBSO ABBA Symphonic Spectacular

Thursday 30 November 7:30PM Town Hall

Friday 1 December 7:30PM Symphony Hall Resident

London Baroque Sinfonia Birmingham Bach Choir Paul Spicer Conductor Sarah Fox Soprano James Laing Countertenor Robert Murray Tenor Ashley Riches Bass-baritone

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Annie Skates, Emma Kershaw, Dean Collison, David Combes – Capital Voices Stephen Bell Conductor

Birmingham Bach Choir celebrates 25 years of Paul Spicer’s leadership with this special performance of J S Bach’s Mass in B minor. In Paul’s own words: “Bach’s B minor Mass is quite simply one of the greatest creations of the human mind. [Bach] reaches parts which no other composer can reach, past, present or future. It was therefore an easy choice to celebrate this milestone in my relationship with Birmingham Bach Choir. I am very grateful to Richard Hawley of Town Hall Symphony Hall for giving us this opportunity and for marking my 25 years with the choir in such a way.”

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Programme Includes: Waterloo • SOS • Money, Money, Money • The Name Of The Game • Chiquitita • Take A Chance On Me • Voulez-Vous • Super Trouper • The Winner Takes It All • I Have A Dream • Mamma Mia • Dancing Queen Mamma Mia! Here we go again, with a sensational, evening-long tribute to ABBA. You know them, you love them: Waterloo, Dancing Queen, Super Trouper, SOS, – and just so many more. So why not dress 70s-style?

Dig out those flares, put on your dancing shoes and get ready to party like it’s 1979. As the CBSO says, “Thank you for the Music”. £13 - £52 (inc. per ticket commission)*

£12.50 – £28 (inc. per ticket commission)*

The British Police Symphony Orchestra Proms Night Spectacular Saturday 2 December 7:30PM Symphony Hall

*Prices shown are inclusive of per ticket commission

Come and join the The British Police Symphony Orchestra to celebrate more than 25 years of music making. Start your seasonal celebrations listening to the themes from Pirates of the Caribbean and Out of Africa.

Followed by the spectacular ‘Proms Night’ finale with indoor firework display. £12 – £26 (inc. per ticket commission)*

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Photo: © Andy Catterall

CHRISTMAS AT TOWN HALL SYMPHONY HALL

National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain Winter Concert 2017

Ex Cathedra Monteverdi Vespers (1610)

Sunday 3 December 7:30PM Symphony Hall

Sunday 3 December 4PM Town Hall Associate

National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain

Ex Cathedra Consort & Baroque Ensemble His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts Jeffrey Skidmore Conductor

Celebrate the start of your festive season with the UK’s most brilliant young musicians. NCO’s eldest orchestras, Main and Under 13s, will perform a colourful Winter Concert which is guaranteed to delight and inspire music lovers of all ages. These young musicians really do have to be seen to be believed!

“A magnificent concert!”

Classic FM “Brimming with talent” Sir Simon Rattle CBE, NCO President £18 - £30 (inc. per ticket commission)*

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Monteverdi

Vespro della beata Vergine

To hear Monteverdi’s famous Vespers live is to travel back to the late Renaissance, the cusp of the Baroque, and to experience some of the most magnificent music of any era: a masterpiece of vocal and instrumental virtuosity that crosses the centuries, and speaks with just as much brilliance and emotion today.

Ex Cathedra welcome back the world-class early brass ensemble, His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts. £13 - £40 (inc. per ticket commission)* 2:45PM – Prof. John Whenham explores the evolution of Monteverdi’s musical style, with examples performed by students of Birmingham Conservatoire.

