CBSO Season 2007-08

DISCOUNTS FOR CBSO CONCERTS

Please note that only one discount can be applied to any ticket. Special offers, discounts and concessions cannot be combined. Concerts which are not promoted by the CBSO may have different discounting policies • please check with the Ticket Office at time of booking.

CONCERT PACKAGES
Buy tickets for 3 or more concerts and start saving.

STANDBY TICKETS
are available from 1pm on the day of each evening performance and from 10am for matinée concerts. Please come early to avoid queues. Patrons aged 60+ receive 20% discount and patrons who are benefit recipients can purchase tickets for £4 (qualifying benefits: Income Support, Pension Tax Credit and Disability Tax Credit). Holders of ‘Passport to Leisure’ cards can purchase Circle tickets for £20, and seats on all other levels for £13 (one ticket per Passport Holder).

All standby tickets are issued subject to availability and on production of valid and suitable identification. Please note the CBSO reserves the right to allocate standby tickets in certain areas in the hall.

STUDENTS & YOUNG PEOPLE
From 1pm on the day of each evening performance and from 10am for matinée concerts, anyone in fulltime education and young people aged 25 and under can purchase remaining tickets at the discounted price of £4. Proof of eligibility may be required. Please note: the CBSO reserves the right to allocate these tickets in certain areas of the hall.

Under our ‘Audiences for Tomorrow’ scheme, the CBSO offers a limited number of tickets at special prices for secondary school groups, subject to availability. Teachers should call Beth Musgrove in the CBSO’s Education department on 0121 6166500 for more information.

DISABLED PATRONS
If you have a disability you are entitled to receive 50% discount off full price seats. Should you need the service of a companion, their ticket is also half price. Proof of eligibility may be required.

N.B. Disabled patrons can combine their 50% discount with the additional Concert Package discounts. For further information on facilities for patrons with disabilities, including the infra-red system for the hearing impaired, please contact Symphony Hall on 0121 780 4949. Receivers are available from the Performance Manager at the concert. Guide dogs welcome. To order a Braille concert programme, call the CBSO direct on 0121 616 6500.

LOST TICKETS
Please note there is a £2 charge for printing duplicate tickets.

GROUP BOOKERS
are entitled to a 20% discount for parties of 11 or more and receive one FREE ticket for the group organiser. Groups also benefit from a reservation facility and the opportunity to meet CBSO musicians at concerts. Please call the Group Booking Department on Freephone 0800 358 7070.

CAR PARKING
Limited space is available for Blue Badge holders driving their own vehicles. To reserve free parking, please contact the Ticket Office on 0121 780 3333. You will be asked for your Blue Badge number, vehicle registration, concert date and contact details when booking a space. Please put requests for more than three dates in writing to Performances Birmingham Ticket Office, Symphony Hall, Broad Street, Birmingham B1 2EA.

WHEELCHAIR POSITIONS: Spaces for patrons who need to remain in their wheelchair during the performance are located on the ground and upper circle levels. Please telephone
0121 780 4949 to book.

FAMILY TICKETS
To qualify for a family ticket, one or two adults must be accompanied by one or more children aged 16 and under, up to a maximum group of six people. Family tickets are available in all areas, and will be allocated subject to availability. Adult family ticket: £16.50; child family ticket: £8.

RETURNS & RESALES
In the case of a sold-out event, any tickets returned for resale on the day of the performance will be available for sale 90 minutes before the start of the concert. Tickets are accepted at the discretion of the Ticket Office but CBSO sales take priority. There is a service charge of 10% of the face value and money resulting from a resale will be forwarded by cheque. Please note that only cash or cheques will be accepted in payment for returns.

• Symphonic Dances  

  Wed 14 May Symphony Hall

  Simon Holt’s new Percussion Concerto offers a vivid and quirky portrait of the composer's childhood memories of his great uncle, who was a taxidermist: with movement titles such as ‘fly’, ‘skennin’ Mary’ and ‘a drawer full of eyes’, it is sure to offer up a few surprises! The solo part is taken by a brilliant young Scottish percussionist who has already performed with orchestras all around the world. Martyn Brabbins shows off his special affinity with Russian music in a centenary tribute to Rimsky-Korsakov in the shape of the colourful suite from his fairy-tale opera, and in Rachmaninov’s last orchestral work, the thrilling Symphonic Dances. 6.15pm pre-concert talk
  Martyn Brabbins conductor Colin Currie percussion
  Rimsky-Korsakov: The Golden Cockerel • Suite 24' Holt: A Table of Noises (World premiere) 21' Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances 36'
  

• Chant d'Amour  

  Tue 20 May Symphony Hall

  There is nothing else in the whole of classical music to compare with the experience of hearing Messiaen’s amazing Turangalîla Symphony live. A larger-than-life tribute to the cosmic power of love, it features a massive orchestra and major solos for piano and ondes martenot, the other-worldly electronic instrument that was this composer’s speciality. It is conducted in the composer’s centenary year by Ilan Volkov, who has built a very strong reputation in large-scale 20th-century scores. We also begin a three-week Janácek focus with Taras Bulba, his stirring triptych telling of the battles and ultimate death of a Ukrainian Cossack hero. 6.15pm pre-concert talk
  Ilan Volkov conductor Steven Osborne piano Cynthia Millar ondes martenot
  Janácek: Taras Bulba 23' Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie 76'
  

• Chant d'Amour  

  Thu 22 May Symphony Hall

  There is nothing else in the whole of classical music to compare with the experience of hearing Messiaen’s amazing Turangalîla Symphony live. A larger-than-life tribute to the cosmic power of love, it features a massive orchestra and major solos for piano and ondes martenot, the other-worldly electronic instrument that was this composer’s speciality. It is conducted in the composer’s centenary year by Ilan Volkov, who has built a very strong reputation in large-scale 20th-century scores. We also begin a three-week Janácek focus with Taras Bulba, his stirring triptych telling of the battles and ultimate death of a Ukrainian Cossack hero. 6.15pm pre-concert talk
  Ilan Volkov conductor Steven Osborne piano Cynthia Millar ondes martenot
  Janácek: Taras Bulba 23' Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie 76'
  

• Czech Mates: Military Symphony  

  Wed 28 May Symphony Hall

  The young Czech conductor Jakub Hru°sˇa has been making a name for himself all over Europe in recent seasons, and for his CBSO debut he conducts a varied programme including music from his homeland. We continue our Janácˇek series with the Suite from his comic-book opera set among the forest wildlife, and you also have an all-too-rare opportunity to hear a set of Dvorˇák’s Slavonic Dances played as part of a concert rather than as encores! Haydn was the only major composer to write anywhere near a hundred symphonies • and this is a real gem. Tchaikovsky’s barn-storming overture completes a fun programme.
  Jakub Hrusa conductor
  Dvorák: Three Slavonic Dances 15' Haydn: Symphony No. 100 (Military) 28' Janácek: The Cunning Little Vixen • Suite 20' Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture 18'
  

• Battles On The Ice: Military Symphony  

  Sat 31 May Symphony Hall

  Throughout history the Russian people have taken great pride in their ability to defend the Motherland from foreign invasion, and Russian composers have also been quick to immortalise these victories in music. Tonight we hear two of the best works thus inspired: Tchaikovsky’s patriotic Overture celebrates the victory over Napoleon in 1812, while Prokofiev’s Cantata (based on his music for Eisenstein’s famous film) depicts a legendary medieval battle between a Russian prince and the invading Teutonic knights. Haydn’s music is rather less warlike, but he incorporates the sounds of the military into his 100th Symphony with typical wit and charm. 5.45pm pre-concert talk
  Jakub Hrusa conductor Elena Manistina mezzo soprano City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus
  Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture 18' Haydn: Symphony No. 100 (Military) 28' Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky 36'
  

• Family Concert: Action Stations!  

