THSH: What's On — Classical events

CBSO Season 2008-09

Wed 17 Sep to Fri 3 Jul Town Hall & Symphony Hall

DISCOUNTS FOR CBSO CONCERTS Please note that only one discount can be applied to any ticket. Special offers, discounts and concessions cannot be combined. Concerts which are not promoted by the CBSO may have different discounting policies please check with the Ticket Office at time of booking. *CONCERT PACKAGES* Buy tickets for 3 or more CBSO concerts at Symphony Hall/Town Hall to start saving and receiving package benefits. *GROUP BOOKERS* are entitled to a 20% discount for parties of 11 or more and receive one FREE ticket for the group organiser. Groups also benefit from a reservation facility - please call the Group Booking Department on Freephone 0800 358 7070. There is also the opportunity to meet CBSO musicians at concerts; please call Amy Poyser at the CBSO on 0121 616 6513. *FAMILY TICKETS* (for Symphony Hall & Town Hall) To qualify for a family ticket, one or two adults must be accompanied by one or more children aged 16 and under, up to a maximum group of six people. Family tickets are available in all areas, and will be allocated subject to availability. Adult family ticket: £17; child family ticket: £8.50. *STUDENTS & YOUNG PEOPLE* From 1pm on the day of each evening performance and from 10am for matinée concerts, anyone in fulltime education and young people aged 25 and under can purchase remaining tickets at the discounted price of £4. Proof of eligibility may be required. Please note: the CBSO reserves the right to allocate these tickets in certain areas of the hall. Under our ‘Audiences for Tomorrow’ scheme, the CBSO offers a limited number of tickets at special prices for secondary school groups, subject to availability. Teachers should call Katy Russell on 0121 616 6530 for information. *STANDBY TICKETS* Available from 1pm on the day of each evening performance and from 10am for matinée concerts (Symphony Hall & Town Hall concerts), and from CBSO Centre one hour before CBSO Cntre performances. Please come early to avoid queues. All standby tickets are issued subject to availability and on production of valid and suitable identification. Please note the CBSO reserves the right to allocate standby tickets in certain areas of the hall. Patrons aged 60+ (Symphony Hall & Town Hall only) receive 10% discount. Patrons who are benefit recipients can purchase tickets for £4 at all venues (qualifying benefits: Income Support, Pension Tax Credit, Job Seekers Allowance and Disability Tax Credit). Holders of ‘Passport to Leisure’ cards can purchase Circle tickets for £21, and seats on all other levels for £13.50 at Symphony Hall and Town Hall (one ticket per Passport holder), and receive £1 off a full-price ticket at CBSO Centre. *DISABLED PATRONS* If you have a disability you are entitled to receive 50% discount off full price seats. Should you need the service of a companion, their ticket is also half price. Proof of eligibility may be required. N.B. Disabled patrons can combine their 50% discount with the additional Concert Package discounts. For further information on facilities for patrons with disabilities, including the infra-red system for the hearing impaired, please contact Symphony Hall on 0121 780 4949. Receivers are available from the Performance Manager at the concert. Guide dogs welcome. *WHEELCHAIR POSITIONS* Spaces for patrons who need to remain in their wheelchair during the performance are located on the stalls and upper circle levels of Symphony Hall, stalls & circle levels of Town Hall and are available at CBSO Centre. Please book in advance for Symphony Hall & Town Hall by calling 0121 780 4949 during opening hours. *CAR PARKING* Limited space is available for Blue Badge holders driving their own vehicles. To reserve free parking, please contact the Ticket Office on 0121 780 3333. You will be asked for your Blue Badge number, vehicle registration, concert date and contact details when booking a space. Please put requests for more than three dates in writing to Performances Birmingham Ticket Office, Symphony Hall, Broad Street, Birmingham B1 2EA. For concerts at Town Hall, wheelchair users may be dropped off outside the building by Paradise Circus. Blue badge parking bays in the vicinity of Town Hall can be found on Margaret Street, Edmund Street and Pinfold Street. *This brochure is available free of charge on audio-cassette. Please call 0121 616 6513.* *RETURNS & RESALES* Tickets are accepted at the discretion of the Ticket Office but all CBSO sales take priority. There is a service charge of 10% of the face value and money resulting from a resale will be forwarded by cheque. NB only cash or cheques will be accepted in payment for returns. *LOST TICKETS* Please note there is a £2 charge for printing duplicate tickets.