26 For full details of all our upcoming events visit our website www.thsh.co.uk or contact our Box Office 0121 780 3333

Photo: © Giorgia Bertazzi

Sing Carols with the City Organist and Birmingham Cathedral Choir

Wednesday 6 December 7:30PM Thursday 7 December 2:15PM Symphony Hall Resident

Monday 4 December 1PM Town Hall Associate

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Alexander Vedernikov Conductor Martin Helmchen Piano

Thomas Trotter Organ Birmingham Cathedral Choir David Hardie Conductor Jeremy Nicholas Compere

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Brahms Prokofiev

Piano Concerto No 2 Cinderella - Highlights

Two great composers; two magical tales. From tender opening to exuberant finish, you’ll never take a happier journey in the company of a grand piano than Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto, and pianist Martin Helmchen will drench it with poetry. As for Prokofiev’s enchanting, tongue-in-cheek take on the story of Cinderella – well, let’s just say that with Bolshoi veteran Alexander Vedernikov conducting, you really shall go to the ball!

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Get into the festive mood and sing your heart out with Birmingham City Organist Thomas Trotter. There will be an added sparkling dash of Christmas cheer from Birmingham Cathedral Choir.

CHRISTMAS AT TOWN HALL SYMPHONY HALL

CBSO Prokofiev’s Cinderella

£12.50

CBSO+ 6 December, 6:15pm: A piano recital performed by the rising stars of Birmingham Conservatoire. £13 - £48 (inc. per ticket commission)*

*Prices shown are inclusive of per ticket commission

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Photo: © Mike Gutteridge

CHRISTMAS AT TOWN HALL SYMPHONY HALL

City of Birmingham Choir Handel Messiah

Lunchtime Christmas Music with the Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge

Friday 8 December 7PM Symphony Hall

Monday 11 December 1PM Symphony Hall Associate

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra City of Birmingham Choir Adrian Lucas Conductor Rowan Pierce Soprano Anna Huntley Alto Bradley Smith Tenor James Cleverton Bass Christopher Allsop Organ Thomas Trotter Harpsichord

The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge Andrew Nethsingha Music Director Thomas Trotter Organ

Start your Christmas season in style by enjoying a sparkling performance of Handel’s famous choral masterpiece, Messiah. Established in 1921, the City of Birmingham Choir has been thrilling audiences with annual performances of Handel’s Messiah for over 90 years.

£12.50

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Celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with these meditative Christmas music favourites, sung by The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge. Known as one of the finest collegiate choirs this performance will be a wonderful holiday release.

THSH are very grateful to the DMC McDonald Foundation for their support of this concert.

£12.50 - £41 (inc. per ticket commission)*

28 For full details of all our upcoming events visit our website www.thsh.co.uk or contact our Box Office 0121 780 3333

Photo: © Simon Jay Price

Monday 11 December 7:30PM Symphony Hall The Sixteen Harry Christophers Conductor Christmas choral music that spans nations and centuries, lovingly performed by Harry Christophers and The Sixteen.

Christmas is a time for celebration, but it’s also a time for reflection. This is a Christmas concert with a lovely difference: choral music from Renaissance Italy to 21st century Britain, performed by one of the world’s best chamber choirs.

“The Sixteen’s Christmas tour has established itself as an unmissable date on the Advent calendar” The Guardian Pre-concert conversation at 6:15pm with Harry Christophers CBE. This conversation will be signed by a British Sign Language Interpreter. £12.50 - £43 (inc. per ticket commission)*

The Birmingham Canoldir Christmas Spectacular

Sing Noel! - Midlands Hospital’s Choir

Thursday 14 December 7PM Town Hall

Friday 15 December 2:15PM & 7PM Town Hall

The Birmingham Canoldir Christmas Spectacular with Gemini Brass, Soprano Denise Leigh and St Alphege Song Squad singing Christmas favourites some old and some new will be a wonderful start to the Festive Season.

The annual concert of the Midlands Hospitals’ Choir, in support of CLIC Sargent, conducted by James Llewelyn Jones. Join the choir for the matinee or evening performance, as singers spread some Christmas cheer with popular music and carols (old and new), accompanied by Gemini Brass.

