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7.30pmFriday 18th May
FRIDAY NIGHT CLASSICS: BURMAN IN BOLLYWOOD
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Seal, Shin, Ali, Pal, Hussain
Burman in Bollywood
One of the world's great film composers, and affectionately known in India as Pancham Da, R D Burman was among the biggest names in Bollywood music, writing ...
7.00pmSaturday 19th May
VISIONS OF ENGLAND
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Manze, Milne
Elgar, Britten, Vaughan Williams
Premiered in the darkest days of the Second World War, Vaughan Williams's Fifth Symphony seemed like a vision of peace. And if you enjoy British music at its transcendent best,...
3.00pmSunday 20th May
FAMILY CONCERT: MUSIC FOR CHAMPIONS
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Coorey, Malloy, CBSO Children's Chorus
Music for Champions
Shostakovich: Festive Overture 6' Strauss: Perpetuum mobile 3' Williams arr. Malloy: Summon the Heroes 4' Chilcott: Four Minute Mile 4' Chopin arr. Mouton: Minute Waltz 3' Lehar: Gold and Silver Waltz 6' Conti: Gonna Fly Now...
7.30pmThursday 24th May
THE YEAR 1912: IVES AND PROKOFIEV
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Litton, de la Salle
Ives, Prokofiev, Walton
1912: and as Charles Ives imagined what it would sound like if two marching bands collided, the student Prokofiev threw his feisty First Piano Concerto straight in the faces of...
7.30pmFriday 1st June
FRIDAY NIGHT CLASSICS: DIAMOND JUBILATIONS
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Bell
Diamond Jubilations
Programme to include: Walton: Crown Imperial 7' Desplat: The Queen 5' Walton: Henry V - Suite 8' Coates: Suite, The Three Elizabeths 18' Elgar: Coronation March 10' Bliss: Welcome The Queen 7' Elgar: Nursery Suite - highlights...
7.30pmThursday 7th June
THE SPIRIT OF DEFIANCE
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Nelsons, Skride
Gubaidulina, Shostakovich
The Soviet censors called it an "optimistic tragedy". Shostakovich simply called it his Tenth Symphony. Dark, impassioned, packed with secret messages and featuring a terrifying musical portrait of Stalin himself,...
7.00pmSaturday 9th June
NELSONS CONDUCTS SHOSTAKOVICH
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Nelsons, Römer
Dvorák, Bartók, Shostakovich
Dark, impassioned, packed with secret messages and featuring a terrifying musical portrait of Stalin himself, Shostakovich's Tenth is a true twentieth-century masterpiece. Andris Nelsons feels a special kinship with Shostakovich's...
7.30pmTuesday 12th June
SYMPHONY HALL 21ST ANNIVERSARY CONCERT
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Nelsons, Halsey, Rice, Terfel, CBSO Chorus
Elgar, Ravel, Donizetti, Hazell, Puccini
Symphony Hall has been called one of the wonders of the musical world. Tonight, we toast its coming of age in the company of three more: Andris Nelsons,...
7.30pmWednesday 13th June
SYMPHONY HALL 21ST ANNIVERSARY CONCERT
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Nelsons, Halsey, Rice, Terfel, CBSO Chorus
Elgar, Ravel, Donizetti, Hazell, Puccini
Symphony Hall has been called one of the wonders of the musical world. Tonight, we toast its coming of age in the company of three more: Andris Nelsons,...
7.30pmThursday 21st June
LONDON 2012 FESTIVAL OPENING CONCERT
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Gardner, CBSO Choruses
Harvey
The world’s greatest music - made in Birmingham. On the opening night of the ...
11.00amWednesday 27th June
SCHOOLS CONCERT: WORLD IN HARMONY
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Seal, Malloy
CBSO Schools concert for Key Stage 2 students
This summer, the whole world is coming together in Britain - and there's no better way to bring people together than with music. Hear some of the most inspiring melodies...
1.00pmWednesday 27th June
SCHOOLS CONCERT: WORLD IN HARMONY
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Seal, Malloy
CBSO Schools concert for Key Stage 2 students
This summer, the whole world is coming together in Britain - and there's no better way to bring people together than with music. Hear some of the most inspiring melodies...