Centre Stage at CBSO Centre

Thu 25 Sep to Sun 14 Jun Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

Devised and performed by the musicians of the CBSO, Centre Stage provides a series of intimate chamber concerts designed to complement the music being performed at Symphony Hall. Centre Stage events start at 1.10pm and normally last about 50 minutes. Snacks and a licenced bar are available before every performance.

Notelets at CBSO Centre

Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

Birmingham International Concert Season 2008 - 09

Tue 7 Oct to Sun 31 May Town Hall & Symphony Hall

h2. See the world’s greatest artists perform on the UK’s finest stages Sir Simon Rattle, The Royal Opera and Antonio Pappano, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Vladimir Jurowski, St Petersburg Philharmonic, Choir of King’s College Cambridge, Mitsuko Uchida, Leif Ove Andsnes, Murray Perahia, John Williams, the Brodsky Quartet-these are just a few of the stars performing this season at Town Hall and Symphony Hall. In this season you’ll find a veritable ‘Who’s Who’ of the classical music world. From the unrivalled acoustic of Symphony Hall to the historic ambience of Town Hall, there are no better platforms for such outstanding talents. We hope you will cherish these special evenings of music making with us. *Concert Packages: Book six or more concerts and save up to 30%!* Book a concert package and guarantee those special musical experiences. And, the more concerts you book for, the more money you’ll save: * Book 6 to 8 concerts and save 10% * Book 9 to 10 concerts and save 15% * Book 11 to 16 concerts and save 20% * Book 17 or more concerts and save 30% You will also receive these exclusive benefits: * First choice of seats in Town Hall and Symphony Hall * Ticket exchange scheme * Free concert programme * Discounts on selected additional concerts throughout the year * 6 months interest free credit if you book by 30 June 2008 * Car parking for just £3.80 at Brindleyplace * 12½% discount THe SHop, our classical music shop at Symphony Hall * 10% discount on Town Hall and Symphony Hall merchandise * 30% discount on additional Birmingham International Concert Season concert tickets if you book 17 or more concerts in your package *How to Book* Postal booking of concert packages is open now. Download an order form from below or phone the Information Line on 0121 644 5198. General booking is open now - online, by phone, post and in person.

Orchestra of the Swan Season 2008/09

Sun 12 Oct to Sun 10 May Town Hall

A series of friendly and informal afternoon concerts hosted by conductor David Curtis. Orchestra of the Swan - an Explorchestra! Making music - breaking barriers '...a gutsy and versatile group...' The Guardian Orchestra of the Swan gives performances of the highest professional standard, sharing our passion and conveying the spirit with all our audiences. '...a clear, warm-toned performance...a radiant lyrical splendour...' The Independent Supported by Arts Council England "www.orchestraoftheswan.org":http://www.orchestraoftheswan.org
Conductor David Curtis
Pre-concert talk taking place in the auditorium at 1.30pm Post-concert Conversation Club taking place in the Circle Bar 15 minutes after the end of the performance. Entrance free to concert ticket holders

Centrepiece at Symphony Hall

Symphony Hall

Fabulous Treasure Troves: Symphony Hall and Town Hall are hosting ‘Centrepiece’ Jewellery Selling Exhibition from 12 November to 23 December 2008 Building on ten years of sparkling success, ‘Centrepiece’ is again bringing Birmingham a unique dual-site shopping experience for the six weeks leading up to Christmas. With at least 30 different contemporary designer maker collections of the highest standard on show in the foyers you can treat yourself or your family and friends. The exquisite handmade pieces are catering for a very wide range of budgets. This year’s novelty will be an exciting collaboration of six ‘Centrepiece’ jewellery designers and six regional glass artists, showcased at the Town Hall foyer. Opening times: Symphony Hall (Tuesday 11th November at 5.00pm until 23rd December at 10:30pm, open daily from 10:30am to 10:30pm) Town Hall (Wednesday 12th November at 10:30am until 23rd December at 10.30pm, open on most days, please check the Town Hall calendar of events)

Sunday Morning Coffee Concert - Andreas Brantelid & Bengt Forsberg

Sun 23 Nov Town Hall

*Schubert* Sonata for Cello and Piano, D 821 _Arpeggione_ *Janacek* Fairy Tale for Cello and Piano *Franck* Sonata in A major op 13

