BICS 2013-14 Guide

Birmingham International Concert Season2013/14

Box office 0121 345 0601www.thsh.co.uk

Classical Concert Packages

Supported by

Stars from across the globe come to Town Hall and Symphony Hall for the 2013/14 Birmingham International Concert Season.

Over the coming months you can enjoy superb music-making in our two celebrated concert halls. Amongst many international orchestras, the San Francisco Symphony makes its first visit to Symphony Hall since 1995 under Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas, and there are performances from the Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Moscow Philharmonic, Vienna Tonkünstler Orchestra, and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra conducted by Sir Roger Norrington.

The cream of Britain’s orchestras and ensembles visit Birmingham under a roster of distinguished conductors, including Gustavo Dudamel, Sir Antonio Pappano, Vladimir Jurowski, Richard Egarr and Harry Bicket.

As well as great orchestras, you can see and hear some of today’s greatest performers including Lang Lang, Evgeny Kissin, John Lill, Maxim Vengerov, Joshua Bell, Joseph Calleja and Andreas Scholl.

There’s a feast for opera lovers too, with Verdi’s Requiem – an opera in all but name – and the Royal Opera’s production of Ariadne auf Naxos. And, with Opera North’s epic four-year Ring Cycle reaching its dramatic conclusion in Götterdämmerung in June 2014, the 2013/14 Season is sure to be one we remember for many years to come.

We look forward to sharing a wonderful year of music with you.

Andrew Jowett OBE Chief Executive Town Hall and Symphony Hall, Birmingham

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Town Hall renovation funded by

Box office 0121 345 0601 or visit www.thsh.co.uk/bics-2013-14

Contents

Highlights of the Season 4–6Concert Packages 7Concert Information 8–38Pull-Out Booking Form Centre PagesBooking Information 39 – 45Our Supporters 46Generation Ladywood 47Membership 47How to Reach Us 48

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Book a concert package and guarantee the best seats in the house. And, the more concerts you book, the more money you’ll save. Book six or more concerts and save up to 30%! See page 7 for details.

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Box office 0121 345 0601 or visit www.thsh.co.uk/bics-2013-14 5

Highlights of the Season

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Sir Antonio Pappano. Photo by Musacchio and Ianniello.

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Apollo’s Fire. Photo by Roger Mastroianni.

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International OrchestrasWe showcase some of the most exciting groups on today’s orchestral scene: the San Francisco Symphony, the Moscow Philharmonic, the Vienna Tonkünstler Orchestra, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra.

International ArtistsSome of the greatest names performing today: Joshua Bell, Joseph Calleja, Gustavo Dudamel, Evgeny Kissin, Lang Lang, Karita Mattila, Sir Roger Norrington, Sir Antonio Pappano, Sandrine Piau, András Schiff, Andreas Scholl, Michael Tilson Thomas and Maxim Vengerov.

British OrchestrasBritish orchestras rank alongside the very best in the world and we present the brightest jewels in the box this season: the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Academy of St Martin in the Fields and Academy of Ancient Music.

A Boy was Born: Celebrating Benjamin Britten’s CentenaryThe Britten centenary celebrations continue in Birmingham, with two concerts showcasing his vibrant legacy for choir – and Vladimir Jurowski and the London Philharmonic Orchestra give a concert performance of what is arguably Britten’s supreme masterpiece: Peter Grimes.

Great OperasGreat operas both open and close our 2013/14 season, from the dramatic curtain-raiser of Britten’s Peter Grimes to Opera North’s magnificent concert production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle which reaches an overwhelming climax with Götterdämmerung. The Royal Opera, meanwhile, shows the lighter side of the German spirit, in its superbly-cast production of Richard Strauss’s delightful Ariadne auf Naxos.

Baroque PioneersSome of the most innovative music making in the world today is taking place on period instruments. The English Concert performs Handel’s Theodora, and countertenor Andreas Scholl sings Vivaldi and Pergolesi. And, we host a rare UK appearance by one of the USA’s foremost baroque bands: the dazzling Apollo’s Fire.

New WorldsMark-Anthony Turnage’s chamber opera Greek is a real 1980s classic – and Music Theatre Wales’s no-holds-barred new production proves that it’s still startlingly alive in 2013. Michael Tilson Thomas’s dynamic San Francisco orchestra shares new sounds from two true American originals.

