Memory’s power to free the imagination stands behind countless works of art, with recollections of the four seasons occupying a special status among the most potent of creative catalysts. Louise Alder, acclaimed by The Times as ‘a terrific talent, combining a big lustrous voice with flawless intonation and a keen intelligence’, and Joseph Middleton take a voyage around the cosmos of songs inspired by ever-changing seasonal landscapes, moods and states of mind.

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Louise Alder soprano; Joseph Middleton piano

Wigmore Hall

Birds inform us about our environment, marking the seasons and playing their part in nature’s cycles. They inspire us in art, in folklore and in music where bird mimicry has existed worldwide throughout time. In traditional Gaelic culture there are numerous bird mimicry songs which blur the lines between birdsong, music and speech as well as rich bird-related folklore. In these times of ecological crisis, bird numbers are in decline. The tragedy affects the whole cycle and we feel the loss in countless ways.

Lisa Robertson: Cànan nan Eun

LSO St Luke's

Sierra’s Avian Mirrors and Doolittle’s Field Guide bring us into the world of birdsong mimicry with a rich interplay between birds, while Bauckholt’s Doppelbelichtung presents photographically accurate transcriptions of bird calls with great intensity. Terranova’s Rainbow Dust in the Sky and Grime’s To see the summer sky take us into the evocative world of birds with msuic that is both ethereal and fierce.

Bruch's intense Violin Concerto contains both full-blooded romance and folk-inspired power. From the cautious, yet dramatic opening with swirling timpani to the stomping, energetic final movement – ​​and not forgetting the infinitely beautiful middle movement – ​​the concert oozes intensity.

Gardner & Szeps-Znaider

DR Koncerthuset

Brahms’s first piano trio is a mighty work on a symphonic scale full of rich melodies and fabulous writing for the piano. Frank Bridge, Benjamin Britten’s teacher, was a major composer in his own right and Helen Grime’s music became well known to Scottish audiences through her close association with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

Lunchtime Concert: Brahms Piano Trio

Perth Concert Hall

Four British female composers from different generations and with highly diverse styles: English conductor Jamie Phillips unites top-notch, energetic female power in "Women's Voices/UK." This is especially true of the youngest composer, Laura Bowler. Described in the media as a "provocative, triple-threatening composer-performer," she is considered a "rising star" in the scene. Her work is multidisciplinary, socially critical, and typically expansive.

Women's voices / UK

Stadtcasino Basel

Minimalist masterpieces from the visionary US maverick composer Steve Reich – in performances directed by his close friend and trusted collaborator, Edinburgh-born Colin Currie.

Steve Reich+

The Queen's Hall

City Halls

We turn to nature in tonight's concert, opening with Vaughan Williams' overture to The Wasps. Revelling in the majesty and serenity of England's countryside, the overture, based on the Aristophanes comedy of the same name, opens with the raspy buzz of swarming wasps sent to rescue the imprisoned father of the works narrative.

BBC NOW - Sounds of Nature

Brangwyn Hall

Night, as a shadowy realm between dream and reality, has always fascinated us humans. Gustav Mahler was also captivated by it. His Seventh Symphony therefore features two "Night Musics." With Rembrandtian chiaroscuro and a Viennese serenade tone, they conjure a mysterious atmosphere into the concert hall. Mahler's Seventh, premiered in Prague in 1908, is alive with extreme contrasts between melancholy and awakening, between longing and exuberant joy. As a musical premonition of Mahler's nocturnal sounds, the piece "Near Midnight" by the Scottish composer Helen Grime resounds.

Night Music - Mahler's Seventh

Museum Ludwig

Inselmusik 2025 brings together experienced and young chamber musicians who will immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the island of Rügen for three days of music-making. Eckart Runge, former cellist of the legendary Artemis Quartet, and his duo partner Jacques Ammon will lead the festival and also present their own transcendent programs. The young musicians will have the opportunity to showcase their work in portrait concerts.