Uchida Plays Mozart

Sun 23 Nov Symphony Hall

Few pianists today command the respect and awe accorded to Mitsuko Uchida. “One of today’s great pianists,” wrote The Times, while The Independent summed her up as simply “sublime”. In this concert she directs two of Mozart’s greatest concertos from the keyboard-the serenity and poise of the A major Concerto contrasting with the tragedy of the C minor. Uchida’s lucid Mozart playing is ideally suited to the perfect acoustic of Symphony Hall, uniting performer and audience in an experience of crystal-clear intensity. *Classic FM’s Anne-Marie Minhall says of tonight’s recommended concert:* _Tonight the pianist Mitsuko Uchida joins forces with the orchestra formed in in 1981 and made up of fifty players from fifteen countries-The Chamber Orchestra of Europe. A chance for you to enjoy two of Mozart’s Piano Concertos written at the same time, but in very distinct moods. Mitsuko Uchida gained her international reputation by playing and recording the music of Mozart-there’s nothing she doesn’t know about the composer’s best-loved works for keyboard._ "Classic FM":http://www.classicfm.co.uk Tickets £5-£37.50
*Chamber Orchestra of Europe* *Mitsuko Uchida* piano/director *Alexander Janiczek* director
*Stravinsky* Apollon Musagète 30’ *Mozart* Piano Concerto No 23 in A Major, K488 24’ *Mozart* Piano Concerto No 24 in C minor, K491 30’

Lunchtime Organ Concert - Thomas Trotter (24th Nov 2008)

Mon 24 Nov Town Hall

Thomas Trotter plays Ives’ Variations on America, C.P.E. Bach’s Sonata in A minor, Pierne’s March of the Tin Soldiers, and more. Admission from 12.30pm.Programme lasts approximately one hour. Thomas Trotter is a Town Hall Associate Artist.

Totally Tchaikovsky!

Wed 26 Nov Symphony Hall

Tchaikovsky’s struggles with his personal demons left a mark on many of his works, and the dramatic Fifth Symphony of 1888 is one of the pieces in which positive forces ultimately seem to triumph over the darkness. Composed during the same year, the fantasy overture Hamlet is one of his three works based on Shakespeare plays. Andris Nelsons is also joined by his compatriot Baiba Skride for the tuneful concerto that represents the lighter side of Tchaikovsky’s art, and which they recorded together with the CBSO in Birmingham last year.
Andris Nelsons - conductor Baiba Skride - violin City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Tchaikovsky: Hamlet - Overture 19’ Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto 34’ Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 47’

Centre Stage Baiba Skride (violin) and CBSO Players

Thu 27 Nov Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

Baiba Skride (violin) and CBSO Players Brahms: Clarinet Quintet

DACIA 10th Anniversary Concert The Anglo Romanian Arts Foundation 10th Anniversary Event

Fri 28 Nov Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

The Anglo-Romanian Arts Foundation in Birmingham celebrates its tenth anniversary with an evening of enchanting music by Enescu, Silvestri, Vieru, Ireland and Debussy.
*Anda Anastasescu* (piano) *Mark Simpson* (clarinet) *Huw Morgan* (trumpet)

Birmingham Bach Choir: Bach Mass in B Minor Brandenburg Baroque Soloists

Sat 29 Nov Town Hall

Completed in the last year of his life, the Mass in B Minor is the consummate expression of Bach’s genius. With masterful interplay between chorus, orchestra, and soloists from the beseeching spirals of the opening Kyrie to the final climactic Dona nobis pacem this is choral music at its greatest.
*Birmingham Bach Choir* *Brandenburg Baroque Soloists* *Paul Spicer* Conductor *Celeste Lazarenko* Soprano *Christopher Ainslie* Counter Tenor *Sean Clayton* Tenor *Vojteh Safarik* Bass

Walsall Music Service

Sun 30 Nov Symphony Hall

Walsall Music Service has formed a choir of over 500 young voices to sing exciting and well-loved seasonal music at these concerts. Also featured will be the winner of the West Midland's (BBC WM) Pop Stars Competition; the Walsall Young Musician of the Year; Young stars from the our Dance & Music Theatre; The Beacon Wind Band and World Music Groups. £5

