What's On — All events

Akram Khan Company presents Gnosis International Dance Festival 2010
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Sat 8 May 7:30pm Town Hall

Directed and choreographed by Akram Khan, _Gnosis_ is a solo show inspired by the Mahabharata story of Queen Ghandari. Akram has always been fascinated by comic-book superheroes and villains, and how these comic-book characters are in some way inspired by real characters that exist in our societies. _Gnosis_ is about the journeys of different characters inspired from myth; whether kings, queens, heroes or gods, they exist in our societies - from the past to present civilisations. “_The wunderkind of Western contemporary dance and classical Indian kathak._” *The Times* Khan’s choregraphy has been developed in collaboration with the internationally renowned Kathak masters Sri Pratap Pawar and Gauri Sharma Tripathi, and the show features a band of musicians including Yoshie Sunahata, a taiko drummer from acclaimed Japanese company KODO. Part of the "International Dance Fesitval Birmingham 2010":http://www.idfb.co.uk produced by DanceXchange and Birmingham Hippodrome.
Biss plays Brahms's Piano Quintet
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Sun 9 May 3:00pm Town Hall

_“Outstanding”_ (The Guardian), _“pure magic”_ (Daily Telegraph) and _“a heaven-storming performance”_ (The Strad) - the Elias Quartet seem unable to put a foot wrong with the critics. Rising star and passionate Mozartean, Jonathan Biss, joins them for Mozart’s Second Piano Quartet. There is also Britten’s Purcell-inspired Second Quartet and one of Brahms’ mightiest chamber works, the powerful and expressive Piano Quintet.
*Jonathan Biss* _piano_ *Elias Quartet*
*Mozart* Piano Quartet No 2, K493 30’ *Britten* String Quartet No 2 30’ *Brahms* Piano Quintet 38’
Lunchtime Organ Concert Thomas Trotter
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Mon 10 May 1:00pm Symphony Hall

*Thomas Trotter* _organ_
*Bach* Gigue Fugue *Anon* La Shy Myse; Belle et Jeune Fleur; My Lady Careys Dompe; Saltarelle *Alain* Three Pieces (Jannequin, 2 Danses, Litanies) *Kulkova* Stalactites *Stravinsky* Suite from _Petroushka_
CBSO Symphonic Dances: III
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Wed 12 May 7:30pm Symphony Hall

Andris Nelsons kicks up a real song and dance. In American exile, Rachmaninov summed up his life’s work in one extraordinary masterpiece. His _Symphonic Dances_ evoke a fantastic dream-world of half-remembered melodies, ghostly waltzes and driving jazz rhythms. But more to the point, they’re pure Rachmaninov - and that means high romance and glorious tunes. If you love his piano concertos, you’ll be spellbound. And if you love Beethoven’s piano concertos - well, you won’t need any persuasion to hear the most songful and poetic of the lot, played by the masterly Lars Vogt. Meanwhile, who’d have thought that the very first piece of music Nelsons brings us from his native Latvia would be the wonderfully evocative _Tango_, by his friend Arturs Maskats? Post-concert talk, c 9.15. Stay late for a post-conecrt conversation with Andris Nelsons and Stephen Maddock.
*City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra* *Andris Nelsons* conductor *Lars Vogt* piano
*Maskats* _Tango_ 12' *Beethoven* Piano Concerto No 4 34' *Rachmaninov* _Symphonic Dances_ 35'
Centre Stage - Lars Vogt
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Thu 13 May 1:10pm Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

*Schubert* '_Trout_' Quintet
*CBSO Players* *Lars Vogt* _piano_
*Schubert* '_Trout_' Quintet
Jamie Cullum Plus special guests
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Thu 13 May 7:30pm Symphony Hall

Jamie Cullum is set to play a full UK tour for the first time since 2006. Jamie recently wowed New York with a sold out Carnegie Hall show and has been country hopping around the European Festival circuit all summer. These dates included a headline show at Holland’s North Sea Jazz Festival, rocking the Jazz World stage at Glastonbury, and an appearance at the famous Montreux Jazz Festival. Please note this performance is currently sold out. Clicking on the below link will take you to the booking page if any returns are available. Alternatively you can call the Box Office on 0121 780 3333 to enquire.
Francis Rossi Plus special guests
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Thu 13 May 7:30pm Town Hall

The Status Quo frontman is regarded as a classic rock performer and has won several awards including the BRIT Award for Outstanding Contribution To Music. This concert will allow him to reveal another side of himself to the rock fraternity. Rossi commented, _“I never stop writing songs and melodies but there have been many tracks over the years that just weren’t right for Quo. These songs have been gathering dust in my mind for too long and now seems the right time to showcase them. It’s a big step for me but I hope to see lots of the same faces out there on the road!”_ The _One Step At A Time_ tour represents a great chance to witness one of rock’s great performers, famous for his dry wit and lyrical dash, up close and personal. Francis Rossi will be accompanied by an 8 piece band.
N.O.M.A.D. English Originals Weekend & Rush Hour Blues
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Fri 14 May 5:30pm Symphony Hall Foyer Bars

