What's On — SymphonyHall events

Glenn Miller Orchestra
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Sun 2 Jan 2011 3:00pm Symphony Hall

Legendary bandleader Ray McVay swings into Birmingham to direct the UK’s most renowned big band for a nostalgic journey back to the forties with chart topping war time hits. The orchestra will perform the second half of the concert in the World War II uniforms of the US army Air Force. Presented in association with Raymond Gubbay. For more information visit "www.raymondgubbay.co.uk":http://www.raymondgubbay.co.uk
*Glenn Miller Orchestra* *The Jiving Lindy Hoppers* _special guests_ *Jan Messeder* *Colin Anthony* *The Uptown Hall Gang* *The Moonlight Serenaders*
_633 Squadron_, _We'll Meet Again_, _Mr. Bojangles_, _That's Amore_, _Joy to the World_, _I've Got You Under My Skin_, _When You Wish Upon A Star_, _Kalamazoo_, _Little Brown Jug_, _String of Pearls_, _Pennsylvania 65,000_, _In the Mood_
CBSO Viennese New Year - ...
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Fri 7 Jan 2011 2:15pm Symphony Hall

As sweet as a slice of sachertorte, and as fizzy as champagne - it wouldn't be New Year without Johann Strauss and the music of Vienna! There'll be elegant waltzes, playful polkas, and a few sparkling surprises from our special guest, violinist Chloë Hanslip. So let the CBSO and conductor Roberto Minczuk whirl you back to a more glamorous age, as we raise a glass to the start of another great year of music. _Prosit!_
*Roberto Minczuk* _conductor_ *Chloë Hanslip* _violin_
Including: *Strauss* _On the Beautiful Blue Danube_, _Tales from the Vienna Woods_, _Champagne Polka_, _Long Live the Magyar!_, _By the Danube's Shores_, _Wiener Bonbons_, _Wiener Blut_, _Leichtes Blut_ *Léhar* _Zigeunerliebe Waltzes_, _Hungarian Fantasy_ for Violin and Orchestra *Kreisler* music for violin and orchestra
CBSO Viennese New Year
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Fri 7 Jan 2011 7:30pm Symphony Hall

As sweet as a slice of sachertorte, and as fizzy as champagne - it wouldn't be New Year without Johann Strauss and the music of Vienna! There'll be elegant waltzes, playful polkas, and a few sparkling surprises from our special guest, violinist Chloë Hanslip. So let the CBSO and conductor Roberto Minczuk whirl you back to a more glamorous age, as we raise a glass to the start of another great year of music. _Prosit!_
*Roberto Minczuk* _conductor_ *Chloë Hanslip* _violin_
Including: *Strauss* _On the Beautiful Blue Danube_, _Tales from the Vienna Woods_, _Champagne Polka_, _Long Live the Magyar!_, _By the Danube's Shores_, _Wiener Bonbons_, _Wiener Blut_, _Leichtes Blut_ *Léhar* _Zigeunerliebe Waltzes_, _Hungarian Fantasy_ for Violin and Orchestra *Kreisler* music for violin and orchestra
Irina Kolesnikova with St... The Nutcracker
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Sat 8 Jan 2011 7:30pm Symphony Hall

The talented young company from St Petersburg is acknowledged as one of the few genuine Russian companies visiting the United Kingdom and features Prima Ballerina Irina Kolesnikova. This is a company you will see on some of the world's most prestigious stages with production boasting sumptuous set designs, opulent costumes, and authentic choreography in this timeless classical ballet.
Irina Kolesnikova with St... The Nutcracker
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Sun 9 Jan 2011 2:30pm Symphony Hall

The talented young company from St Petersburg is acknowledged as one of the few genuine Russian companies visiting the United Kingdom and features Prima Ballerina Irina Kolesnikova. This is a company you will see on some of the world's most prestigious stages with production boasting sumptuous set designs, opulent costumes, and authentic choreography in this timeless classical ballet.
Irina Kolesnikova with St... The Nutcracker
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Sun 9 Jan 2011 7:30pm Symphony Hall

The talented young company from St Petersburg is acknowledged as one of the few genuine Russian companies visiting the United Kingdom and features Prima Ballerina Irina Kolesnikova. This is a company you will see on some of the world's most prestigious stages with production boasting sumptuous set designs, opulent costumes, and authentic choreography in this timeless classical ballet.
CBSO Nelsons conducts Str...
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Thu 13 Jan 2011 7:30pm Symphony Hall