Price: £21- £26 (inc. per ticket commission)

*Prices shown are inclusive of per ticket commission

CHRISTMAS AT TOWN HALL SYMPHONY HALL

The Sixteen Glory to the Christ Child

£10 - £23 (inc. per ticket commission)*

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CHRISTMAS AT TOWN HALL SYMPHONY HALL

Christmas with Katherine Jenkins

Christmas Carol Singalong

Sunday 17 December 7PM Symphony Hall

Monday 18 December 2:30PM Symphony Hall

London Concert Orchestra Anthony Inglis Conductor Mark Vincent Special Guest

London Concert Orchestra London Concert Chorus Jonathan Cohen Conductor Louise Dearman Special Guest

Singing sensation Katherine Jenkins never fails to capture the hearts of audiences whenever she performs.

Join Katherine for her very own Christmas concert of music and songs and start your Christmas celebrations in style. £32.50 - £63 (inc. per ticket commission)*

The First Nowell • Jingle Bells • Frosty the Snowman • Santa Claus is Coming to Town • Merry Christmas Everyone • Good King Wenceslas • O Come, all ye Faithful • The Twelve Days of Christmas • I Wish It Could be Christmas Everyday Sing your heart out as Jonathan Cohen leads you through a fun-filled jamboree of his most-loved carols and all-time Christmas hits. Think traditional favourites and modern day delights, there is something for everyone to truly get into the Christmas spirit. £16 - £40 (inc. per ticket commission)*

30 For full details of all our upcoming events visit our website www.thsh.co.uk or contact our Box Office 0121 780 3333

CBSO A Choral Christmas

Monday 18 December 7:30PM Symphony Hall

Tuesday 19 December 7:30PM Wednesday 20 December 7:30PM Thursday 21 December 7:30PM Symphony Hall Resident

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London Concert Orchestra City of Birmingham Choir Adrian Lucas Conductor Nicky Spence Tenor Crispian Steele Perkins Trumpet Sir Tony Robinson Tomorrow Shall be My Dancing Day • Shepherd’s Pipe Carol • In the Bleak Midwinter • Masters in this Hall • Sussex Carol • Ave Maria This performance of joyous seasonal and traditional music perfectly captures the true spirit of Christmas.

With seasonal readings by Sir Tony Robinson and carols for all including God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen, Good King Wenceslas, O Little Town of Bethlehem and O Come all ye Faithful. £16 - £41.50 (inc. per ticket commission)*

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra CBSO Choruses* Simon Halsey Conductor Carols are the heart of every Christmas – and the CBSO’s annual carol concerts at Symphony Hall are simply splendid. Featuring the full City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, their massed choirs and performers from across the whole city, they’re like a luxury hamper – overflowing with good cheer, magical sounds, and seasonal music old and new, all beautifully wrapped and delivered with a smile by a celebrity guest host and world-famous chorus director Simon Halsey CBE. Treat the whole family: and get ready to join in and sing along, too!

CHRISTMAS AT TOWN HALL SYMPHONY HALL

Classic Carols

*CBSO Chorus, CBSO Youth Chorus (all performances), CBSO Children’s Chorus (Tue & Wed only), CBSO SO Vocal (Thu only) £13 - £52 (inc. per ticket commission)*

*Prices shown are inclusive of per ticket commission

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CHRISTMAS AT TOWN HALL SYMPHONY HALL

Christmas at the Movies

Christmas Spectacular

Friday 22 December 7:30PM Symphony Hall Resident

Saturday 23 December 2:30PM & 7:30PM Symphony Hall

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Anthony Weeden Conductor Gary Williams, Jo Gibb Vocalists

London Concert Orchestra Canzonetta Choir The Jingle Belles John Rigby Conductor Laura Tebbutt Guest Singer Anna Patalong Soprano Nico Darmanin Tenor Alan Titchmarsh Presenter

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Programme Includes: Home Alone I & II • The Polar Express • Elf • The Snowman • Holiday Inn • White Christmas • Miracle On 34th Street • Gremlins • Love Actually • Meet Me In St. Louis • It’s A Wonderful Life • Die Hard • Harry Potter It’s the best bit of Christmas: getting comfy on the sofa and relaxing with a classic film. The CBSO have packed a stocking full of the greatest music from the best-loved seasonal movies of all time – from timeless classics like It’s A Wonderful Life, Miracle On 34th Street and White Christmas to new family favourites like Home Alone, The Polar Express and Elf. No adverts, no repeats: just widescreen, surround-sound Christmas spirit! £13 - £52 (inc. per ticket commission)*