Birmingham-based N.O.M.A.D. kick off English Originals Weekend with their uniquely enjoyable brand of folk-fusion. ‘The most enjoyable thing to happen to Donington Le Heath since Richard III slept there.’
Grace and Danger: The Songs of John Martyn English Originals Weekend 2010
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Fri 14 May 7:30pm Symphony Hall

It’s just over a year since the death of John Martyn, a musician of genius who walked a tightrope between the grace of his art and the danger of his personal demons. This special show is curated by bassist Danny Thompson, Martyn’s long time friend and collaborator.A range of special guests will pay tribute to the most soulful and innovative singer songwriter of his generation. Check back here for the latest artist updates.
Featuring special guests: *Badly Drawn Boy, Scott Matthews, Beverley Martyn, Eddi Reader, Beth Orton* and more tbc.
Curated by Danny Thompson
Folk4Free English Originals Weekend 2010
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Sat 15 May 2:00pm Symphony Hall Foyer Bars

An afternoon of free folk music, curated by Moseley Folk Festival. *Dave Boddison* has been writing music for ten years and performing for seven. His solo acoustic sound hovers in the realms of ambient folk. 23-year-old *Abie Budgen* combines psychedelic, roots and blues sounds with finger-picking. As a child, *Deborah Hodgson* earned her first guitar by washing cars. Although not the most glamorous start to a career, she has now performed in festival fields, castles, a cathedral crypt and a major arena tour supporting 10CC. _‘Fantastic voice’_ Nick Britten, Daily Telegraph *Goodnight Lenin* caught the attention of audiences in Birmingham after releasing a YouTube video of a simple acoustic performance in which they sat perched on the counter-tops of their kitchen. The group attribute their sound to Bob Dylan and Elvis Perkins, mixing folk with a heavy American influence. 2010 is set to be a great year for the band as they supported First Aid Kit on the Birmingham leg of the duo’s UK tour and will be releasing their first limited edition single in the summer. Yet despite this, they can still be found performing amongst the pots and pans in kitchens. Growing up listening to Abba and Queen, *Megan Henwood* first performed at the tender age of nine. Turning eighteen she played her way round the world, singing to crowds in Venice, Thailand, India and Malaysia. After falling in love with Nepal, she has returned to Kathmandu twice to record with leading Nepalese musicians Nirmal Kulu, Binod Katal and Shyram Saram Nepali. In 2009 Megan won the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Musician of the Year Award.
2pm *Dave Boddison* 3pm *Abie Budgen* 4pm *Deborah Hodgson* 5pm *Goodnight Lenin* 6pm *Megan Henwood*
Faure Requiem: James MacMillan: Seven Last Words from the Cross City of Birmingham Choir
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Sat 15 May 7:30pm Symphony Hall

The exquisite _Requiem_ and James MacMillan's mesmerising and deeply moving music combine in a concert of emotional intensity. _"... sensitively proportioned. ...a total awareness of musical structure"_
*City of Birmingham Choir* *Orchestra of the Swan* *Adrian Lucas* _conductor_ *Jack Furber* _treble_ *William Clements* _baritone_
*Fauré* Requiem *Finzi* Romance *James MacMillan* _Seven Last Words from the Cross_
The Graham Coxon Power Acoustic Ensemble English Originals Weekend 2010
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Sat 15 May 7:30pm Town Hall

After last year’s triumphant Blur reunion tour, a range of special guests join outstanding singer-songwriter-guitarist Graham Coxon. The concert is based on his acclaimed solo album _The Spinning Top_, a narrative of a man’s journey from birth to death. The show features special video and projections made by director Chris Hopewell. ‘The Spinning Top is a revelation. A gorgeous album... that cements Coxon as a true icon in a day and age populated by unmagnificence’ BBC Music Magazine
Featuring guests Martin Carthy and Natasha Marsh, and friends
CBSO Family Concert: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra - Matinee
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Sun 16 May 3:00pm Symphony Hall

This is your chance to discover all you wanted to know about a symphony orchestra! What are all those instruments and the amazing sounds they make? Travel through time on this magical musical journey as the CBSO’s top conductor, Andris Nelsons, and musicians Catherine Arlidge and Peter Hill let you into lots of musical secrets, with _The Sorcerer’s Apprentice_, The Elephant (from _The Carnival of the Animals_), Britten’s _Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra_ and more. FREE CRAFT WORKSHOPS AND MUSIC in the foyers from 1.30pm. Why not come dressed up in a music inspired costume? Visit the "CBSO website":http://www.cbso.co.uk
*City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra* *Andris Nelsons* _conductor_ *Catherine Arlidge* _presenter_ *Peter Hill* _presenter_
Bellowhead + Jackie Oates English Originals Weekend 2010
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Sun 16 May 7:30pm Town Hall

