CBSO Concerts

7.00pmSaturday 15th September

OPENING CONCERT: MAHLER'S RESURRECTION

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Nelsons, Fox, Fujimura, CBSO Chorus

Strauss, Mahler

Mahler's Resurrection Symphony starts with a funeral march, and finishes with the end of the world itself. And if that sounds like a spectacular opening to our season, just wait...

7.30pmSaturday 10th November

CITY OF BIRMINGHAM CHOIR: BRAHMS & RAUTAVAARA

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Lucas, Routledge, Rice, City of Birmingham Choir

Rautavaara, Brahms

Indulge yourself in Brahms' beautiful and lyrical Requiem and the atmospheric, mystical, romantic music of Rautavaara. "Stunningly accomplished performance. Birmingham Post ...

7.00pmFriday 7th December

CITY OF BIRMINGHAM CHOIR - HANDEL: MESSIAH

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Lucas, Atherton, Field, Boden, George, City of Birmingham Choir

Handel

Put your Christmas preparations on hold and enjoy an evening of musical luxury at one of the City of Birmingham Choir's highly acclaimed Messiah performances. "Thrilling with intensity and sparkling commitment." Birmingham...

7.30pmFriday 21st December

FESTIVE FAVOURITES WITH ALAN TITCHMARSH

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Halsey, Titchmarsh, CBSO Chorus, CBSO Children's Chorus, CBSO Young Voices

Festive Favourites with Alan Titchmarsh

The CBSO's traditional Christmas Concerts are as much a part of a Birmingham Christmas as crowds in the Bullring and glühwein in Victoria Square! So join the CBSO and its...

3.00pmSaturday 5th January

VIENNESE NEW YEAR

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Yates, Edwards

Viennese New Year

Programme includes: Johann Strauss II: Tritsch-Tratsch Polka • Annen-Polka • Blue Danube Waltz • Thunder and Lightning Polka Suppé: Overture - Poet and Peasant • Lehár: Gold and Silver Waltz • Kreisler: Viennese Rhapsodic...

7.30pmWednesday 9th January

THE BIRMINGHAM BEETHOVEN CYCLE: SYMPHONIES 4 & 5

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Nelsons, Sampson

The Birmingham Beethoven Cycle

Everyone knows the first four notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony; if that's all you know, you're in for a thrilling surprise, as Andris Nelsons' Beethoven odyssey arrives at the most...

2.15pmThursday 10th January

THE BIRMINGHAM BEETHOVEN CYCLE: SYMPHONIES 4 & 5

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Nelsons, Sampson

The Birmingham Beethoven Cycle

Everyone knows the first four notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony; if that's all you know, you're in for a thrilling surprise, as Andris Nelsons' Beethoven odyssey arrives at the most...

11.00amFriday 11th January

SCHOOLS CONCERT: GOING GLOBAL

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Seal, Malloy

Going Global

Bliss: Things to Come: March 4' Debussy: Petite Suite: En Bateau 4' Fenton: Blue Whale from the Blue Planet 5' Sculthorpe: Kakadu 5' ...

1.00pmFriday 11th January

SCHOOLS CONCERT: GOING GLOBAL

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Seal, Malloy

Going Global

Bliss: Things to Come: March 4' Debussy: Petite Suite: En Bateau 4' Fenton: Blue Whale from the Blue Planet 5' Sculthorpe: Kakadu 5' ...

7.30pmThursday 17th January

A BOY WAS BORN: A SPRING SYMPHONY

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Gardner, Gritton, O'Connor, Clayton, CBSO Choruses

Bridge, Elgar, Britten

It's deepest winter in Birmingham, but at Symphony Hall, it's spring! Benjamin Britten took a garland of poems, a children's choir and a fistful of folksongs, and threw together his...

11.00amFriday 18th January

SCHOOLS CONCERT: GOING GLOBAL

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Seal, Malloy

Going Global

Bliss: Things to Come: March 4' Debussy: Petite Suite: En Bateau 4' Fenton: Blue Whale from the Blue Planet 5' Sculthorpe: Kakadu 5' ...