2.15pmThursday 28th June
SUMMER SERENADE
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Jackson, Yates
Elgar, Mozart, Barber, Dvorák
Some music just says "summer". Elgar and Dvorák both loved the countryside, and in their lovely Serenades for Strings, you can practically smell the blossom and hear the bees. The...
11.00amSaturday 30th June
NOTELETS: ON YOUR MARKS, GET SET...GO!
CBSO Centre, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0491
CBSO Players
An interactive mini-concert for 3-5 year olds and their families
An interactive mini-concert for 3-5 year olds and their families. Join us for some energetic sporty music to kick off an exciting summer! Enjoy craft workshops with Pumpkin Arts one hour before...
1.30pmSaturday 30th June
NOTELETS: ON YOUR MARKS, GET SET...GO!
CBSO Centre, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0491
CBSO Players
An interactive mini-concert for 3-5 year olds and their families
An interactive mini-concert for 3-5 year olds and their families. Join us for some energetic sporty music to kick off an exciting summer! Enjoy craft workshops with Pumpkin Arts one hour before...
3.30pmSaturday 30th June
NOTELETS: ON YOUR MARKS, GET SET...GO!
CBSO Centre, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0491
CBSO Players
An interactive mini-concert for 3-5 year olds and their families
An interactive mini-concert for 3-5 year olds and their families. Join us for some energetic sporty music to kick off an exciting summer! Enjoy craft workshops with Pumpkin Arts one hour before...
7.30pmFriday 6th July
FRIDAY NIGHT CLASSICS: SCI-FI SYMPHONY III
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Davis
Sci-Fi Symphony III
Including music from: Star Wars 2001: A Space Odyssey Star Trek The Planets E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial Independence Day Red Dwarf Stargate Thunderbirds Back by popular demand, Carl Davis takes the CBSO on a fantastic journey through some of the...
7.30pmThursday 23rd August
NELSONS CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN'S NINTH
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Nelsons, CBSO Chorus
Brahms, Beethoven
From tragic opening to climactic, world-embracing "Ode to Joy", Beethoven's Ninth has never been just another symphony - it's an emotional experience with the power to change lives. Every performance...
7.00pmSaturday 15th September
OPENING CONCERT: MAHLER'S RESURRECTION
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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...
7.30pmWednesday 19th September
THE BIRMINGHAM BEETHOVEN CYCLE: SYMPHONIES 1 & 2
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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...
2.15pmThursday 20th September
THE BIRMINGHAM BEETHOVEN CYCLE: SYMPHONIES 1 & 2
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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...
7.30pmThursday 27th September
BRUCH'S VIOLIN CONCERTO
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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,...
7.00pmSaturday 29th September
BRUCH'S VIOLIN CONCERTO
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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,...
2.15pmTuesday 2nd October
DVORÁK'S NEW WORLD SYMPHONY
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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...
11.00amSaturday 13th October
NOTELETS
CBSO Centre, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0491
CBSO Players
An interactive mini-concert for 3-5 year olds and their families
Friendly mini-concerts to introduce the youngest members of the family to the magic of live music, with lots of participation for lively little feet. Specially devised for 3-5 year olds...
1.30pmSaturday 13th October
NOTELETS
CBSO Centre, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0491
CBSO Players
An interactive mini-concert for 3-5 year olds and their families
Friendly mini-concerts to introduce the youngest members of the family to the magic of live music, with lots of participation for lively little feet. Specially devised for 3-5 year olds...
3.30pmSaturday 13th October
NOTELETS
CBSO Centre, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0491
CBSO Players
An interactive mini-concert for 3-5 year olds and their families
Friendly mini-concerts to introduce the youngest members of the family to the magic of live music, with lots of participation for lively little feet. Specially devised for 3-5 year olds...
7.30pmWednesday 24th October
SUNLIGHT AND SHADOWS
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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...
7.00pmSunday 28th October
CBSO YOUTH ORCHESTRA: THE NUTCRACKER
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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...
2.15pmThursday 1st November
LEONSKAJA PLAYS GRIEG
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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....
7.00pmSaturday 3rd November
LEONSKAJA PLAYS GRIEG
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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....
2.15pmWednesday 7th November
AUTUMN CONTRASTS
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Manze, Gibbons
Mozart, Vaughan Williams, Schubert
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....
