What's On — Classical events

National Youth Wind Orchestra
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Sat 17 Apr 7:45pm Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre
BCMG Family Concert Serenade For Satellite- A Journey in Time and Space
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Sun 18 Apr 1:30pm Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

Conducted by Peter Wiegold
BCMG Family Concert Serenade For Satellite- A Journey in Time and Space
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Sun 18 Apr 3:30pm Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

Conducted by Peter Wiegold
The Armed Man Featuring The Black Dyke Band and The Halifax and Sheffield Choral Societies
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Sun 18 Apr 7:00pm Symphony Hall

An evening of music from the world's most successful brass band. A first half of wonderful classics including Walton's _Crown Imperial_, Suppé's _Poet and Peasant_, Rossini's _Largo Al Factotum_ featuring Tuba virtuoso Joseph Cook, and, as finale to the first half, Wagner's _Procession to the Minster_. Black Dyke are joined in the second half by two of the finest choral societies in Britain, conducted by John Pryce-Jones, in Karl Jenkins’s acclaimed _The Armed Man_.
*Black Dyke Band* *Dr Nicholas J. Childs* and *John Pryce-Jones* _conductors_ *Halifax Choral Society* *Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus*
CBSO Favourite Mozart - Matinee
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Wed 21 Apr 2:15pm Symphony Hall

Robert Schumann just couldn’t help himself. He knew he was meant to be writing serious symphonies, but emotion kept getting in the way. With its heroic opening, imposing slow movement and beer-festival finale, his _Rhenish_ Symphony is more than just a joyous musical postcard from the sunny hills of the Rhineland - it’s an irresistibly exuberant self-portrait of one of music’s supreme Romantics. Mozart’s best-loved piano concerto makes a perfect complement. Call it the “Elvira Madigan”, call it Piano Concerto No. 21; the fact remains that it’s one of the most eloquent, most stirring and - yes - most romantic concertos Mozart ever wrote. In the hands of the acclaimed young Finnish pianist Antii Siirala, you’ll know it.
*City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra* *Karl-Heinz Steffens* _conductor_ *Antti Siirala* _piano_
*Schumann* _Manfred_ Overture 12’ *Mozart* Piano Concerto No 21, K.467 31’ *Schumann* Symphony No 3, _Rhenish_ 32’
Centre Stage - Elspeth Dutch Elspeth Dutch and CBSO colleagues
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Fri 23 Apr 1:10pm Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

*Glazunov* Idyll for horn and strings *Dunhill* Horn Quintet in F minor
*Elspeth Dutch* _horn_ *CBSO players*
*Glazunov* Idyll for horn and strings *Dunhill* Horn Quintet in F minor
CBSO Friday Night Classics: Silent Heroes
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Fri 23 Apr 7:30pm Symphony Hall

Carl Davis’s silent movie night is always a sold-out highlight of the CBSO season, as Symphony Hall transforms into a giant cinema and the CBSO performs a live soundtrack that beautifully mirrors every action on screen. This year Davis features classics by two of the great comic geniuses, Harold Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin. Both stars cut an unusual figure when arriving in the wild west: Lloyd’s comfortable East Coast gentleman seems completely unprepared for the rough and tumble that greets him, while Chaplin’s lovable tramp makes do as best he can in the poverty and excitement of the Gold Rush (in one memorable scene, cooking and eating his own boots!). This will be a joyous evening for film fans of all ages.
*City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra* *Carl Davis* _conductor_
*Harold Lloyd* _An Eastern Westerner_ 27’ *Charlie Chaplin* _The Gold Rush_ 90’
Bach's Musical Offering
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Sat 24 Apr 7:30pm Town Hall

For thirty years, Ton Koopman has been an inspirational force in Bach performance, joyfully rejecting anything but the instruments and performing techniques that Bach himself would have known. Together with his Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Koopman brings his unique passion to one of the jewels of Bach’s old age - the great Musical Offering.
*Soloists of the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra* *Ton Koopman* _harpsichord/director_ *Tini Mathot* _harpsichord_
*J S Bach* _A Musical Offering_ 39’ Ricercare a 6 for two harpsichords, BWV1079 9’ Concerto for two harpsichords in C, BWV1061 18’
Canoldir Male Choir - 44th Annual Concert With special guest Aled Jones
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Sun 25 Apr 7:00pm Symphony Hall

Canoldir’s special guest this year is the tremendously popular Aled Jones. He brings his own inimitable style and personality to an evening of high quality traditional male voice choral music, with the occasional added twist of 100 plus sopranos and altos from the Edgbaston High School choirs.
*Canoldir Male Choir* *James Llewelyn Jones* _musical director_ *Aled Jones* _special guest_ *Choirs of Edgbaston High School for Girls*
Programme includes _Alleluia_ (JS Bach), _An American Trilogy_, _The Creation_, _My Lord What a Mornin’_, _Unchained Melody_, _Wie Selig Sind Die Toten_, _Yfory_
Lunchtime Organ Concert Sing Hymns with the City Organist
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Mon 26 Apr 1:00pm Town Hall

*Thomas Trotter* _organ_ *Birmingham Conservatoire Chamber Choir* directed by *Paul Spicer* *Jeremy Nicholas* _compere_
Take your place in a choir of hundreds as Thomas Trotter leads a thrilling journey through some of Britain’s most glorious hymns.
CBSO Nelsons Conducts Shostakovich
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Tue 27 Apr 7:30pm Symphony Hall