1.00pmFriday 18th January

SCHOOLS CONCERT: GOING GLOBAL

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Seal, Malloy

Going Global

Bliss: Things to Come: March 4' Debussy: Petite Suite: En Bateau 4' Fenton: Blue Whale from the Blue Planet 5' Sculthorpe: Kakadu 5'...

7.00pmSaturday 19th January

A BOY WAS BORN: A SPRING SYMPHONY

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Gardner, Gritton, O'Connor, Clayton, CBSO Choruses

Bridge, Elgar, Britten

Save 25% in our January Sale. Book tickets for this concert between 19 - 27 January inclusive, and save 25% off full-price tickets. Terms & Conditions apply - click...

2.15pmWednesday 23rd January

NELSONS CONDUCTS TCHAIKOVSKY

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Nelsons, Trpceski

Strauss, Chopin, Tchaikovsky

Save 25% in our January Sale. Book tickets for this concert between 19 - 27 January inclusive, and save 25% off full-price tickets. Terms & Conditions apply - click...

7.30pmThursday 24th January

NELSONS CONDUCTS TCHAIKOVSKY

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Nelsons, Trpceski

Strauss, Chopin, Tchaikovsky

Save 25% in our January Sale. Book tickets for this concert between 19 - 27 January inclusive, and save 25% off full-price tickets. Terms & Conditions apply - click...

7.30pmWednesday 30th January

THE LABÈQUE SISTERS PLAY POULENC

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

McGegan, Labèque

Poulenc, Mozart

Katia and Marielle Labèque: the ultimate sister act! They're a byword for gallic charm, musical wit, and that irresistible, sparkling je ne sais quoi. And tonight's concert lets them loose...

7.30pmFriday 1st February

FRIDAY NIGHT CLASSICS: A CELEBRATION OF LERNER AND LOEWE

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Wilson, Beechey, Ford, Andrews, CBSO Chorus

A Celebration of Lerner and Loewe

Including favourite songs from: My Fair Lady • Camelot • Brigadoon • Paint Your Wagon • Gigi Wouldn't it be loverly? A whole feel-good evening devoted to the romantic melodies of...

7.00pmSunday 3rd February

SINGALONG WITH THE CBSO: HANDEL'S MESSIAH

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Halsey, CBSO Chorus

Handel's Messiah

The Hallelujah Chorus, For Unto us a Child is Born... It's not hard to see why Handel's Messiah is an all-time favourite, packed with instantly recognisable and distinctly hummable tunes...

7.30pmWednesday 6th February

A BOY WAS BORN: OSBORNE PLAYS BRITTEN'S PIANO CONCERTO

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Volkov, Osborne

Sibelius, Britten, Oswald

"Other composers mix cocktails," said Jean Sibelius, "but I serve pure, cool water." And he never served anything purer or more beautiful than his radiant Sixth Symphony, or more mysterious...

3.00pmSunday 10th February

FAMILY CONCERT: PETER AND THE WOLF

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Seal, Arlidge

Peter and the Wolf

Once upon a time, a composer wrote a fairytale for orchestra! With every action in the story depicted in glorious orchestral colour, it's no surprise that Peter and the Wolf...

2.15pmThursday 14th February

THE YEAR 1913: BALLETS RUSSES

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Young, Ehnes

Mussorgsky, Sibelius, Debussy, Stravinsky

Paris, 1913: and a radical team of composers, artists and dancers ignites a revolution. Welcome to the fabulous world of the Ballets Russes, where Stravinsky paints Russian fairytales in rainbow...

7.00pmSaturday 16th February

THE YEAR 1913: BALLETS RUSSES

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Young, Ehnes

Mussorgsky, Sibelius, Debussy, Stravinsky

Paris, 1913: and a radical team of composers, artists and dancers ignites a revolution. Welcome to the fabulous world of the Ballets Russes, where Stravinsky paints Russian fairytales in rainbow...

4.00pmSunday 17th February

EX CATHEDRA: THE FACE OF HUMANITY

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Skidmore, Briggs, Davidson, Skidmore, Ex Cathdra Choir, CBSO

Poulenc, Fauré

"I wanted to write something different," said Gabriel Fauré, and his Requiem is exactly that. There's no terror or rage here: just music of deep peace, tender humanity, and -...

