Composer

The international career of the Spanish cellist phenom Pablo Ferrández has exploded in recent years, with concert tours and festival appearances in the United States, Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. A top prizewinner at the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition, Ferrández has been hailed as a “new cello genius” (Le Figaro) while the LA Times raved: “Pop-idol magnetism, superb technique and exhilarating musicality reveal a sure star!…Pablo Ferrández has turned into a cello phenomenon and one of the most in-demand instrumentalists of his generation.”

EPSG:4326

Pablo Ferrández, cello

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

The three “Bs” of classical music – this is the designation given by the conductor Hans von Bülow to the great masters Bach, Beethoven and Brahms.

Our sixth subscription concert will feature works by composers whose names also begin with the letter “B”, although this is a slightly less usual selection.

We begin with Benjamin Britten. As one of Britain’s most significant composers and a major figure of the 20th century in general, Britten attained fame largely through his operas. It is worth noting that he composed at a very early age – and unlike most composers, he explicitly used this fact in his more “serious” work. At the age of 20 he wrote a chamber piece for string orchestra, Simple Symphony, and in each of its movements he quoted a motif that had occurred to him as a child.

Britten. Bartók. Beethoven

Dvořák Hall Rudolfinum

Experience a double feature of family fun! Dean Burry's captivating operatic adaptation of Jacob Two-Two and the Hooded Fang brings Mordecai Richler's beloved character to life with thrilling music and adventure. Witness Jacob's journey to outwit the notorious Hooded Fang in a tale of courage and imagination.

Complementing this, immerse yourselves in the orchestral wonders of Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, a brilliant exploration of instruments and their unique voices.

Before or after the performance, get hands-on at our Instrument Petting Zoo! Discover, touch, and play various orchestral instruments, fostering a love for music in all ages. A perfect blend of storytelling and musical discovery awaits!

Kids & Family

Eglinton St. George's United Church

Commissioned for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Gloriana attracted controversy in exploring the hidden romantic life of the monarch’s namesake and predecessor. Britten’s music, though, brilliantly captures the spirit of Elizabethan dances and lute songs, whilst giving them an ironic 20th-century distance. The seven Courtly Dances that open this concert are an immediately appealing example.

The Hallé

Royal Concert Hall Nottingham

A feminist, survivor-forward production of Benjamin Britten’s powerful chamber opera.

The Rape of Lucretia

Harbourfront Centre

Commissioned in 1945 by the Ministry of Education for a children’s film titled “Instruments of the Orchestra”, Britten’s cheery tour de force is the perfect excuse to show off the considerable talents of the BBC SSO’s individual players. You’ll also be stunned by the “consummate artistry” (The Guardian) of Alban Gerhardt as he performs Britten’s deeply expressive Cello Symphony, originally written for the great Russian virtuoso Mstislav Rostropovich.

Afternoon Performance: Alban Gerhardt Plays Britten's Cello Symphony

City Halls

Following the lively ‘Courtly Dances’ from Britten’s opera Gloriana, Norwegian trumpeter, Tine Thing Helseth takes to the platform to perform this new, exciting work, written especially for her. Musically illustrating the biblical role of the trumpet and celebrating its vast expressive possibilities, Nico Muhly’s Doom Painting leads us on a dramatic journey through this historic instrument’s various iterations: ceremonial object for rituals and celebrations alike; harbinger of Doomsday; and jubilant instrument of the psalms.

Walton’s First Symphony

The Bridgewater Hall

Following the lively ‘Courtly Dances’ from Britten’s opera Gloriana, Alpesh Chauhan is joined on the platform by Norwegian trumpeter, Tine Thing Helseth who performs the UK premiere a new, exciting work, written especially for her. Musically illustrating the biblical role of the trumpet and celebrating its vast expressive possibilities, Nico Muhly’s Doom Painting leads us on a dramatic journey through this historic instrument’s various iterations: ceremonial object for rituals and celebrations alike; harbinger of Doomsday; and jubilant instrument of the psalms. Walton’s Symphony No.1 is widely considered among the greatest twentieth-century symphonies. Sometimes triumphant, sometimes hostile – the second movement, for example, is subtitled ‘Presto con malizia’ (‘quickly with malice’) – expect emotional intensity from start to finish.

