Was it, or wasn’t it, an act of defiance and bitter retort to Stalin’s displeasure? Shostakovich’s life was so utterly and constantly in peril that he could never publicly declare whether his Fifth Symphony was simply ‘a Soviet artist’s reply to just criticism’ or a satirical puncturing of the dictator, deliberately hollow but dressed as adulation. But either way, it’s a phenomenal piece of music – playful, poignant and magisterial, it’s a blockbuster end to the Season. Walton’s lyrically romantic Cello Concerto sets the scene for Shostakovich’s dramatic fireworks.

EPSG:4326

Act of Defiance

Ulster Hall

Join us for an unforgettable evening as the London Symphony Orchestra makes its highly anticipated debut at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. This landmark event will take place on March 1, 2025, at the prestigious Alexander W. Dreyfoos Concert Hall. Under the baton of the world-renowned Sir Antonio Pappano, Chief Conductor, the orchestra will showcase the extraordinary talents of Dutch violinist Janine Jansen. The program promises an enthralling experience with Leonard Bernstein’s only violin concerto and Sir William Walton’s dark and sensual First Symphony among the featured pieces.

The evening's repertoire will include:
- Walker, Sinfonia No. 5, Visions
- Bernstein, Serenade, after Plato’s Symposium
- Walton, Symphony No. 1 in B-flat Minor

Enhance your concert experience with the "Beyond The Stage" pre-concert talk from 1:00 pm to 1:30 pm in Persson Hall. Hosted by the Kravis Center’s Classical Artistic Advisor, Phillip Bergmann, this insightful discussion will provide fascinating background information on the music, musicians, and composers featured in the performance. Special guests from the ensembles will join for interviews, offering an in-depth look at the evening's program.

This classical concert series is proudly sponsored by Leonard and Sophie Davis, with additional support for the "Beyond The Stage" talk provided by Nancy and Jay Parker.

Please note, to ensure the best experience and value for our patrons, tickets should be purchased directly through the Kravis Center's official website, kravis.org. We caution against buying tickets from unauthorized distributors, as these may lead to overpricing and lack of customer service support.

Mark your calendars for March 1, 2025, and secure your subscription for the Classical Concert Series now during our renewal period for current subscribers. Don't miss this exceptional performance by the London Symphony Orchestra, a highlight of the 2024-2025 classical music season at the Kravis Center.

London Symphony Orchestra

Kravis Center for the Performing Arts

Bring together a huge orchestra, two brass bands and a double chorus, a commanding baritone…and the Fall of Babylon can begin, in Walton’s joyous cantata. The triumph ofBelshazzar’s Feastis the decadent syncopations; the swooping, full-throttle choir;  and clattering percussion, slippery trombones, wah-wah trumpets and grooving saxophone. Our soloist is the young American baritone Cody Quattlebaum, fresh from San Francisco Opera, Royal Danish Theatre and English National Opera, and one of the brightest talents around.

Belshazzar's Feast; Enigma Variations

Studio Theatre

Join us for an unforgettable evening as Kazuki Yamada leads the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in a stirring performance of works by Walton and Elgar. This concert, set to take place on Wednesday, 4th December 2024, at 7:30pm in the prestigious Symphony Hall, Birmingham, promises to be a showcase of British musical brilliance.

The evening will feature Elgar's passionate Violin Concerto, a piece renowned for its expressive depth and the mysterious inscription "Herein is enshrined the soul of...". The CBSO's leader, Eugene Tzikindelean, will take on the soloist role, bringing to life the enigmatic soul of the concerto. Alongside Elgar's masterpiece, the program includes Walton's Orb & Sceptre, a composition brimming with ceremonial grandeur, and his Symphony No.2, often hailed as an emotional tour de force.

Tickets for this captivating concert are priced between £26 and £62, with a per-ticket commission of £3.50 included for tickets over £15. The concert is part of our multi-buy discount scheme, and we offer reduced prices for students, 18-30s, under-18s, and benefit recipients, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to experience this magnificent performance.

The concert will last approximately 2 hours, including a 20-minute interval, allowing you to immerse yourself fully in the music of two giants of British composition. Don't miss this opportunity to witness the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Kazuki Yamada, performing works that challenge the notion of British music's "stiff upper lip" with their glowing expressiveness and emotional depth.