Richard Strauss liked to blow his own trumpets... and his horns, trombones and tubas! So when he used a massive orchestra to tell the story of an imaginary hero, complete with enemies and battles (and a shamelessly explicit love scene), it’s not hard to work out who he actually had in mind: himself. But _Ein Heldenleben_ (A Hero’s Life) is more than just an irresistibly flamboyant musical self-portrait; it’s one of the all-time great orchestral showpieces. Andris Nelsons’s recent recording of _Ein Heldenleben_ with the CBSO won worldwide acclaim, with one critic declaring it 'one of the most sumptuous and refined ever put on to disc'. Don’t miss this chance to hear it live, or to hear the brilliant French cellist Gautier Capuçon in a very different musical autobiography: Shostakovich’s punchy First Cello Concerto.
*Andris Nelsons* _conductor_ *Gautier Capuçon* _cello_
*Beethoven* _Egmont_ Overture 8’ *Shostakovich* Cello Concerto No. 1 28’ *Strauss* _Ein Heldenleben_ 46’
The Australian Classic Ro... No support
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Sat 15 Jan 2011 8:00pm Symphony Hall

A winning formula of impeccable musicianship matched with a spectacular sound and lights show, animations and a sprinkle of Aussie humour. This is a classic rock fan's ultimate live juke box! Treat yourself to two and a half hours of classic rock's best moments with a virtuoso band. The show features a special anthem-by-anthem climax, including tracks by Supertramp, Dire Straits, Led Zeppelin, The Eagles, Steely Dan, Genesis, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Who. An unforgettable evening of guitar-rocking, air-punching, chorus-singing, foot-stomping fun. Sore throat guaranteed!
CBSO Spring Symphony - Ma...
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Thu 27 Jan 2011 2:15pm Symphony Hall

It’s darkest January. But for one afternoon only at Symphony Hall, it’s spring! Schumann was head-over-heels in love when he wrote his _Spring_ symphony, and it burst through in the ringing fanfares and blossoming melodies of this joyous masterpiece. Estonian conductor Olari Elts tackles Beethoven’s irresistibly playful First Symphony - and then joins the CBSO’s popular principal Horn Elspeth Dutch in the young Richard Strauss’s First Concerto. Neither piece is “about” spring, but there’s no mistaking that swaggering joie de vivre. Add the swinging _Waltz Scene_ from Strauss's most playful opera, and you've got an afternoon of pure musical sunshine. This concert is followed by a Members’ Afternoon Tea, with Olari Elts as guest speaker. Contact Ellie Griffiths on 0121 616 6514.
*Olari Elts* _conductor_ *Elspeth Dutch* _horn_
*Beethoven* Symphony No. 1 25’ *Strauss* Horn Concerto No. 1 15’ *Strauss* _Waltz Scene_ from _Intermezzo_ 10’ *Schumann* Symphony No. 1 (_Spring_) 30’
CBSO Friday Night Classic...
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Fri 28 Jan 2011 7:30pm Symphony Hall

Big stars demand big tunes! Join us for a celebration of divas through the decades, from Judy Garland to Whitney Houston, Ella Fitzgerald to Tina Turner. Defined by their timless glitz and glamour and big personalities, as well as their incredible and powerful voices, these ladies are iconic characters who've given us many a memorable song. Revel in all your favourite hits, with wonderful West End vocalists and their backing group for the night - the CBSO! From jazz standard _Every Time We Say Goodbye_ to modern film classic _My Heart Will Go On_, expect an unforgettable night of irresistable music.
*Gareth Hudson* _conductor_ *Mary Carewe* _vocalist_ *Grainne Renihan* _vocalist_ *Emer McParland* _vocalist_
Including: _River Deep, Mountain High_, _Don't Rain on my Parade_, _Cabaret Memory_, _Trolley Song_, _My Heart Will Go On_, _Diamonds are Forever_, _Every Time We Say Goodbye_, _I Will Survive_ and lots more!
CBSO The Birmingham Mahle...
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Wed 2 Feb 2011 7:30pm Symphony Hall

Gustav Mahler knew that no great composer wrote more than nine symphonies. And, struggling with heart disease, stricken by the loss of a child and tormented by love for his fickle young wife, the last thing he wanted to do was to tempt fate. But in his final completed symphony, he took everything the world had thrown at him, and distilled it into some of the most heartbreakingly beautiful music of the twentieth century. The result is one of the defining artworks of its time. Eight decades later, British composer Mark Anthony Turnage faced a similar dilemma: his cello concerto _Kai_, a heartfelt elegy to a friend who died young, is the definitive answer to those who still think that contemporary music can’t touch the heart, and a wonderful complement to Mahler’s rapturous vision. 6.15pm Pre-concert talk with novelist, journalist and blogger Jessica Duchen. Part of "The Birmingham Mahler Cycle":http://www.thsh.co.uk/the-birmingham-mahler-cycle
*Andris Nelsons* _conductor_ *Birmingham Contemporary Music Group* *Ulrich Heinen* _cello_
*Turnage* _Kai_ 18’ *Mahler* Symphony No. 9 87’
CBSO Tuned In: Mahler Sym...
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Thu 3 Feb 2011 7:30pm Symphony Hall