  Sun 1 Jun Symphony Hall

  Sound the trumpets, beat the drums, and CHARGE! The CBSO swings into action with a whole concert of action and adventure. Don your armour and draw your sword, as Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky sends the orchestra hurtling into a thunderous battle on the ice. Duck for cover as Tchaikovsky lets fly with bells and cannons in the roof-raising 1812 Overture! And that’s just for starters. Anything could happen in this thriller of a concert. So come ready for bangs, crashes and some seriously loud musical fun. FREE CREATIVE WORKSHOPS AND MUSIC in the foyers from 1.30pm
  *Jakub Hru°sa* conductor *Tommy Pearson* presenter *City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus*
  
  

• Friday Night Classics: Music for Champions  

  Fri 6 Jun Symphony Hall

  As Euro 2008 prepares to kick off, the CBSO announces the squad for its own big match. Our premier team of musicians, captained by the inimitable Carl Davis, tackles some of the all-time champion sporting themes. From fans’ favourites like Nessun Dorma, Boléro and We Are the Champions to TV and movie classics, including Chariots of Fire, Rocky and Superman, it’s a line-up to have you cheering from the terraces! Get behind Davis and the CBSO as they play for Birmingham in the stunning acoustic of Symphony Hall, our very own field of dreams!
  *Carl Davis* Conductor *Jon Christos* Tenor
  
  

• Farewell, But Not Goodbye  

  Wed 11 Jun Symphony Hall

  The end of a ten-year tenure: Sakari Oramo bows out as Music Director in truly spectacular style, with a thrilling pair of life-affirming masterpieces. This is the last chance to see Sakari conduct the CBSO in Symphony Hall, until he returns in a new guise as Principal Guest Conductor for the 2008/09 season. Janácˇek’s Sinfonietta is one of the greatest of all 20th-century scores, its brassy fanfares (featuring an extra nine trumpets in addition to a large orchestra) surrounding a work of astonishing originality and power. Beethoven’s final Symphony is also a summation of a life’s work, and its culminating vocal setting of Schiller’s ‘Ode to Joy’ has become an anthem for all humanity. A great team of soloists and our own magnificent Chorus join the Orchestra for what is certain to be the hottest ticket of the season • be sure to book early! 6.15pm pre-concert talk
  *Sakari Oramo* conductor *Lisa Milne* Soprano *Jane Irwin* Mezzo-soprano *Gordon Gietz* Tenor *Matthew Rose* Bass *City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus*
  *Janácek* Sinfonietta 25' *Beethoven* Symphony No. 9 (Choral) 67'
  

• Farewell, But Not Goodbye  

  Thu 12 Jun Symphony Hall

  The end of a ten-year tenure: Sakari Oramo bows out as Music Director in truly spectacular style, with a thrilling pair of life-affirming masterpieces. This is the last chance to see Sakari conduct the CBSO in Symphony Hall, until he returns in a new guise as Principal Guest Conductor for the 2008/09 season. Janácˇek’s Sinfonietta is one of the greatest of all 20th-century scores, its brassy fanfares (featuring an extra nine trumpets in addition to a large orchestra) surrounding a work of astonishing originality and power. Beethoven’s final Symphony is also a summation of a life’s work, and its culminating vocal setting of Schiller’s ‘Ode to Joy’ has become an anthem for all humanity. A great team of soloists and our own magnificent Chorus join the Orchestra for what is certain to be the hottest ticket of the season • be sure to book early! 6.15pm pre-concert talk
  *Sakari Oramo* conductor *Lisa Milne* Soprano *Jane Irwin* Mezzo-soprano *Gordon Gietz* Tenor *Matthew Rose* Bass *City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus*
  *Janácek* Sinfonietta 25' *Beethoven* Symphony No. 9 (Choral) 67'
  

• American Classics  

  Tue 17 Jun Symphony Hall

  Andrew Litton has become a firm favourite with CBSO audiences in the last few seasons, and tonight he takes centre stage as both pianist and conductor in a trio of well-known American scores. Gershwin’s Piano Concerto was the composer’s most ambitious work for the concert hall, and features the same ‘symphonic jazz’ style with which he had made his name in Rhapsody in Blue. Copland’s Third Symphony was begun in 1944, and looks ahead to a brighter future, in this case with a finale based on his own hugely successful Fanfare for the Common Man. Bernstein’s fizzing comedy overture gets the evening off to a flying start.
  *Andrew Litton* Conductor / Piano
  *Bernstein* Candide Overture 5' *Gershwin* Piano Concerto 31' *Copland* Symphony No. 3 40'
  

• A Sea Symphony  

  Sat 21 Jun Symphony Hall

  In a special programme to celebrate his 25 years as Chorus Director to the CBSO, Simon Halsey conducts a superb pair of English works which themselves mark significant anniversaries this year. 2008 sees the 50th anniversary of the death of Vaughan Williams, and it was his stirring setting of Walt Whitman which announced his arrival as a major symphonist almost exactly a century ago. At the same time his friend Holst was exploring music on a far smaller scale, and his haunting chamber opera Savitri, composed in 1908, tells a timeless Indian tale from the Mahabharata translated into a style heavily influenced by English folk-song. Four oustanding British soloists join the Orchestra, Choruses and Simon Halsey for this stirring evening’s singing. 5.45pm pre-concert talk
  Simon Halsey conductor Janice Watson soprano Sarah Connolly mezzo-soprano James Oxley tenor James Rutherford baritone City of Birmingham Symphony Youth Chorus City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus
  Holst: Savitri 30' Vaughan Williams: A Sea Symphony 64'
  

• Pictures At An Exhibition  

  Wed 25 Jun Symphony Hall

  For our last ‘symphonic’ concert of the season we turn to Chinese conductor Xian Zhang, acclaimed internationally for her dynamic and spirited performances. Tonight she directs the CBSO in music from Ravel’s great ballet Daphnis and Chloé, and also in Ravel’s magnificent orchestral version of Mussorgsky’s piano portraits. She is joined by a Canadian rising star for Lalo’s best-known work, a colourful violin concerto based on Spanish dance tunes.
  Xian Zhang conductor Karen Gomyo violin
  Mussorgsky (orch. Ravel): Pictures at an Exhibition 32' Lalo: Symphonie espagnole 31' Ravel: Daphnis and Chloé • Suite No. 2 18'
  

• Schools Concert: Pictures At An Exhibition  

  Thu 26 Jun Symphony Hall

  Mussorgsky’s epic tour through a Russian picture gallery provides the inspiration for this introduction to the symphony orchestra, specially devised for Key Stage 2 students (years 3 and 4). From old castles and catacombs, through farm carts and bustling markets, to the Great Gate of Kiev, this colourful music should set young imaginations on fire. For information on pre-concert support packages for schools, please contact the CBSO’s Education Department by emai(education@cbso.co.uk) or telephone (0121 616 6500). Teachers are also invited to contact the CBSO for details of other opportunities available to schools under our Education and Community programme.
  Xian Zhang conductor Tommy Pearson presenter
  
  

• Schools Concert: Pictures At An Exhibition  

  Thu 26 Jun Symphony Hall

  Mussorgsky’s epic tour through a Russian picture gallery provides the inspiration for this introduction to the symphony orchestra, specially devised for Key Stage 2 students (years 3 and 4). From old castles and catacombs, through farm carts and bustling markets, to the Great Gate of Kiev, this colourful music should set young imaginations on fire. For information on pre-concert support packages for schools, please contact the CBSO’s Education Department by emai(education@cbso.co.uk) or telephone (0121 616 6500). Teachers are also invited to contact the CBSO for details of other opportunities available to schools under our Education and Community programme.
  Xian Zhang conductor Tommy Pearson presenter
  
  

• Friday Night Classics: The Magic of MGM  

  Fri 4 Jul Symphony Hall

  Escape from it all this Friday - into the technicolour world of the legendary MGM musicals. The young British conductor John Wilson loves this music, so much so that MGM itself has hired him to restore some of these fabulous movies to their former glory. Tonight he shares his passion, with a night of sheer tuneful indulgance from the golden age of the Hollywood musical. Star vocalists Kim Criswell and Gary Williams join Wilson and the band for a show that features such hits as _Singin' In The Rain, Ten Cents A Dance, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Get Happy, Can't Help Lovin' That Man, You Were Meant For Me, The Heather On The Hill_ - and, of course, _That's Entertainment_. Go on, spoil yourself!
  John Wilson - conductor Kim Criswell - vocalist Gary Williams - vocalist City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus City of Birmingham Young Voices
  
  

• Celebrating Sibelius: I  

  Thu 20 Sep Symphony Hall

  The seven symphonies of Sibelius have been absolutely central to Sakari Oramo's ten seasons in Birmingham. His performances with the CBSO have been acclaimed around the world in concert and on CD, but it is more than seven years since Birmingham audiences have had a chance to hear a complete cycle. So, to open his final season as Music Director, and to mark the 50th anniversary of the composer’s death (which falls today), here is another opportunity to hear these magnificent works, alongside some of Sibelius's lesser-known music. We begin with a symphony that has a significant Birmingham history - the Fourth, which received its UK premiere at the last-ever Birmingham Triennial Festival in 1912. We also welcome a Finnish cellist to play the music that was the closest Sibelius came to writing a concerto for that instrument. 6.15pm FREE Pre-concert talk
  *Sakari Oramo* conductor *Martti Rousi* cello
  Sibelius: _The Swan of Tuonela_ Sibelius: Symphony No. 4 Sibelius: Three Symphonic Pieces for Cello and Orchestra (UK Premiere) Sibelius: Symphony No. 1
  