The Hallé – Walton’s First Symphony

The National Opera Studio Young Artists present an extraordinary evening celebrating the Studio’s collaboration with two of its partner companies: English National Opera and Scottish Opera. In this special showcase performance, immerse yourself in captivating operatic scenes spanning the 19th and 20th centuries.

Act Three

Blackheath Halls

You should always be prepared for surprises with this young man. Asked what he would do if he had a whole day off, Sterling Elliott replied: "Work on my car. At the moment I'm trying to get the gearbox back into my car, a two-man job that I'm stubbornly trying to teach myself. It is not only in the garage that he is ambitious, otherwise the young man from Virginia would not have catapulted himself to where he now stands artistically: in the premier league of cellists of his generation. Elliott has long been a sought-after performer in the USA, but now he is also making a name for himself on this side of the Atlantic. Sterling Elliott presents himself in the Debut series and has another ambassador of the US classical music scene on board with the highly romantic Cello Sonata by Samuel Barber.

Sterling Elliott, Violoncello

Alte Oper

March Concert

Dexter High School

Italian-born Lorenza Borrani is fast becoming one of the SCO’s closest friends and collaborators. She returns for her second concert this Season with an evening of wit, humour and magical evocations.

Borrani & Beethoven

The Queen's Hall

A guiding principle for Yo-Yo Ma is to make the listener feel like the most important person in the room. The fact that he’s done that for more than 60 years is a testament to his commitment. Ma’s performance of Elgar’s soulful Cello Concerto is part of an all-English program that is tailor-made for Thomas Søndergård and the Minnesota Orchestra.

Yo-Yo Ma with the Minnesota Orchestra

Orchestra Hall

What happens when the three composers York Bowen, Benjamin Britten, and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor are all featured in one concert? That’s right: a distinctly British program extending from late Romanticism to Modernism. Bowen, who often composed for the horn, creates a rather unusual combination in his Quintet, in which the horn, with its elegiac tone, is supported by four string instruments. In Coleridge-Taylor’s work, the clarinet engages in a subtle, witty dialogue with the string instruments. And Britten made arguably the most significant British contributions to the string quartet genre; nevertheless, his First String Quartet is rarely heard nowadays – making it a notable work on this evening’s programme.

Chamber Concert “The golden age of English music”

Evangelische Akademie Tutzing

Munich Residence

Benjamin Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra is a timeless introduction to the magic of orchestral music. Musicians from each section of the orchestra—woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion—get a chance to shine in a lively theme and variations. Before the hour-long family-friendly performance, join us in the Grand Foyer for instrument demonstrations and a chance to meet the Shepherd School musicians!

Family Concert: Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra

Alice Pratt Brown Hall

Join us for an engaging, family-friendly concert filled with color, character, and creativity! Narrator Annie Jackson leads a captivating journey through the orchestra with Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf and Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. Plus, enjoy an appearance by CVSO’s Young Artist Competition winner and student artwork in the Music Moves Me exhibit.

CVSO: Peter and the Wolf - Traditional Concert

Pablo Center at the Confluence

Celebrated British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor returns after a 12-year absence to perform Benjamin Britten’s energetic Piano Concerto, written when the composer was 24 and known for its rhythmic drive and inventive orchestration. At its premiere, a critic wrote cryptically of Brahms’ final symphony, “It is like a dark well; the longer we look into it, the more brightly the stars shine back." Malcolm Forsyth wrote his celebratory Jubilee Overture in 1964 when he was 28, four years before he moved to Edmonton and became a member of the ESO. Don’t miss this intriguing concert juxtaposing music of youthful exuberance and wise experience.