Tchaikovsky Verdi Anderson Adam Puccini Willcocks Waldteufel

Excerpts from The Nutcracker Brindisi A Christmas Festival O Holy Night Act 1 finale from La bohème Sussex Carol Skater’s Waltz

Alan Titchmarsh hosts this Christmas spectacular with seasonal music, classic hits, thrilling lights and a sensational indoor firework finale plus high kicks from the Jingle Belles Dancers – you’re sure to be on your feet. £19.50 - £52 (inc. per ticket commission)*

32 For full details of all our upcoming events visit our website www.thsh.co.uk or contact our Box Office 0121 780 3333

Last Night of the Christmas Proms

Sunday 24 December 2:30PM Symphony Hall

Wednesday 27 December 7:30PM Symphony Hall

Canzonetta Choir Mozart Festival Orchestra in full period costume Nika Goricˇ Soprano Michael Bawtree Conductor

London Concert Orchestra John Pryce–Jones Conductor Joo Yeon Sir Violin Samuel Sakker Tenor James Cleverton Baritone

Handel Christmas sequence from Messiah Gruber Silent Night Cullen Joy to the World Corelli Allegro & Pastorale from Christmas Concerto Mozart Alleluia from Exsultate jubilate Handel Zadok the Priest Bach Air on the G String Celebrate in the most elegant style with this exquisite concert of carols and seasonal classics staged in full 18th Century costume in an evocative candle-lit style setting. £16 - £42.50 (inc. per ticket commission)*

*Prices shown are inclusive of per ticket commission

Rossini Mascagni

Bizet Tchaikovsky Debussy Dukas Vivaldi Vaughan Williams

CHRISTMAS AT TOWN HALL SYMPHONY HALL

Carols by Candlelight

Thieving Magpie Overture Intermezzo from Cavalleria rusticana The Pearl Fishers Duet Waltz from Swan Lake Clair de Lune The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Summer from The Four Seasons The Lark Ascending

An exciting concert of rousing classics with a grand flag waving British finale! £16 - £44.50 (inc. per ticket commission)*

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CHRISTMAS AT TOWN HALL SYMPHONY HALL

Musicals in Concert: Leading Ladies

Glenn Miller Orchestra

Thursday 28 December 7:30PM Symphony Hall

Friday 29 December 2:30PM Symphony Hall

London Concert Orchestra Richard Balcombe Conductor Louise Dearman Kerry Ellis Linzi Hateley Victoria Hamilton-Barritt

Glenn Miller Orchestra Mark Porter and Catherine Sykes Guest Vocalists

All your favourite, spine-tingling hits together in one fabulous performance.

From Wicked to Chicago, four leading ladies bring to life iconic diva showstoppers from the very best of West End and Broadway including As Long as He Needs Me from Oliver!, All That Jazz from Chicago, Big Spender from Sweet Charity, Defying Gravity from Wicked, and What I Did For Love from A Chorus Line.

The UK’s most renowned big band swings you back in time playing Glenn Miller’s own arrangements of favourite wartime chart-toppers and hits from the forties, directed by legendary band leader Ray McVay. With special guests The Polka Dot Dolls performing a tribute to The Andrews Sisters.

The orchestra will perform the second half of the concert in the World War II uniforms of the US army Air Force. £19.50 - £33.50 (inc. per ticket commission)*

£16.50 - £44.50 (inc. per ticket commission)*

The Best of John Williams Friday 29 December 7:30PM Symphony Hall

London Concert Orchestra Anthony Inglis Conductor Nothing can compare to the iconic film scores of John Williams. Enjoy a concert of his most popular music, from E.T. to Star Wars and beyond...

