THSH Classical Sep-Dec 2015

WHAT’S ON CLASSICAL SEPTEMBER – DECEMBER 2015

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

Events with Resident or Associate badges are included within respective subscription packages. Contact the Box Office for more information.

HOW TO REACH US

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Town Hall is located in Victoria Square, Birmingham, B3 3DQ. Symphony Hall is located within the International Convention Centre on Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2EA. For further information visit www.thsh.co.uk/your-visit

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SATURDAY 5 SEPTEMBER 10:30AM

SUNDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2:30PM

SYMPHONY HALL

SYMPHONY HALL

163RD BRITISH OPEN BRASS BAND CHAMPIONSHIP

BRASS BAND GALA CONCERT FEATURING BLACK DYKE BAND, CORY BAND AND FODEN’S BAND

Symphony Hall will once again host: British Open Brass Band Championship with bands from across the globe battling it out to win the biggest prize in this genre. This year Stephen Roberts’ Reflections on Swan Lake – a homage to Tchaikovsky’s ballet score – will put the bands through their paces.

Tickets £12 – £23 plus transaction fee*

The Who’s Who of brass bands, join Black Dyke Band, Cory Band and Foden’s Band as they come together for a magnificent gala concert.

In a stunning line-up featuring the current National and European champions, don’t miss this sensational concert featuring the cream of the brass band world.

Tickets £10 – £21 plus transaction fee*

Black Dyke Band

Box office 0121 345 0600 or visit www.thsh.co.uk/classical

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TUESDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 7:30PM

WEDNESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 7:30PM

SYMPHONY HALL

SYMPHONY HALL

Sir Simon Rattle. Photo © Stephan Rabold

BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL CONCERT SEASON 2015/16 OPENING CONCERT

SIR SIMON RATTLE CONDUCTS THE DREAM OF GERONTIUS Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Sir Simon Rattle conductor Magdalena Kožená mezzo-soprano Toby Spence tenor Roderick Williams baritone BBC Proms Youth Choir Elgar

The Dream of Gerontius

Sir Simon Rattle returns to the hall he was so instrumental in the creation of, with one of the world’s greatest orchestras, three world-class soloists, and a massed choir drawn from the entire UK. The work? Elgar’s supreme choral masterpiece, The Dream of Gerontius. It’s been performed many times in Birmingham since its premiere here in 1900 – but never quite like this.

Self-recommending.

Tickets Sold out – returns only

Royal Danish Orchestra. Photo © Natascha Thiara Rydvald

BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL CONCERT SEASON 2015/16

ROYAL DANISH ORCHESTRA PERFORM NIELSEN Royal Danish Orchestra Michael Boder conductor Magdalena Anna Hofmann soprano Per Nørgård Iris Schoenberg Erwartung Nielsen Symphony No 5 Carl Nielsen actually played in the Royal Danish Orchestra – so there’s no orchestra in the world with a longer tradition of performing his music.

In this anniversary year, RDO principal conductor Michael Boder brings arguably Nielsen’s finest symphony to Birmingham, showcases soprano Magdalena Anna Hofmann, acclaimed for her ‘stage presence and glowing dramatic voice’ (Die Presse), who makes her UK debut.

The concert opens with the ravishing Iris

by Denmark’s pre-eminent living composer.

Tickets £9.50 – £45 plus transaction fee* Choir seats not available.

We are very grateful to Mrs Julian Blackwell for her generous support of this concert.

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* A £3 transaction fee, plus £1 (optional) postage, will be charged on all bookings except purchases made in person at the Town Hall or Symphony Hall Box office.

SATURDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 7PM SYMPHONY HALL

RESIDENT

A–Z OF THE CBSO City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Michael Seal conductor Paul Rissman presenter Programme includes: Adams Short Ride in a Fast Machine Elgar Nimrod Mozart Jupiter Symphony, Finale Prokoviev Romeo & Juliet (excerpt) Vivaldi Four Seasons (excerpt) Zimmer Pirates of the Carribean Put 90 top-flight musicians on one stage, and there’s no limit to what they can do. Three centuries in the making, the symphony orchestra is still the ultimate piece of music technology: at home in the concert hall or the movie studio, and capable of summoning up over 300 years of music in breathtaking live sound. Tonight, Michael Seal and the full CBSO walk you through an A to Z of the orchestra: with music ranging from Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine to Hans Zimmer’s Pirates of the Caribbean!

If you’re not sure where to begin with the CBSO, come along for just a tenner to find out more.

And if you’re a regular – why not bring a friend to introduce them?

Tickets £10 plus transaction fee*

WEDNESDAY 23 SEPTEMBER 7:30PM THURSDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 2:15PM SYMPHONY HALL

RESIDENT

RACHMANINOV’S THIRD PIANO CONCERTO City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Cristian Ma˘celaru conductor Simon Trpcˇ eski piano Sibelius Finlandia Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No 3 Nielsen Symphony No 4 (Inextinguishable) “Music is life,” declared Carl Nielsen, “and like it, inextinguishable.” And from volcanic opening to final life-and-death battle, Nielsen’s Fourth Symphony is one of those pieces that you just have to hear live. Birmingham audiences need no introduction to the fabulous Simon Trpcˇeski, in the grandest of romantic piano concertos, but this should be a powerful debut for conductor Cristian Ma˘celaru.

CBSO+ 24 September, 1pm Writer and critic David Fanning and musicologist Michelle Assay help us celebrate the 150th anniversary of Carl Nielsen’s birth.

Tickets 23 September £12.50 – £45 plus transaction fee* 24 September £12.50 – £43 plus transaction fee*

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Photo © Neil Pugh

Box office 0121 345 0600 or visit www.thsh.co.uk/classical

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SATURDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 7:30PM SYMPHONY HALL

BIRMINGHAM WEEKENDER A FREE CIT Y ARTS WEEKEND FOR ALL THE FAMILY! Birmingham’s arts organisations come together to stage a free weekend festival of amazing outdoor arts and entertainment, with events throughout the city centre, marking the opening of the newly transformed New Street Station and Grand Central. THSH’s contribution to this city-wide event includes:

SATURDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 11AM – 6PM VICTORIA SQUARE Our popular Musical Picnic with artists including The Stringcredibles (11am), She’Koyakh (12:30pm), ESKA (2pm), Hackney Colliery Band (3:30pm) and Yabba Funk (5pm). Don’t miss roaming and popup performances around town from She’Koyakh, Hackney Colliery Band and Birmingham’s Choir With No Name.

FREE

Nicola Benedetti

NICOLA BENEDETTI – ITALY AND THE FOUR SEASONS Nicola Benedetti, one of the world’s most beloved classical violinists, returns to Symphony Hall with a dynamic programme of music inspired by the spirit of Italy. Performing with a first class ensemble of musicians, this concert includes two seminal and cherished works from the classical repertoire – Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence.

Tickets £20 – £32.50 plus transaction fee*

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SUNDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 11AM – 6PM VICTORIA SQUARE Our Musical Picnic continues with Holly Thomas and Friends (11am), Young Pilgrims with Bostin’ Brass (12:30pm), Sara Colman with the Town Hall Gospel Choir (2pm), Electric Swing Circus (3:30pm) and Shlomo (5pm). Our roaming and popup performances continue with Bostin’ Brass, Town Hall Gospel Choir and The Destroyers.

FREE

Bostin Brass

* A £3 transaction fee, plus £1 (optional) postage, will be charged on all bookings except purchases made in person at the Town Hall or Symphony Hall Box office.

MONDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 1PM TOWN HALL

LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT

WEDNESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2:15PM THURSDAY 1 OCTOBER 7:30PM SYMPHONY HALL

RESIDENT

THOMAS TROTTER

SIBELIUS’ FIFTH

Mendelssohn Overture to St Paul (arr. WT Best) Howells Two Psalm Preludes

(Set 1 No 1 & 2) Wammes ‘Miroir’ from Suite Bretonne Widor Allegro maestoso e vivace (1st movt. of Symphony No 5)

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Edward Gardner conductor Lars Vogt piano Mendelssohn Overture, The Hebrides Mozart Piano Concerto No 9, K.271 Sibelius Symphony No 5

Thomas Trotter is one of Britain’s most widely admired musicians and recording artists, touring on four continents and playing at many international festivals such as Bath, Salzburg, Edinburgh and the BBC Proms. Join him for a lunchtime special as he plays works from Mendelssohn, Howells, Widor and Wammes.

Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony begins with a glowing sunrise and ends with a vision of a flight of swans – and one of the simplest but noblest melodies ever written. A real CBSO speciality, there’s no finer way to salute Sibelius in his anniversary year; first, though, Edward Gardner takes us to sea with Felix Mendelssohn, and joins the masterly Lars Vogt in Mozart’s little jewel of a piano concerto.

Tickets £6 plus transaction fee*

CBSO+ 30 September, 1pm: Edward Gardner in conversation with CBSO violinist Catherine Arlidge.

1 October, 6.15pm: An introduction to Sibelius by acclaimed author and journalist Jessica Duchen.

Tickets 30 September £12.50 – £43 plus transaction fee* 1 October £12.50 – £45 plus transaction fee*

Edward Gardner. Photo © B Ealovega

Box office 0121 345 0600 or visit www.thsh.co.uk/classical

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FRIDAY 2 OCTOBER 7:30PM

WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER 2:30PM

SYMPHONY HALL

TOWN HALL

STRAUSS’ SALOME Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Kirill Karabits conductor Joe Austin director Lise Lindstrom Salome James Rutherford Jochanaan Kim Begley Herod Birgit Remmert Herodias Andrew Staples Narraboth David Soar 1st Nazarene Oliver Johnston 2nd Nazarene Anna Burford Page Andrew Greenan First Soldier Alan Ewing Second Soldier Hubert Francis First Jew Paul Curievici Second Jew & Slave James Edwards Third Jew Alun Rhys-Jenkins Fourth Jew Andri Bjorn Robertsson Fifth Jew & Cappadocier Strauss

Salome

From shimmering, silken opening to shockingly decadent denouement, Richard Strauss’ Salome is quite simply one of the most overwhelming experiences in all opera. And in Symphony Hall you’ll hear every last shiver and sigh of Strauss’ extraordinary score, as Kirill Karabits brings the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and an all-star cast to Birmingham for one unforgettable night.

6.15pm Pre-concert conversation with Kirill Karabits.

This conversation will be signed.

Tickets £9.50 – £45 plus transaction fee* Choir and stalls front four rows not available.

Please note there is no interval in this concert.

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Tamsin Waley-Cohen

BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL CONCERT SEASON 2015/16

ASSOCIATE

TAMSIN WALEYCOHEN PLAYS MENDELSSOHN Orchestra of the Swan David Curtis conductor Tamsin Waley-Cohen violin Mendelssohn

Mozart Mendelssohn

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Incidental Music Symphony No 36, Linz Violin Concerto in E minor

To open its 2015-16 Shakespeare 400 season Orchestra of the Swan is delighted to welcome back Tamsin Waley-Cohen as its Associate Artist, performing one of the most popular violin concerti, Mendelssohn’s flawless concerto in E minor.

Tickets £8.50 – £23.50 plus transaction fee*

* A £3 transaction fee, plus £1 (optional) postage, will be charged on all bookings except purchases made in person at the Town Hall or Symphony Hall Box office.

WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER 7:30PM

SUNDAY 11 OCTOBER 4PM

SYMPHONY HALL

SYMPHONY HALL

RESIDENT

ASSOCIATE

ELGAR’S FIRST

THE GRAND TOUR

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Ryan Wigglesworth conductor Mark Padmore tenor

Ex Cathedra City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Jeffrey Skidmore conductor

Wigglesworth Britten Elgar

Handel Mondonville Lalande Gabrieli Allegri Handel

Études-Tableaux Our Hunting Fathers Symphony No 1

When Elgar’s First Symphony was premiered in 1908, the audience simply stood up and cheered.

A century on, it’s still one of the most stirring experiences in British music, beginning and ending with what might be the best tune even Elgar ever composed. For Ryan Wigglesworth – a composer himself – it’s an inspiration. His colourful Études -Tableaux complements Britten’s extraordinary zoological song-cycle, sung by a truly great British tenor.

CBSO+ 6.15pm Professor Rachel Cowgill, Head of Music & Drama from the University of Huddersfield, presents a student-friendly analysis of Elgar’s First Symphony (GCSE & A-Level set work).

Zadok the Priest Venite adoremus La grande pièce royale In ecclesiis Miserere mei Dixit Dominus

Discover afresh the inspirational music of Handel, Lalande, Gabrielli and Allegri. ‘The Grand Tour’ starts in London with the majesty of Zadok the Priest – sung at every British coronation since 1727 – departs for the magnificence of Paris and the Most Serene Republic of Venice, and arrives at the Eternal City for one of the glories of Rome, Allegri’s Miserere, famous for its soaring top ‘c’s.

Tickets £9.50 – £40 plus transaction fee*

Tickets £12.50 – £45 plus transaction fee*

Ex Cathedra. Photo © Neil Pugh

Box office 0121 345 0600 or visit www.thsh.co.uk/classical

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MONDAY 12 OCTOBER 1PM TOWN HALL

WEDNESDAY 14 OCTOBER 2:15PM ASSOCIATE

LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT

THOMAS TROTTER Boëllmann Suite Gothique JS Bach Contrapunctus 1 & 9 from

The Art of Fugue Messiaen Communion & Sortie from

Pentecost Mass Holloway Scherzo Liszt Fantasia & Fugue on BACH This varied programme of music from across Europe demonstrates the range of Town Hall’s marvellous organ. French works by Boëllmann and Messiaen are matched by works by, and on the theme of, Bach. We also have a rarely performed work by a late-Victorian organist, F.W. Holloway.

Tickets £6 plus transaction fee*

SYMPHONY HALL

RESIDENT

ˇ ÁK’S SIXTH DVOR City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Nicholas Collon conductor Pekka Kuusisto violin Mozart Nielsen Dvorˇák

Idomeneo, Ballet Music Violin Concerto Symphony No 6

Love Dvorˇák’s symphony from the New World? Now discover his symphony from the old one! Dvorˇák’s Sixth is musical sunshine: from pastoral opening to jubilant finish, it’s 45 joyous minutes of folkdances, lullabies and autumn sunsets – perfect for the youthful energy of conductor Nicholas Collon, just as Nielsen’s tuneful Violin Concerto could have been written for our soloist Pekka Kuusisto. Mozart’s Idomeneo ballet launches the evening in majestic style.

CBSO+ 1pm The young British conductor Nicholas Collon talks to CBSO Chief Executive Stephen Maddock.

Tickets £12.50 – £43 plus transaction fee*

FRIDAY 16 OCTOBER 7:30PM SYMPHONY HALL

RESIDENT

FRIDAY NIGHT CLASSICS:

STAR WARS

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Michael Seal conductor Marc Silk presenter CBSO Chorus 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 Episode VII, conductor Michael Seal, the CBSO and voice actor Marc Silk, who can be heard in the Phantom Menace film, present John Williams’ music from all six Star Wars films, from A New Hope to Revenge of the Sith. The Force is strong with this one!

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CBSO+ 6.15pm Producer, presenter and film music expert Tim Burden and Star Wars voice actor and concert host Marc Silk talk about the world-famous Star Wars score.

Tickets £12.50 – £47 plus transaction fee*

* A £3 transaction fee, plus £1 (optional) postage, will be charged on all bookings except purchases made in person at the Town Hall or Symphony Hall Box office.

MONDAY 19 OCTOBER 7:30PM SYMPHONY HALL

Riccardo Chailly and Maria João Pires. Photo © Jens Gerber

BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL CONCERT SEASON 2015/16

GEWANDHAUSORCHESTER LEIPZIG PERFORM STRAUSS Gewandhausorchester Leipzig Riccardo Chailly Gewandhauskapellmeister Maria João Pires piano Richard Strauss Don Juan Mozart Piano Concerto No 21 Richard Strauss Ein Heldenleben Few orchestral showpieces open as thrillingly as Strauss’ Don Juan – and fewer still match the vaulting ambition of Ein Heldenleben. Riccardo Chailly and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig celebrate a rare visit to Birmingham with Richard Strauss at his most extrovert. As the soloist in Mozart’s 21st Piano Concerto, meanwhile, Maria João Pires offers poetry amidst Strauss’s soaring orchestral peaks.

Tickets £9.50 – £50 plus transaction fee* Don’t miss Maria João Pires’s recital on 11 February 2016. More information online.