Benjamin Grosvenor Plays Britten

Winspear Centre

Passion defined Tchaikovsky’s life, and the tempests of his emotional life inspired some of the most beautiful music ever written. His Fourth Symphony took shape during a troubled time and encompasses heartbreaking swings between despair and exuberant hope. It is led here by an audience favorite, the “expressive and imaginative” Xian Zhang. The concert opens with Britten's Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell, perhaps more well-known as The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, but heard here in its version without narration.

Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Since 2016, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra has hosted an ”Orchestra Academy”. The international RSPO Orchestra Academy is a one-year, advanced academic programme for young musicians. Under the guidance of the section leaders from the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and the Piteå School of Music, the musicians receive intensive training individually, in chamber music, and orchestral playing.

Concert with the RSPO Orchestra Academy

Stockholm Concert Hall

Benjamin Britten’s haunting opera Owen Wingrave returns to the stage in a powerful new Guildhall School production. Based on a ghost story by Henry James, it follows a young pacifist who defies his family’s military heritage, with tragic consequences.

Owen Wingrave

Guildhall School of Music and Drama - Milton Court

Scholarship holders of the German Foundation for Music Life, who won a valuable instrument at the 32nd German Musical Instrument Fund Competition in 2025, will perform as soloists and present solo concertos by Antonín Dvořák and Benjamin Britten with the Philharmonic Orchestra. Played on the Fund's exquisite instruments and by exceptional young talents, these two works promise to be a truly special listening experience.

Rising Stars

Theater Lübeck

The Apollo Orchestra with principal Conductor David Chan welcomes Romain-Olivier Gray, cello, as our featured soloist in Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major.

London Symphony

The Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church

A former Horizons Young Artist, Elliott has soloed with the Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra and New York Philharmonic, among other leading orchestras. A dynamic and engaging musician, his program features works by 20th-century masters.

Sterling Elliott, cello Janice Carissa, piano Union College

Union College

Three of the best-loved pieces in the symphonic repertoire come together in this concert which sweeps forward from the thrilling theatre of Benjamin Britten’s "Sea Interludes" from his opera Peter Grimes, depicting the changing colors, the play of light and the terrifying storms of the North Sea between the UK and Germany, to Ravel’s beloved G Major Piano Concerto, with its glittering echoes of American jazz in the outer movements, and a haunting tribute to Bach and Mozart in the lyrical central movement. This concert ends with one of the best known of all symphonies, Tchaikovsky’s Sixth, nicknamed by his brother “Pathétique”, in response to the music’s terrifying mixture of drama and heartfelt melodies.

Storms and Fireworks: Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6, "Pathétique"

Jacobs Music Center

With his masterfully composed Vespers Liturgy for choir a cappella, Rachmaninov transports the listener into a musical world of admirable depth and inwardness. Inspired by old modes, he created one of his most beautiful works. The »All-Night Vigil«, composed in 1915 for a benefit concert in Moscow in aid of war victims, takes up the fascinating tradition of Orthodox chants and reflects it profoundly. At the same time, Rachmaninov created a musical monument to his childhood memories and the religious soul of his homeland – a homeland he would soon leave. Rachmaninov himself described listening to his vesper liturgy as »an hour of the happiest satisfaction«.

Bavarian Radio Chorus / Peter Dijkstra

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

Old and new, ancient and modern: Principal Conductor Maxim Emelyanychev returns with an annual highlight of the SCO Season, rediscovering the musical splendours of the Baroque alongside more recent composers who have drawn inspiration from it.

Baroque Inspirations

Coffee Concert № 3 “Do you speak English?”

Volkshaus Jena

A program that begins in silence, almost in white noise. And that ends in the ecstasy of sound. In Scriabin's mystery music, everything dissolves in a visionary orchestral explosion of color – it was "like an ice bath, cocaine, and rainbows." It was the writer Henry Miller who once raved about "Le poème de l'extase" with this comparison. Premiered in New York in 1908, the music world had never experienced anything like it, and even today this music catapults the audience into a parallel universe. In his concert with the hr-Sinfonieorchester, conductor Oscar Jockel builds the effect layer by layer: After his own meticulously composed nothingness, the simplicity of Schubert's four-hand Fantasy in F minor seems like an intimate secret, the contrasts intensifying with Britten's "Scottish Ballad." Then Debussy's "Jeux" sheds new light – as the conductor says – on the ecstasy of the love dance, with its lively melodies and dissonant harmonies soaring upwards in triple meter. Finally, the "absolute sublimation" is achieved with Scriabin, who, as a trained philosopher, explored not only musical realms of the barely comprehensible.