E.T. • Harry Potter • Indiana Jones • Hook • Jaws • Star Wars • Superman • Jurassic Park • Schindler’s List • Born on the Fourth of July • Close Encounters of the Third Kind £13 - £45 (inc. per ticket commission)*

34 For full details of all our upcoming events visit our website www.thsh.co.uk or contact our Box Office 0121 780 3333

The Four Seasons by Candlelight

Saturday 30 December 2:30PM Symphony Hall

Saturday 30 December 7:30PM Symphony Hall

London Concert Orchestra Gareth Hudson Conductor Graham Bickley Guest singer Mary Carewe Guest singer Alison Jiear Guest singer Abbie Osman Guest singer

Mozart Festival Orchestra in full 18th Century costume David Juritz Director/Violin Rowan Pierce Soprano Crispian Steele Perkins Trumpet

Fall in love all over again with your favourite music and songs from Burt Bacharach.

Alfie • I’ll Never Fall in Love Again • Anyone who had a Heart • Do you Know the Way to San Jose? • The Look of Love • What the World Needs Now £13 - £42.50 (inc. per ticket commission)*

Stanley Mozart Handel Bach Clarke Handel

Trumpet Voluntary Eine kleine Nachtmusik Rejoice Greatly from Messiah Brandenburg Concerto No 3 Trumpet Suite Eternal Source of Light Divine

An exciting programme of popular 18th Century classics performed in full period costume in an evocative candlelit style setting. £16 - £40 (inc. per ticket commission)*

New Year’s Eve Gala Sunday 31 December 9:30PM Symphony Hall

London Concert Orchestra Sky Ingram Soprano Alexander James Edwards Tenor Anthony Inglis Conductor

CHRISTMAS AT TOWN HALL SYMPHONY HALL

The Magic Moments of Burt Bacharach

Rossini Galop from William Tell Overture Holst ‘Jupiter’ from The Planets Verdi Brindisi from La traviata Sibelius Finlandia Puccini O soave fanciulla from La bohème Strauss The Blue Danube Waltz Brahms Hungarian Dance No 5 Elgar Nimrod A Symphony Hall tradition of great classics and fun to see in the New Year. Enjoy all your New Year’s Eve favourites. £24.50 - £54.50 (inc. per ticket commission)*

*Prices shown are inclusive of per ticket commission

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CHRISTMAS AT TOWN HALL SYMPHONY HALL

Johann Strauss Gala

CBSO Viennese New Year

Monday 1 January 2:30PM Symphony Hall

Saturday 6 January 3PM Symphony Hall Resident

Johann Strauss Dancers & Orchestra in glorious costumes of the period John Rigby Conductor Corinne Cowling Soprano Nicky Spence Tenor The giddy romance and gilded ballrooms of old Vienna are brought to life by the music of the King of the Waltz and friends. Audition Aria from Die Fledermaus, Vienna City of my Dreams, Wine, Women and Song, Blue Danube Waltz, Radetsky March, plus many more of your favourite waltzes and polkas from the Strauss family and friends.

Price: £17.50 - £42.50 (inc. per ticket commission)*

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City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Martin Yates Conductor Ilona Domnich Soprano Includes: Suppé Light Cavalry: Overture Strauss II Die Fledermaus: Laughing Song Lehár Gold and Silver Waltz Novello The Dancing Years: Waltz of my Heart Lehár On my lips every kiss is like wine Strauss II Thunder and Lightning Polka You haven’t seen in the New Year until you’ve raised a glass of champagne to Vienna, where the melodies are sweeter than sachertorte and every waltz awakes a thousand memories. The CBSO’s annual Viennese afternoon has all the tunes you love, all together now: prosit neujahr! £13 - £52 (inc. per ticket commission)*

Saint Petersburg Classic Ballet Swan Lake Sunday 7 January 5PM Symphony Hall

Saint Petersburg Classic Ballet Marina Medvetskaya Director Tchaikovsky Swan Lake Swan Lake is Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece, a tragic tale of love and betrayal with an instantly recognisable score.

This is the epic story of Prince Siegfried and his true love Odette performed by Saint Petersburg Classic Ballet. The acclaimed company returns to Symphony Hall, following a spectacular debut in 2017, for a performance with an air of magic, complemented by a full orchestra and outstanding soloists who will take your breath away! £18 - £43 (inc. per ticket commission)*

36 For full details of all our upcoming events visit our website www.thsh.co.uk or contact our Box Office 0121 780 3333

MUSICAL PICNICS - FREE Symphony Hall Café Bar Tuck into a morning of musical entertainment with the family!