THURSDAY 22 OCTOBER 7:30PM SATURDAY 24 OCTOBER 3PM SYMPHONY HALL

RESIDENT

Andrew Manze. Photo © Ben Ealovega

BRAHMS’ GERMAN REQUIEM City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Andrew Manze conductor Francesco Piemontesi piano Susan Gritton soprano Mark Stone baritone CBSO Chorus Mozart Brahms

Piano Concerto No 25, K.503 A German Requiem

“Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted”. Brahms didn’t believe in God, but he did believe in love, and as he grappled with personal tragedy he created a Requiem intended to comfort those left behind. Andrew Manze conducts the acclaimed CBSO Chorus in this most tender of all great choral works, while Francesco Piemontesi rejoices in the sunlight of one of Mozart’s noblest concertos.

CBSO+ 24 October, 1.45pm: Members of the CBSO Chorus talk about preparing and performing this cornerstone of the choral repertoire.

Tickets 22 October £12.50 – £45 plus transaction fee* 24 October £12.50 – £45 plus transaction fee*

Box office 0121 345 0600 or visit www.thsh.co.uk/classical

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MONDAY 26 OCTOBER 1PM

MONDAY 26 OCTOBER 7:30PM

SYMPHONY HALL

SYMPHONY HALL

ASSOCIATE

LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT

THOMAS TROTTER: A BACH RECITAL JS Bach

Prelude & Fugue in A major BWV 536 Trio in D minor BWV 583 Chorale-Partita: Ach, was soll ich Sünder machen BWV 770 Trio Sonata No 2 BWV 526 Toccata & Fugue in F BWV 540

A concert of music by the one and only, JS Bach.

In this concert, City Organist Thomas Trotter has selected his personal favourite music by the great master of the instrument.

Tickets £6 plus transaction fee*

BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL CONCERT SEASON 2015/16

STEPHEN HOUGH IN RECITAL Stephen Hough piano Schubert Sonata in A minor D784 Franck Prelude, Chorale and Fugue Debussy Estampes Liszt Valse Oubliées Nos 1 and 2

Transcendental Etude No 11, (harmonies du soir)

Transcendental Etude No 10 Stephen Hough is a phenomenon: a pianist of astonishing technical skill with the ability to find profundity in even the flashiest of keyboard fireworks. Tonight he traces the darkness-to-light journeys of three great pianist-composers, and gives a recital that explores every side of his artistic personality: thinker, creator and consummate virtuoso.

Tickets £9.50 – £35 plus transaction fee* Grand Tier not available.

Photo © Mike Gutteridge

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Stephen Hough. Photo © Sim Canetty-Clarke

* A £3 transaction fee, plus £1 (optional) postage, will be charged on all bookings except purchases made in person at the Town Hall or Symphony Hall Box office.

WEDNESDAY 28 OCTOBER 7PM SYMPHONY HALL

BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL CONCERT SEASON 2015/16

VALERY GERGIEV CONDUCTS THE PRIZE WINNERS OF THE 2015 INTERNATIONAL TCHAIKOVSKY COMPETITION Mariinsky Orchestra Valery Gergiev conductor Lucas Debargue piano Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar baritone Clara-Jumi Kang violin George Li piano Yulia Matochkina mezzo soprano Alexander Ramm cello

Debussy Prélude à l’après midi d’un faune Tchaikovsky Variations on a Roccoco Theme Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No 1

(2nd movement) Verdi Overture to La forza del Destino Tchaikovsky Joan’s aria from Maid of Orleans Tchaikovsky Yeletsky’s aria from Queen of Spades Liszt Piano Concerto No 1 in E flat major Mariinsky UK tour is supported by BP Valery Gergiev. Photo © Decca / Marco Borggreve

Tickets £9.50 – £45 plus transaction fee*

Box office 0121 345 0600 or visit www.thsh.co.uk/classical

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THURSDAY 29 OCTOBER 2:15PM

FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER 8PM

SYMPHONY HALL

TOWN HALL

RESIDENT

INSTRUMENTAL: AN EVENING WITH JAMES RHODES

PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Daniele Rustioni conductor Vadim Gluzman violin Dvorˇák Carnival Overture Brahms Violin Concerto Mussorgsky (orch. Ravel) Pictures at an Exhibition Goblins, witches, talking skulls and dancing chickens: music doesn’t get any more fantastic than Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, and when Ravel drenches them in all the colours of the orchestral rainbow, the results are simply eartingling.

The young Italian conductor Daniele Rustioni brings real operatic flair, while one of the world’s finest living violinists finds both dazzling beauty and deep calm in Brahms’s radiant Violin Concerto.

Maverick concert pianist James Rhodes discusses his controversial memoir Instrumental live on stage – a brutally honest, moving and compelling story that was almost banned. Music has been the one thread that has held him together through the ups and downs of his extraordinary life. Presented with James’ trademark mix of humour, searing honesty and inspiring piano performances, Instrumental is an impassioned tribute to the therapeutic powers of music and its potential to transform all of our lives.

Tickets £18.50 plus transaction fee* Strong language and serious adult content. Not suitable for young children.

CBSO+ post-concert performance 6.15pm Conservatoire Showcase: Return to Symphony Hall for a post-concert performance with the Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra conducted

by Michael Seal, performing Vaughan Williams The Wasps, Elgar The Wand of Youth Suite No 1 and Britten Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes.

Tickets 29 October £12.50 – £43 plus transaction fee*

Stephen Hough. Photo © Sim Canetty-Clarke

JOIN OUR CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP SCHEME Sign up to our scheme from just £1,300+ VAT per annum for a host of benefits including 10 top price tickets to the show of your choice, and exclusive use of our Laurent-Perrier Gallery with champagne and canapés from award-winning caterers Amadeus.

For more information contact Karen Daw, Head of Development on 0121 644 5075 or email karen.daw@thsh.co.uk.

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* A £3 transaction fee, plus £1 (optional) postage, will be charged on all bookings except purchases made in person at the Town Hall or Symphony Hall Box office.

SATURDAY 31 OCTOBER 7:30PM

SATURDAY 31 OCTOBER 7:30PM

SYMPHONY HALL

TOWN HALL

FRIGHT NIGHT CLASSICS

HALLOWEEN SILENT MOVIE SPECIAL:

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra City of Birmingham Choir John Pryce-Jones conductor Orff ‘O Fortuna!’ from Carmina Burana Verdi ‘Dies Irae’ from Requiem Dukas The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Berlioz ‘March to the Scaffold’ from Symphonie Fantastique Wagner Ride of the Valkyries Gounod Funeral March for a Marionette Saint-Saëns Danse Macabre Puccini ‘The Witches’ Dance’ from Le Villi Herrmann Suite from Psycho Goldsmith Suite from The Omen Williams ‘Hedwig’s Theme’ from Harry Potter Experience the chills and thrills of spine-tingling classics on the spookiest day of the year.

Tickets £14.50 – £39.50 plus transaction fee* Please note, this concert is not part of CBSO subscription packages

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925) Nigel Ogden organ The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

Acclaimed organist Nigel Ogden will once again bring this year’s Halloween classic to spooky life with an improvised organ accompaniment.

This is a rare opportunity for a big-screen showing of this gem from the early days of Hollywood in its 90th anniversary year, accompanied by a unique soundtrack.

Recommended for age 12+ Win £50 in THSH gift vouchers and a bottle of champagne. Come dressed in a ghoulish, ghostly or grisly costume for a chance of winning the prize!

Follow us on instagram and tag us in your pics using the hashtag #THSH Tickets £15 plus transaction fee*

Box office 0121 345 0600 or visit www.thsh.co.uk/classical

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SUNDAY 1 NOVEMBER 7PM

THURSDAY 5 NOVEMBER 7:30PM

SYMPHONY HALL

SYMPHONY HALL

CBSO YOUTH ORCHESTRA

BAIBA SKRIDE: SCHUMANN

AN ALPINE SYMPHONY CBSO Youth Orchestra Michael Seal conductor Julian Bliss clarinet

Nielsen Helios Overture Lindberg Clarinet Concerto Strauss An Alpine Symphony “What a hope for the future!” declared one critic after hearing the CBSO Youth Orchestra – but tonight the future is here, as Michael Seal and 120 world-class young musicians storm the heights of Strauss’s colossal Alpine Symphony. Nielsen’s solar-powered overture and a true contemporary classic – played by another young star – launch them on their way. Glaciers? Waterfalls? Alpine storms? In the phenomenal acoustic of Symphony Hall, hearing is believing.