Fibonacci Quartet

Seebrücke Sellin

Some music just captures a certain mood. Debussy basks in silvery moonlight and conjures a melody to haunt your dreams. Rachmaninov loses himself in a painting and takes a surprisingly passionate journey into darkness. Guest conductor Nodoka Okisawa savours both tonight in a concert which just brims with atmosphere, whether it’s the delicacy of Tōru Takemitsu’s How Slow the Wind or Helen Grime’s musical skyscape for Håkan Hardenberger. The world’s greatest classical trumpeter? We think so – but hearing is believing…

RSNO Season 24-25: night-sky-blue

Usher Hall

Immerse yourself in an atmospheric journey through music with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra's captivating concert series, "Night-Sky-Blue." This enchanting series will unfold over three spellbinding evenings, starting on Thursday, May 8th, and concluding on Saturday, May 10th, 2025. Each performance promises to transport audiences to ethereal realms through a meticulously curated repertoire that includes Debussy's "Clair de lune" orchestrated by Stokowski, Helen Grime's "Trumpet Concerto night-sky-blue" in its Scottish Premiere, Takemitsu's "How Slow the Wind," and Rachmaninov's "Isle of the Dead."

Under the baton of the distinguished guest conductor Nodoka Okisawa, and featuring the world-renowned trumpet soloist Håkan Hardenberger, these concerts are set to be a celebration of musical mastery and emotional depth. Okisawa, known for her dynamic and sensitive conducting, will lead the orchestra through these evocative pieces, showcasing her unique ability to draw profound emotion from the musicians and the music alike. Hardenberger, hailed as the world's greatest classical trumpeter, will bring his unparalleled virtuosity and expressive power to Grime's concerto, promising a performance that will linger in the memory long after the final note has faded.

The concert series will grace three of Scotland's most prestigious venues, starting with the Music Hall in Aberdeen on May 8th, followed by the Usher Hall in Edinburgh on May 9th, and concluding at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on May 10th. Each evening will begin at 7:30 pm, offering audiences the chance to experience the magic of live classical music in these iconic settings.

Tickets are available across a range of prices, with discounts offered for under 18s, under 26s, mature students, unemployed patrons, patrons with disabilities, and groups, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to be part of these unforgettable nights. Booking fees may apply.

Don't miss this opportunity to join the Royal Scottish National Orchestra for "Night-Sky-Blue," a series of concerts that promise to be a highlight of the musical calendar, blending the beauty of classical music with the mystery and majesty of the night sky. Book your tickets now and prepare to be transported by the power of music.

Night-sky-blue

Music Hall

The Usher Hall

Buchanan Galleries

After Spain ( in the second chamber music matinee of the season ) and Poland ( in the fourth chamber music matinee of the season ), the fifth chamber music matinee takes a detour to England. Right in the middle of the action: violinist Catherine Myerscough, a native of London and a member of the NDR Radio Philharmonic since 2018. Together with three colleagues, she spans the Elizabethan era through early modern times to the present day. British music history is more colorful than you might think!

English. Chamber music from Orlando Gibbons to William Walton

NDR Concert Hall | Small Broadcasting Hall

The pianist Sunwook Kim has been acclaimed for his sensitivity, brilliance and stylistic confidence – all qualities well-suited to the music of Ludwig van Beethoven, whose Piano Concertos No. 3 and No. 4 he performs with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. While the Third is tragic, serious and combative, the Fourth is lyrical, impetuous and playful. Two works by contemporary British composers will also be performed: Anna Clyne's string work Stride, which is inspired by Beethoven's music, and Helen Grime's Elegiac inflections, which demonstrates the diverse sonic possibilities of a wind ensemble.

Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Sunwook Kim

Berliner Philharmonie

The prestigious Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the darling of Abbado, Haitink, Harnoncourt and Nézet-Séguin, is stopping off for the first time in Liège. It is carrying with it the South Korean pianist Sunwook Kim, winner of the Clara Haskil Competition and the Leeds Competition (at the age of 18), a great Beethoven specialist, whom he conducts from the keyboard. It is showcasing the energetic and triumphant " Emperor ", the most famous of the five concertos, composed in 1809 (in the midst of the Napoleonic Wars), as well as the Third Concerto , created in Vienna in 1803, the master's only concerto in a minor mode. Its dark and tragic colour gives the score all its intensity.

