The organ is an instrument that for many creates a sense of reverent silence in churches rather than enjoyable music. But in this concert, it shows how versatile and modern the organ can be! Poulenc was a French composer who liked to play with musical contrasts: sacred meets secular, serious meets playful. His concert begins almost like a meditation - dark and mysterious - and suddenly the music breaks into lively, almost dance-like rhythms. The other piece, just recently composed for the organ in the famous Royal Albert Hall in London, captivates the listeners. It is a journey through moods and sounds that showcases the organ at its most exciting. Lean back and let yourself be surprised - maybe today you will discover your new favorite instrument!

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abgeFRACKt: Roaring Whistles

Palace of Culture

Classical music sensation and Royal Albert Hall associate artist Anna Lapwood brings the organ to the fore in her Royal Albert Hall headline debut, in a concert featuring the Philharmonia Chorus and conducted by André de Ridder.

Anna Lapwood plays Max Richter, Hans Zimmer and more

Royal Albert Hall

Grammy Award-winning composer and conductor, Eric Whitacre, is among today’s most popular musicians. A graduate of The Juilliard School (New York), his works are programmed worldwide, and his ground-breaking Virtual Choirs have united well over 100,000 singers from more than 145 countries. Among his accolades and awards, in recent years Eric received the Richard D. Colburn Award from the Colburn School and an Honorary Doctor of Arts from Chapman University (CA).

Christmas With Eric Whitacre & The Eric Whitacre Singers

Smith Square Hall

Anna Lapwood MBE is an associate artist of the Royal Albert Hall (London) and holds the position of Director of Music at Pembroke College (Cambridge). She was awarded an Associateship of the Royal Academy of Music and the prestigious Gamechanger Award from the Royal Philharmonic Society in 2023. Anna regularly performs concertos with leading symphony orchestras and is heard playing recitals in concert halls and churches across Europe and the United States; she will make her debut appearance at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles in 2024. Anna has also performed with Alison Balsom, Bonobo and Benedict Cumberbatch.

A Pembroke Christmas

Join DCINY and singers from around the world for an evening with one of today’s most celebrated choral composers. Eric Whitacre leads the choir through a program of his most popular holiday works, beloved Holiday favorites, and his glorious masterwork “The Gift of the Magi” (World Premiere of the orchestrated version).

An Eric Whitacre Holiday: The Gift of the Magi (World Premiere of the Orchestrated Version)

Carnegie Hall

Join us for an unforgettable evening at the Three Choirs Festival featuring the remarkable talents of Anna Lapwood and the BBC Singers, accompanied by the Philharmonia. This special concert will take place in the majestic setting of Worcester Cathedral on Tuesday, 30th July 2024, at 7pm.

The evening promises to be a profound musical journey, showcasing a diverse program that includes Arakelyan's "Seascapes," Britten's "Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes" transcribed for organ by Anna Lapwood, Poulenc's "Figure Humaine," and Weir's "In the Land of Uz." These pieces together explore themes of freedom, suffering, and the human spirit's resilience, making for a deeply moving experience.

Under the baton of conductor Sofi Jeannin, with performances by tenor Mark Padmore, narrator Charles Gibbs, and organists Anna Lapwood and Nicholas Freestone, the concert will bring to life the emotional depth and complexity of these works. The BBC Singers' collaboration with Anna Lapwood is particularly noteworthy, blending choral and organ music to create an evocative soundscape.

Tickets are priced between £15 and £58, offering a range of options for attendees. The concert will run for approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes, including an interval, allowing guests to fully immerse themselves in the music and the cathedral's atmospheric setting.

For more information or to purchase tickets once they go on sale, please contact the Three Choirs Festival Box Office at 01452 768928 or email info3choirs.org. Don't miss this opportunity to experience a night of exquisite music and powerful storytelling at one of the UK's most historic cathedrals.

Three Choirs Festival: Anna Lapwood and BBC Singers

Worcester Cathedral

Kristina Arakelyan, dubbed internationally as ‘one to watch’ (Scala Radio), is one of today’s most exciting composers, celebrated by audiences and critics alike for her music’s serene and compelling honesty. What a treat we have in store to hear Anna Lapwood perform her Toccata for Organ and Orchestra.

Rush Hour: West Side Story Symphonic Dances

The Bridgewater Hall

Kristina Arakelyan, dubbed internationally as ‘one to watch’ (Scala Radio), is one of today’s most exciting composers, celebrated by audiences and critics alike for her music’s serene and compelling honesty. What a treat we have in store to hear Anna Lapwood perform her Toccata for Organ and Orchestra as her closing performance as Hallé Featured Artist. In this, her Hallé debut, Emilia Hoving guides us through some of the best-loved tunes and interludes from Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story: from the poignant hopefulness of ‘Somewhere’, through the percussive fire of ‘Mambo’, to the tragic finale, rounding off what is sure to be an electrifying Rush Hour concert.

Kristina Arakelyan

Events

Upcoming events

May 21, 2026

Rush Hour: West Side Story Symphonic Dances · The Hallé

May 21, 2026

The Hallé – Rush Hour: West Side Story Symphonic Dances · The Bridgewater Hall

Past events

Feb 6, 2026

abgeFRACKt: Roaring Whistles · Dresdner Philharmonie

May 15, 2025

Anna Lapwood plays Max Richter, Hans Zimmer and more · Philharmonia Orchestra

About

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