Tickets £20 plus transaction fee*

RESIDENT

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Omer Meir Wellber conductor Baiba Skride violin Wagner Prelude to Act 1 from Lohengrin Schumann Violin Concerto Brahms Symphony No 1 Brahms’s first symphony begins with the pounding of a broken heart, and ends with the kind of melody that comes once in a lifetime. It’s a gripping way for rising star Omer Meir Wellber to make his Birmingham debut. First though, he raises the curtain with Wagner’s magical, mystical Prelude to Lohengrin, and introduces CBSO artist in residence Baiba Skride in the dark poetry of Schumann’s only Violin Concerto.

CBSO+ 6.15pm Writer and broadcaster Jan Smaczny explores tonight’s programme.

Tickets £12.50 – £45 plus transaction fee*

TUESDAY 3 NOVEMBER 7:30PM SYMPHONY HALL

BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL CONCERT SEASON 2015/16

VLADIMIR ASHKENAZY CONDUCTS RACHMANINOV’S SYMPHONY NO 2 Philharmonia Orchestra Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition winner piano

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Sibelius Valse Triste Chopin Piano Concerto Rachmaninov Symphony No 2 Ashkenazy and Rachmaninov – need we say more?

Few conductors know how to make Rachmaninov’s melodies sing like Ashkenazy does, or have a more intimate understanding of what makes a top pianist tick. Expect a near-definitive performance of Rachmaninov’s most romantic symphony, and the finest possible introduction to the winner of this year’s International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition.

We’ll find out which Chopin piano concerto will be performed after the competition finals in October 2015.

Tickets £9.50 – £50 plus transaction fee*

* A £3 transaction fee, plus £1 (optional) postage, will be charged on all bookings except purchases made in person at the Town Hall or Symphony Hall Box office.

SUNDAY 8 NOVEMBER 2:30PM

MONDAY 9 NOVEMBER 1PM

SYMPHONY HALL

TOWN HALL

RESIDENT

ASSOCIATE

FAMILY CONCERT

LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Michael Seal conductor Catherine Arlidge presenter

Slonimsky Toccata Humperdinck Overture to Hansel and Gretel JS Bach Chorale-prelude: Out of the deep

have I cried to thee (BWV 686} Thalben-Ball Elegy Howells Psalm Prelude Set 2 No 1:

Out of the deep have I cried to thee Duruflé Prelude & Fugue on the name

of ALAIN Mushel Toccata

A YOUNG PERSON’S GUIDE TO THE ORCHESTRA

So, OK then – what exactly IS an orchestra? Why is the piccolo so small? Why are the double basses so big? And what on earth does a xylophone sound like? In this entertaining concert for the whole family, the CBSO will show you exactly how it all works, with a bit of help from Benjamin Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra – and there’ll be a chance to meet the orchestra afterwards too!

FREE post-concert activities with CBSO musicians.

THOMAS TROTTER

In this programme City Organist Thomas Trotter performs two works based on the same passage from Psalms – one old, one new. The programme is bookended by works by two 20th Century Russian composers.

Tickets £6 plus transaction fee*

Tickets £10 plus transaction fee* Group of 4: £32 plus transaction fee*

WEDNESDAY 11 NOVEMBER 2:30PM TOWN HALL

ASSOCIATE

BACH DOUBLED WITH TAMSIN WALEY-COHEN AND DAVID LE PAGE Tamsin Waley-Cohen

Orchestra of the Swan David Curtis conductor Tamsin Waley-Cohen violin David Le Page violin Victoria Brawn oboe Handel Bach

Stravinsky

Overture, Julius Caesar Violin Concerto in E major Double Violin Concerto Concerto for Violin and Oboe Concerto in D

For Tamsin Waley-Cohen’s second concert of the season with the Orchestra of the Swan she performs two concertos by Bach, the E major and the Double Violin Concerto with David Le Page.

David will also perform the Concerto for Violin and Oboe with Victoria Brawn, OOTS principal oboe, and Shostakovich offers a neo-classical twist.

Tickets £8.50 – £23.50 plus transaction fee*

Box office 0121 345 0600 or visit www.thsh.co.uk/classical

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WEDNESDAY 11 NOVEMBER 7:30PM

FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 7:30PM

SYMPHONY HALL

SYMPHONY HALL

RESIDENT

WINTER DREAMS City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Ben Gernon conductor Anna Vinnitskaya piano Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin Shostakovich Piano Concerto No 2 Tchaikovsky Symphony No 1 (Winter Dreams) Tchaikovsky’s First Symphony sparkles with all the crispness of a winter morning. Ravel’s Tombeau de Couperin evokes a lost generation. And Shostakovich wrote his Second Piano Concerto as a birthday present for his son – but ended up with a smash hit. Youthful music deserves young performers; and if you heard Ben Gernon conducting The Planets last season you’ll know why this Shropshire lad is quickly winning a global reputation.

CBSO+ 6.15pm: Award-winning CBSO Youth Orchestra alumnus Ben Gernon will be in conversation with CBSO Chief Executive Stephen Maddock

RESIDENT

FRIDAY NIGHT CLASSICS:

LA VIE EN ROSE City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Richard Balcombe conductor Vocalists including Graham Bickley “I love Paris in the springtime, I love Paris in the fall…” and on a November night, the CBSO will whisk you to a world of pavement cafés, strolls by the Seine and stolen kisses in the lanes of Montmartre. There’ll be tributes to Edith Piaf in her centenary year and Jacques Brel, songs from Gigi and Les Misérables, and sexy little numbers from smoky-voiced chanteuses. Treat yourself to a little bit of la vie en rose, right here in the heart of Brum!

Tickets £12.50 – £47 plus transaction fee* Presented in association with GRB concerts.

Tickets £12.50 – £45 plus transaction fee*

THURSDAY 12 NOVEMBER 7:30PM SYMPHONY HALL

JOHN WILSON & THE JOHN WILSON ORCHESTRA

GERSHWIN IN HOLLYWOOD John Wilson conductor The John Wilson Orchestra plus special guests

Celebrating the genius of George Gershwin, the orchestra perform favourites such as I Got Rhythm, The Man I Love, Somebody Loves Me, Fascinatin’ Rhythm and Strike Up the Band.

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John Wilson. Photo © Chris Christodoulou

Enjoy Gershwin’s greatest hits in their sumptuous original film orchestrations amid the wonderful acoustics of Symphony Hall.

Tickets £25 – £46 plus transaction fee*

* A £3 transaction fee, plus £1 (optional) postage, will be charged on all bookings except purchases made in person at the Town Hall or Symphony Hall Box office.

SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2.30PM AND 7:30PM SYMPHONY HALL

WEDNESDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2:15PM SYMPHONY HALL

RESIDENT

Alina Ibragimova. Photo © Eva Vermandel

SPECTACULAR CLASSICS

TCHAIKOVSKY’S FOURTH

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra City of Birmingham Choir Anthony Inglis conductor Sky Ingram soprano Mario Sofroniou tenor

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Vassily Sinaisky conductor Alina Ibragimova violin

Verdi ‘Grand March’ from Aida Rossini ‘Galop’ from William Tell Overture Jenkins Benedictus Strauss Blue Danube Waltz Elgar ‘Nimrod’ from Enigma Variations Puccini ‘O Soave fanciulla’ from La Bohème Handel Hallelujah Chorus Borodin Polovtsian Dances Suppe Light Cavalry Overture Mascagni Intermezzo and ‘Easter Hymn’ from Cavalleria rusticana Not forgetting:

Nessun Dorma, Rule Britannia and

Land of Hope and Glory.

Plus an explosive 1812 Overture complete with cannon effects and indoor fireworks!

Schubert Overture, Rosamunde Beethoven Violin Concerto Tchaikovsky Symphony No 4 For Tchaikovsky, music was a matter of life and death – and when he wrote his Fourth Symphony, he didn’t hold back. This is a no-holds-barred emotional autobiography, told in music of uncompromising rawness and passion. Vassily Sinaisky has this music in his blood; it’s hard to imagine a more dramatic contrast to Beethoven’s serene Violin Concerto – played by the stunning Alina Ibragimova – or Schubert’s Viennese bon-bon of an overture.

Tickets £12.50 – £43 plus transaction fee*

Spectacular Classics returns to Symphony Hall for another evening of great classics, dazzling lasers and special effects.