Poem of Ecstasy

Hessischer Rundfunk

A quartet of guitars is far from a standard ensemble, yet the Prague Guitar Quartet has been delighting audiences with this unusual format for over forty years. Known for reimagining works originally written for other instruments, they bring listeners into their unique sound world. This concert will include, amongst other works, Grieg’s famous suite from the music to Peer Gynt. A new piece written especially for the group by Lukáš Hurník will also receive its first performance.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Prague Guitar Quartet

Music and Dance Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague

In this non-traditional programme, we will hear the Czech premiere of Carolyn by the Sea by Bryce Dessner. The composer himself will play one of the solo parts in this double concerto for guitar. Then we will remember a favourite of Dessner, Benjamin Britten, who takes us to the stormy coast of East Anglia. However, we begin and end with a favourite composer of Jakub Hrůša: Josef Suk.

Czech Philharmonic • Bryce Dessner

Rudolfinum

Jess Walter, New York Times best-selling author, brings us his own witty, irreverent, and lyrical take on Britten’s “Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra” (aka “The Inland Northwesterner’s Guide to the Orchestra”).

Masterworks 5: Stolen Melodies

Martin Woldson Theater

Let yourself be swept between beauty and artistic struggle in this Thursday concert, with Alexandra Conunova as the soloist in Britten's Violin Concerto.

Shostakovich & Brabbins

Malmö Concert Hall

We celebrate with some of our best musical friends who have followed the concert hall throughout its journey from car paint shop to world-class concert venue.

Anniversary Concert #2

Mogens Dahl Koncertsal

In the first half, Britten Sinfonia perform three sumptuously orchestrated pieces evoking different earthly places and landscapes, bridged by Stevens & Pound’s reworkings of the folk tunes used by Grainger and Britten.

Britten Sinfonia/Stevens & Pound: Earth and other planets

Milton Court Concert Hall

The acclaimed writer Robert Macfarlane narrates his own texts interspersing movements of contemporary folk duo Stevens & Pound’s exhilarating re-imagining of Holst’s Planets for orchestra with melodeon and percussion soloists.

Earth And Other Planets, With Stevens & Pound And Robert Macfarlane

St Andrew's Hall

University of Cambridge

Augustine, Cranach, Rembrandt, Rubens, Shakespeare – the list of interpreters and interpreters who have dealt with the early Roman legend of Lucretia’s rape and suicide is long.

Mozarteum University Salzburg

To mark the 50th anniversary of Benjamin Britten's death, Canterbury Choral Society and Youth Choir will perform his popular cantata St Nicolas. This inventive work features dramatic storms and shipwrecks alongside touching scenes from the saint's life, with audience participation in two hymns.

Joining the choir are the world-renowned London Mozart Players, who will also perform two of the finest English works for string orchestra by Elgar and Vaughan Williams.

Together with Holst's moving Psalm 86, this promises to be an evening of rich enchantment and powerful storytelling.

Canterbury Choral Society presents Britten: St Nicolas

Canterbury Cathedral

Designed to engage listeners of all ages, Orchestral Kaleidoscope invites audiences into a colorful afternoon of musical storytelling, virtuosity, and cultural dialogue—reflecting the season’s theme, Where Our Stories Meet, through works that showcase the orchestra’s full expressive range.