7.30pmWednesday 20th February

THE YEAR 1913: FALSTAFF

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Litton, Kempf

Elgar, Prokofiev, Respighi

When England's greatest composer met England's greatest writer, the results were bound to be special. Elgar's Falstaff might just be his masterpiece; it's a big-hearted, deeply personal tribute to Shakespeare's...

7.30pmFriday 22nd February

FRIDAY NIGHT CLASSICS: A NIGHT AT THE OSCARS

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Davis, Shipp

A Night at the Oscars

No great film is complete without a memorable soundtrack. So, in the midst of awards season, join us as we roll out the red carpet for an evening of music...

7.00pmSunday 24th February

CBSO YOUTH ORCHESTRA: MAHLER'S FIFTH

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Litton, Bavouzet

Ravel, Mahler

A song of love, death and delirious joy…there's a lifetime of emotion in Mahler's tremendous Fifth Symphony. Yet the superb young musicians of the CBSO Youth Orchestra will go straight...

2.15pmWednesday 27th February

MOZART AND MAHLER

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Orozco-Estrada, Ek

Mozart, Mahler

Mozart: Symphony No. 38 (Prague) 26' Mozart: Arias 15' Le nozze di Figaro - Deh, vieni non tardar La finta giardiniera - Geme la tortorella Idomeneo - Padre, germani addio Mahler: Symphony No. 4 55' Sleigh-bells...

7.30pmThursday 28th February

MOZART AND MAHLER

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Orozco-Estrada, Ek

Mozart, Mahler

Mozart: Symphony No. 38 (Prague) 26' Mozart: Arias 15' Le nozze di Figaro - Deh, vieni non tardar La finta giardiniera - Geme la tortorella Idomeneo - Padre, germani addio Mahler: Symphony No. 4 55' Sleigh-bells...

7.30pmWednesday 6th March

A BOY WAS BORN: BOSTRIDGE SINGS BRITTEN

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Seal, Bostridge

Elgar, Britten

Thought you knew British music? Think again, as CBSO associate conductor Michael Seal conducts an evening of soaring passions and tender secrets. Elgar's In the South explodes in a burst...

7.30pmThursday 7th March

TUNED IN: ELGAR'S ENIGMA

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Seal, Rissmann

Elgar's Enigma

An introduction to Elgar's In the South 20' Elgar: In the South 20' interval An introduction to Elgar's Enigma Variations 20' Elgar: Enigma Variations 32' Elgar didn't call them the "Enigma" variations for nothing! In this...

7.30pmFriday 8th March

FRIDAY NIGHT CLASSICS: THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER™

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Yates, Harris, Scott, Rawle, Davies

The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber™

Including hits from Love Never Dies • The Phantom of the Opera • Cats • Evita • Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat • The Woman in White • Starlight...

7.00pmSaturday 16th March

THE FLYING DUTCHMAN

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Nelsons, Wilson, Henschel, Bezuyen, Spence, Rutherford, CBSO Chorus

Wagner

In the teeth of the storm, a sea captain shakes his fist at the devil - and is cursed to roam the seas until doomsday. Only love can save him,...

2.15pmTuesday 19th March

LEONSKAJA PLAYS GRIEG

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Vedernikov, Leonskaja

Sibelius, Grieg, Rachmaninov

An angry snarl, an ominous chant, and a doom-laden fanfare - and that's just the start! When the young Sergei Rachmaninov launched his First Symphony, he didn't pull his punches....

2.15pmTuesday 19th March

THE BIRMINGHAM BEETHOVEN CYCLE: SYMPHONIES 1 & 2

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Nelsons, Skride

The Birmingham Beethoven Cycle

The symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven are the greatest journey any conductor and orchestra can take together. All of human experience is contained in these nine life-changing masterpieces. Here, Andris...

2.15pmTuesday 19th March

DVORÁK'S NEW WORLD SYMPHONY

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Collon, Piemontesi

Berlioz, Mozart, Dvorák

As the inspiration behind London's award-winning Aurora Orchestra, the young British conductor Nicholas Collon has thrown aside convention and let fresh air in on the capital's music scene. Making his...