Tickets £16.50 – £44.50 plus transaction fee*

Box office 0121 345 0600 or visit www.thsh.co.uk/classical

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THURSDAY 19 NOVEMBER 8PM SYMPHONY HALL

MARIA SCHNEIDER JAZZ ORCHESTRA Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra Maria Schneider conductor Jazz aficionados won’t need telling that the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra is one of the most exciting large groups working in jazz today; a big band that combines the best of tradition with a contemporary openness and drive built around the excellence of the band members, who are the top players on the New York scene.

The most talented jazz composer of her generation, Maria Schneider makes a very rare appearance with the superb New York big band that has been the heart and soul of her music since the early nineties.

Tickets £9.50 – £25 plus transaction fee* Part of the Jazzlines programme

Maria Schneider. Photo © Jimmy and Dena Katz

MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER 1PM

MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER 6PM

TOWN HALL

TOWN HALL

ASSOCIATE

LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT

THOMAS TROTTER: CALLING TIME! Mozart Handel Mozart

Pärt Anderson Ponchielli

Fantasia for Musical Clock K 608 Four pieces for Clay’s Musical Clock Andante & Allegro for Musical Clock K 595 Annum per Annum The Syncopated Clock – Blue Tango The Dance of the Hours (arr. Trotter)

This curated programme features music with a clock connection from right across musical ‘time’.

Early music by Handel is balanced by a later works by Arvo Pärt and one of the great American masters of light music, Leroy Anderson.

Tickets £6 plus transaction fee*

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RISING STARS

HARRIET KRIJGH Harriet Krijgh cello Magda Amara piano Mendelssohn Sonata No 2 in D Messiaen Eulogy to the Eternity of Jesus Johanna Doderer Break On Through for cello and piano, DWV 95 (UK premiere) Franck Sonata for Cello and

Piano in A major Rising Stars is a series of recitals showcasing the talents of outstanding young artists, hand-picked by the directors of Europe’s leading concert halls, including Town Hall and Symphony Hall.

Tickets £10 plus transaction fee* Stalls only. Unreserved seating. Discounts available, please check when booking.

* A £3 transaction fee, plus £1 (optional) postage, will be charged on all bookings except purchases made in person at the Town Hall or Symphony Hall Box office.

FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 7:30PM

SATURDAY 28 NOVEMBER 7PM

SYMPHONY HALL

SYMPHONY HALL

RESIDENT

RESIDENT

MAHLER’S FIRST FRIDAY NIGHT CLASSICS:

JAMES BOND

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Stephen Bell conductor Lance Ellington vocalist The name’s Bond – James Bond. To mark the launch of Spectre, the CBSO pours itself a celebratory Martini with some of the sassiest signature tunes in cinematic history: six decades of girls, gadgets, super-villains and knockout songs. Well, you know what they say: Diamonds are Forever. These tunes are every bit as enduring – and as brilliant. Guaranteed to leave you shaken… and stirred!

Tickets £12.50 – £47 plus transaction fee*

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Lahav Shani conductor CBSO Chorus Ives The Unanswered Question Bernstein Chichester Psalms Mahler Symphony No 1 “The symphony should be like the world,” said Gustav Mahler. “It should embrace everything.”

And from its breathless opening to the roofraising triumph of its final bars, his blockbuster First Symphony does exactly that. It’s a thrilling showcase for guest conductor Lahav Shani; first, though, the superb CBSO Chorus shouts for joy in Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, and Charles Ives sets one of music’s most intriguing puzzles.

CBSO+ 5.45pm CBSO violinist David Gregory offers a performer’s angle on this most thrilling of Mahler’s symphonies.

Tickets £12.50 – £45 plus transaction fee*

MONDAY 30 NOVEMBER 7:30PM TOWN HALL

BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL CONCERT SEASON 2015/16

OLIVER SHE IN RECITAL Oliver She piano

Winner of the 2014 Brant International Piano Competition, Oliver She sets it alongside the virtuoso brilliance of Brahms’s Seven Fantasies, and a rarelyheard modern masterwork from She’s native Australia.

Tickets £15 plus transaction fee* Choir Benches not available.

Carl Vine Sonata No 1 Brahms Seven Fantasies Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition

6pm Free Concert Lucille Price saxophone Jo Sealey piano

Mussorgsky’s colourful musical picture gallery is one of the best-loved of orchestral works – but it’s even more gripping heard the way Mussorgsky originally intended: for solo piano.

The outstanding winner of the 2015 THSH Conservatoire Prize performs works by Pedro Iturralde, Takashi Yoshimatsu, François Borne and Jean Matitia.

Box office 0121 345 0600 or visit www.thsh.co.uk/classical

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WEDNESDAY 2 DECEMBER 7:30PM THURSDAY 3 DECEMBER 2:15PM SYMPHONY HALL

SUNDAY 6 DECEMBER 4PM TOWN HALL

ASSOCIATE

RESIDENT

IMAGE

Michael Seal. Photo © Neil Pugh

Jeffrey Skidmore. Photo © Neil Pugh

BEETHOVEN’S EROICA

BACH CHRISTMAS ORATORIO

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Michael Seal conductor Yevgeny Sudbin piano

Ex Cathedra Choir & Baroque Orchestra Jeffrey Skidmore conductor Katie Trethewey, Amy Wood soprano Harriet Hougham Slade, Martha McLorinan alto Jeremy Budd Evangelist & tenor Greg Skidmore bass

Rimsky-Korsakov Capriccio espagnol Scriabin Piano Concerto Beethoven Symphony No 3 (Eroica) With two mighty chords, Ludwig van Beethoven launched a musical insurrection. There’s still nothing in all of music to match the drama of Beethoven’s revolutionary Eroica symphony, and CBSO associate conductor Michael Seal conducts it with absolute commitment and unstoppable energy. Expect some serious voltage; an explosive contrast to Scriabin’s deliriously romantic early masterpiece – the greatest concerto Rachmaninov never wrote? – and Rimsky-Korsakov’s all-glittering, all-dancing Capriccio espagnol.

Bach’s Christmas Oratorio is perhaps the most confident and optimistic statement of Christian belief in the choral repertoire. It is richly scored for a large Baroque orchestra. The exuberance and joy of the opening chorus – ‘Jauchzet, frohlocket’ – sets the tone – a wonderfully uplifting start to the Christmas season.

The concert comprises cantatas I, II, III & VI. Tickets £9.50 – £35 plus transaction fee*

CBSO+ 2 Dec, 6.15pm A piano recital performed by the rising stars of Birmingham Conservatoire.

3 Dec, 1pm Conductor Michael Seal introduces today’s programme in conversation with CBSO Director of Concerts Zoe Poyser Tickets 2 December £12.50 – £45 plus transaction fee* 3 December £12.50 – £43 plus transaction fee*

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* A £3 transaction fee, plus £1 (optional) postage, will be charged on all bookings except purchases made in person at the Town Hall or Symphony Hall Box office.

SUNDAY 6 DECEMBER 7:30PM

THURSDAY 10 DECEMBER 7:30PM

SYMPHONY HALL

SYMPHONY HALL

GARETH MALONE

BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL CONCERT SEASON 2015/16

Join the nation’s favourite choirmaster and his choir Voices for an all new show at Symphony Hall.

Gareth Malone is best known for BAFTA and RTS award-winning BBC documentary series The Choir, which brings to light the talents of ordinary people who might never have given singing a chance.

This year Gareth and his All Star Choir released the official Children in Need single Wake Me Up which has been documented in a two part series on BBC1.

Get ready to sing from your seat with Gareth Malone and Voices!

Tickets £25 – £99 plus transaction fee* Limited Availability

MONDAY 7 DECEMBER 1PM TOWN HALL

ASSOCIATE

SING CAROLS WITH THE CITY ORGANIST

HELSINKI PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA PERFORM SIBELIUS Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra John Storgårds conductor 2015 International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition Winner violin Sibelius

A Saga Violin Concerto in D major Karelia Suite Symphony No 7

‘Simmering intensity’ is how Gramophone described the way the Helsinki Philharmonic plays Sibelius under its chief conductor John Storgårds.

And as the Sibelius anniversary year draws to a close, you won’t hear more authentic or insightful performances than these: in a concert that spans Sibelius’s whole life, from the early En Saga to the monumental Seventh Symphony.

6.15pm Pre-concert conversation with John Storgårds.