• Celebrating Sibelius:II  

  Sat 22 Sep Symphony Hall

  The second instalment in Sakari Oramo’s Sibelius cycle consists of the final three works which set the seal on the composer’s reputation as arguably the greatest symphonist of the 20th century. From the popular Fifth, with its exhilarating forward momentum and shattering final chords, via the cooler Sixth which the composer described as ‘pure spring water’, to the spacious trombone solos and concentrated beauties of the single-movement Seventh, these works chart a journey towards perfection that has been the envy of composers ever since. The concert begins with one of his best-loved works. “…[Symphony No. 6] sounds so natural and sensitive… this orchestra is also quick to catch the composer's innermost thoughts.” Finnish Music Quarterly 4/2003, on Oramo/CBSO/Sibelius Cycle, Erato label 5.45pm FREE Pre-concert talk
  *Sakari Oramo* conductor
  Sibelius: Karelia Suite Sibelius: Symphony No. 5 Sibelius: Symphony No. 6 Sibelius: Symphony No. 7
  

• Celebrating Sibelius: III  

  Wed 26 Sep Symphony Hall

  We conclude our epic Sibelius cycle with a centenary performance of the Third Symphony, premiered a hundred years ago this week in Helsinki. This is a more compact and classical work than the gloriously romantic Second Symphony, which has remained one of the composer’s most frequently played works. Between the two symphonies Anu Komsi joins her husband for two of the composer’s remarkable orchestral songs, including Luonnotar, first performed at Gloucester in 1913, which tells of the mythical creation of the earth and the sky. The evocative tone-poem The Oceanides is also a nature-portrait, this time of the awesome power of the sea. Be sure to join the CBSO for this unforgettable journey through some great, great music.
  *Sakari Oramo* conductor *Anu Komsi* soprano
  Sibelius: Symphony No. 3 26' Sibelius: Echo-Nymph 6' Sibelius: Luonnotar 9' Sibelius: The Oceanides 10' Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 44'
  

• Roman Holiday  

  Tue 2 Oct Symphony Hall

  Respighi’s riotous portraits of ancient and modern Rome are among orchestral music's most spectacular experiences. From the stillness of the city's fountains to the bugle calls of the armies marching along the Appian Way, he conjures up a truly cinematic succession of images, in full orchestral colour. Half a century earlier Smetana gave his own beloved Bohemia a similar picture-postcard treatment, and tonight Sakari Oramo conducts the two most famous movements from his cycle ‘My Homeland’. The songful Violin Concerto by Smetana's friend and compatriot Dvořák completes the programme, in the first concerto appearance at Symphony Hall for the CBSO’s new leader.
  *Sakari Oramo* conductor *Laurence Jackson* violin
  Respighi: The Fountains of Rome Dvořák: Violin Concerto Smetana: Vltava and Sárka from Má Vlast Respighi: The Pines of Rome
  

• Bruckner's Fifth  

  Wed 10 Oct Symphony Hall

  Of all Bruckner’s symphonies, the mighty Fifth is perhaps the most perfectly planned. It’s a superbly unified work in which the ancient music he knew so well from his long years as a church organist is integrated into the massive orchestral sound that is his hallmark. Bruckner specialist Jaap van Zweden makes a welcome return to the CBSO, and precedes this superbly exciting symphony with one of Mozart's most delicate and tuneful piano concertos, played by a distinguished Mozart specialist. 6.15pm FREE pre-concert talk
  *Jaap van Zweden* conductor *Louis Lortie* piano
  Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 17, K. 453 Bruckner: Symphony No. 5
  

• Friday Night Classics - Bond: Music To Spy For  

  Fri 12 Oct Symphony Hall

  Whether your quintessential Bond is Connery or Craig, Brosnan or Lazenby, Moore or Dalton, this celebration of the best of 007 is sure to feature your favourites from the Bond themes that have shaken and stirred us for over 40 years. With Burt Bacharach’s The Look of Love from the Casino Royale parody, to Arnold’s You Know My Name from the 2006 Casino Royale, via classic themes to Dr No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Licence To Kill, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds Are Forever, Live And Let Die, Tomorrow Never Dies, The Spy Who Loved Me, Thunderball, The Living Daylights and GoldenEye, this really is music to die for!
  *Carl Davis* conductor *Mary Carewe* vocalist *Simon Bowman* vocalist
  
  

• Shakespeare And Love  

  Thu 18 Oct Symphony Hall

  Romantic composers always liked to make a link between the sounds of nature and their own emotional life, and nowhere is this more true than in the music of Schumann, Mendelssohn and Mahler. Mendelssohn’s magnificent 1843 incidental music to Shakespeare’s most magical play offers a rich portrait of its various worlds - the fleet-footed fairies, the rude mechanicals and of course the confused young lovers. Schumann’s symphony of just a couple of years earlier was written in the first flush of excitement following his long-delayed marriage to Clara, and is heard tonight in its strikingly-original first version from 1841. Mahler’s song cycle also inhabits a twilit world of passionate young lovers, and is sung for us tonight by one of the greatest of British mezzos. 18 Oct 6.15pm FREE pre-concert talk
  *Ilan Volkov* Conductor *Sarah Connolly* Mezzo-Soprano *City of Birmingham Symphony Youth Chorus*
  *Schumann*: Symphony No. 4 *Mahler*: Songs of a Wayfarer *Mendelssohn*: Incidental Music to A Midsummer Night’s Dream
  

• Shakespeare And Love  

  Sat 20 Oct Symphony Hall

  Romantic composers always liked to make a link between the sounds of nature and their own emotional life, and nowhere is this more true than in the music of Schumann, Mendelssohn and Mahler. Mendelssohn’s magnificent 1843 incidental music to Shakespeare’s most magical play offers a rich portrait of its various worlds - the fleet-footed fairies, the rude mechanicals and of course the confused young lovers. Schumann’s symphony of just a couple of years earlier was written in the first flush of excitement following his long-delayed marriage to Clara, and is heard tonight in its strikingly-original first version from 1841. Mahler’s song cycle also inhabits a twilit world of passionate young lovers, and is sung for us tonight by one of the greatest of British mezzos. 20 Oct 5.45pm FREE pre-concert talk
  *Ilan Volkov* Conductor *Sarah Connolly* Mezzo-Soprano *City of Birmingham Symphony Youth Chorus*
  *Schumann*: Symphony No. 4 *Mahler*: Songs of a Wayfarer *Mendelssohn*: Incidental Music to A Midsummer Night’s Dream
  

• CBSO Youth Orchestra  

  Sun 28 Oct Symphony Hall

  Tonight Michael Seal unleashes the orchestra's youthful energy on Carl Nielsen’s explosive Fourth Symphony. A torrential celebration of the unstoppable power of the life-force, it’s no wonder it’s dubbed _The Inextinguishable_! It should be a thrilling work-out for our superb young players. Seal also steers them through two more 20th-century showpieces - Rachmaninov’s much-loved Rhapsody, and the all-American high-jinks of Leonard Bernstein’s uproarious Divertimento. “A feisty performance from these excellent young players.” The Sunday Times, October 2006 *Please note Sakari Oramo has unfortunately had to withdraw from the concert due to illness. Michael Seal has kindly agreed to step in at short notice and will conduct the whole concert.*
  *Michael Seal* Conductor *Alexander Melnikov* Piano
  *Bernstein*: Divertimento *Rachmaninov*: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini *Nielsen*: Symphony No. 4 ( _The Inextinguishable_ )
  

• Romantic Dreamers  

  Tue 30 Oct Symphony Hall

  Fresh from his triumphant account of Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony as a last-minute stand-in earlier this year, Radoslaw Szulc conducts a popular programme of Romantic music. Mendelssohn’s atmospheric overture is an evocative musical souvenir from his trip to Scotland, while Tchaikovsky’s First Symphony offers melodies as stirring as anything in his later music. Chopin’s F minor Concerto is played by a former winner of the Leeds Piano Competition who has dazzled audiences with his Chopin performances. 30 Oct, 6.15pm pre-concert talk 31 Oct, 1.15pm pre-concert talk
  *Radoslaw Szulc* Conductor *Artur Pizarro* Piano
  *Mendelssohn*: Overture, The Hebrides *Chopin*: Piano Concerto No. 2 *Tchaikovsky*: Symphony No. 1 (Winter Dreams)
  