Inner VoicesGreat art can come in small packages: the Pavel Haas Quartet explores the heart of romantic quartet repertoire in three concerts, while pianists Paul Lewis, Ingrid Fliter and Ashley Fripp perform solo recitals of music by Mussorgsky, Beethoven, Chopin and Adès.

A Beautiful MindOur biennial exploration of Johann Sebastian Bach returns in April 2014, with András Schiff playing the Goldberg Variations, Ex Cathedra performing the St John Passion, and harpsichord, organ and orchestral music from Richard Egarr, David Goode and the Academy of Ancient Music.

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Concert Packages

Book a concert package and guarantee the best seats in the house for the 2013/14 season. And, the more concerts you book for, the more money you’ll save:

• Book 6 – 8 concerts and save 10% • Book 9–10 concerts and save 15% • Book 11–16 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 on orders over £100 if you book by

Friday 28 June 2013• Car parking for just £4.50 at Qpark Brindleyplace• 12½% discount at Symphony Hall Music Shop• 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• Exclusive booking period for additional concerts included in this brochure

For full details of concert package benefits please turn to page 40.

Book six or more concerts and save

up to 30%!

How to book• Phone and postal booking of concert packages is open now.

Phone the Box office on 0121 345 0601 or download an order form from www.thsh.co.uk/bics-2013-14

• If you prefer not to book a concert package, priority booking for Friends of Town Hall and Symphony Hall and group bookers opens on Tuesday 7 May, by phone, post and in person

• General booking opens on Tuesday 14 May at 10am, online, by phone, post and in person

For more details see page 39.

Recommended Concerts

Recommended by Classic FM Look out for the Classic FM logo to see which concerts John Suchet, presenter of Classic FM’s flagship weekday morning programme, recommends in the 2013/14 season.

Recommended by BBC Music Magazine Watch out for the BBC Music Magazine logo to see which concerts Editor Oliver Condy has chosen as his highlights this season.

Dudamel conducts Mahler 15 November 2013Vengerov plays Mozart and Tchaikovsky 17 November 2013Kissin and London Symphony Orchestra play Tchaikovsky 18 December 2013Bell and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields 18 January 2014Ingrid Fliter: Chopin Birthday Concert 22 February 2014Sir Roger Norrington conducts Mozart 25 March 2014Lang Lang 4 April 2014Pappano conducts the Verdi Requiem 16 May 2014

Britten Centenary: Peter Grimes 26 September 2013Christmas Celebration from King’s College, Cambridge 26 November 2013Paul Lewis: Pictures at an Exhibition 12 January 2014San Francisco Symphony and Michael Tilson Thomas 14 March 2014 András Schiff plays the Goldberg Variations 12 April 2014Pavel Haas Quartet plays Brahms and Beethoven 4 May 2014Wagner’s Ring: Götterdämmerung 21 June 2014The Royal Opera: Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos 6 July 2014

Oliver Condy

EDITOR’S CHOICE

John Suchet

In 1945, Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes blew through British music like a blast of fresh salt air, and this elemental drama of a man standing alone against a tight-knit community is still arguably his finest achievement. In Britten’s centenary year, Vladimir Jurowski conducts the London Philharmonic and a wonderful cast in a concert performance of an opera that never loses its power – or its heart.

Oliver Condy, Editor of BBC Music Magazine explains why he has recommended tonight’s concert: “There’s little argument that Peter Grimes is Britten’s greatest opera, if not his most brilliant work. Birmingham may be landlocked, but there’s no doubt this incredible cast will transport you straight to the wild shores of Suffolk.”

London Philharmonic Orchestra Vladimir Jurowski conductor Stuart Skelton Peter Grimes Pamela Armstrong Ellen Orford Alan Opie Captain Balstrode Pamela Helen Stephen Auntie EDITOR’S CHOICE

Back in the Thatcher years, Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Greek kicked and swore its way to classic status. A quarter of a century later, this savage re-telling of the story of Oedipus relocated to a blighted East End remains shockingly relevant. This fully-staged new production by Music Theatre Wales doesn’t pull any punches – and Turnage himself has hailed it as ‘superb…amazingly powerful’.