MasterWorks IV: Orchestral kaleidoscope

Zimmermann Symphony Center

Benjamin Britten spoke no Russian and Dmitri Shostakovich spoke no English, but they found in each other a kindred spirit, becoming firm friends, supporters of each other’s work and using a sort of broken German as a shared language. Britten’s tribute to his teacher and mentor Frank Bridge uses each variation to loosely sketch a facet of Bridge’s personality, while Shostakovich’s Ninth Symphony was not the grand artistic statement Russia expected and instead is a witty, playful and sarcastic work that inevitably led to political trouble. And we are delighted to welcome Jess Gillam to perform Glasslands by Anna Clyne, inspired by the banshee of Irish mythology.

Ulster Orchestra: Kindred Spirits

Ulster Hall

Kindred Spirits

Belfast

In keeping with the turn of the year, the chamber choir's two concerts will feature works on the theme of "Passing of the Year." The repertoire ranges from the Romantic era of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy and Johannes Brahms, through the 20th century to Benjamin Britten and the present day.

Passing of the Year

Parish of St. Paul

NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra / Alisa Weilerstein / Alan Gilbert

For the young Benjamin Britten, a holiday in Prestatyn was the key to a new world of musical wit and invention. That’s the starting point for this colourful guided tour through the wild, wonderful (and often astonishing) universe of 20th century British piano music: masterpieces and miniatures by Britten, Warlock, Moeran and Tippett, all brought sparkling to life by virtuoso pianist and RWCMD artist-in-association Llŷr Williams.

Llŷr Williams: Britten & British Contemporaries 

Bute Park

British cellist Marie Macleod has been a familiar presence in the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra since 2013, when she joined as principal cello. In this concert, she is joined by pianist Martin Sturfält to highlight music for cello by four English composers.

Salut d’amour

His music is clear yet rich in nuances: This is what makes the works of the year's ruler, Benjamin Britten (1913–1976), so incomparable. The Estonian composer Arvo Pärt honored his English colleague, whom he never met in person, with a cantus. Britten himself explored nocturnal spheres in his Serenade and the later Nocturne. The tenor and horn are the outstanding players on this journey through darkness and dream. Sergei Prokofiev's Symphonie classique, sparkling with virtuosity, takes us back to the light of day: a classical hit in the best sense!

A Tribute to Benjamin Britten

Prinzregententheater

When the first candle burns on the Advent wreath and bright strings of lights begin to glow in the windows, when the calendar doors are gradually opened and the kitchen smells of cinnamon stars, gingerbread, and almond cookies – then it's Advent. And, of course, familiar Christmas melodies also put us in the mood for the festive season. That's why the MDR Children's Choir is touring with concerts, especially in the run-up to Christmas. For many years, it has been a tradition for the MDR Children's Choir to awaken anticipation of Christmas in its broadcast area with cheerful, contemplative songs.

A Thousand Stars

Kaisersaal

As Christmas grows close, step into the warm glow of choral splendour as the SCO Chorus fills Greyfriars Kirk with seasonal music to captivate, calm and inspire you.

A Ceremony of Carols

Greyfriars Kirk

The theme behind this seasonal programme is the Virgin Mary, whether celebrating her own divinity (in the Votive Mass written by Byrd), or in the context of the birth of Christ (in Tallis’ epic Missa Puer natus).

Mother and Child

Smith Square Hall

This December, Orpheus will bring you moments of peace and calm as you enjoy the sounds of the season by candlelight. The program includes favorites like Jan Sandström’s arrangement of “Lo, How a Rose E’re Blooming” and Eric Whitacre's "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening,” as well as selections from Benjamin Britten’s “Ceremony of Carols.”  We’ll be joined by harpist Jaymee Haefner, Professor of Harp at the UNT College of Music.

Christmas with Orpheus

Broadway Baptist Church

Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church

A French conductor and violinist with Spanish roots, Sonia Ben-Santamaria has forged an original career at the crossroads of artistic excellence and transmission.

Christmas Concert

Le Sonambule

Salle Georges Brassens

Opéra Comédie

When the young Benjamin Britten sat down to write his first symphony, he used melodies and themes he had written as a child. Perhaps that is why he called the symphony the Simple Symphony . Regardless, it is music that is easy to get carried away by, with catchy melodies and a good dose of musical humor.

Sokhiev & Beethoven's 6th.