Orchestra of the Swan: Mozart V Salieri

Sun 30 Nov Town Hall

Despite a lack of evidence, the legend that Salieri poisoned Mozart out of jealousy has been fixed in people's minds by the film Amadeus. The older composer could certainly spin a good tune, but judge for yourselves whether he comes anywhere near the genius of two of Mozart's most delightful. 1.30pm free pre-concert talk Post-concert Conversation Club in the Circle Bar 15 mins after the end of the performance. "It's just how music should be." Birmingham Post £8.50, £12.50, £16.50, £19.50 Choir benches £6.50 60 plus £7.50, £11.50, £15, £17.50 Orchestra of the Swan is a Town Hall Associate Artist.
*Orchestra of the Swan* *David Curtis* Conductor *Diane Clark* Flute *Helen Cole* Harp

A Taste of France

Tue 2 Dec Symphony Hall

Widely acknowledged as an expert conductor of 20thcentury music, Ilan Volkov includes three French masterpieces in a programme full of orchestral colour. Debussy’s famous portrait of the sea in all its various moods finds a more exotic counterpart in the 1912 ballet by Paul Dukas (of Sorcerer’s Apprentice fame) which tells of a Persian man’s quest for the Flower of Immortality. We are also joined by the Nazareth-born pianist, who scored a success here in Beethoven two years ago, for two contrasting concertos: Ravel’s jazzy Left Hand Concerto and a new work by Jordanian composer Saed Haddad. 6.15pm Pre-concert talk - Premiere! - Saed Haddad’s Piano Concerto Conductor Ilan Volkov and soloist Saleem Abboud Ashkar talk to Stephen Maddock about tonight’s UK premiere.
*Ilan Volkov* conductor *Saleem Abboud Ashkar* piano
*Dukas* La Péri 19’ *Ravel* Piano Concerto for the left hand 20’ *Haddad* "Alternative World-versions" for Piano & Orchestra (UK premiere) 11' *Debussy* La Mer 25’

Birmingham Community Foundation Christmas Carol Concert

Wed 3 Dec Town Hall

Following last year's sell out event at Town Hall, this year's Christmas Carol Concert will include _The Snowman Suite_, exctracts from Thcaikovsky's _Nutcracker_ Suite and _Deck the Halls_ plus much more. Held in aid of the Birmingham Community Foundation. For further information please visit www.bhamfoundation.co.uk/newsfs.html £20, £25
*Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra* *Adrian Goldberg* compere *Michael Lloyd* conductor *Choir of St Peter's Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton*

Britten Sinfonia at Lunch - Dec 2008

Thu 4 Dec Town Hall

This opening concert in Britten Sinfonia’s acclaimed lunchtime series features works chosen by the eminent British composer Colin Matthews, including Mozart’s masterful Kegelstatt Trio. Matthews’ award-winning Elegiac Chaconne will be performed alongside a specially commissioned work from his chosen composer, Charlotte Bray.
*Polina Leschenko* piano *Janne Thomsen* flute *Joy Farrall* clarinet *Martin Outram* viola *Caroline Dearnley* cello
*Chopin* Polonaise Brilliante for piano and cello 8’ *Charlotte Bray* New Work 10’ (world première tour) *Colin Matthews* Elegiac Chaconne 7’ *Mozart* Kegelstatt Trio K 498 20’

Handel's Messiah City of Birmingham Choir

Fri 5 Dec Symphony Hall

Christmas would not be Christmas without the City of Birmingham Choir’s highly acclaimed performances of Messiah. Birmingham’s festive season gets underway with our two inspiring performances of Handel’s epic, moving _Oratorio_ - as fresh today as it was in Handel’s time.
*City of Birmingham Choir* *City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra* *Adrian Lucas* conductor *Thomas Trotter* harpsichord *David Newsholme* organ
*Handel* Messiah 120'

Proms Night Spectacular! British Police Symphony Orchestra

Sat 6 Dec Symphony Hall

The British Police Symphony Orchestra return once more for their annual Last Night celebration. This year's programme includes Bernstein's Candide Overture and a selection from West Side Story, before launching into their traditional Last Night Spectacular complete with fireworks! Singing voices compulsory at one of Birmingham's best-loved concerts.

What's On — Classical events