Few symphonies tell a story as rich as that of Mahler’s Ninth. So join presenter Stephen Johnson, conductor Andris Nelsons, and the full CBSO, for the latest in the CBSO’s acclaimed _Tuned In_ series of concerts-with-a-difference. In the first half, Stephen (with a bit of help from Andris Nelsons and the orchestra) uncovers the many layers of Mahler’s last symphony - the hidden codes, the tricks of Mahler’s trade, and the personal stories behind the notes. Then, after the interval, there’s a full performance of the Symphony. Whether you’re a Mahler first-timer, or you’ve known the Ninth for years, every performance of this piece reveals something new. Tonight, we’ll help you find your own way into the ultimate Romantic symphony. Part of "The Birmingham Mahler Cycle":http://www.thsh.co.uk/the-birmingham-mahler-cycle
*Andris Nelsons* _conductor_ *Stephen Johnson* _presenter_
Introduction to Mahler’s Ninth Symphony, with live orchestral examples 30’ *Mahler* Symphony No. 9 87’
CBSO The Birmingham Mahle...
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Thu 10 Feb 2011 7:30pm Symphony Hall

The CBSO and THSH are sad to learn of the death of Sir Charles Mackerras, who was to have conducted this concert. A replacement will be announced in due course. 6.15pm Pre-concert performance by the Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Michael Seal. Part of "The Birmingham Mahler Cycle":http://www.thsh.co.uk/the-birmingham-mahler-cycle
Conductor TBC *Christianne Stotijn* _Mezzo Soprano_
*Schubert* Symphony No. 8 (_Unfinished_) 22’ *Mahler* _Kindertotenlieder_ 23’ *Dvořák* Symphony No. 7 38’
Anton & Erin - Puttin...
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Sat 12 Feb 2011 3:00pm Symphony Hall

Following two sold out UK tours in 2009 and 2010 Anton Du Beke and Erin Boag return with this fabulous new show. Britain’s favourite dance couple from the BBC’s _Strictly Come Dancing_, will be joined by superb guest dancers and a live orchestra conducted by Richard Balcombe. Presented in association with Raymond Gubbay. For more information visit "www.raymondgubbay.co.uk":http://www.raymondgubbay.co.uk
*Richard Balcombe* _conductor_
With music from: *Irving Berlin*, *Leonard Bernstein*, *Kander & Ebb* and *Cole Porter* Including classic hits such as: _Puttin’ on the Ritz_, _On the Town_, _Razzle Dazzle_, _All I Need Is the Girl_, _Somewhere In Time_, _Lieber Tango_, _Wunderbar_, _That Old Black Magic_, _Tenderly_
Anton & Erin - Puttin...
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Sat 12 Feb 2011 7:30pm Symphony Hall

Following two sold out UK tours in 2009 and 2010 Anton Du Beke and Erin Boag return with this fabulous new show. Britain’s favourite dance couple from the BBC’s _Strictly Come Dancing_, will be joined by superb guest dancers and a live orchestra conducted by Richard Balcombe. Presented in association with Raymond Gubbay. For more information visit "www.raymondgubbay.co.uk":http://www.raymondgubbay.co.uk
*Richard Balcombe* _conductor_
With music from: *Irving Berlin*, *Leonard Bernstein*, *Kander & Ebb* and *Cole Porter* Including classic hits such as: _Puttin’ on the Ritz_, _On the Town_, _Razzle Dazzle_, _All I Need Is the Girl_, _Somewhere In Time_, _Lieber Tango_, _Wunderbar_, _That Old Black Magic_, _Tenderly_
CBSO Nelsons conducts Bee...
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Wed 16 Feb 2011 2:15pm Symphony Hall

Spring awakening: with the very first notes of his Eroica Symphony, Beethoven blew the world of music wide open. It was supposed to be about Napoleon - but there’s no doubt about it; the real hero of this musical revolution is Beethoven himself! No matter how many times you’ve heard the _Eroica_, there’s still nothing to match the electricity of a live performance, and Andris Nelsons’s interpretation is keenly awaited. First, though, hear the _Eroica_ in embryo, in Beethoven’s _Prometheus_ music, and then something completely different. Vaughan Williams’s hugely popular _The Lark Ascending_ distils the tranquillity of the English countryside to its purest essence; and who better to play it than the youngest-ever winner of BBC _Young Musician_ of the Year? 1.15pm Pre-concert talk presented by violinist David Gregory, and CBSO colleagues about Beethoven's _Eroica_.
*Andris Nelsons* _conductor_ *Jennifer Pike* _violin_
*Beethoven* _Prometheus_ Overture & Ballet Music 20’ *Vaughan Williams* _The Lark_ _Ascending_ 13’ *Beethoven* Symphony No. 3 (_Eroica_) 47’
CBSO Heroes
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Sat 19 Feb 2011 7:00pm Symphony Hall