DR Koncerthuset

Ryan Rowe – Master’s Recital

Hamel Music Center

Join Music Director Andreas Delfs in the intimate setting of Beston Hall on the campus of Nazareth University for our popular Sunday Matinees at Naz Series!

Mozart & Britten

Glazer Music Performance Center

Experience an evening of orchestral brilliance with a program that spans centuries of musical innovation. The concert opens with George Frideric Handel’s Water Music Suite No. 1, a regal masterpiece brimming with baroque elegance. Contemporary composer Cheryl Frances-Hoad’s Quark Dances—a dynamic and imaginative work that fuses science and sound—adds a bold, modern voice to the evening. Finally, the program culminates with Benjamin Britten’s Les Illuminations, a luminous and evocative song cycle that brings Rimbaud’s vivid poetry to life through Britten’s expressive, shimmering orchestration. Don’t miss this captivating journey through time and tone.

Radiance

Town Hall Seattle

When the winter darkness is at its thickest,Norrland Operaopen the gates for this year's Classic Christmas with the Norrlandsoperans Symphony Orchestra, two magical evenings – December 12 and 13 – packed with ear candy for those who want to get in the Christmas spirit just in time for Epiphany. Everything from English choral gems, classical solo singing by Mozart and Sibelius to beloved Swedish Christmas music is on offer.

Classic Christmas with the Norrlandsoperans Symphony Orchestra

Norrlandsoperan

Bask in the glow of winter’s light with a radiant program of music that shimmers like freshly fallen snow. New Century Chamber Orchestra and the San Francisco Girls Chorus unite in a performance that radiates warmth and wonder. In a season of reflection and renewal, let this concert be a moment of serenity and shared joy to brighten the longest nights.

In Winter’s Glow

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Tiburon, CA

First Congregational Church of Berkeley

St. Mark’s Lutheran Church

A work of dark, searching grandeur, Prokofiev’s Fourth Symphony gathers sumptuous themes from his ballet music, revised in the postwar shadow of Stalin’s Russia. Britten’s Violin Concerto, a searing response to the Spanish Civil War, features James Ehnes, “a flawless technician and a serious, ever-perceptive musician” (The Guardian). Providing contrast is Debussy’s dreamy and sensuous prelude.

Noseda Conducts Debussy & Prokofiev 4

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

The Vivace players return! This New York-based chamber music collective shares the aim of performing the greatest works in the repertoire at the highest level. Their program is curated to showcase both unity of ensemble and rare musicianship. Looking back, Mozart's Adagio and Fugue in C minor employs Bach's contrapuntal style but pushes into daring, unexpected harmonies that sound as though they were composed a century later. Mendelssohn's miraculous Octet in E-flat major bursts with youthful verve and brilliance. At just 16, he directed in the score that "This Octet must be played by all the instruments in symphonic orchestral style." Britten's Simple Symphony movements reveal his sense of fun and wit, while Max Bruch's Kol Nidrei speaks in a universal voice—moving from supplication to promise and redemption. 

Close Encounters With Music: Vivace Chamber Orchestra – Mozart, Mendelssohn, Britten, Bruch

Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

The programme combines settings of the Song of Songs and its evocation of a luscious, fertile landscape by Spanish composers of the Renaissance, such as Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla and Tomás Luis de Victoria, with the beauty of Britten’s Five Flower Songs, alongside two new commissions from Leo Chadburn and Amy Bryce.

The Marian Consort: The Language of Flowers

A Thursday concert that moves from full cello focus with soloist Senja Rummukainen to a playful parade of the entire Malmö Symphony Orchestra's instruments, one by one. 

Elgars Cello Concerto

The Macmillan Carol Concert returns this December with an evening of joyful music, stirring performances, and festive spirit – all in support of Macmillan Cancer Support.

With a glittering line-up of musicians and special guests, this much-loved event promises heart and harmony in equal measure, making it the perfect way to start your Christmas season.