Muddle or music? If you had just written the loudest, most ambitious, most terrifying symphony since Mahler, and found your music criticised in the national press on behalf of a leader who enjoyed killing anyone who got in his way, what would you do? Well, Shostakovich decided to withdraw his epic Fourth Symphony in 1936 before its first performance, only for it to resurface decades later and be recognised as one of his greatest masterpieces. An outstanding German violinist joins the Orchestra for a more optimistic 1930s classic.
*City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra* *Andris Nelsons* _conductor_ *Frank Peter Zimmermann* _violin_
*Bartók* Violin Concerto No 2 36’ *Shostakovich* Symphony No 4 60’
Vivaldi's Four Seasons Orchestra of the Swan
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Wed 28 Apr 2:30pm Town Hall

Vivaldi's Four Seasons needs no introduction but this afternoon Tasmin premieres the third of Four new Seasons from Roxanna Panufnik, commissioned by Orchestra of the Swan.
*Orchestra of the Swan* *David Curtis* conductor *Tasmin Little* violin/director
*Mozart* Divertimento K136 *Roxanna Panufnik* Indian Summer (world premiére) *Grieg* Holberg Suite *Vivaldi* The Four Seasons
Centre Stage - Stockhausen
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Thu 29 Apr 1:10pm Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

*Stockhausen* _Tierkreis_ Music by *Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Duke Ellington* and *Bruno Heinen*.
*Ulrich Heinen* _cello_ *Mark Goodchild* _double bass_ *Bruno Heinen* _piano_
*Stockhausen* _Tierkreis_ Music by *Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Duke Ellington* and *Bruno Heinen*.
CBSO Tuned In: Shostakovich Symphony No 4
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Thu 29 Apr 7:30pm Symphony Hall

Shostakovich’s massive Fourth Symphony is a devastating portrait of the most turbulent years in 20th-century history. In this concert with a difference, broadcaster Stephen Johnson explains the many stories behind this extraordinary work, and shows how Shostakovich uses his huge orchestra to such unforgettable effect - with live illustrations from Andris Nelsons and the 110-piece CBSO! Then there’s a chance to hear the whole symphony. Whether you know and love the Fourth - or you’re new to Shostakovich - this concert will help you hear it with new ears.
*City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra* *Andris Nelsons* _conductor_ *Stephen Johnson* _presenter_
Introduction to Shostakovich’s Fourth Symphony, with live orchestral examples 45’ _interval_ *Shostakovich* Symphony No 4 60’
Notelets SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL
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Sat 1 May 11:00am Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

A mini concert for 3-5 year olds and their families. Come and explore the beat with the CBSO’s percussion.
Notelets SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL
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Sat 1 May 2:00pm Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

A mini concert for 3-5 year olds and their families. Come and explore the beat with the CBSO’s percussion.
Mass in B Minor
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Sat 1 May 7:30pm Town Hall

Bach’s epic setting of the Mass is the equal of anything he composed, but is less often performed than his Passion settings. A tremendously powerful piece, it demands exceptional virtuosity and stamina from the performers - and will be greatly anticipated by them.
*Ex Cathedra Choir and Baroque Orchestra* *Jeffrey Skidmore* Conductor *Julia Doyle* Soprano *Mark Chambers* Alto *Matthew Venner* Alto *Christopher Watson* Tenor *Greg Skidmore* Baritone *Edward Grint* Bass
Britten Sinfonia at Lunch
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Tue 4 May 1:00pm Town Hall

BBC New Generation artist, Gwilym Simcock sits at the meeting point of classical and jazz music. Hailed as both a gifted pianist and imaginative composer, Gwilym presents a new work scored for piano trio in which he will also perform.
*Jacqueline Shave* _violin_ *Caroline Dearnley* _cello_ *Gwilym Simcock* _piano*_
*Gwilym Simcock* New Work* (World première tour) *Messiaen* _Louange à l’Éternité de Jésus_ *Ravel* Piano Trio
Tchaikovsky and Philip Glass
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Wed 5 May 7:30pm Symphony Hall

The Moscow State Symphony Orchestra is one of Russia’s leading orchestras. At the very heart of its repertoire lies Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony - a journey from dark and brooding tragedy to an overwhelming sense of energy and fulfilment. Young British violinist Chloë Hanslip takes centre stage for the clean, pulsating lines of Philip Glass’s unforgettable Violin Concerto. Classic FM’s Anne-Marie Minhall, says of tonight’s recommended concert: _“Philip Glass is one of America’s best-known living composers. His Violin Concerto is a Classic FM favourite. The second movement in particular manages to be both haunting and moving at the same time.”_ 6.15pm Pre-concert talk with Lyndon Jenkins
*Moscow State Symphony Orchestra* *Pavel Kogan* _conductor_ *Chloë Hanslip* _violin_
*Borodin* Overture, _Prince Igor_ 11’ *Philip Glass* Violin Concerto 30’ *Tchaikovsky* Symphony No 5 50’
Centre Stage - Russian String Quartets CBSO Players
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Fri 7 May 1:10pm Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

*Tchaikovsky* String Quartet No 1 *Shostakovich* String Quartet No 6
*CBSO Players*
*Tchaikovsky* String Quartet No 1 *Shostakovich* String Quartet No 6