Tickets £9.50 – £45 plus transaction fee*

Metropolitan Brass Thomas Trotter organ Jeremy Nicholas presenter Get into the festive mood and sing your heart out to favourite carols with Thomas Trotter. Jeremy Nicholas and Metropolitan Brass are sure to add a dash of sparkling Christmas cheer. This annual event is extremely popular, so advance booking is certainly recommended.

Tickets £10 plus transaction fee* Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. Photo Heikki Tuuli

Box office 0121 345 0600 or visit www.thsh.co.uk/classical

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MONDAY 14 DECEMBER 1PM

WEDNESDAY 16 DECEMBER 7:30PM

SYMPHONY HALL

SYMPHONY HALL

ASSOCIATE

RESIDENT

LUNCHTIME BAIBA SKRIDE: CHRISTMAS MUSIC TCHAIKOVSKY WITH THE CHOIR OF City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra ST JOHN’S COLLEGE, Andrew Litton conductor Baiba Skride violin CAMBRIDGE The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge Andrew Nethsingha Director of Music Thomas Trotter organ Experience Christmas music and carols from Thomas Trotter and The Choir of St John’s College in the magnificence of Symphony Hall. Advance booking is recommended!

Tickets £10 plus transaction fee* Please join us on the level 3 foyer after the concert for a free performance by The Links Primary School. Winners of the 2014 MFY National Partnership Award in Choirs

Rimsky-Korsakov Suite, The Snow Maiden Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto Sibelius Symphony No 1 CBSO artist in residence Baiba Skride has been compared to the legendary violinists of the past, and critics reach for words like “transcendent”, “mesmerising” and “unparalleled” to describe her playing. But here in Birmingham, we’ve long since taken this school friend of Andris Nelsons to our hearts. In partnership with Andrew Litton, her performance of Tchaikovsky’s ever-popular Violin Concerto will make a gloriously sunny upbeat to Sibelius’s powerful First Symphony.

CBSO+ 6.15pm CBSO 15–16 Artist in Residence Baiba Skride talks to CBSO Chief Executive Stephen Maddock.

Tickets £12.50 – £45 plus transaction fee*

Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge

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* A £3 transaction fee, plus £1 (optional) postage, will be charged on all bookings except purchases made in person at the Town Hall or Symphony Hall Box office.

FRIDAY 18 DECEMBER 7:30PM SUNDAY 20 DECEMBER 3PM & 7:30PM MONDAY 21 DECEMBER 2015 7:30PM SYMPHONY HALL

SYMPHONY HALL

RESIDENT

FESTIVE FAVOURITES WITH ALAN TITCHMARSH City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Simon Halsey conductor Alan Titchmarsh presenter CBSO Chorus CBSO Youth Chorus CBSO Children’s Chorus CBSO Young Voices CBSO SO Vocal The CBSO’s annual Festive Favourites are like the German Market and the panto: a real Birmingham Christmas tradition! Special guest Alan Titchmarsh joins the CBSO, plus their whole family of choruses, for a concert of seasonal music old and new: favourite tunes, humorous readings, and of course, a chance to join in and sing along! The CBSO Youth Chorus and Children’s Chorus sing with the CBSO Chorus in the evenings, whilst the acclaimed community choirs CBSO SO Vocal and Young Voices team up with the CBSO Chorus on Sunday afternoon. Join the CBSO, and get your festive season off to a really heart-warming start.

Tickets £12.50 – £47 plus transaction fee*

SATURDAY 19 DECEMBER 7:30PM

CHRISTMAS WITH ALED JONES Aled Jones presenter Lucas Pinto treble Jonathan Antoine special guest Adrian Lucas conductor City of Birmingham Choir London Concert Orchestra Goodall The Lord is My Shepherd Bach / Gounod Ave Maria Blake Walking in the Air Darke In the bleak midwinter Rutter Shepherd’s Pipe Carol Gruber Silent Night Adam O Holy Night Tchaikovsky ‘Waltz of the Flowers’ and

‘Trepak’ from The Nutcracker Carols For All including: God rest you merry, gentlemen; O little town of Bethlehem; Jingle Bells; O come, all ye faithful; The first Nowell; Hark! the Herald Angels sing Aled Jones joins a packed stage of superb artists for a wonderful concert of music and carols.

Tickets £12 – £42 plus transaction fee*

Box office 0121 345 0600 or visit www.thsh.co.uk/classical

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MONDAY 21 DECEMBER 2:30PM

TUESDAY 22 DECEMBER 7:30PM

SYMPHONY HALL

SYMPHONY HALL

CHRISTMAS CAROL SINGALONG

CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT

Jonathan Cohen presenter Louise Dearman special guest London Concert Chorus London Concert Orchestra

Steven Devine conductor Keri Fuge soprano Christopher Timothy reader Mozart Festival Orchestra in full 18th Century costume Mozart Festival Chorus

Carols include Merry Christmas Everyone, The Twelve Days of Christmas, Santa Claus is coming to town, Sleigh Ride, Winter Wonderland, O come, all ye faithful, I’ll be Home for Christmas, O Holy Night, When a Child is Born, Merry Christmas Everybody, I Wish it Could Be Christmas Everyday and Let it Go. Clap your hands... stamp your feet... and sing your heart out as irrepressible showman Jonathan Cohen leads you through another fun-filled jamboree of his most-loved carols and all-time Christmas hits. Raise the roof of Symphony Hall!

Tickets £12.50 – £36 plus transaction fee*

Handel Zadok the Priest;

‘Christmas sequence’ from Messiah Corelli ‘Allegro and Pastorale’ from Christmas Concerto Bach Air on the G String Mozart ‘Alleluia’ from Exsultate Jubilate Pearsall Gabriel’s Message and Carols For All: Good King Wenceslas; God rest you merry, gentlemen; O little town of Bethlehem; Hark! the Herald angels sing; Once in royal David’s city; The First Nowell; O come all ye faithful; While shepherds watched 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.

Tickets £12.50 – £39.50 plus transaction fee*

WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 7:30PM SYMPHONY HALL

WHITE CHRISTMAS

and Carols For All: O come, all ye faithful; The First Nowell, Hark! the Herald angels sing; O little town of Bethlehem

John Rigby conductor Jacinta Whyte & Tim Howar guest singers Capital Voices choir London Concert Orchestra

May your celebrations be magical, merry and bright with this nostalgic show of all-time favourite Christmas songs and carols.

Sleigh Ride; Winter Wonderland; It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year; White Christmas, Frosty The Snowman; Jingle Bell Rock; Santa Claus is Coming to Town; Baby it’s cold outside; Let it snow; Merry Christmas Everyone 26

A free mince pie for everyone in the audience.

Terms and conditions apply. Contact the Box Office for details.

Tickets £12.50 – £39.50 plus transaction fee*

* A £3 transaction fee, plus £1 (optional) postage, will be charged on all bookings except purchases made in person at the Town Hall or Symphony Hall Box office.

THURSDAY 24 DECEMBER 2:30PM

SUNDAY 27 DECEMBER 7:30PM

SYMPHONY HALL

SYMPHONY HALL

CHRISTMAS EVE CLASSICS John Pryce-Jones conductor Crispian Steele-Perkins trumpet James Edwards tenor Julian Wilkins organ Birmingham Choral Union Four Oaks Cluster Choir London Concert Orchestra Willcocks Masters in this Hall Berlioz The Shepherd’s Farewell Pearsall In dulci jubilo Stanley Trumpet Voluntary Adams The Holy City Bach / Gounod Ave Maria Handel Worthy is the Lamb and Amen Chorus and Carols For All: The First Nowell; Hark! the Herald angels sing; O come, all ye faithful; Once in Royal David’s city; Good King Wenceslas; O Little town of Bethlehem This concert of joyous seasonal and traditional music perfectly captures the true spirit of Christmas.

Tickets £12.50 – £36 plus transaction fee*

MONDAY 28 DECEMBER 2:30PM SYMPHONY HALL

THE FOUR SEASONS

BY CANDLELIGHT David Juritz director / violin Mary Bevan soprano Crispian Steele-Perkins trumpet Mozart Festival Orchestra in full 18th Century costume Charpentier Prelude from the Te Deum Mozart Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

TCHAIKOVSKY SPECTACULAR Toby Purser conductor Noriko Ogawa piano London Concert Orchestra Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No 1

Swan Lake Suite

Polonaise from Eugene Onegin

Marche Slave

Romeo & Juliet Fantasy Overture

1812 Overture complete with a

thundering indoor firework finale!