Beethoven, the Emperor

Philharmonic Hall of Liege

When the SCO’s outstanding Wind Soloists are joined by exceptional players from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the result is a grand wind ensemble of unparalleled richness and expertise.  

Join the SCO and RCS players for music of charm and opulence, from Scottish composer Helen Grime’s dramatic, virtuosic Elegiac Inflections to the sunny optimism of the Octet-Partita by Hummel, a contemporary and friend of Beethoven. Florent Schmitt was an associate of Ravel, and combines dreaminess and fantastical playfulness in his captivating Lied & Scherzo, while Caplet summons the mysteries of the Near East in the sensual evocations of his Suite Persane.  

SCO 24/25: From Scotland to Persia

Join the SCO and RCS players for music of charm and opulence, from Scottish composer Helen Grime’s dramatic, virtuosic Elegiac Inflections to the sunny optimism of the Octet-Partita by Hummel, a contemporary and friend of Beethoven. Florent Schmitt was an associate of Ravel, and combines dreaminess and fantastical playfulness in his captivating Lied & Scherzo, while Caplet summons the mysteries of the Near East in the sensual evocations of his Suite Persane.

From Scotland to Persia

“Like wine for our eyes, the moonlight pours over us…”. Filled with longing and wonder, Pierrot gazes at the moon and begins to dream. Part mini-opera, part ravishing sonic fantasy, Pierrot Lunaire is a modern masterpiece that simply has to be experienced live. Tonight it’s performed by Ensemble 360 – the remarkable, Sheffield-based collective whose whole mission is to make music speak. This will be magical.

Ensemble 360: Pierrot Lunaire

Bute Park

Camerata Pacifica artists are representative of the world’s finest, bringing to our stage their highly individual personalities for dynamic performances of music that span the huge, eclectic range of the chamber music repertoire 

Camerata Pacifica Presents: Saint-Saëns, Nourbakhsh, Bowen, Grime, and Lee

November concert 2024

Colburn School

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens

Music Academy of the West

City of Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza

With their very first sounds, a composer creates a world. Mahler opens his Fifth Symphony with an ominous fanfare: the first step on a journey through midnight storms, leaping horn-calls, and possibly the most tender love-letter ever written without words, the rapturous Adagietto. British composer Helen Grime, meanwhile, has dived deep into the pages of Zoe Gilbert’s novel 'Folk', drawing on Scottish, Irish and Manx folklore – as well as the magic of a full symphony orchestra – to create an extraordinary new adventure for soprano Claire Booth, who gives the world premiere today. Fellow composer (and BBC SSO Chief Conductor) Ryan Wigglesworth brings both worlds to life: it’s a truly fantastic way to launch a new season.

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Mahler's Fifth Symphony in Aberdeen

With their very first sounds, a composer creates a world. Mahler opens his Fifth Symphony with an ominous fanfare: the first step on a journey through midnight storms, leaping horn-calls, and possibly the most tender love-letter ever written without words, the rapturous Adagietto. British composer Helen Grime, meanwhile, has dived deep into the pages of Zoe Gilbert’s novel 'Folk', drawing on Scottish, Irish and Manx folklore – as well as the magic of a full symphony orchestra – to create an extraordinary new adventure for soprano Claire Booth, who gives the world premiere today. Fellow composer (and BBC SSO Chief Conductor) Ryan Wigglesworth brings both worlds to life: it’s a truly fantastic way to launch a new season

Opening Night: Mahler's Fifth Symphony

Glasgow City Hall

Nicholas Carter conducts Schumann's Third Symphony

Lotte World Mall

The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music proudly announces its 2024 season opener, "PARADE," set to take place on Friday, August 2, at 8 PM at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. This remarkable evening marks the beginning of the Festival's 62nd season, under the baton of Maestro Cristian Măcelaru, featuring the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra.

