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A Symphony of Emotions: Exploring BBC NOW's Musical Masterpieces
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales invites audiences to a series of riveting concerts, showcasing a range of musical masterpieces performed by world-renowned artists. From the deeply personal notes of Bartók’s Violin Concerto to the vibrant Serenades of Brahms and Dvořák, and the cinematic sweep of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2, these events promise an unforgettable journey through soundscapes. With performances by distinguished musicians like James Ehnes and Ryan Bancroft, these concerts blend historic compositions with contemporary interpretations, captivating audiences with their emotive power.
May 22, 2025
Share1. Notes of Love
Unrequited love pervades in Bartók’s Violin Concerto. Written for violinist, and Bartók’s muse, Stefi Geyer, this two-movement concerto is a musical showcase of her personality – lamenting melodies and whimsical leaps abound in this deeply personal rhapsodic outpouring. Champion of this virtuosic firework display is world-renowned violinist James Ehnes, who returns to BBC NOW by popular demand.
29 - 30 May, 2025
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Symphony Hall in Birmingham + 1 other locations
2. Songs of Destiny
If historically serenades were intended as music for entertainment, then Brahms has most definitely excelled in his Serenade No. 2. This early work oozes Brahmsian character from the outset with its lilting warmth, lively cross rhythms, and plenteous melody to charm any listener.
Jun 20, 2025
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Cardiff · Wales Millennium Centre
3. Lesley's Lunchtime Concert
Caroline Shaw’s Punctum takes its musical inspiration from JS Bach’s St Matthew Passion, but twists the context of modular sequences with the inspiration of French post-structuralism to create a sensory palate of classicism without form; and from its Cantabile and lilting slow waltz to lively scherzos and humorous exuberance, Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings draws this concert to a joyous close.
3 - 4 Jul, 2025
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Cardiff · Wales Millennium Centre
4. Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto
A Romantic classic meets two 20th-century masterworks in a concert of widescreen orchestral drama. From its thunderous opening chords to its heartbreaking slow movement, Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 is an emotional tour de force. Ukraine-born Vadym Kholodenko joins the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Conductor Laureate Tadaaki Otaka. Framing the concerto are two orchestral showpieces: Bacewicz’s vibrant Concerto for String Orchestra – whose motoric outer movements contrast with a sublime Andante – and the daring invention of Lutosławski’s folk-inspired Concerto for Orchestra.
Jul 30, 2025
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
London · Royal Albert Hall
5. Great British Classics
A celebration of Britain’s land- and sea-scapes. Hear the soaring flight of Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending as well as the many moods of the North Sea as it meets Suffolk shingle in Britten’s Four Sea Interludes from ‘Peter Grimes’.
Aug 5, 2025
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
London · Royal Albert Hall
6. Mahler’s Third
‘A symphony should be like the world,’ Mahler said, ‘it should embrace everything.’ Nowhere does this vision come more powerfully to life than in his mighty Symphony No. 3, an intricate, joyful tapestry of man, nature, heaven. The work opens in heavy summer heat and closes in rapt tranquillity in a sublime finale, animated in between by marches, dances and birdsong. Ryan Bancroft brings together the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Orchestre National de Bretagne, joined by the CBSO Children’s Chorus, the upper voices of the Welsh National Opera Chorus and National Chorus of Wales and mezzo-soprano Beth Taylor.
Aug 11, 2025
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
London · Royal Albert Hall
7. Benjamin Grosvenor Plays Ravel
A jazz band and a symphony orchestra meet in the zany groovings of Sofia Gubaidulina’s Revue Music for Symphony Orchestra and Jazz Band – part of a concert that brings these two sound- worlds together. Jazz is represented by the syncopated brilliance of Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major, performed by Proms favourite and former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Benjamin Grosvenor. Shostakovich supplies the symphony – the snarling, sometimes shockingly tender ‘Babi Yar’, bearing witness to the horrors of a Nazi massacre of Jews in Soviet Ukraine.
Aug 15, 2025
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
London · Royal Albert Hall
Conclusion
The upcoming series of concerts by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales promises a rich tapestry of musical experiences that will captivate audiences. From the deeply personal emotions of Bartók’s Violin Concerto to the vibrant orchestral works of Rachmaninov and Britten, each concert offers a unique blend of historical depth and contemporary interpretation. These performances celebrate the transformative power of music, bringing together masterful compositions and world-renowned artists to create unforgettable moments of artistic expression.
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