• Romantic Dreamers  

  Wed 31 Oct Symphony Hall

  Fresh from his triumphant account of Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony as a last-minute stand-in earlier this year, Radoslaw Szulc conducts a popular programme of Romantic music. Mendelssohn’s atmospheric overture is an evocative musical souvenir from his trip to Scotland, while Tchaikovsky’s First Symphony offers melodies as stirring as anything in his later music. Chopin’s F minor Concerto is played by a former winner of the Leeds Piano Competition who has dazzled audiences with his Chopin performances. 30 Oct, 6.15pm pre-concert talk 31 Oct, 1.15pm pre-concert talk
  *Radoslaw Szulc* Conductor *Artur Pizarro* Piano
  *Mendelssohn*: Overture, The Hebrides *Chopin*: Piano Concerto No. 2 *Tchaikovsky*: Symphony No. 1 (Winter Dreams)
  

• Family Concert: Pirate Party  

  Sun 4 Nov Symphony Hall

  Set sail with the CBSO for a swashbuckling adventure, as we fly the skull and cross-bones to go in search of treasure chests, shiny pieces of eight and faraway lands. A fun-packed maritime-themed concert including music from _Pirates of the Caribbean_ is in store, but keep watch - climbing the crows’ nest and walking the plank could be just over the horizon! Please feel free to come dressed up in your favourite sea-faring finery. FREE CREATIVE WORKSHOPS AND MUSIC in the foyers from 1.30pm
  *Michael Seal* conductor *Alasdair Malloy* presenter *City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra*
  
  

• Tchaikovsky's Sixth  

  Wed 7 Nov Symphony Hall

  Talented young French conductor Ludovic Morlot makes a quick return to the CBSO following his debut in May, for two performances of Tchaikovsky’s tumultuous final symphony. Never out of fashion since its premiere just a few days before the composer’s death, the Pathétique is one of music’s most personal utterances, a vivid portrayal of the composer’s state of mind that offers a rollercoaster emotional journey from elation to despair. Bartók’s music is altogether less unhinged, though his energetic Second Piano Concerto is an equally thrilling experience in concert. Dvorák’s tuneful overture begins the programme in exuberant style. There will be a Bequest Patrons' reception prior to the concert on 7 November.
  *Ludovic Morlot* Conductor *Steven Osborne* Piano *City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra*
  *Dvorák*: Carnival Overture *Mozart Piano Concerto No. 27, K.595* *Tchaikovsky*: Symphony No. 6 (Pathétique)
  

• Tchaikovsky's Sixth  

  Sat 10 Nov Symphony Hall

  Talented young French conductor Ludovic Morlot makes a quick return to the CBSO following his debut in May, for two performances of Tchaikovsky’s tumultuous final symphony. Never out of fashion since its premiere just a few days before the composer’s death, the Pathétique is one of music’s most personal utterances, a vivid portrayal of the composer’s state of mind that offers a rollercoaster emotional journey from elation to despair. Bartók’s music is altogether less unhinged, though his energetic Second Piano Concerto is an equally thrilling experience in concert. Dvorák’s tuneful overture begins the programme in exuberant style. There will be a Bequest Patrons' reception prior to the concert on 7 November.
  *Ludovic Morlot* Conductor *Steven Osborne* Piano
  *Dvorák*: Carnival Overture *Mozart Piano Concerto No. 27, K.595* *Tchaikovsky*: Symphony No. 6 (Pathétique)
  

• Jansen Plays Beethoven  

  Thu 15 Nov Symphony Hall

  The young British conductor Robin Ticciati has already achieved an international reputation in his early twenties, and tonight makes his CBSO debut alongside one of the world's great violinists, herself now a regular visitor to Birmingham. Dvorák composed his flowing, tuneful Third Symphony in 1873 when he was still under the spell of Wagner, so what better work with which to open the evening than the visionary prelude to that composer’s final opera? Free pre-concert talk 6.15pm 6.15pm pre-concert talk
  *Robin Ticciati* Conductor *Janine Jansen* Violin *City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra*
  *Wagner*: Parsifal Prelude *Dvorák*: Symphony No. 3 *Beethoven*: Violin Concerto
  

• Mahler's First  

  Tue 20 Nov Symphony Hall

  Mahler may have gone on to write nine more symphonies, but it’s all there in his First: a complete musical world that veers from triumph to tragedy and back again, expressed through the supercharged sounds of a gigantic orchestra at full tilt. The Orchestra is directed by an outstanding British conductor in this titan of a symphony, and for Tchaikovsky’s equally emotional concerto he’s joined by a superb violinist making a welcome return to Birmingham. Beethoven’s fiery overture completes a dramatic programme. Free Pre-Concert Talk 6.15pm
  *Edward Gardner* Conductor *Christian Tetzlaff* Violin
  *Beethoven*: Overture, Coriolan *Tchaikovsky*: Violin Concerto *Mahler*: Symphony No. 1
  

• Mahler's First  

  Wed 21 Nov Symphony Hall

  Mahler may have gone on to write nine more symphonies, but it’s all there in his First: a complete musical world that veers from triumph to tragedy and back again, expressed through the supercharged sounds of a gigantic orchestra at full tilt. The Orchestra is directed by an outstanding British conductor in this titan of a symphony, and for Tchaikovsky’s equally emotional concerto he’s joined by a superb violinist making a welcome return to Birmingham. Beethoven’s fiery overture completes a dramatic programme. Free Pre-Concert Talk 21st November 1.15pm The concert is followed by a Members’ Afternoon Tea with conductor Edward Gardner as guest speaker, in conversation with Christopher Morley of The Birmingham Post. For information on how to support the CBSO through one of our membership schemes, please contact Gill Powell on 0121 616 6514, or email gpowell@cbso.co.uk
  *Edward Gardner* Conductor *Christian Tetzlaff* Violin
  *Beethoven*: Overture, Coriolan *Tchaikovsky*: Violin Concerto *Mahler*: Symphony No. 1
  

• Bach to Beethoven  

  Tue 27 Nov Symphony Hall

  British violinist-turned-conductor Andrew Manze is one of the stars of the period-instrument movement, acclaimed internationally for his original and dynamic interpretations of a wide range of music. For his CBSO debut he has chosen to perform, and to introduce from the stage, Beethoven’s delightfully witty Eighth, one of the few later works in which the composer seems entirely untroubled by his difficult life. Another leading British artist, Michael Chance, joins the Orchestra for one of Bach’s greatest solo cantatas, while the concert opens in extrovert style with Bach’s joyous Suite - the original home of the Air on a G String.
  *Andrew Manze* Conductor *Michael Chance* Counter-Tenor
  *Bach*: Orchestral Suite No. 3 *Bach*: Cantata No. 170 - Vergnügte Ruh’, beliebte Seelenlust *J C Bach*: Ach, Dass Ich Wassers gnug hätte *Beethoven*: Symphony No. 8
  

• Friday Night Classics: Hollywood Divas  

  Fri 30 Nov Symphony Hall

  Big stars demand big tunes. Let Broadway diva Kim Criswell and the CBSO sweep you off your feet, as some of the most fabulous melodies ever written carry you back to a golden age of Hollywood glamour. Enjoy hit after hit after hit - from the showtunes made famous by Julie Andrews, Doris Day and Judy Garland, through to the silver-screen torch-songs of Barbara Streisand and Liza Minelli. _Over The Rainbow_, _Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend_, _The Trolley Song_, _Don’t Rain On My Parade_, _I Have Confidence_, _Feed The Birds_, _Maybe This Time_, _The Man That Got Away_ … you’ll never forget these songs - and you can’t resist the emotion.
  *John Wilson* Conductor *Kim Criswell* Vocalist *City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra*
  
  