'Best live band we have. No contest' fRoots ‘The biggest, rowdiest and quite possibly, best thing to have happened to English music for a long while’ Q Magazine Bellowhead are a multi-talented group of musicians capable of playing a plethora of styles from around the world - big band to soul; jazz-funk to classical strings, yet retaining a unique sensitivity to English traditional music. Opening the evening is the critically acclaimed young folk singer and fiddler Jackie Oates. ‘Make room for an impeccable starlet-to-be' Word
Lunchtime Organ Concert Thomas Trotter
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Mon 17 May 1:00pm Town Hall

*Bach* Komm, Gott, Schöpfer BWV 667 *Hollins* A Song of Sunshine *Messiaen* Alleluias sereins; Transports de joie (from _L’Ascension_) *Wammes* Miroir *Duruflé* Prelude, Adagio & Variations on _Veni, Creator_
Anoushka Shankar: Sudakshini
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Mon 17 May 7:30pm Town Hall

Anoushka Shankar, daughter of the legendary Ravi, believes in the timeless beauty of the ancient, classical Indian musical styles. _Sudakshini_ - loosely translated as "_A Beautiful Journey Southward_" - is her new acoustic project. With newly composed ragas interspersed with traditional South Indian Music, she explores the relationship between the North and South Indian traditions.
*Anoushka Shankar* _sitar_ *Tanmoy Bose* _tabla_ *Pirashanna Thevarajah* _mridangam, kanjira, ghatam_ *Ravichandra Kulur* _flute, kanjira_ *Plus other musicians*
CBSO One Thousand and One Nights
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Tue 18 May 7:30pm Symphony Hall

Soaring violin solos, drama on the high seas and a total mastery of the orchestra: it’s no surprise that Rimsky-Korsakov’s _Scheherazade_ has become one of the most played and best-loved of all Russian pieces. After his thrilling CBSO debut two seasons ago, dynamic Czech conductor Jakub Hrůša returns with this and another Russian masterpiece, Tchaikovsky’s charming _Rococo_ Variations. Tchaikovsky was inspired by his lifelong love of Mozart, and the concert begins with one of the greatest of Mozart’s symphonies, written for a visit to Hrůšas home city. Visit the "CBSO website":http://www.cbso.co.uk
*Jakub Hrůša* conductor *Johannes Moser* cello *City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra*
*Mozart* Symphony No38 (Prague) 25' *Tchaikovsky* Rococo Variations 18' *Rimsky-Korsakov* Scheherazade 47'
CBSO One Thousand and One Nights - Matinee
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Wed 19 May 2:15pm Symphony Hall

Soaring violin solos, drama on the high seas and a total mastery of the orchestra: it’s no surprise that Rimsky-Korsakov’s _Scheherazade_ has become one of the most played and best-loved of all Russian pieces. After his thrilling CBSO debut two seasons ago, dynamic Czech conductor Jakub Hrůša returns with this and another Russian masterpiece, Tchaikovsky’s charming _Rococo_ Variations. Tchaikovsky was inspired by his lifelong love of Mozart, and the concert begins with one of the greatest of Mozart’s symphonies, written for a visit to Hrůša’s home city. Visit the "CBSO website":http://www.cbso.co.uk This concert is followed by a Members’ Afternoon Tea with Jakub Hrůša, in conversation with Christopher Morley of The Birmingham Post. For full details contact Eve Smith on 0121 616 6533 or email esmith@cbso.co.uk
*City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra* *Jakub Hrůša* conductor *Johannes Moser* cello
*Mozart* Symphony No38 (Prague) 25' *Tchaikovsky* Rococo Variations 18' *Rimsky-Korsakov* Scheherazade 47'
RAY DAVIES with Band Plus Support
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Thu 20 May 7:30pm Symphony Hall

Following the success of last year's visit to Symphony Hall, Ray Davies returns. One of the most successful and influential songwriters to emerge from the British Invasion of the 1960s, founder of the rock band The Kinks whose hits include _You Really Got Me_, _All Day and All of The Night_, _Tired of Waiting_, _Set Me Free_, _Lola_, _Sunny Afternoon_, _Dedicated Follower of Fashion_, and _Apeman_ among many others. In June 2009 Ray’s new album which includes many of The Kinks classic hits was released entitled _The Kinks Choral Collection_. His May 2010 tour sees him performing, with his band, Kinks' hits and classics and material from his recent two solo albums.
CBSO Friday Night Classics: You Call the Tunes
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Fri 21 May 7:30pm Symphony Hall

This is your chance to nominate and vote for the music you want to hear! Tonight the CBSO plays the people’s favourites in a concert packed with Midlanders’ most-loved classical music. Look out for details on the CBSO website, and in CBSO podcasts and concert programmes during autumn 2009, to find out how to nominate your absolutely-must-hear pieces. The most popular nominations will then be voted on by CBSO fans ready for the performance in Symphony Hall on 21 May, culminating in the Midlands’ Favourite Classic for 2010. Following her success in the BBC’s conducting series _Maestro_, tonight’s presenter Sue Perkins will also step onto the podium once again to conduct the CBSO for one of tonight’s pieces. Sue Perkins appears professional contracts permitting. Visit the "CBSO website":http://www.cbso.co.uk
*City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra* *Michael Seal* conductor *Sue Perkins* presenter