Welcome the heroes. Beethoven lived through the age of Revolution; Prokofiev worked in Stalin’s Russia. But they both knew how to tell a thrilling story. _Alexander Nevsky_ may have begun as an epic war movie set in medieval Russia, but this is one film-score that sounds even more sensational live! Prokofiev assembles a massive orchestra and chorus, then unleashes hell, as knights and priests clash on the ice to ear-splitting music. Then, with two explosive chords, Beethoven blows the world of the classical symphony wide open. There’s still no symphony to match the sheer electricity of his revolutionary _Eroica_ - and no question, the real hero here is Ludwig van B himself! Andris Nelsons’s interpretation is keenly awaited. 5.45pm Pre-concert talk presented by violinist David Gregory, and CBSO colleagues.
*Andris Nelsons* _conductor_ *Nadezhda Serdiuk* _mezzo_ *CBSO Chorus*
*Prokofiev* _Alexander Nevsky_ 36’ *Beethoven* Symphony No. 3 (_Eroica_) 47’
CBSO The Birmingham Mahle...
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Wed 23 Feb 2011 7:30pm Symphony Hall

When Gustav Mahler died in May 1911, he left his final symphony tantalisingly unfinished. So Deryck Cooke’s completion of this mighty score was one of the twentieth century’s great feats of artistic rescue. On a musical par with raising the Titanic, it uncovered a lost masterpiece of modern music - one that answers the question: after the "farewell to life" of his Ninth, where could Mahler go next? The Tenth is a spiritual odyssey, filled with puzzles and allusions; a work where cries of love and cries of pain finally resolve in music of shattering honesty and heartbreaking beauty. Former CBSO music director Sakari Oramo makes an emotional return to guide us to the heart of Mahler’s final musical testament. If you don’t know the Tenth, you don’t know Mahler. 6.15pm Pre-concert talk with Professor Peter Franklin, author of _The Life of Mahler_. Part of "The Birmingham Mahler Cycle":http://www.thsh.co.uk/the-birmingham-mahler-cycle
*Sakari Oramo* _conductor_
*Mahler* Symphony No. 10 (completed by Deryck Cooke) 78’
CBSO Youth Orchestra
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Sun 27 Feb 2011 7:00pm Symphony Hall

Those twentieth-century blues…the sensuous harmonies and shot-silk colours of Debussy’s impressionist masterpiece launched a new era for classical music. Five decades and two world wars later, Ralph Vaughan Williams stood back and surveyed the wreckage. Tonight, English music expert John Wilson takes our superb Youth Orchestra on that incredible journey, from Debussy’s gorgeous dream to the musical firestorms of Vaughan Williams’s devastating Sixth Symphony - by way of jazz-age Manhattan, where pianist Leon McCawley takes the solo in Gershwin’s fabulously tuneful “skyscraper concerto”. From decadent Paris to a bombed out wasteland: it’s a hell of a ride, but if you heard the CBSO Youth Orchestra in Walton’s First Symphony last season, you’ll already know that these young players don’t pull their punches! The annual Patrons’ Reception will take place before this concert. For full details of the CBSO's membership schemes call Eve Smith on 0121 616 6533.
*John Wilson* _conductor_ *Leon McCawley* _piano_
*Debussy* _Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune_ 10’ *Gershwin* Piano Concerto 29’ *Vaughan Williams*: Symphony No. 6 30’
CBSO Dancing in the Stree...
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Tue 1 Mar 2011 7:30pm Symphony Hall

From Gershwin tapping through the streets of jazz-age Paris, to John Adams imagining Mao Zedong and Madame Mao in a show-stopping foxtrot - there’s no denying that American composers have got rhythm! South American-born conductor Carlos Kalmar knows all about that, and tonight he leads the CBSO on a high-kicking celebration of the American way of dance. Expect some serious Latin flair in Bernstein’s _West Side Story_ dances, the smokiest of blues in _An American in Paris_, and - at the heart of the programme - something completely different. The superb British pianist Steven Osborne should bring just the right mixture of poetry and panache to Falla’s enchanted, shimmering _Nights in the Gardens of Spain_ begun in 1911.
*Carlos Kalmar* _conductor_ *Steven Osborne* _piano_
*Adams* _The Chairman Dances_ 12’ *Bernstein* _West Side Story_ - _Symphonic Dances_ 23’ *Falla* _Nights in the Gardens of Spain_ 23’ *Gershwin* _An American in Paris_ 17’