• Igorfest: the Rake's Progress  

  Wed 5 Dec Symphony Hall

  Our ground-breaking four-year journey through Stravinsky’s complete works reaches a major milestone with his only full-length opera. The Rake’s Progress - composed in 1951 to a libretto by his great collaborator W H Auden, and Chester Kallman - is a witty retelling of the Faust legend inspired by Hogarth’s famous series of paintings. The setting in 18th-century London allowed Stravinsky to indulge his passion for neo-classical pastiche, and so the opera is a 20th-century take on the Mozart operas which he adored. Dutch conductor Jac van Steen is joined by a distinguished British cast for this very modern morality tale. Sung in the original English. 6.15pm pre-concert talk
  Jac van Steen conductor Ed Lyon _Tom Rakewell_ Claire Booth _Anne Trulove_ James Rutherford _Nick Shadow_ Susan Bickley _Baba the Turk / Mother Goose_ Christopher Gillett _Sellem_ City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus
  Stravinsky: The Rake’s Progress
  

• Elgar's 150th: The Enigma  

  Thu 13 Dec Symphony Hall

  Throughout 2007 we have been celebrating the anniversaries of Elgar and Grieg, and Sakari Oramo has chosen to close the year in style with their most popular pieces. Elgar’s music has been an Oramo speciality during his time with the CBSO, and the composer’s affectionate portrait of his Worcestershire friends is as fresh today as when it announced his arrival as a major international composer in 1899. Grieg’s evergreen concerto has retained an equally secure place in our affections, especially when played by the magnificent Norwegian pianist who has become its most famous modern interpreter. Music from Tchaikovsky’s seasonal ballet sets the seal on a perfect Christmas present!
  Sakari Oramo conductor Leif Ove Andsnes piano
  Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker Suite Grieg: Piano Concerto Elgar: Enigma Variations
  

• Elgar's 150th: The Enigma Evening 

  Sat 15 Dec Symphony Hall

  Throughout 2007 we have been celebrating the anniversaries of Elgar and Grieg, and Sakari Oramo has chosen to close the year in style with their most popular pieces. Elgar’s music has been an Oramo speciality during his time with the CBSO, and the composer’s affectionate portrait of his Worcestershire friends is as fresh today as when it announced his arrival as a major international composer in 1899. Grieg’s evergreen concerto has retained an equally secure place in our affections, especially when played by the magnificent Norwegian pianist who has become its most famous modern interpreter. Music from Tchaikovsky’s seasonal ballet sets the seal on a perfect Christmas present!
  Sakari Oramo conductor Leif Ove Andsnes piano
  Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker Suite Grieg: Piano Concerto Elgar: Enigma Variations
  

• Festive Favourites With Presenter Aled Jones  

  Thu 20 Dec Symphony Hall

  Join the CBSO for its traditional festive fun and frolics, hosted by broadcaster and performer Aled Jones, who will present a selection of his chosen Christmas stories and readings, and sing a couple of his seasonal favourites. Featuring the CBSO and its massed choirs, and packed with Christmas music plus plenty of audience participation, these concerts are a perfect way to kick-start your Christmas holidays and put you in the festive spirit. NB Christmas concert prices apply to these five performances. Following each of these concerts, there will be a Christmas collection for a different local charity, as voted for by CBSO employees. To be considered for inclusion, please contact Rachel Blackman on 0121 616 6511 or email rblackman@cbso.co.uk
  *Simon Halsey* Conductor *Aled Jones* Presenter *City of Birmingham Symphony Youth Chorus* *City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus* *City of Birmingham Young Voices*
  
  

• Festive Favourites With Presenter Aled Jones (Matinee) 

  Fri 21 Dec Symphony Hall

  Join the CBSO for its traditional festive fun and frolics, hosted by broadcaster and performer Aled Jones, who will present a selection of his chosen Christmas stories and readings, and sing a couple of his seasonal favourites. Featuring the CBSO and its massed choirs, and packed with Christmas music plus plenty of audience participation, these concerts are a perfect way to kick-start your Christmas holidays and put you in the festive spirit. NB Christmas concert prices apply to these five performances. Following each of these concerts, there will be a Christmas collection for a different local charity, as voted for by CBSO employees. To be considered for inclusion, please contact Rachel Blackman on 0121 616 6511 or email "rblackman@cbso.co.uk":mailto:rblackman@cbso.co.uk
  *Simon Halsey* Conductor *Aled Jones* Presenter *City of Birmingham Symphony Youth Chorus* *City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus* *City of Birmingham Young Voices*
  
  

• Festive Favourites With Presenter Aled Jones  

  Fri 21 Dec Symphony Hall

  Join the CBSO for its traditional festive fun and frolics, hosted by broadcaster and performer Aled Jones, who will present a selection of his chosen Christmas stories and readings, and sing a couple of his seasonal favourites. Featuring the CBSO and its massed choirs, and packed with Christmas music plus plenty of audience participation, these concerts are a perfect way to kick-start your Christmas holidays and put you in the festive spirit. NB Christmas concert prices apply to these five performances. Following each of these concerts, there will be a Christmas collection for a different local charity, as voted for by CBSO employees. To be considered for inclusion, please contact Rachel Blackman on 0121 616 6511 or email rblackman@cbso.co.uk
  *Simon Halsey* Conductor *Aled Jones* Presenter *City of Birmingham Symphony Youth Chorus* *City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus* *City of Birmingham Young Voices*
  
  

• Festive Favourites With Presenter Aled Jones (Matinee) 

  Sat 22 Dec Symphony Hall

  Join the CBSO for its traditional festive fun and frolics, hosted by broadcaster and performer Aled Jones, who will present a selection of his chosen Christmas stories and readings, and sing a couple of his seasonal favourites. Featuring the CBSO and its massed choirs, and packed with Christmas music plus plenty of audience participation, these concerts are a perfect way to kick-start your Christmas holidays and put you in the festive spirit. NB Christmas concert prices apply to these five performances. Following each of these concerts, there will be a Christmas collection for a different local charity, as voted for by CBSO employees. To be considered for inclusion, please contact Rachel Blackman on 0121 616 6511 or email rblackman@cbso.co.uk
  *Simon Halsey* Conductor *Aled Jones* Presenter *City of Birmingham Symphony Youth Chorus* *City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus* *City of Birmingham Young Voices*
  
  

• Festive Favourites With Presenter Aled Jones  

  Sat 22 Dec Symphony Hall

  Join the CBSO for its traditional festive fun and frolics, hosted by broadcaster and performer Aled Jones, who will present a selection of his chosen Christmas stories and readings, and sing a couple of his seasonal favourites. Featuring the CBSO and its massed choirs, and packed with Christmas music plus plenty of audience participation, these concerts are a perfect way to kick-start your Christmas holidays and put you in the festive spirit. NB Christmas concert prices apply to these five performances. Following each of these concerts, there will be a Christmas collection for a different local charity, as voted for by CBSO employees. To be considered for inclusion, please contact Rachel Blackman on 0121 616 6511 or email rblackman@cbso.co.uk
  *Simon Halsey* Conductor *Aled Jones* Presenter *City of Birmingham Symphony Youth Chorus* *City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus* *City of Birmingham Young Voices*
  
  

• The Magic of Vienna (Matinee) 

  Fri 4 Jan Symphony Hall

  Welcome in the New Year to the strains of much-loved waltzes, polkas and arias by members of the Strauss family and other Viennese composers, in the opulent surroundings of Symphony Hall. Join Martin Yates and tenor Wynne Evans for this enjoyable and popular date in the CBSO’s calendar, full of elegant music that is guaranteed to set your feet tapping. Book early to avoid disappointment.
  Martin Yates conductor Wynne Evans tenor
  
  

• The Magic of Vienna  

  Fri 4 Jan Symphony Hall

  Welcome in the New Year to the strains of much-loved waltzes, polkas and arias by members of the Strauss family and other Viennese composers, in the opulent surroundings of Symphony Hall. Join Martin Yates and tenor Wynne Evans for this enjoyable and popular date in the CBSO’s calendar, full of elegant music that is guaranteed to set your feet tapping. Book early to avoid disappointment.
  Martin Yates conductor Wynne Evans tenor
  
  

• The Planets  

  Wed 9 Jan Symphony Hall

  What better way to chase away those January blues than with Holst’s ever-popular Planets Suite? Sakari Oramo again demonstrates his great affinity with British music in this blistering character study of seven very different planets which make up our solar system. Elgar’s wistful early Serenade offers a gentler form of Englishness, while Mozart’s finest violin concerto played by an outstanding young violinist completes the programme. 6.15pm pre-concert talk
  Sakari Oramo conductor Alina Pogostkina violin Women of the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus
  Elgar: Serenade for Strings Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 5 Holst: The Planets
  