Kazuki conducts Walton & Elgar

The International Convention Centre

Walton’s First Symphony was a landmark of English composition and represents the peak of his symphonic thinking. Its turbulent emotions and high-voltage energy were the fruit of tempestuous events surrounding Walton at the time. After an eloquent, dramatic first movement, a stinging, malicious Scherzo and a truly melancholic slow movement, the finale is totally different in outlook – an almost Elgarian ceremonial jubilation, as if a cloud has lifted. The Concerto for the Left Hand displays a great deal of resourcefulness and originality on Ravel’s part. Unfolding in a single movement in three sections, dark and powerful, it is so full of illusion and texture that the solo part rarely gives the slightest hint that a mere single hand is involved. The exquisite orchestral scoring leans toward the rich, lower pitches which lends it a rather sombre hue and an apt heroic grandeur. In the overture to his only comic opera, Wagner skilfully combines the main themes associated with the mastersingers and their apprentices.

Wigglesworth Conducts Walton

Lighthouse Theatre Warrnambool

This colourful all-English programme takes off with William Walton’s music for the climactic aerial duel of Guy Hamilton’s classic 1969 movie. Walton was originally booked to compose the entire film score before MGM’s studio executives abruptly side-lined him in favour of Ron Goodwin. Walton’s battle scene was the only section that remained of his music but it’s also the film’s most memorable moment, capturing the altitudinous, rapid-firing action with breathless energy. Walton’s near contemporary, Sir Arthur Bliss, wrote his Cello Concerto for the great Russian virtuoso Mstislav Rostropovich, who gave its premiere at the Aldeburgh Festival in 1970. One of Bliss’s last major works, it’s an appealing mix of lyricism and the composer’s trademark rhythmic drive. Our soloist is Guy Johnston, a former BBC Young Musician winner and now one of the world’s leading cellists.*

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall

Emerging talent from the University of Oxford is to the fore in this concert showcasing the winner of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra’s Senior Concerto Competition and the world premiere of a piece presented in our 2024 Composers' Workshop. Alessandro MacKinnon-Botti is both composer and soloist in his Voice-Leading for beatboxer and orchestra, while Isobel Neary-Adams plays Walton’s dark, excitable, lyrical and quick-witted viola concerto. Having opened with Glinka’s sprightly Ruslan and Ludmilla Overture, joined by a cohort of Side-by-Side alumni, the concert concludes with Tchaikovsky’s symphonic expression of hope in the face of adversity, his luminous Symphony No. 5 Supported by the University of Oxford in celebration of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra’s Silver Jubilee.

Tchaikovsky Five

The Sheldonian Theatre

Red Sky at Sunrise follows Laurie Lee through his much-loved trilogy, Cider with Rosie, As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, and A Moment of War, when Lee famously walked out of the Slad valley one midsummer morning, and ended up fighting with the International Brigades against Franco’s forces in the Spanish Civil War.

Red Sky at Sunrise: Laurie Lee in Words & Music

Buxton Opera House

### Event Description: Festival Orchestra: A Tour of England

**Date:** Friday, July 19, 2024  
**Time:** 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM  
**Venue:** Walk Festival Hall, 3330 W. Cody Lane, Teton Village, WY 83025, United States

Join us for an enchanting evening as Maestro Donald Runnicles leads the Festival Orchestra in "A Tour of England," a musical journey through the heart of Britain. This concert will transport you from the lively streets of London to the serene countryside, featuring a program that includes:

- **Elgar: Cockaigne, In London Town**
- **Walton: Viola Concerto**
- **Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 5**

The evening will also mark the Grand Teton Music Festival (GTMF) debut of the renowned soloist Amihai Grosz, principal violist of the Berlin Philharmonic.

**Pre-Concert Talk:**  
Arrive early for a pre-concert talk at 6 PM with GTMF Resident Conductor Benjamin Manis in the Barbara Furrer Goodman Memorial Garden near Walk Festival Hall’s north entrance. This insightful discussion is sponsored by the Goodman Family Foundation, in memory of Roy and Barbara Goodman.

**Tickets:**  
- General Admission: $40 / $85  
- Children & Students: $5  

**Organizer:**  
Grand Teton Music Festival  
**Phone:** 307.733.1128  
**Email:** ticketoffice@gtmf.org  

**Additional Information:**  
- Please purchase tickets directly from our site to avoid unauthorized ticket resellers.
- Programs and guest artists are subject to change.

**Corporate Partner:**  
Teton Pines

**Add to Calendar:**  
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Experience the rich musical heritage of England with the Festival Orchestra at the Grand Teton Music Festival. Secure your tickets now and be part of this unforgettable evening!

Festival Orchestra: A Tour of England

Walk Festival Hall

### ASMF & Spitalfields: Summer Serenade - Academy of St Martin in the Fields

**Date:** 6 July 2024  
**Time:** 19:30  
**Location:** St Anne's Church, Limehouse

Join the award-winning Academy of St Martin in the Fields for a glorious evening of music for strings in the stunning surroundings of St Anne's Church, Limehouse, a Hawksmoor church close to the Thames. Directed by Stephanie Gonley, this concert promises to be a memorable experience.