‘a contemporary classic’ The Stage ‘blisteringly realised’ The Telegraph

Music Theatre Wales Michael Rafferty conductor Marcus Farnsworth Eddy Sally Silver Eddy’s Mum / Waitress / Sphinx Louise Winter Eddy’s Sister / Waitress who becomes Eddy’s Wife / Sphinx

Malin Christensson, Claire Ormshaw Nieces Michael Colvin Bob Boles Brindley Sherratt Swallow Jean Rigby Mrs Sedley Mark Stone Ned Keene Brian Galliford Reverend Adams Jonathan Veira Hobson London Voices Daniel Slater director

Britten Peter Grimes 190’

£9.50 – £40 SH Standard Orchestral Plan

Choir, Chorus Boxes and Stalls first four rows not available. Concert performance.

This concert has a running time of c 3½ hours including one 25 minute interval.

Part of A Boy Was Born, celebrating the Britten Anniversary in Birmingham.

Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Greek

Gwion Thomas Eddy’s Dad / Café Manager / Chief of PoliceThe Music Theatre Wales Ensemble Michael McCarthy director Simon Banham designer Ace McCarron lighting designer Sound Intermedia sound design

Mark-Anthony Turnage Greek 90’

£9.50– £20 TH Classical Plan

6.15pm Pre-concert conversation with Michael McCarthy

Choir Benches and Stalls front three rows not available. This staged performance has a running time of c 1 hour 50 minutes including one 20 minute interval.

A Town Hall Symphony Hall event, promoted in collaboration with Birmingham Contemporary Music Group.

Britten Centenary: Peter Grimes

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Thursday 26 September 2013 7pm Symphony Hall

Friday 4 October 2013 7.30pm Town Hall

Sunday 6 October 2013 3pm Town Hall

For three decades, Thomas Trotter has been at the very heart of Birmingham’s musical life. Today he marks his thirtieth anniversary as City Organist – only the seventh in two centuries – with a celebration of the civic organist’s art. His programme ranges from the greatest classics ever written for the organ, to the teatime pleasures of twentieth-century light music, plus an evocative new work by Judith Weir.

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We’re living through a new golden age for string quartets – but few groups have built a reputation as quickly or as high as the Pavel Haas. This season they are resident at Town Hall, giving three concerts based around the great works of Brahms, and teaching at Birmingham Conservatoire. In this centenary year, Britten’s 1945-vintage Second Quartet throws a fascinating perspective both on the First Quartet of his future friend Dmitri Shostakovich, and Brahms’s autumnal Clarinet Quintet: performed by one of today’s most admired young clarinettists.

J S Bach Prelude and Fugue in G, BWV 541 7’Schumann Studies in canonic form, Nos 3, 4 and 5 9’Judith Weir The Wild Reeds (World Premiere) 8’Wagner (arr Lemare) Overture, Die Meistersinger 10’ Coates (arr Trotter) Knightsbridge March 6’Thalben-Ball Edwardia 3’Reubke Sonata: The 94th Psalm 25’


Choir Benches not available.

This concert is supported by the DMC McDonald Foundation.

Thomas Trotter’s 30th Anniversary Recital

Saturday 12 October 2013 7.30pm Symphony Hall

Beethoven laboured for nearly four years to complete his Missa Solemnis, and nothing he composed surpasses it for scale, sincerity or sheer vision. No single performance can capture every aspect of this work, but Jeffrey Skidmore, Ex Cathedra and a team of first-rate soloists will surely come closer than most to realising Beethoven’s wish that this music should come ‘from the heart, that it may go to the heart’.

Ex CathedraCity of Birmingham Symphony OrchestraJeffrey Skidmore conductorSophie Bevan soprano Jennifer Johnston mezzo sopranoAndrew Tortise tenorRoderick Williams bass

Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis

Beethoven Missa Solemnis 81’

£9.50–£40 SH Standard Orchestral Plan

Choir and Stalls first four rows not available. Ex Cathedra is a Town Hall Associate Artist. The CBSO is the resident orchestra of Symphony Hall.

This concert has a running time of c 1½ hours including one 20 minute interval.

Please note this concert also forms part of Ex Cathedra’s season and the CBSO season, and can be booked under each organisation’s concert packages. Other discounts may vary; please check when booking.