Celebrate the music of Russia’s most-loved composer with this all-Tchaikovsky extravaganza of his greatest works.

Tickets £12.50 – £39.50 plus transaction fee*

Handel ‘Lascia chio pianga’ from Rinaldo Pachelbel Canon Bach Brandenburg Concerto No 3 Clarke Trumpet Suite Handel ‘Eternal Source of Light Divine’ &

‘Let the Bright Seraphim’ from Messiah Vivaldi The Four Seasons Vivaldi’s masterpiece crowns a new programme of popular 18th Century classics performed in full period costume in an evocative candle-lit style setting.

Tickets £12.50 – £36 plus transaction fee*

Box office 0121 345 0600 or visit www.thsh.co.uk/classical

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MONDAY 28 DECEMBER 7:30PM

WEDNESDAY 30 DECEMBER 7:30PM

SYMPHONY HALL

SYMPHONY HALL

LAST NIGHT OF THE CHRISTMAS PROMS

50 YEARS OF ICONIC MUSIC

John Pryce-Jones conductor Mario Sofroniou tenor James Cleverton baritone London Concert Orchestra Humperdinck Hansel and Gretel Overture Ravel Bolero Sousa Liberty Bell March Tchaikovsky Sleeping Beauty Waltz Puccini ‘Che gelida manina’ from La bohème Denza Funiculi, funicula Bizet Toreador Song Mascagni Intermezzo from Cavalleria rusticana And all your Proms favourites Hornpipe, Rule Britannia!, Nessun Dorma, Land of Hope and Glory, The Dam Busters March An exciting concert of rousing classics with a grand flag waving British finale!

THE VERY BEST OF JAMES BOND Fiona Fullerton presenter Clive Dunstall conductor Louise Dearman and Ricardo Afonso guest singers London Concert Orchestra Join us for a concert celebrating the UK’s most famous secret service agent, with all the iconic music and songs from over 50 years including: From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever, Live and Let Die, For Your Eyes Only, Licence to Kill, Tomorrow Never Dies, Thunderball, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker and Skyfall.

Plus a tribute to other spies and detectives from around the world.

Tickets £12.50 – £39.50 plus transaction fee*

Tickets £12.50 – £39.50 plus transaction fee*

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* A £3 transaction fee, plus £1 (optional) postage, will be charged on all bookings except purchases made in person at the Town Hall or Symphony Hall Box office.

THURSDAY 31 DECEMBER 9:30PM

FRIDAY 1 JANUARY 2016 2:30PM

SYMPHONY HALL

SYMPHONY HALL

NEW YEAR’S EVE GALA

JOHANN STRAUSS GALA

Anthony Inglis conductor Ilona Domnich soprano James Edwards tenor Alexander Sitkovetsky violin London Concert Orchestra

Rainer Hersch conductor Samantha Hay soprano Johann Strauss Orchestra Johann Strauss Dancers in glorious costumes of the period

Strauss Die Fledermaus Overture Sousa Stars and Stripes Lehar Duet from The Merry Widow Monti Csardas Handel Selection from Music for the

Royal Fireworks Gounod Ballet Music from Faust Elgar Nimrod Verdi Prelude to Act 1 & Brindisi from La traviata Puccini Act 1 Finale from La bohème

Strauss The Blue Danube Waltz

Radetzky March

Bandits’ Galopp

Cinderella Waltz

Emperor Waltz

Polka Furioso

Carmen Quadrille

Napoleon March Plus many more of your favourite waltzes and polkas from the Strauss family and friends.

And all your New Year’s Eve favourites Hornpipe Rule, Britannia! Land of Hope and Glory; Nessun Dorma Tickets £18.50 – £49.50 plus transaction fee*

The Johann Strauss Dancers and Orchestra return with a brand new show for 2016 with irrepressible showman Rainer Hersch.

Tickets £13.50 – £38.50 plus transaction fee*

Free glass of sparkling wine for every member of the audience

SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 3PM SYMPHONY HALL

RESIDENT

THE MAGIC OF VIENNA City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Stephen Bell conductor Noah Stewart tenor Suppé Strauss Lehár

Strauss

Overture, Light Cavalry Ohne Sorgen Polka The Land of Smiles – You are my heart’s delight Mit Dampf Polka

Strauss Lehár Strauss Strauss Lehár Strauss

Anvil Polka Gold and Silver Waltz Thunder and Lightning Polka The Gypsy Baron – Entrance March Girls were made to love and kiss Blue Danube Waltz

You haven’t seen in the New Year until you’ve raised a glass of champagne to Vienna, where the songs are sweeter than sachertorte and every waltz awakes a thousand tender memories. The CBSO’s annual Viennese evening has all the tunes you love: Anvil Polka and of course The Blue Danube, with the celebrated American tenor Noah Stewart singing some of Viennese operetta’s most mouth-watering numbers: Prosit!

Tickets £12.50 – £47 plus transaction fee*

Box office 0121 345 0600 or visit www.thsh.co.uk/classical

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SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY GOT 2 SING BEST OF BRITISH SUNDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 6PM Symphony Hall £16 – £20 (limited availability) plus transaction fee*

DMS ANNIVERSARY CONCERT: A FUSION OF MUSIC AND DANCE SUNDAY 4 OCTOBER 7PM Symphony Hall £6 – £18.50 plus transaction fee*

SPEIGHT OF THE ARTS: THE ARTLANDS EVENING OF CELEBRATION AND PRIZE GIVING MONDAY 5 OCTOBER 6PM Town Hall £10 plus transaction fee*

GOSPEL GOES CHARITY 2015 10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION THURSDAY 5 NOVEMBER 7:30PM Town Hall £15 – £17.50 plus transaction fee*

THE RAF IN CONCERT 2015 – BATTLE OF BRITAIN 75TH SUNDAY 15 NOVEMBER 7:30PM

CITY OF BIRMINGHAM CHOIR – HANDEL: MESSIAH FRIDAY 4 DECEMBER 7PM Symphony Hall £11 – £32 plus transaction fee*

BRITISH POLICE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PROMS NIGHT SPECTACULAR SATURDAY 5 DECEMBER 7:30PM Symphony Hall £12 – £22 plus transaction fee*

MIDLANDS HOSPITALS CHOIR: CAROLS THAT COUNT. 150 VOICES RAISING FUNDS FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER FRIDAY 11 DECEMBER 2:15PM & 7:30PM Town Hall £10 – £20 plus transaction fee*

CHRISTMAS WITH THE SALVATION ARMY SUNDAY 13 DECEMBER 2:30PM & 6PM Symphony Hall £10 – £12 plus transaction fee*

Symphony Hall £19 – £25 plus transaction fee*

HISTORY WEST MIDLANDS: A UNIQUE EVENING – A BRUMMIE CHRISTMAS SUNDAY 13 DECEMBER 7PM

WINTER FUNK SUNDAY 29 NOVEMBER 5.30PM

Guest speaker: Carl Chinn Town Hall £19.50 plus transaction fee*

Town Hall £13.50 plus transaction fee*

THE BIRMINGHAM CANOLDIR SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS CONCERT THURSDAY 17 DECEMBER 7PM Town Hall £15 – £25 plus transaction fee*

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* A £3 transaction fee, plus £1 (optional) postage, will be charged on all bookings except purchases made in person at the Town Hall or Symphony Hall Box office.

HOW TO BOOK

BY PHONE

DISCOUNTS

Box office: 0121 345 0498.

Discounts are available for some concert performances – please check online or on 0121 345 0606.

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) and 12pm – 4pm (Sunday).

* A £3 transaction fee, plus £1 (optional) postage, will be charged on all bookings except purchases made in person at the Town Hall or Symphony Hall Box office.

SAVE UP TO 30% ON TICKETS BOOK SIX OR MORE CONCERTS AND SAVE UP TO 30%!

Book for six or more Birmingham International Concert Season and save up to 30% on tickets.