7.30pmFriday 9th November
FRIDAY NIGHT CLASSICS: SUE PERKINS' CARTOON CLASSICS
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Seal, Perkins
Sue Perkins' Cartoon Classics
Including: Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker 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 Fledermaus - Overture Rossini: The Barber...
7.30pmWednesday 14th November
THE YEAR 1912: BRAVE NEW WORLDS
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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...
3.00pmSunday 18th November
FAMILY CONCERT: THE MAD HATTER'S TEA PARTY
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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 world of...
7.30pmThursday 22nd November
THE BIRMINGHAM BEETHOVEN CYCLE: MASS IN C
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Elts, Leese, Rüütel, Johnson, 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...
7.30pmFriday 23rd November
FRIDAY NIGHT CLASSICS: THE MUSIC OF BURT BACHARACH
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Balcombe, Bickley, Lark, Simmons
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...
7.30pmWednesday 28th November
BENEDETTI PLAYS SZYMANOWSKI
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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 she won BBC Young...
7.30pmThursday 6th December
NELSONS CONDUCTS BRUCKNER'S EIGHTH
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Nelsons
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...
11.00amSaturday 8th December
NOËL NOTELETS
CBSO Centre, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0491
CBSO Players
An interactive mini-concert for 3-5 year olds and their families
A feast of festive favourites and seasonal fun, in an interactive mini-concert specially devised for 3-5 year olds and their families. ...
1.30pmSaturday 8th December
NOËL NOTELETS
CBSO Centre, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0491
CBSO Players
An interactive mini-concert for 3-5 year olds and their families
A feast of festive favourites and seasonal fun, in an interactive mini-concert specially devised for 3-5 year olds and their families. ...
3.30pmSaturday 8th December
NOËL NOTELETS
CBSO Centre, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0491
CBSO Players
An interactive mini-concert for 3-5 year olds and their families
A feast of festive favourites and seasonal fun, in an interactive mini-concert specially devised for 3-5 year olds and their families. ...
7.30pmThursday 13th December
CBSO BENEVOLENT FUND CONCERT
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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...
7.00pmSaturday 15th December
THE BIRMINGHAM BEETHOVEN CYCLE: TUNED IN - THE EROICA
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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...
7.30pmFriday 21st December
FESTIVE FAVOURITES WITH ALAN TITCHMARSH
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Halsey, Titchmarsh, CBSO Choruses
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...
7.30pmSaturday 22nd December
FESTIVE FAVOURITES WITH ALAN TITCHMARSH
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Halsey, Titchmarsh, CBSO Choruses
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...
3.00pmSunday 23rd December
FESTIVE FAVOURITES WITH ALAN TITCHMARSH
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Halsey, Titchmarsh, CBSO Choruses
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...
7.30pmSunday 23rd December
FESTIVE FAVOURITES WITH ALAN TITCHMARSH
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Halsey, Titchmarsh, CBSO Choruses
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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...
7.30pmThursday 17th January
A BOY WAS BORN: A SPRING SYMPHONY
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
Seal, Malloy
Going Global
From recycling to green energy, wildlife conservation to food miles, saving our planet for future generations is high up the political and educational agenda. In this concert specially devised for Key...
1.00pmFriday 18th January
SCHOOLS CONCERT: GOING GLOBAL
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Seal, Malloy
Going Global
From recycling to green energy, wildlife conservation to food miles, saving our planet for future generations is high up the political and educational agenda. In this concert specially devised for Key...
7.00pmSaturday 19th January
A BOY WAS BORN: A SPRING SYMPHONY
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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...
2.15pmWednesday 23rd January
NELSONS CONDUCTS TCHAIKOVSKY
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Nelsons, Trpceski
Strauss, Chopin, Tchaikovsky
Are you sitting comfortably? Because three composers want to tell you a story. Tchaikovsky surrenders to a Polish dance-rhythm, and ends up writing the happiest of all his symphonies. The...
7.30pmThursday 24th January
NELSONS CONDUCTS TCHAIKOVSKY
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Nelsons, Trpceski
Strauss, Chopin, Tchaikovsky
Are you sitting comfortably? Because three composers want to tell you a story. Tchaikovsky surrenders to a Polish dance-rhythm, and ends up writing the happiest of all his symphonies....