Pavel Haas Quartet plays Brahms, Shostakovich and Britten

Pavel Haas QuartetMatthew Hunt clarinet

Shostakovich String Quartet No 1 15’ Britten String Quartet No 2 31’ Brahms Clarinet Quintet 35’

£9.50 – £25 TH Classical Plan



Wednesday 13 November 2013 7.30pm Town Hall


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Lively, charismatic and driven by a burning urge to communicate, Gustavo Dudamel is quickly becoming one of the artists who define classical music in our time. On only his third visit to Symphony Hall, he conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra in the symphony Gustav Mahler called his ‘song of the night’: music of horn-calls and twilit processions, set in a world of dreams, nightmares, and roof-raising joy.

Classic FM’s John Suchet says: “A mighty Mahler symphony conducted by a mighty maestro, this is one concert not to be missed. Described as the hottest conductor on the planet, young Venezuelan Gustavo Dudamel has engulfed the musical world with his boyish charm and precocious talent.”

Maxim Vengerov has been away too long, but after a remarkable comeback from long-term injury he’s playing with all the charisma and authority that have placed him among the greatest violinists of our time. This concert celebrates two opposite but equal sides of his artistry; the sweetness and brilliance of Tchaikovsky’s violin miniatures, set against two joyous concertos by the composer Tchaikovsky called ‘the Christ of music’: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Classic FM’s John Suchet says: “It’s not often that we experience the Polish Chamber Orchestra in Britain’s concert halls, so I urge you to watch this unique band under the directorship of violinist Maxim Vengerov.”

Dudamel conducts Mahler

Philharmonia OrchestraGustavo Dudamel conductor

Mahler Symphony No 7 77’


6.15pm Pre-concert conversation

This concert has a running time of c 1 hour 20 minutes with no interval.

Polish Chamber OrchestraMaxim Vengerov violin/director

Mozart Violin Concerto No 3 in G 24’ Violin Concerto No 5 in A, Turkish 31’ Tchaikovsky (arr David Walter) Sérénade mélancolique 7’ Souvenir d´un lieu cher 20’ Valse-Scherzo 12’


Vengerov plays Mozart and Tchaikovsky

Friday 15 November 2013 7.30pm Symphony Hall

Sunday 17 November 2013 7pm Symphony Hall

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A day-long series of talks, live music and discussion continuing the exploration of Benjamin Britten’s music and his world in this second Discovery Day. Further details available from www.thsh.co.uk/bics-2013-14.

‘Translated Daughter, come down and startle / Composing mortals with immortal fire.’

Britten’s originality never blazed more brightly than when it was most firmly rooted in the English choral tradition. One hundred years to the day since Britten was born, Simon Halsey directs the CBSO’s choruses in some of Britten’s most striking inspirations, including the inimitable Rejoice in the Lamb and the Hymn to St Cecilia on St Cecilia’s Day no less: music to leave you stirred, beguiled and thoroughly entertained.

CBSO ChorusCBSO Youth ChorusCBSO Children’s ChorusSimon Halsey conductorDavid Goode organNicholas Daniel oboe

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Adrian Brendel’s profoundly insightful cello playing, especially in partnership with Imogen Cooper – hailed by Gramophone as ‘quite simply one of the finest pianists this country has produced’ – is simply unmissable. From the eternal musical truths of unaccompanied Bach to the soaring romantic flights of Rachmaninov’s epic Sonata, expect musicianship of the very highest order.

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Britten Rejoice in the Lamb 16’ Hymn to St Cecilia 10’ Missa Brevis 9’ Friday Afternoons 20’ Prelude and Fugue on a Theme of Vittoria 6’ Six Metamorphoses after Ovid 13’

All seats £20

Choir and Stalls first four rows not available. The CBSO is the resident orchestra of Symphony Hall.

Please note this concert also forms part of the CBSO season, and can be booked under each organisation’s concert packages. Other discounts may vary; please check when booking.


Britten 100: Centenary Concert

Britten Discovery Day

All seats £15, 60plus and students £10

Please note this event is not available as part of a concert season package but can be booked in addition to a package.