2.15pmTuesday 19th March

AUTUMN CONTRASTS

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Manze, Gibbons

Mozart, Vaughan Williams, Schumann

Engaging, inspired and endlessly lively, Andrew Manze is quickly making a name as one of the most charismatic conductors around - and a firm favourite with musicians and audiences alike....

3.00pmTuesday 19th March

FAMILY CONCERT: THE MAD HATTER'S TEA PARTY

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Seal, Malloy

The Mad Hatter's Tea Party

Tumble down the rabbit hole this afternoon, and join the CBSO for the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. We don't need special effects to conjure up the mad magical...

3.00pmTuesday 19th March

FESTIVE FAVOURITES WITH ALAN TITCHMARSH

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Halsey, Titchmarsh, CBSO Chorus, CBSO Children's Chorus, CBSO Young Voices

Festive Favourites with Alan Titchmarsh

The CBSO's traditional Christmas Concerts are as much a part of a Birmingham Christmas as crowds in the Bullring and glühwein in Victoria Square! So join the CBSO and its...

7.00pmTuesday 19th March

BRUCH'S VIOLIN CONCERTO

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Weller, Ivanov

Weber, Bruch, Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky always wore his heart on his sleeve, and no question - in his Fifth Symphony, you can hear it. Deep sorrow, exuberant joy and pure, uninhibited passion...they're all there,...

7.00pmTuesday 19th March

CBSO YOUTH ORCHESTRA: THE NUTCRACKER

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Vedernikov, CBSO Youth Orchestra, CBSO Children's Chorus

Tchaikovsky

The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Waltz of the Flowers, the Kingdom of Sweets…everyone loves Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker. But it's so much more than just the the famous...

7.00pmTuesday 19th March

LEONSKAJA PLAYS GRIEG

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Vedernikov, Leonskaja

Sibelius, Grieg, Rachmaninov

An angry snarl, an ominous chant, and a doom-laden fanfare - and that's just the start! When the young Sergei Rachmaninov launched his First Symphony, he didn't pull his punches....

7.00pmTuesday 19th March

THE BIRMINGHAM BEETHOVEN CYCLE: TUNED IN - THE EROICA

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Nelsons, Johnson

The Birmingham Beethoven Cycle

An introduction to Beethoven's Eroica Symphony, with live orchestral examples 35' interval Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 (Eroica) 47' Beethoven's Eroica Symphony changed the course of musical history. But it's not just a thrilling...

7.30pmTuesday 19th March

THE BIRMINGHAM BEETHOVEN CYCLE: SYMPHONIES 1 & 2

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Nelsons, Skride

The Birmingham Beethoven Cycle

The symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven are the greatest journey any conductor and orchestra can take together. All of human experience is contained in these nine life-changing masterpieces. Here, Andris...

7.30pmTuesday 19th March

BRUCH'S VIOLIN CONCERTO

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Weller, Ivanov

Weber, Bruch, Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky always wore his heart on his sleeve, and no question - in his Fifth Symphony, you can hear it. Deep sorrow, exuberant joy and pure, uninhibited passion...they're all there,...

7.30pmTuesday 19th March

SUNLIGHT AND SHADOWS

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Gardner, Sokolov

Smetana, Bartók, Dvorák

Bohemian rhapsodies: when Smetana's overture to The Bartered Bride burst into fizzing dancing life, so did Czech music. CBSO principal guest conductor Edward Gardner directs a concert of warm sunshine...

7.30pmTuesday 19th March

FRIDAY NIGHT CLASSICS: SUE PERKINS' CARTOON CLASSICS

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Seal, Perkins

Sue Perkins' Cartoon Classics

Including: Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker - Waltz of the Flowers Stravinsky: Firebird Suite Elgar: Pomp + Circumstance 4 Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 Wagner: Ride of the Valkyries Henry Mancini: Pink Panther Danny Elfman: Simpsons Dukas: The Sorcerer's Apprentice Strauss: Die...

7.30pmTuesday 19th March

THE YEAR 1912: BRAVE NEW WORLDS

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

van Steen

Schoenberg, Mahler

Mahler called it his "song of the night", and it's true: the Seventh is a Mahler symphony like no other. It begins in a boat on an Alpine lake and...