• The Planets  

  Thu 10 Jan Symphony Hall

  What better way to chase away those January blues than with Holst’s ever-popular Planets Suite? Sakari Oramo again demonstrates his great affinity with British music in this blistering character study of seven very different planets which make up our solar system. Elgar’s wistful early Serenade offers a gentler form of Englishness, while Mozart’s finest violin concerto played by an outstanding young violinist completes the programme. 2.15pm pre-concert talk
  *Sakari Oramo* conductor *Alina Pogostkina* violin *Women of the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus*
  *Elgar*: Serenade for Strings *Mozart*: Violin Concerto No. 5 *Holst*: The Planets
  

• Bruckner's Ninth  

  Thu 17 Jan Symphony Hall

  Canadian conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin made a thrilling CBSO debut in 2006 with an all-French programme. For his return visit to the CBSO he turns to the last of Bruckner’s symphonies, a mighty torso which, like Mozart’s Requiem or Schubert’s Eighth Symphony, remained unfinished yet is complete in itself. The final slow movement, like that of Mahler’s Ninth, seems to be an extended farewell to life, in music of glowing sincerity. Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto is also concerned with profound thoughts at times, though it also offers many opportunities for virtuosic display, and today we are joined by one of the most brilliant of the new generation of pianists, making his CBSO debut.
  Yannick Nézet-Séguin conductor Jonathan Biss piano
  Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 Bruckner: Symphony No. 9
  

• Bruckner's Ninth  

  Sat 19 Jan Symphony Hall

  Canadian conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin made a thrilling CBSO debut in 2006 with an all-French programme. For his return visit to the CBSO he turns to the last of Bruckner’s symphonies, a mighty torso which, like Mozart’s Requiem or Schubert’s Eighth Symphony, remained unfinished yet is complete in itself. The final slow movement, like that of Mahler’s Ninth, seems to be an extended farewell to life, in music of glowing sincerity. Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto is also concerned with profound thoughts at times, though it also offers many opportunities for virtuosic display, and today we are joined by one of the most brilliant of the new generation of pianists, making his CBSO debut.
  Yannick Nézet-Séguin conductor Jonathan Biss piano
  Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 Bruckner: Symphony No. 9
  

• British Classics  

  Wed 23 Jan Symphony Hall

  After last year’s sold-out matinée featuring well-loved and less-familiar works from both sides of the serious / light music divide, CBSO favourite John Wilson is back with another selection of great tunes to conjure up a spirit of nostalgia. From Vaughan Williams’ serene countryside portrait to Eric Coates’ splendid Dam Busters March, by way of Bax’s stirring take on the Arthurian legend and a delightful miniature by Birmingham tunesmith Albert W Ketèlbey, there is something for everyone with an interest in the best of British music. 1.15pm pre-concert talk
  John Wilson conductor Laurence Jackson violin
  Walton: Scapino A Comedy Overture Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending Bax: Tintagel Sullivan: The Yeomen of the Guard Overture Coates: Footlights Ketèlbey: In a Monastery Garden Farnon: Derby Day Binge: Elizabethan Serenade Coates: Four Centuries Suite Coates: The Dam Busters March
  

• Symphony Ballroom!  

  Fri 25 Jan Symphony Hall

  Stepping out once again where other orchestras rarely tread, this is the chance for everyone who has been enthralled by the recent rise and rise of ballroom dancing to waltz their way to Symphony Hall. For these special performances, the CBSO is joined by four of the stars of BBC1’s hugely successful Strictly Come Dancing for a specially-devised concert of great melodies from the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Join Anton and Erin and our resident bandleader John Wilson for a spectacular feast of song and dance. Unfortunately Camilla Dallerup and Ian Waite have withdrawn from the Symphony Ballroom! performances on 25 & 27 Jan 08 due to an unavoidable clash of commitments. We are pleased to announce that dancers Chris Marques and Jaclyn Spencer are confirmed replacements.
  John Wilson conductor Matthew Ford vocalist Erin Boag dancer Anton du Beke dancer Chris Marques dancer Jaclyn Spencer dancer
  
  

• Symphony Ballroom!  

  Sun 27 Jan Symphony Hall

  Stepping out once again where other orchestras rarely tread, this is the chance for everyone who has been enthralled by the recent rise and rise of ballroom dancing to waltz their way to Symphony Hall. For these special performances, the CBSO is joined by four of the stars of BBC1’s hugely successful Strictly Come Dancing for a specially-devised concert of great melodies from the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Join Anton and Erin, Ian and Camilla, and our resident bandleader John Wilson for a spectacular feast of song and dance. Unfortunately Camilla Dallerup and Ian Waite have withdrawn from the Symphony Ballroom! performances on 25 & 27 Jan 08 due to an unavoidable clash of commitments. We are pleased to announce that dancers Chris Marques and Jaclyn Spencer are confirmed replacements.
  John Wilson conductor Matthew Ford vocalist Erin Boag dancer Anton du Beke dancer Chris Marques dancer Jaclyn Spencer dancer
  
  

• Russian Masters  

  Tue 29 Jan Symphony Hall

  Great tunes, grand passions, an epic scale • Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto has quite rightly become one of the best-loved pieces in the classical repertoire. Tonight it is played for us by an outstanding young Russian-Israeli pianist, making his CBSO debut. CBSO Assistant Conductor Michael Seal frames the concerto with two other Russian works that have stood the test of time. Shchedrin’s Naughty Limericks is a subversive, riotously entertaining work that shocked the Soviet authorities at its premiere in 1963, while Shostakovich’s exuberant First Symphony, composed when he was still in his teens, has a darker, sardonic humour that is entirely typical of this composer. 6.15pm pre-concert talk
  Michael Seal conductor Boris Giltburg piano
  Shchedrin: Concerto for Orchestra No. 1 (Naughty Limericks) Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3 Shostakovich: Symphony No. 1
  

• Schools Concert: The Planets  

  Fri 1 Feb Symphony Hall

  Head for the stars in this concert with some of the best moments from Holst’s The Planets Suite, including Mars: The Bringer of War, Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity and Mercury: The Winged Messenger. Today’s performances are devised especially to introduce Key Stage 2 students (years 5 and 6) to the spectacular sights and sounds of a symphony orchestra. For information on pre-concert support packages for schools, please contact the CBSO’s Education Department by email (education@cbso.co.uk) or telephone (0121 616 6500). Teachers are also invited to contact the CBSO for details of other opportunities for schools available under our Education and Community programme.
  Michael Seal conductor Tommy Pearson presenter
  
  

• Schools Concert: The Planets  

  Fri 1 Feb Symphony Hall

  Head for the stars in this concert with some of the best moments from Holst’s The Planets Suite, including Mars: The Bringer of War, Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity and Mercury: The Winged Messenger. Today’s performances are devised especially to introduce Key Stage 2 students (years 5 and 6) to the spectacular sights and sounds of a symphony orchestra. For information on pre-concert support packages for schools, please contact the CBSO’s Education Department by email (education@cbso.co.uk) or telephone (0121 616 6500). Teachers are also invited to contact the CBSO for details of other opportunities for schools available under our Education and Community programme.
  Michael Seal conductor Tommy Pearson presenter
  
  

• Singalong with the CBSO: Orff's Carmina Burana  

  Sun 3 Feb Symphony Hall

  Join the CBSO and Choruses, with its world-renowned Chorus Director Simon Halsey, and young professional soloists to sing Orff’s Carmina Burana. The chance to perform this famous and powerful work (used in contexts as varied as Old Spice adverts, The X Factor and The Omen), with over a thousand singers in Birmingham’s world-beating Symphony Hall, surely makes today unmissable for all those who enjoy singing. Information for Singers: Rehearsals for the event start at 1.30pm; further details will be sent with singer tickets. We will be using the SATB Vocal Score of Carmina Burana. Scores containing Simon Halsey’s rehearsal markings will be available to hire for £5 on the day from 12.30pm.
  Simon Halsey conductor City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus City of Birmingham Youth Chorus
  
  

• Four Last Songs  

  Wed 6 Feb Symphony Hall

  Vassily Sinaisky’s interpretations of large-scale masterpieces have been a welcome feature of recent CBSO seasons, and tonight he brings us his thoughts on Elgar, a composer he has championed in the UK and abroad. Elgar’s Second Symphony featured in the CBSO’s very first concert in 1920, and the work’s rich mix of Edwardian swagger and anxious introspection perfectly captures the state of the world, and of the composer’s mind, at its 1911 premiere. Strauss’s Four Last Songs also have a deeply nostalgic feel, and they are sung for us by the wonderful Swedish soprano who thrilled CBSO audiences with her Wagner two seasons ago.
  Vassily Sinaisky conductor Kirsten Blanck soprano
  Weber: Der Freischütz Overture Strauss: Four Last Songs Elgar: Symphony No. 2
  

• Four Last Songs  

  Sat 9 Feb Symphony Hall

  Vassily Sinaisky’s interpretations of large-scale masterpieces have been a welcome feature of recent CBSO seasons, and tonight he brings us his thoughts on Elgar, a composer he has championed in the UK and abroad. Elgar’s Second Symphony featured in the CBSO’s very first concert in 1920, and the work’s rich mix of Edwardian swagger and anxious introspection perfectly captures the state of the world, and of the composer’s mind, at its 1911 premiere. Strauss’s Four Last Songs also have a deeply nostalgic feel, and they are sung for us by the wonderful Swedish soprano who thrilled CBSO audiences with her Wagner two seasons ago.
  Vassily Sinaisky conductor Kirsten Blanck soprano
  Weber: Der Freischütz Overture Strauss: Four Last Songs Elgar: Symphony No. 2
  

• Family Concert: It's Magic!  