The Macmillan Carol Concert

Cadogan Hall 

Dreieinigkeitskirche Zeulenroda

Film music on the concert organ, how does that work together? Anna Lapwood herself says: "In recent years, I have increasingly stopped defining music by genres, and started thinking about what music brings joy to me and my listeners. The boundaries between genres are so flexible anyway, and it's really fun to experiment with blurring these boundaries even more." You can feel this joy in this concert as well, when she plays her transcriptions from the films "The Da Vinci Code," "Interstellar," and "Pirates of the Caribbean" (Hans Zimmer) and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (Alan Menken). In addition, classics such as the famous Prelude by Johann Sebastian Bach, which was turned into "Ave Maria" by Charles Gounod, and Benjamin Britten's "Four Sea Interludes" from the opera "Peter Grimes" can be heard, as well as new works written for Anna Lapwood.

Interstellar

Palace of Culture

As one of the most original and prolific composers of the 20th century, Benjamin Britten left behind a particularly extensive and rich oeuvre. In 1962/63, he composed a "Symphony for Cello and Orchestra" for Mstislav Rostropovich, distinguished by the equal treatment of solo and tutti, which unfold in virtuoso interplay. Britain, in this case Scotland, became a source of inspiration for the young Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, whose Scottish Symphony  grew out of a lasting travel experience in the Nordic landscape and culture and remains one of his major works. Highly Romantic scenery is brought to life, carried by orchestral sounds rich in form and color.

Symphony Concert III

Bebelplatz

"The Art of Fugue" is, quite bluntly put, a collection of compositions on a theme whose possibilities are systematically explored. Here, Johann Sebastian Bach not only employs various types of fugues (simple fugue, counter-fugue, double fugue, triple fugue, mirror fugue, canon) and their traditional forms (inversion, augmentation, and reduction), but also other, more general musical means. Under Bach's hands, the project of a practical teaching tool attained an unexpected quality and, despite all its erudition, remains pure music of infectious vitality and typically Bachian expressiveness. 

True touchstones

Bochumer Symphoniker

Across the Sea

Warren Woods Middle School

The COP's second concert features a different set of the three B's!  We hope you enjoy these rarely played works by Britten and Barberas well as a favorite Bach Concerto performed by Amaury Morales.

The Other Three B's

Rodef Shalom Congregation

We return to the Wimbledon International Festival, conducted by our Principal Bassoon Robin O’Neill.

Enjoy a radiant programme celebrating the refined, sensuous world of Maurice Ravel in his 150th birthday year, with two highlights from the composer’s catalogue: Tombeau de Couperin and Pavane pour une infante défunte.

We’re joined by star violist Timothy Ridout in Britten’s Lachrymae, a piece that showcases the deep emotional depth of the instrument.

Wimbledon International Music Festival: Tertis Memorial Concert

Wimbledon High School

Under Joseph Stalin’s brutal regime, being an artist meant extreme censorship, unimaginable pressure, and life-or-death stakes. No composer of the era embodied this more than Dmitri Shostakovich, and in his Symphony No. 10—the first of his symphonies to be composed after Stalin’s death—his newfound artistic freedom unleashed an explosive torrent of earth-shaking emotional power. Music Director Juraj Valčuha leads this extraordinary darkness-to-light journey, and Baiba Skride heats up Jones Hall with Britten’s fiery Violin Concerto.

Composer

Benjamin Britten

Events

Upcoming events

Mar 20, 2026

Faculty Recital: Ben Ullery, Viola; Clive Greensmith, Cello; and Dominic Cheli, Piano · Colburn School

Mar 20, 2026

A Farewell to London · Alabama Symphony Orchestra

20 - 21 Mar, 2026

A London Landscape · Alabama Symphony Orchestra

Mar 21, 2026

The Holsts: Father & Daughter · Sinfonia Viva

21 - 22 Mar, 2026

Pictures at the Symphony · Arkansas Symphony Orchestra

Past events

18 - 19 Mar, 2026

Pablo Ferrández, cello · Schubert Club

Mar 15, 2026

Britten. Bartók. Beethoven · Prague Philharmonia

About

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