7.30pmTuesday 19th March

THE BIRMINGHAM BEETHOVEN CYCLE: MASS IN C

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Elts, Leese, Rüütel, Murray, Loges, CBSO Chorus

The Birmingham Beethoven Cycle

"What do I care for your wretched violin?" demanded Ludwig van Beethoven. "I am speaking to my God." And whatever your beliefs, there's always something profoundly inspiring about hearing one...

7.30pmTuesday 19th March

FRIDAY NIGHT CLASSICS: THE MUSIC OF BURT BACHARACH

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Balcombe, Bickley, Lark, Jiear

The Music of Burt Bacharach

What The World Needs Now • Magic Moments • Do You Know The Way To San Jose? • Walk On By • Say A Little Prayer • Raindrops Keep Falling...

7.30pmTuesday 19th March

BENEDETTI PLAYS SZYMANOWSKI

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Ono, Benedetti

Dvořák, Szymanowski, Bartók

Nicola Benedetti is surely one of Britain's best-loved violinists - and no player is closer to Karol Szymanowski's glittering First Violin Concerto, the piece with which...

7.30pmTuesday 19th March

NELSONS CONDUCTS BRUCKNER'S EIGHTH

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Young

Bruckner

PLUS - a late-night performance Birmingham Contemporary Music Group Claire Booth - soprano Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire 38' It's a cliché to call Bruckner's symphonies "cathedrals in sound". True, Bruckner's Eighth Symphony is one of...

7.30pmTuesday 19th March

CBSO BENEVOLENT FUND CONCERT

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Nelsons, Skride, Müller-Schott, Vogt

The Birmingham Beethoven Cycle

The Birmingham Beethoven Cycle: The Eroica Two chords slam out, and music will never be the same again. Beethoven's mighty Eroica Symphony changed the course of musical history - but it's not...

7.30pmTuesday 19th March

FESTIVE FAVOURITES WITH ALAN TITCHMARSH

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Halsey, Titchmarsh, CBSO Chorus, CBSO Youth Chorus

Festive Favourites with Alan Titchmarsh

The CBSO's traditional Christmas Concerts are as much a part of a Birmingham Christmas as crowds in the Bullring and glühwein in Victoria Square! So join the CBSO and its...

7.30pmTuesday 19th March

FESTIVE FAVOURITES WITH ALAN TITCHMARSH

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Halsey, Titchmarsh, CBSO Chorus, CBSO Youth Chorus

Festive Favourites with Alan Titchmarsh

The CBSO's traditional Christmas Concerts are as much a part of a Birmingham Christmas as crowds in the Bullring and glühwein in Victoria Square! So join the CBSO and its...

7.30pmTuesday 19th March

SPECTACULAR CLASSICS

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Rigby, Redgwick, O'Brien, City of Birmingham Choir

Spectacular Classics

Wagner: Prelude to Lohengrin Act III Sousa: Stars and Stripes Forever Handel: Hallelujah Chorus Tchaikovsky: Sleeping Beauty Waltz Verdi: Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves Puccini: O soave fanciulla La Boheme Verdi: Brindisi La Traviata Ravel:...

7.30pmWednesday 20th March

THE BIRMINGHAM BEETHOVEN CYCLE: SYMPHONIES 6 & 7

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Nelsons, Jackson

The Birmingham Beethoven Cycle

From spring-fresh opening to serene finish, there's no experience in music more life-affirming than Beethoven's lovely Pastoral Symphony. And there's none more gloriously, exuberantly, physical than his unstoppable Seventh. Andris...

2.15pmThursday 21st March

THE BIRMINGHAM BEETHOVEN CYCLE: SYMPHONIES 6 & 7

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Nelsons, Jackson

The Birmingham Beethoven Cycle

From spring-fresh opening to serene finish, there's no experience in music more life-affirming than Beethoven's lovely Pastoral Symphony. And there's none more gloriously, exuberantly, physical than his unstoppable Seventh. Andris...

7.30pmThursday 28th March

COSMIC DANCES

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Matheuz, Moser

Moncayo, Chapela, Prokofiev

They call it "El Sistema": the Latin American phenomenon that's got the whole world of classical music dancing with excitement. Tonight, we welcome...