  Sun 10 Feb Symphony Hall

  As if by magic… the hubble bubble of this afternoon’s Family concert will cast a spell over the CBSO’s young audience, with mystical music inspired by witchcraft and wizardry, including Dukas’ Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Sinaisky switches his conductor’s baton for a wand to conjure up musical illusions from black cats and cauldrons to Harry Potter and magic potions. Please feel free to come in fancy dress on a magical theme! FREE CREATIVE WORKSHOPS AND MUSIC in the foyers from 1.30pm
  Vassily Sinaisky conductor Michael Collie presenter
  
  

• True Romantics  

  Thu 14 Feb Symphony Hall

  It's Valentine’s Day, so it has to be Romeo and Juliet! Tchaikovsky’s stirring Overture is the perfect introduction to a programme full of romantic ardour. Rachmaninov’s Concerto, familiar to millions through its use in Brief Encounter, has equally soaring melodies and is played for us by a talented pianist who won the prestigious Van Cliburn competition in 2005. The love-life of Johannes Brahms is rather less apparent in his music, but his Third Symphony does contain music of great warmth and romantic yearning, inspired in part by his unfulfilled longing for Clara Schumann.
  Vassily Sinaisky conductor Alexander Kobrin piano
  Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet 21' Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 35' Brahms: Symphony No. 3 33'
  

• CBSO Youth Orchestra  

  Sun 17 Feb Symphony Hall

  Martyn Brabbins regularly wows Birmingham audiences with his interpretations of British and contemporary music; tonight he makes his first appearance with the CBSO Youth Orchestra in a powerful 20th-century programme. Former BBC Young Musician of the Year Guy Johnston is the soloist in Shostakovich’s punchy First Cello Concerto, but first the Youth Orchestra brings all its zest and freshness to Britten’s bracing suite of seascapes. And then Martyn Brabbins leads them through one of the great modern orchestral showpieces Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra. Part life-and-death drama, part flamboyant musical firework display, it’ll be a gripping challenge for this outstanding young orchestra. “There can be no higher compliment you can pay to the CBSO Youth Orchestra than that they can be listened to like an orchestra of professionals; no allowances made for youth or inexperience.” The Birmingham Post, February 2007
  Martyn Brabbins conductor Guy Johnston cello
  Britten: Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 1 Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra
  

• Flights of Fantasy  

  Thu 21 Feb Symphony Hall

  Three very different dreamers, three very different pieces of music. Richard Strauss was fascinated by Cervantes’ epic novel Don Quixote, and used his trademark lavish orchestration to depict its day-dreaming hero in a set of Variations on a Theme of Knightly Character’. The title role is taken by the CBSO’s Cello Section Leader Eduardo Vassallo, whilst the long-suffering sidekick Sancho Panza is portrayed by his viola counterpart Christopher Yates. Prokofiev’s Renata, heroine of his opera The Fiery Angel, is also engaged in a quest with the aid of a knight-errant, but her visions are altogether more hysterical and troubled. The composer’s Third Symphony draws heavily on his dramatic, extravagant score for this opera. Till Eulenspiegel, meanwhile, is more rascal than hero, and his scrapes with authority are depicted in the effervescent tone-poem that kicks off this concert. 6.15pm pre-concert talk
  Kazushi Ono conductor Christopher Yates viola Eduardo Vassallo cello
  Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel Prokofiev: Symphony No. 3 Strauss: Don Quixote
  

• Friday Night Classics: Silent Heroes Rudolph Valentino stars in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse 

  Fri 22 Feb Symphony Hall

  For that authentic Hollywood thrill, nothing beats a classic silent movie accompanied by a live symphony orchestra. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is the real deal a tear-jerking saga of love and war spanning continents and generations, it’s the film that made Rudolph Valentino a star. Inspired by the music of Franz Liszt, Carl Davis has written a vibrant new orchestral score for this silent masterpiece. And once you’ve seen Symphony Hall turn into Birmingham’s largest cinema, with the CBSO providing the ultimate in surround-sound, DVDs will never seem the same again!
  Carl Davis conductor
  
  

• Igorfest: Persephone  

  Tue 26 Feb Symphony Hall

  In his latest contribution to Birmingham’s unique IgorFest project, performances of Stravinsky’s complete works, CBSO Music Director Sakari Oramo is joined by a favourite British pianist for the Capriccio, the most brilliant and extrovert of his three works for piano and orchestra. One of several pieces Stravinsky wrote for the extraordinary actress-cum-dancer Ida Rubinstein, Perséphone, a story of the Greek Underworld, is among the most ravishing of the composer’s works, and features exquisite writing for adult and children’s choruses. 6.15pm pre-concert talk ***Please note the programme has changed***. Part of the orginal programme will be played at the CBSO Centre 1 Mar 08 at 3pm & 7pm. Original programme includes Stravinsky Pulcinella.
  *Sakari Oramo* Conductor *Peter Donohoe* Piano *Peter Wedd* Tenor *City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus & Youth Chorus*
  *Chopin (orch. Stravinsky)* Nocturne and Grand Valse Brillante 13' *Stravinsky* Capriccio for Piano & Orchestra 17' *Stravinsky* Perséphone 56'
  

• Igorfest: Persephone - *Please Note* This Concert is no longer taking place. Part of the programme will be played on 26 FEB 08  

  Sat 1 Mar Symphony Hall

  
  
  
  

• Andris Nelsons with the CBSO  

  Wed 5 Mar Symphony Hall

  The CBSO is joined for the first official concert in the 2007/2008 Season by Andris Nelsons, who will take over from Sakari Oramo as Music Director in 2008, for an exciting concert which offers pieces engaged in a dialogue with the past. Throughout musical history composers have always been fascinated by the music that came before them. Strauss's best-loved opera is an affectionate love letter to the Viennese waltz, while a new concerto by one of today's leading Austrian composers, Olga Neuwirth - especially composed for trumpet virtuoso Håkan Hardenberger - offers a kaleidoscope of Handel, jazz and memories of other music. Arvo Pärt's timeless classic looks back to the spirituality of medieval music. Nelsons finishes the programme in style with Shostakovich's exuberant pre-war symphony. 6.15pm pre-concert talk
  Andris Nelsons conductor Håkan Hardenberger trumpet
  Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier Suite 22' Neuwirth: “…miramondo multiplo…” (UK premiere) 18' Pärt: Fratres 10' Shostakovich: Symphony No. 6 32'
  

• Friday Night Classics: You Call The Tunes  

  Fri 7 Mar Symphony Hall

  Tonight the CBSO plays the people's favourites in a concert packed with Midlanders' most-loved classical music. From the shortlist of 20 of the most popular pieces that were nominated by the public, 10 spectacular choices have now been voted into the concert: 6' *Borodin Prince Igor: Polovtsian Dances (from figure 1: Presto)* 11' Elgar: Cello Concerto: 1st movement 13' Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending (complete) 15' Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue 15' Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (complete) 3' Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini: Variation 18 11' Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2: 3rd movement 8' Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1: 3rd movement 5' Elgar: Enigma Variations: Nimrod 8' Holst: The Planets: Jupiter Tommy Pearson presents this countdown performance in Symphony Hall on 7 March, culminating in the Midlands' Favourite Classic for 2008.
  *Michael Seal* Conductor
  
  