7.30pmWednesday 30th January
THE LABČQUE SISTERS PLAY POULENC
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
McGegan, Labčque
Poulenc, Mozart
Katia and Marielle Labčque: 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)121-780 3333
Wilson, Beechey, 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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
Davis
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
Davies, West End Vocalists
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...
11.00amSaturday 9th March
NOTELETS
CBSO Centre, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0491
CBSO Players
An interactive mini-concert for 3-5 year olds and their families
Friendly mini-concerts to introduce the youngest members of the family to the magic of live music, with lots of participation for lively little feet. Specially devised for 3-5 year olds...
1.30pmSaturday 9th March
NOTELETS
CBSO Centre, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0491
CBSO Players
An interactive mini-concert for 3-5 year olds and their families
Friendly mini-concerts to introduce the youngest members of the family to the magic of live music, with lots of participation for lively little feet. Specially devised for 3-5 year olds...
3.30pmSaturday 9th March
NOTELETS
CBSO Centre, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0491
CBSO Players
An interactive mini-concert for 3-5 year olds and their families
Friendly mini-concerts to introduce the youngest members of the family to the magic of live music, with lots of participation for lively little feet. Specially devised for 3-5 year olds...
7.00pmSaturday 16th March
THE FLYING DUTCHMAN
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Nelsons, Wilson, 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,...
7.30pmWednesday 20th March
THE BIRMINGHAM BEETHOVEN CYCLE: SYMPHONIES 6 & 7
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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 one of its most brilliant graduates, Diego...
2.15pmWednesday 10th April
VIENNESE MASTERS
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Gardner, Tiberghien
Reger, Schubert, Brahms
Serious fun. Brahms's Second Concerto is one of the peaks of the piano repertoire, as big as a symphony and breathtakingly difficult. Yet from dreamy opening to sparkling finish, every...
7.30pmThursday 11th April
VIENNESE MASTERS
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Gardner, Tiberghien
Reger, Schubert, Brahms
Serious fun. Brahms's Second Concerto is one of the peaks of the piano repertoire, as big as a symphony and breathtakingly difficult. Yet from dreamy opening to sparkling finish, every...
7.30pmWednesday 17th April
COMEDY AND TRAGEDY
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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 7' 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)121-780 3333
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 lifetime's devotion to the greatest...
7.00pmSaturday 4th May
ANDRIS NELSONS AND MITSUKO UCHIDA
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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 lifetime's devotion to the greatest...
7.30pmWednesday 8th May
VIVA ITALIA!
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
Bell, Rissmann
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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 achievements of modern...
11.00amThursday 13th June
SCHOOLS CONCERT: BIRMINGHAM HISTORY
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Seal, The Play House
Birmingham History
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 orchestra! In...
1.00pmThursday 13th June
SCHOOLS CONCERT: BIRMINGHAM HISTORY
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
Seal, The Play House
Birmingham History
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 orchestra! In...
7.30pmThursday 20th June
FLOWERS AND FABLES
Symphony Hall, Birmingham. +44 (0)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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)121-780 3333
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,...
11.00amSaturday 6th July
NOTELETS
CBSO Centre, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0491
CBSO Players
An interactive mini-concert for 3-5 year olds and their families
Friendly mini-concerts to introduce the youngest members of the family to the magic of live music, with lots of participation for lively little feet. Specially devised for 3-5 year olds...
1.30pmSaturday 6th July
NOTELETS
CBSO Centre, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0491
CBSO Players
An interactive mini-concert for 3-5 year olds and their families
Friendly mini-concerts to introduce the youngest members of the family to the magic of live music, with lots of participation for lively little feet. Specially devised for 3-5 year olds...
3.30pmSaturday 6th July
NOTELETS
CBSO Centre, Birmingham. +44 (0)121 345 0491
CBSO Players
An interactive mini-concert for 3-5 year olds and their families
Friendly mini-concerts to introduce the youngest members of the family to the magic of live music, with lots of participation for lively little feet. Specially devised for 3-5 year olds...
CBSO 2012/13 Season
CBSO Jan-Aug 2012 Concert Guide