The concert will showcase an array of West Coast and World Premieres by contemporary composers, reflecting on themes of community, solitude, and the transformative power of storytelling. The program includes Vivian Fung's "Parade," inspired by the San Francisco Lunar New Year parade, capturing the essence of community amid solitude and reflecting on the journey from isolation to togetherness experienced during the pandemic. Helen Grime's Violin Concerto, featuring the virtuosic talents of Leila Josefowicz, offers a mesmerizing experience of contrasts in a single continuous movement. Nina Young's "Tread Softly," commemorating the centennial of the 19th Amendment, reflects on the Women’s Suffrage movement and the ongoing struggle for gender equality and representation. The evening will also feature the world premiere of Karim Al-Zand's "Al Hakawati" (The Storyteller), with soprano Miriam Khalil, exploring the essence of storytelling through scenes from an opera in progress.

The event begins with an outdoor Pre-Concert Talk by Music Director/Conductor Cristi Măcelaru and guests, offering insights into the evening's program. A special alfresco dinner, prepared by Sunny’s Catering, will be served outside the Civic Auditorium, with advance tickets required for the meal.

This opening night promises to be a celebration of contemporary music, bringing together exceptional artists and premieres that reflect on significant themes of our time. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of a unique musical journey that sets the tone for the Cabrillo Festival's 2024 season.

Parade 

Civic Auditorium Santa Cruz

Night thoughts: from the magic of Helen Grime to the fantasy of Richard Strauss and the unchained emotion of Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique symphony, conducted by a true rising star.

Tchaikovsky, Grime & Strauss

Barbican Centre

In his debut with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, British conductor Jonathan Bloxham conducts BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Alim Beisembayev in Tchaikovsky’s romantic and thrilling Piano Concerto No. 1, in a concert also featuring Helen Grime’s Limina, and Borodin's effervescent Second Symphony.

Alim Beisembayev performs Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra

BBC Maida Vale Studios

The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and new Chief Conductor Ryan Wigglesworth perform Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 for the first of their two Proms together this season.

Prom 12: Beethoven’s ‘Choral’ Symphony

Royal Albert Hall

Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Otto Tausk leads Helen Grimes’ U.S. premiere and the gloriously tuneful Third Symphony of Johannes Brahms with its unforgettable and bittersweet third movement. Joining Tausk is fellow Dutch musician violinist Simone Lamsma who performs Bruch’s most successful work, his melodic First Violin Concerto.

Bruch and Brahms

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Lang Lang is synonymous with international classical music superstar. Hear him in a quintessential Romantic concerto favorite. Joining him for this program is Dutch conductor Otto Tausk, Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, who will lead Helen Grimes’ U.S. premiere and the gloriously tuneful Third Symphony of Johannes Brahms with its unforgettable bittersweet melody in the third movement.

Lang Lang Plays Grieg

Joceyln Morlock’s Golden induces a ritual immersion inspired by a swimming hole in Manitoba, where ‘fool’s gold’ conjures bathers being washed in liquid gold. Bright Travellers sets Fiona Benson’s unflinchingly direct, funny and painfully emotive poems on motherhood. In Strauss’s Death and Transfiguration, life yields to death as existence transcends its earthly state, completing the human experience.

Death and Transfiguration

MediaCityUK

Scottish composer Helen Grime aims to create a new sound world that is unique to each piece. She is drawn to long, expressive lines and rich harmonies. Grime composed this horn concerto specifically for the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra’s Alec Frank-Gemmill, one of Europe’s leading soloists on his instrument, who always adds a touch of shimmer and sensuality to the music.

Shimmering Horn Concerto by Helen Grime

Göteborgs Konserthus

“This symphony describes my children” was how Malcolm Arnold described his Seventh Symphony, and he never wrote anything more personal. By turns explosive, tender and hauntingly sad, it’s an unforgettable experience. There’s a reason why Arnold is regarded by many as Britain’s greatest postwar symphonist, and Sakari Oramo believes that it’s an unsung masterpiece.

Helen Grime

Events

Upcoming events

Feb 3, 2027

Death and Transfiguration · BBC Philharmonic

25 - 26 Feb, 2027

Shimmering Horn Concerto by Helen Grime · Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

Apr 9, 2027

Sakari Oramo conducts Grime, Arnold and Vaughan Williams · Barbican Centre

Past events

Oct 20, 2026

Louise Alder soprano; Joseph Middleton piano · Wigmore Hall

Sep 5, 2026

Lisa Robertson: Cànan nan Eun · London Symphony Orchestra

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