You will also receive these exclusive benefits: • First choice of seats in Town Hall and Symphony Hall • Ticket exchange scheme • Discounts on selected additional concerts throughout the year • Car parking for just £4.80 at Qpark Brindleyplace • 10% discount at Symphony Hall Shop

To book concert packages, call Box office on 0121 345 0600 Box office 0121 345 0600 or visit www.thsh.co.uk/classical

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YOU MAY ALSO LIKE ROCK, POP & ENTERTAINMENT

DAVE GORMAN GETS STRAIGHT TO THE POINT* (*THE POWERPOINT) THURSDAY 26 NOVEMBER 8PM SYMPHONY HALL Dave Gorman is back with a show that promises more of his unique blend of stand-up comedy and visual story-telling as he Gets Straight To The Point*… (*The PowerPoint).

Yes. That’s right. It’s a PowerPoint presentation.

We know what you’re thinking. But don’t worry…

You won’t need to take notes and you almost certainly won’t be tested on it later.

AN EVENING WITH KING CRIMSON MONDAY 14 SEPTEMBER – TUESDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 7:30PM SYMPHONY HALL King Crimson brings their unique brand of prog rock to Symphony Hall for their first UK tour outside of London since 1982. With seven players and three drummers, the newest incarnation of the group is described as the ‘most expansive and possibly its best yet’ (Hollywood Reporter). £39.50 – £65 plus transaction fee*

£24 plus transaction fee*

JAZZ, FOLK, WORLD & ROOTS

FAMILY

MARCUS MILLER PLUS SUPPORT

WE’RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT

WEDNESDAY 28 OCTOBER 7:30PM TOWN HALL

TUESDAY 22 DECEMBER 2015 – WEDNESDAY 13 JANUARY 2016 TOWN HALL

Best known for his work with jazz legend Miles Davis, Marcus Miller’s resume is brimming with over 500 recording credits on albums across the entire musical spectrum including work with artists such as Herbie Hancock, Aretha Franklin, Eric Clapton, Chaka Khan, Billy Idol, Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg. £25 plus transaction fee*

Join our intrepid adventurers on their quest to find a bear; as they wade through the gigantic swishy swashy grass, the splishy splashy river and the thick oozy, squelchy mud! Direct from a smash-hit West End and international tour, Michael Rosen’s award-winning book We’re Going On A Bear Hunt is brought vividly and noisily to the stage in director Sally Cookson’s fun-filled adaptation, set to Benji Bower’s versatile and lively score. £12 – £14 plus transaction fee* Relaxed performance Sunday 10 January 2016

SPOKEN WORD

PETER & DAN SNOW: THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO EXPERIENCE MONDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 7:30PM TOWN HALL

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This June marked 200 years since the Battle of Waterloo, one of the world’s most famous and important battles. To mark this significant anniversary Peter and Dan Snow will give a fascinating talk, illustrating the climactic showdown between the military giants of the age: Napoleon and Wellington. £15 & £17.50 plus transaction fee*

* A £3 transaction fee, plus £1 (optional) postage, will be charged on all bookings except purchases made in person at the Town Hall or Symphony Hall Box office.

ACCESSIBILITY Facilities for disabled patrons 0121 780 4949 Minicom line 0121 644 6140 Facilities for disabled patrons Wheelchair Users and Disabled Patrons receive discounts on selected shows. For information on facilities for disabled patrons please call 0121 780 4949 / Minicom line 0121 644 6140 or visit http://www.thsh.co.uk/your-visit/accessibility/

This guide is available free of charge on CD or Braille (on request) from Sarah Barnett, Sound Services, 2 Rutland Close, Leicester Forest East, LE3 3PW. Tel: 0116 2498839. 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 and 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 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 tell us 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 named artists; please check prior to booking. The timings given for each piece are for guidance and may vary in performance. Performances Birmingham Limited. Registered in England No 3169600.

Performances Birmingham Limited. Registered Office: Symphony Hall, Broad Street, Birmingham, UK, B1 2EA. Image Credits (Front Cover) Maria João Pires Pires. Photo © Deutsche Grammophon.

GENERATION LADYWOOD

ENRICHING LIVES THROUGH MUSIC With the support of hundreds of people like you, we have been able to deliver on our commitment to giving thousands of young people in our local community of Ladywood the opportunity to immerse themselves in a world of music – by learning to sing, play an instrument and attending performances at Town Hall and Symphony Hall. But, as a registered charity we need your support to continue this vital work.

Let’s inspire a generation. Give the gift of music for just £35.

To find out more and to donate, please visit www.thsh.co.uk/support-us or call Development Manager – Individual Giving, Sally Pennington on 0121 644 5072.

Box office 0121 345 0600 or visit www.thsh.co.uk/classical

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THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS Performances Birmingham is one of the largest regional arts charities in the country. Ticket sales alone cannot sustain our programme; we rely on voluntary contributions to enable us to continue and expand our work. We aim to reach even more people within our communities and further develop our wideranging programme. We would like to thank all our supporters for their generous contributions to our charitable work over the last year. If you are interested in supporting please take a look at our website www.thsh.co.uk/support-us or contact our Development Team on 0121 644 5072 or 0121 644 5075.

CORPORATE SPONSORS

PROJECT SUPPORTERS Thank you to our Project Supporters

Generation Ladywood

Pollen

Project SoundLounge

SoundLounge Collective R&D

Generation Ladywood

ECHO Rising Stars

Jazzlines Young Musician Development

Jazzlines Summer School and Jazzlines Ensemble

Anna Meredith commission

Jazzlines Fellowship Scheme

Jazzlines Programme

Jazzlines Ensemble

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* A ÂŁ3 transaction fee, plus ÂŁ1 (optional) postage, will be charged on all bookings except purchases made in person at the Town Hall or Symphony Hall Box office.

Fisk Jubilee Singers

BUSINESS PARTNERS

SOUNDBITE SUPPORTERS

Founding Principal Supporter

CORPORATE MEMBERS

Principal Supporter

DONORS Alan Woodfield Charitable Trust, 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, Birmingham Bodenham Trust, Blackwell Charitable Trust, The Boshier-Hinton Foundation, Dave Muir, DMC McDonald Foundation facilitated by the IAO, The Douglas Turner Trust, Dumbreck Charity, The Edward & Dorothy Cadbury Trust, The E H Smith Charitable Trust, The Eric W Vincent Trust Fund, Ernest Cook Trust, 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, Limoges Trust, The Loppylugs and Barbara Morrison Charitable Trust, Lord Austin Trust, The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust, The Mercers’ Company, Miss M-J Derbyshire, The Oakley Charitable Trust, The Patrick Trust, Peter & Jane How Trust, Mr Peter J Smith, Philip Bates Trust, The Ray Williams Foundation, The Roughley Trust, The Rowlands Trust, The Saintbury Trust, Service Birmingham Staff Benefit Scheme, The Tiggiwinkle Charitable Trust, wagamama, The WED Charitable Trust, William A Cadbury Charitable Trust, Wilmcote Charitrust, Mrs Wingfield’s Charitable Trust, Wolfson Foundation, Our supporters, volunteers and Friends

FRIENDS Mr B & Mrs V Adams, Anita Bhalla, Jayne Cadbury, Miss A Copsey, Lady Gillian Curtis, Mrs M-J Derbyshire, Dr Janet Halfyard, Mr D Hawketts, Paul Howlett, Dr D & Mrs A Kett, Peter Maskell, Mrs E L Murray, Professor C Schaeffner, Mr Peter J Smith, Mr G & Mrs A Tovell, Mr R & Mrs J Verrion, Mr A & Ms A Winkler, Mr A J Woodfield, Mr R Wright, and our honorary Platinum Friends

THSH DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE We would like to thank the following individuals for their advice, help and support: Paul Farrow, Michael Harris, Michael Loftus, Viplavi Mahendra, Marc Reeves, Keith Stokes-Smith

Box office 0121 345 0600 or visit www.thsh.co.uk/classical

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Photo © Jason Sheldon

‘Ladies and gentlemen the concert is about to begin… please take your seat.’

Name a Seat at Symphony Hall In celebration of Symphony Hall’s 25th year, we are offering you the opportunity to name a seat in Symphony Hall. Naming a Seat is the ideal gift to honour a family member or friend, a way to share your love of music, or to mark a special occasion.

Your generous donation will also help us to continue our life-changing education programmes, and maintain our beautiful hall.

From as little as £50 a month*, the name or message of your choice will be inscribed on a seat plaque in the hall for ten years.

For more information please contact Sally Pennington, Development Manager (Individual Giving) on 0121 644 5072, or email sally.pennington@thsh.co.uk. *10 monthly instalments by Direct Debit.