2.15pmWednesday 10th April

VIENNESE MASTERS

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Gardner, Gerstein

Reger, Schubert, Brahms

Unfortunately, Cédric Tiberghien has had to withdraw from this concert due to illness. We are very grateful to Kirill Gerstein who has agreed to take his place at short notice....

7.30pmThursday 11th April

VIENNESE MASTERS

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Gardner, Gerstein

Reger, Schubert, Brahms

Unfortunately, Cédric Tiberghien has had to withdraw from this concert due to illness. We are very grateful to Kirill Gerstein who has agreed to take his place at short notice....

7.30pmWednesday 17th April

COMEDY AND TRAGEDY

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Sinaisky, Thomas

Shostakovich, Hummel, Beethoven

Comedy or tragedy? Shostakovich, like Shakespeare, knew that great art can be both at once. Maybe that's why his powerful Sixth Symphony swings from black despair to knockabout fun, and...

7.30pmFriday 19th April

FRIDAY NIGHT CLASSICS: CAN'T HELP SINGING

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Wilson, Criswell

Hollywood's Leading Ladies

Hollywood's Leading Ladies Big screen, big stars, and big, big tunes! Tonight we toast the greatest leading ladies of Hollywood's golden age, from Judy Garland and Julie Andrews to Bette Midler...

2.15pmWednesday 24th April

BRITISH CLASSICS

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Wilson, Staples

Walton, Vaughan Williams, Britten, Coates, Sullivan, Elgar, Farnon, Grainger, Wood

Walton: Crown Imperial 7' Vaughan Williams: On Wenlock Edge 23' Britten: Soirées musicales 11' Coates: The Seven Seas 4' Sullivan: Iolanthe - Overture 5' Elgar: Rosemary ('That's for Remembrance') 3' Farnon: The Peanut Polka 3' Grainger: Shepherd's Hey...

7.30pmThursday 2nd May

ANDRIS NELSONS AND MITSUKO UCHIDA

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Nelsons, Uchida

Webern, Mozart, Messiaen, Scriabin

To call Mitsuko Uchida a legend is to sell her short: she's a byword for freshness, intelligence, and the special poetry that comes from a...

7.00pmSaturday 4th May

ANDRIS NELSONS AND MITSUKO UCHIDA

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Nelsons, Uchida

Webern, Mozart, Messiaen, Scriabin

To call Mitsuko Uchida a legend is to sell her short: she's a byword for freshness, intelligence, and the special poetry that comes from a...

7.30pmWednesday 8th May

VIVA ITALIA!

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Nelsons

Strauss, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky

Roman holidays: when northern composers headed for Italy, it never took them long to go native. Felix Mendelssohn wrote a symphony that positively dances in the sunlight, and Tchaikovsky had...

2.15pmThursday 9th May

VIVA ITALIA!

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Nelsons

Strauss, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky

Roman holidays: when northern composers headed for Italy, it never took them long to go native. Felix Mendelssohn wrote a symphony that positively dances in the sunlight, and Tchaikovsky had...

7.30pmWednesday 15th May

VARIATIONS ON AMERICA

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Coorey, Williams

Ives, Hermann, Copland, Adams, Bernstein

No country is as diverse as the USA - and that goes for its music too. But whether you're walking Leonard Bernstein's mean streets or deep in Aaron Copland's green...

7.30pmFriday 17th May

FRIDAY NIGHT CLASSICS: SILENT HEROES - HAROLD LLOYD

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Davis

Silent Heroes - Harold Lloyd

High and Dizzy 26' The Freshman 76' If The Artist and Hugo have got you intrigued by the world of silent movie, indulge in the real thing as Symphony Hall becomes a...

3.00pmSunday 19th May

FAMILY CONCERT: INCREDIBLE ADVENTURES

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Bell, Rissmann, CBSO Youth Chorus

Incredible Adventures

Step into Symphony Hall this afternoon, and it won't be a Sunday in Birmingham any more - you'll be whisked off on an incredible musical adventure with the CBSO. We...

2.15pmWednesday 22nd May

TRIFONOV PLAYS TCHAIKOVSKY

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Venzago, Trifonov

Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Schumann

The Orchestra throws down the challenge; the piano strides forward; and on a great wave of melody, Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto surges into life. The greatest of all Romantic piano...