**Programme:**
- Elgar Serenade Op. 20
- Walton Two Pieces from Henry V
- Jonathan Woolgar Canzoni et Ricercari
- Ruth Gipps Cringlemire Gardens, Impression for String Orchestra Op. 39
- Hebert Elegy: in memoriam Stephen Lawrence
- Britten Simple Symphony Op. 4

**Duration:** 1 hour (no interval)

Don't miss this enchanting performance. Secure your tickets now and immerse yourself in an evening of exquisite string music.

Asmf & Spitalfields: Summer Serenade

St Anne's Church, Limehouse

Experience the grandeur of "Belshazzar's Feast" performed by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of David Hill MBE, Associate Guest Conductor. This epic event will take place at the Lighthouse, Poole, on Wednesday 14 May at 7.30pm. The program promises an unforgettable evening with a lineup that includes Bernstein's "West Side Story: Symphonic Dances," Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," and Walton's monumental "Belshazzar's Feast."

Featuring the talents of Steven Osborne on piano and Andrew Hamilton as the baritone, alongside the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus, this concert is set to be a highlight of the musical calendar. The performance, which runs for approximately 2 hours, will showcase the rejuvenation of English oratorio with Walton's work, Bernstein's jazzy symphonic dances, and Gershwin's legendary "Rhapsody in Blue," capturing the spirit of America.

Tickets are priced between £17 and £52, offering a range of seating options to accommodate all attendees. Priority booking is currently open for BSO Members, with general booking set to open on Wednesday 29 May. This is a unique opportunity to experience the full sensual glory of live symphonic music, an event that promises to be as much about the audience as it is about the musicians on stage.

For more information or to secure your tickets, contact the box office at hellobsorchestra.co.uk or call 01202 669925. Don't miss out on this spectacular evening of music that speaks to the soul and rejuvenates the spirit.

Belshazzar's Feast

Lighthouse, Poole's Centre for the Arts

**Event Description: Academy of St Martin in the Fields & Tomo Keller at Festival de Colmar**

**Date:** 12 July 2023  
**Location:** Colmar

Join the renowned Academy of St Martin in the Fields, led by Director and soloist Tomo Keller, for an extraordinary evening at the Festival de Colmar. This unique program bridges two centuries of musical evolution, featuring masterpieces from J.S. Bach, Britten, Tippett, and Walton.

**Program Highlights:**

- **J.S. Bach:** Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041  
  Experience the sublime beauty of Bach's Violin Concerto, a historical model that has influenced generations of musicians.

- **Britten:** Simple Symphony, Op. 4  
  Revel in Britten's playful imitation of classical Viennese models in this neo-classical work from 1934.

- **Tippett:** Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli  
  A marvelous homage to Corelli, celebrating the 300th anniversary of his birth in 1953.

- **Walton:** Sonata for Strings  
  Adapted from his String Quartet in A minor at the request of the Academy's founder, Sir Neville Marriner, this piece holds a special connection to the orchestra.

Don't miss this captivating concert that showcases the brilliance of both historical and modern compositions. Secure your tickets now for an unforgettable musical journey.

**[Buy Tickets](#)**

Academy Of St Martin In The Fields & Tomo Keller – Festival De Colmar

### Event Description: Avi Avital with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields

**Date:** 11 July 2023  
**Location:** St Martin-in-the-Fields, London

Join us for an extraordinary evening of classical music as the Academy of St Martin in the Fields returns to the iconic Church of St Martin-in-the-Fields in London. This special performance will feature the world-renowned mandolinist Avi Avital, the first mandolin soloist to be nominated for a classical Grammy.

Avi Avital, celebrated for his passionate and charismatic performances, has been compared to legendary musicians such as Segovia and Heifitz for his mastery and virtuosity. He has been a driving force in expanding the mandolin repertory, with over 100 contemporary compositions written for him, including 15 concertos.

**Programme:**
- Tippett: Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli Omaggio a Italia
- Anna Clyne: Three Sisters: Mandolin Concerto
- Bach arr. Avital: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, BWV 1056
- Walton: Sonata for Strings

Don't miss this unique opportunity to experience Avi Avital's electrifying performance alongside the esteemed Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Secure your tickets now for an unforgettable night of music.

**Tickets:** [Buy Tickets](#)

Walton

Events

Past events

May 30, 2025

Act of Defiance · Ulster Orchestra

Mar 1, 2025

London Symphony Orchestra · Kravis Center

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