• Tasmin Little Plays Mendelssohn  

  Thu 13 Mar Symphony Hall

  Making a welcome return to the CBSO, Tadaaki Otaka follows his gripping performance of Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony three years ago with the same composer’s final symphony, an equally luscious masterpiece written during his time in America. Rachmaninov’s sophisticated writing for the velvety strings of the Philadelphia Orchestra finds an English counterpart in Vaughan Williams’s timeless meditation on Tallis’s hymn tune. Following this, one of today’s best-loved string players gives us her account of Mendelssohn’s spirited concerto.
  Tadaaki Otaka conductor Tasmin Little violin
  Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis 15' Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto 27' Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 3 38'
  

• Brahm's Requiem  

  Wed 19 Mar Symphony Hall

  In a typically stimulating pairing, Sakari Oramo prepares us for Brahms’s greatest choral work with one of the finest sacred cantatas by the composer who was Brahms’s chief inspiration. Brahms was at pains to stress that his was a German (rather than Latin) Requiem, and like Bach, he took his inspiration from the Lutheran Bible to produce music that sings of human compassion as much as of a love and fear of God.
  Sakari Oramo conductor Anu Komsi soprano Harriet Williams mezzo soprano William Ferguson tenor James Rutherford baritone City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus
  Bach: Cantata No. 21 Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis 40' Brahms: A German Requiem 68'
  

• Brahm's Requiem  

  Thu 20 Mar Symphony Hall

  In a typically stimulating pairing, Sakari Oramo prepares us for Brahms’s greatest choral work with one of the finest sacred cantatas by the composer who was Brahms’s chief inspiration. Brahms was at pains to stress that his was a German (rather than Latin) Requiem, and like Bach, he took his inspiration from the Lutheran Bible to produce music that sings of human compassion as much as of a love and fear of God. 6.15pm pre-concert talk
  Sakari Oramo conductor Anu Komsi soprano James Rutherford baritone City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus
  Bach: Cantata No. 21 • Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis 40' Brahms: A German Requiem 68'
  

• Viennese Masters  

  Wed 26 Mar Symphony Hall

  For his second CBSO programme this season, Yannick Nézet-Séguin is joined by the great Russian pianist whose performances of Tchaikovsky’s Second Concerto created such an impression last season. Brahms’s great D minor Concerto is a work on a similarly epic scale, and is famous for its powerful exchanges between orchestra and soloist. In a similarly dramatic first half, Mozart’s best-known symphony is preceded by the Overture Beethoven wrote for Goethe’s play Egmont.
  Yannick Nézet-Séguin conductor Elisabeth Leonskaja piano
  Beethoven: Egmont • Overture 8' Mozart: Symphony No. 40 30' Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 42'
  

• Viennese Masters  

  Sat 29 Mar Symphony Hall

  For his second CBSO programme this season, Yannick Nézet-Séguin is joined by the great Russian pianist whose performances of Tchaikovsky’s Second Concerto created such an impression last season. Brahms’s great D minor Concerto is a work on a similarly epic scale, and is famous for its powerful exchanges between orchestra and soloist. In a similarly dramatic first half, Mozart’s best-known symphony is preceded by the Overture Beethoven wrote for Goethe’s play Egmont.
  Yannick Nézet-Séguin conductor Elisabeth Leonskaja piano
  Beethoven: Egmont Overture 8' Mozart: Symphony No. 40 30' Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 42'
  

• Beethoven's Fifth  

  Tue 1 Apr Symphony Hall

  Starting with a lament for a lost musical hero, and ending in a blaze of glory, Louis Langrée’s latest programme with the CBSO traces a compelling emotional journey. Beethoven’s Fifth is of course one of the most familiar pieces of classical music ever composed, yet its headlong motion and inescapable sense of fate ‘knocking on the door’ still have the power to shock us even 200 years after it burst, kicking and screaming, into the world. The last and most popular of Bartók’s piano concertos is played by Swiss pianist Andreas Haefliger, and the concert begins with a gripping early work by Lutoslawski.
  Louis Langrée conductor Andreas Haefliger piano
  Lutoslawski: Funeral Music in Memory of Bartók 14' Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 3 29' Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 36'
  

• Upshaw Stars in Ainadamar  

  Thu 10 Apr Symphony Hall

  The joyously eclectic music of Argentinean composer Osvaldo Golijov has travelled the world in recent years, with audiences thrilling to its mix of tango and other Latin American rhythms, and a harmonic style which reflects his Jewish origins, all wrapped in a distinctly personal voice. Tonight’s concert offers British audiences the first opportunity to hear the most acclaimed of his recent works, an opera based around the death, at the height of the Spanish Civil War, of the great poet Federico Garcia Lorca. This moving work is performed by a conductor and cast whose acclaimed recording for Deutsche Grammophon won two Grammy Awards last year, and features the uniquely haunting voice of Dawn Upshaw. *6.15pm Pre-concert Talk* The eminent Argentinean composer Osvaldo Golijov talks about his music, and his opera Ainadamar - in conversation with Stephen Maddock.
  Robert Spano conductor Dawn Upshaw soprano Jessica Rivera soprano Kelley O’Connor alto Jesús Montoya vocalist Women of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chamber Chorus
  Golijov: Ainadamar (UK premiere)
  

• Arabian Nights  

  Sat 12 Apr Symphony Hall

  American conductor Robert Spano, Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, makes a welcome return visit to the CBSO for a programme of colourful showpieces. He marks the centenary this year of Rimsky-Korsakov’s death with a performance of the composer’s most famous work, a ravishing suite based on the Arabian Nights. Ravel was an equally accomplished orchestrator of his own and others’ music, and the concert begins with a set of waltzes which began life as piano pieces. As centrepiece of the concert, the CBSO’s outstanding Flute Section Leader makes her first solo appearance with the Orchestra in the tuneful concerto by French composer Jacques Ibert. Sponsored by Birmingham City University This concert is supported by the Friends of the CBSO. For information on supporting the CBSO through one of our Membership schemes, please call Gill Powell on 0121 616 6514 or email gpowell@cbso.co.uk
  Robert Spano conductor Marie-Christine Zupancic flute
  Ravel: Valses Nobles et Sentimentales 18' Ibert: Flute Concerto 20' Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade 47'
  

• Pires Plays Mozart  

  Thu 17 Apr Symphony Hall

  Trevor Pinnock is famous the world over for his stylish and energetic performances of baroque and classical repertoire. For his CBSO conducting debut he has chosen one of the wittiest of Haydn’s London Symphonies and the first real masterpiece among Mozart’s piano concertos, played by one of today’s greatest Mozart pianists. Each half begins with a work which looks back to an earlier age: Brahms’s delightful variations are a tribute to the high classical period, while John Adams’ orchestration of one of Liszt’s strangest piano pieces looks instead to the future.
  Trevor Pinnock conductor Maria João Pires piano
  Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Haydn 16' Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 9, K. 271 31' Liszt (orch. Adams): The Black Gondola 10' Haydn: Symphony No. 99 26'
  

• Mahler's Fifth Symphony  

  Tue 22 Apr Symphony Hall

  Portraying an epic journey from the darkness of its opening trumpet fanfares to its jubilant, Bach-inspired finale, by way of the tender Adagietto written as a love-letter to his wife Alma, Mahler’s Fifth has it all a whole world in one symphony. It has become a CBSO party-piece in recent years, and Sakari Oramo offers Birmingham audiences a last chance to hear his acclaimed interpretation as the Orchestra embarks on a major European tour that will embrace performances in Germany, Holland, Switzerland and Italy. Haydn’s cheerful concerto, played by a British cellist with a global reputation, offers a perfect upbeat. 6.15pm pre-concert talk
  Sakari Oramo conductor Steven Isserlis cello
  Haydn: Cello Concerto in C major 25' Mahler: Symphony No. 5 72'
  

• Mahler's Fifth Symphony  

  Thu 1 May Symphony Hall

  Portraying an epic journey from the darkness of its opening trumpet fanfares to its jubilant, Bach-inspired finale, by way of the tender Adagietto written as a love-letter to his wife Alma, Mahler’s Fifth has it all a whole world in one symphony. It has become a CBSO party-piece in recent years, and Sakari Oramo offers Birmingham audiences a last chance to hear his acclaimed interpretation as the Orchestra embarks on a major European tour that will embrace performances in Germany, Holland, Switzerland and Italy. Haydn’s cheerful concerto, played by a British cellist with a global reputation, offers a perfect upbeat. 1.15pm pre-concert talk
  *Sakari Oramo* Conductor *Steven Isserlis* Cello
  *Elgar* Cello Concerto *Mahler* Symphony No. 5 72'
  

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