7.30pmThursday 23rd May

TRIFONOV PLAYS TCHAIKOVSKY

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Venzago, Trifonov

Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Schumann

The Orchestra throws down the challenge; the piano strides forward; and on a great wave of melody, Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto surges into life. The greatest of all Romantic piano...

7.30pmTuesday 28th May

A BOY WAS BORN: NELSONS CONDUCTS BRITTEN'S WAR REQUIEM

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Nelsons, Opolais, Padmore, Müller-Brachmann, CBSO Choruses

Britten

"My subject is War, and the pity of War." Benjamin Britten composed his War Requiem for the new Coventry Cathedral, but it's become one of the defining ...

11.00amThursday 13th June

SCHOOLS CONCERT: BIRMINGHAM HISTORY

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Seal, The Play House

Birmingham History

Sold out - Birmingham's past is full of real-life drama and sparks of creativity, from the industrial revolution to wartime bombing - and of course, the birth of the city's...

1.00pmThursday 13th June

SCHOOLS CONCERT: BIRMINGHAM HISTORY

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Seal, The Play House

Birmingham History

Sold out Birmingham's past is full of real-life drama and sparks of creativity, from the industrial revolution to wartime bombing - and of course, the birth of the city's very own...

7.30pmThursday 20th June

FLOWERS AND FABLES

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Gardner, Crowe

Sibelius, Lutoslawski

Sibelius took the classical symphony and charged it with the freshness and energy of nature itself. Lutoslawski, meanwhile, launched brilliant musical fireworks into the grey skies of postwar Poland. Edward...

7.30pmFriday 21st June

FRIDAY NIGHT CLASSICS: OL' BLUE EYES

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Dunk, Williams

Ol' Blue Eyes

Including: Let's Face the Music and Dance • New York, New York • Old Man River • You Make Me Feel So Young • Come Fly With Me • Luck Be A...

7.30pmThursday 27th June

THE BIRMINGHAM BEETHOVEN CYCLE: SYMPHONIES 8 & 9

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Nelons, Crowe, Fujimura, Johnson, Paterson, CBSO Chorus

The Birmingham Beethoven Cycle

It's been an incredible journey, and tonight Andris Nelsons, the CBSO and our world-class Chorus arrive at Beethoven's Ninth Symphony: the summit of any Beethoven cycle - and some say,...

7.00pmSaturday 29th June

THE BIRMINGHAM BEETHOVEN CYCLE: SYMPHONIES 8 & 9

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Nelsons, Crowe, Fujimura, Johnson, Paterson, CBSO Chorus

The Birmingham Beethoven Cycle

It's been an incredible journey, and tonight Andris Nelsons, the CBSO and our world-class Chorus arrive at Beethoven's Ninth Symphony: the summit of any Beethoven cycle - and some say,...

7.30pmTuesday 9th July

MARK KERMODE: FILM MUSIC LIVE

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Ziegler, Kermode

Film Music Live

Music to include: Goldsmith: Planet of the Apes Oldfield arr Ziegler: The Exorcist Hermann: North By Northwest Hermann: Taxi Driver Davies: The Devils Greenwood: There Will Be Blood Sherman & Sherman: Mary Poppins Overture Badalamenti: Twin Peaks: Fire...

7.30pmFriday 12th July

FRIDAY NIGHT CLASSICS: JOHN WILLIAMS BLOCKBUSTERS

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Brossé, Pearson

John Williams Blockbusters

Including music from: Raiders of the Lost Ark • Jurassic Park • War Horse • Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade • Munich • Memoirs of a Geisha • Catch Me If You...

7.30pmWednesday 4th September

THE MUSIC OF A. R. RAHMAN

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Dunkley

The Music of A. R. Rahman

Including music from: Slumdog Millionaire • Lord of the Rings • Lagaan • Warriors of Heaven & Earth • The Rising • Passage • Cry of the Rose • 127 Hours • Bombay...

7.30pmWednesday 11th September

CBSO BENEVOLENT FUND CONCERT

Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0600

Vedernikov, Leonskaja

Glinka, Grieg, Tchaikovsky

The horns blast out a savage fanfare; the trumpets scream in reply... Hold tight, because this is Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony, and you're about to witness one of the most inspired...