Watch and join in with performers as they introduce children to a world of music, song, storytelling and dance. In association with Mubu Music. Recommended for ages 0-7.

Artist TBC Saturday 16 September 10:30AM Enjoy a happy morning of musical fun! Check out our THSH web pages as we reveal our mystery artist!

Adriano Adewale and Friends Saturday 14 October 10:30AM Charismatic Brazilian-born percussionist Adriano Adewale brings his wonderful music and warmth to the Musical Picnic, with influences ranging far and wide, from South America to Africa ... to London!

ACCESSIBILITY For information on facilities for Wheelchair Users and Disabled Patrons, including discount information on selected shows, contact our Box Office on 0121 780 4949 for more details.

Alternatively visit www.thsh.co.uk/your-visit/accessibility This guide is available free of charge on CD or braille (on request) from Sarah Barnett: Vista Sound Services, 2 Rutland Close, Leicester, Forest East, LE3 3PW. 0116 249 8810 Email: sarah.barnett@vistablind.org.uk.

Data Protection Once you have booked tickets all your contact details will be held and processed on our Box Office marketing database and from time to time we may send you information about Town Hall Symphony Hall and the programme of events and activities using any one of the contact methods you have provided.

Other arts organisations and companies carefully selected by Performances Birmingham LTD may also be interested in sending you information on events and products they think will be of interest. If you do not want your details to be passed to another organisation please let us know at the time of booking. (Data Protection Act (1998). Registration No X3281 12 8.)

Disclaimer Information and prices in this guide were correct at the time of going to press and published in good faith. Unforeseen circumstances, however, may result in changes to the published programme or names of artists: please check prior to booking.

Performances Birmingham Limited – a Company controlled by Birmingham City Council – is a Registered Charity No 1053937. Registered in England No 3169600. Performances Birmingham Limited. Registered Office: Symphony Hall, 8 Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2EA, UK

*Prices shown are inclusive of per ticket commission

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A STANDING OVATION THSH is internationally recognised for our high-quality performances, uncompromising excellence, artistic finesse and fierce ambition for music education - but this wouldn’t be possible without the help of the businesses, trusts and foundations, and individuals on these pages. Every year we are able to present over 780 events on our stages and offer life-changing experiences to over 15,000 young people and adults. There’s never been a better time to play a leading role with us. To find out more please visit www.thsh.co.uk/ support-us or call 0121 644 5072/5075 to speak to a member of the Development Team.

CORPORATE SUPPORTERS

PROJECT SUPPORTERS

Thank you to our Project Supporters:

SoundLounge Collective R&D

Jazzlines Summer School and Jazzlines Ensemble

Generation Ladywood

Carers’ Events

Live in the Lodge

ECHO Rising Stars

Pollen

Jazzlines Young Musician Development

Jazzlines Programme Generation Ladywood

A Cultural Citizens Pilot Programme

Jazzlines Ensemble

38 For full details of all our upcoming events visit our website www.thsh.co.uk or contact our Box Office 0121 780 3333

BUSINESS PARTNERS Birmingham

In association with

2017

THE

BRUMMIES

CORPORATE MEMBERS

SOUNDBITE SUPPORTERS

BRAND PARTNER

Founding Principal Supporter

DONORS

Alan Woodfield Charitable Trust, The Alchemy Foundation, The Allan & Nesta Ferguson Charitable Settlement, Miss A Copsey, Angus Allnatt Charitable Foundation, Arts Connect West Midlands, Assay Office, Birmingham, The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust, Baron Davenport’s Charity, Bernard Piggott Charitable Trust, The Bewley Charitable Trust, Birmingham Bodenham Trust, Blackwell Charitable Trust, The Boshier-Hinton Foundation, Christopher Tobias Memorial Fund, The Cole Charitable Trust, Dave Muir, DMC McDonald Foundation, The Edward & Dorothy Cadbury Trust, The E H Smith Charitable Trust, The Eric W Vincent Trust Fund, Ernest Cook Trust, The Estate of Mr William Jones, The Eveson Charitable Trust, The Field Family Charitable Trust, The Garfield Weston Foundation, The George Cadbury Trust, The George Fentham Birmingham Charity, GJW Turner Trust, The GNC Trust, Grantham Yorke Trust, Grimmitt Trust, The Heathcock Charitable Trust, Henry James Sayer Charity, The Hinrichsen Foundation, Jemima Bruntlett, The John Feeney Charitable Trust, Lillie Johnson Charitable Trust, Limoges Trust, The Loppylugs and Barbara Morrison Charitable Trust, Lord Austin Trust, The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust, The Mercers’ Company, Mrs M-J Bennett, M K Rose Charitable Trust, The Oakley Charitable Trust, The Patrick Trust, Peter and Jane How Trust, Mr Peter J Smith, Philip Bates Trust, The Ray Williams Foundation, The Roger and Douglas Turner Charitable Trust, The Roughley Trust, The Rowlands Trust, Rub Smokehouse, The Saintbury Trust, Service Birmingham Staff Benefit Scheme, Sweet Causes, The Tiggiwinkle Charitable Trust, The WED Charitable Trust, William A Cadbury Charitable Trust, Wilmcote Charitrust, Mrs Wingfield’s Charitable Trust, Wolfson Foundation, our Supporters, Volunteers and Friends

MAESTRO, ICON & DIRECTOR PATRONS Mr B & Mrs V Adams, Mr D Barton, Mrs M-J Bennett, Mr & Mrs Bentley, Mr & Mrs H Buckingham, Mrs J Cadbury, Mr & Mrs Collard, Mr and Mrs C Cooke, Mr C Cooper, Mr J Cunningham-Dexter, Mr N & Mrs P Cunningham-Dexter, Mr Roger K Edwards, Mr R Guest, Mr M Hale, Dr Halfyard, Mr Peter & Mrs Jane How, Mrs S Hutchinson, Mrs I T Justham, Mr & Mrs I Kershaw, Dr & Mrs D Kett, Mr K Martin, Mr & Mrs P Maskell, Mr & Mrs J Mayo, Mrs G M Morrison, Mrs E Murray, Ms K Porter, Mr C Purle, Mr J Redshaw, Mr Graham Russell, Mrs J Rutter, Professor Shearer West, Mr K Stokes-Smith, Mr & Mrs Stormont, Mr & Mrs G Tovell, Mr & Mrs Verrion, Mr & Mrs Willis, Mr & Mrs A Winkler, Mr A J Woodfield and anonymous Patrons

*Prices shown are inclusive of per ticket commission

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COMING SOON ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

Nicola Benedetti Beethoven Violin Concerto

Nicola Benedetti In-the-Round

Nicola Benedetti Shostakovich

Tuesday 6 February 2018 7:30PM Symphony Hall

Town Hall

Tuesday 6 March 2018 7:30PM

Wednesday 27 June 2018 7:30PM Thursday 28 June 2018 2:15PM Symphony Hall

Czech Philharmonic Dvorák’s New World ˇ Symphony

National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain Totally Teenage

Wednesday 14 February 2018 7:30PM Symphony Hall

Saturday 7 April 2018 7PM Symphony Hall

This is a BBC Music Magazine recommended performance.

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Debussy Festival 17-18 & 23-25 March 2018 Funded by

100 years after his death, join Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla and the CBSO as they set out in search of the wonder, the power and the sheer beauty of music’s quietest revolutionary.

Audiences will journey through sensual pleasures and sacred ecstasies, children’s games and bold new sounds, culminating in a concert performance of Debussy’s fairytale opera Pelléas et Mélisande. It’s an adventure that’ll involve the entire CBSO musical family, special guests including charismatic soloist Omo Bello and musical ensembles from across the whole city such as Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and Birmingham Conservatoire.

Visit thsh.co.uk/debussyfest to find out more Town Hall renovation also funded by

BOOK NOW 0121 780 3333 www.thsh.co.uk