Adrian Brendel and Imogen Cooper

Adrian Brendel celloImogen Cooper piano

J S Bach Cello Suite No 3 in C, BWV 1009 18’ Schubert Arpeggione Sonata 25’ Liszt Two Elegies 10’ Rachmaninov Sonata for Cello and Piano 35’



Saturday 23 November 2013 10.30am The Studio at The REP

Monday 25 November 2013 7.30pm Town Hall

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Friday 22 November 2013 7.30pm Symphony Hall

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Yuletide in the Elizabethan era was a time of profound spirituality as well as celebration – and composers such as Byrd, Gibbons and Tallis composed some of the most timeless sacred music ever created in these islands. This revelatory programme from Birmingham’s acclaimed chamber choir explores the grandeur, the emotion and the deep beauty that lay at the heart of Christmas festivities at the court of Elizabeth I.

Ex Cathedra Consort Fretwork viol consort Jeffrey Skidmore director

The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge return to Symphony Hall after last season’s sold out performance of Messiah. Holding a treasured place in the English choral tradition, under their long-serving music director Stephen Cleobury, they’re the ideal interpreters of Britten’s choral music. As the festive season draws close, Britten’s cantata Saint Nicolas is a life-affirming complement to traditional Yuletide music, and the joyous Ceremony of Carols never fails to enchant. A vibrant conclusion to our Britten centenary year.

Oliver Condy, Editor of BBC Music Magazine explains why he has recommended tonight’s concert: “Britten was able to turn his composing hand brilliantly to just about any genre and he delighted in writing for communities and amateur musicians. Never more was this true than with Saint Nicolas. You may be called upon to join in, but fear not. It’s what Britten wanted!”

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Christmas Celebration from King’s College, Cambridge

Choir of King’s College, CambridgeBritten SinfoniaStephen Cleobury conductorAndrew Kennedy tenorLucy Wakeford harp

Britten A Ceremony of Carols 23’ Arvo Pärt Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten 8’ Britten Saint Nicolas 50’

£9.50– £40 SH Standard Orchestral Plan

Choir not available.


An Elizabethan Christmas

Programme includes: Byrd Mass for Four Voices 22’ The Great Service (Magnificat and Nunc dimittis) 15’ Gibbons This is the record of John 5’ See, see the Word is incarnate 7’ Tallis Videte miraculum 11’


Choir Benches not available. Ex Cathedra is a Town Hall Associate Artist.

This concert has a running time of c 2 hours.

Please note this concert also forms part of Ex Cathedra’s season, and can be booked under each organisation’s concert packages. Other discounts may vary; please check when booking.

Tuesday 26 November 2013 7.30pm Symphony Hall

Sunday 8 December 2013 4pm Town Hall

EDITOR’S CHOICE


Wednesday 18 December 2013 7.30pm Symphony Hall

Evgeny Kissin needs no introduction; the shock-headed prodigy has long since matured into an artist who’s been described as ‘one of the twenty-first century’s indubitable master pianists’ (The Arts Desk). There’s no more natural advocate for Tchaikovsky’s epic first concerto. Michael Tilson Thomas and the LSO, meanwhile, rekindle an unforgettable partnership in Prokofiev’s ‘symphony of the greatness of the human spirit’.

Classic FM’s John Suchet says: “The legendary pianist Nicolai Rubinstein once declared to Tchaikovsky that his first piano concerto was ‘bad, trivial and vulgar’. Don’t let this put you off as Rubinstein was quick to change his mind. One of the first pieces of music to sell over a million recordings, it is edge-of-the-seat stuff, full of sweeping melodies and electrifying passages.”

London Symphony OrchestraMichael Tilson Thomas conductorEvgeny Kissin piano

Rimsky-Korsakov Dubinushka 4’ Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No 1 32’ Prokofiev Symphony No 5 46’


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J S Bach Chorale-Prelude, (arr Busoni) Ich ruf’ zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ 5’ Beethoven Piano Sonata No 13 in E flat major 16’ J S Bach Chorale-Prelude, (arr Busoni) Nun komm’, der Heiden Heiland 5’ Beethoven Piano Sonata No 14 in C sharp minor, Moonlight 16’ Liszt Three late pieces: 10’ Schlaflos, Frage und Antwort Unstern! Sinistre, disastro Richard Wagner – Venezia Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition 35’

£9.50–£35 TH Classical Plan


When Paul Lewis made his London breakthrough, over a decade ago now, Alfred Brendel himself led the standing ovation. With three Gramophone Awards to his credit, Lewis’s musical vision continues to expand: in this typically imaginative programme he frames two of the most popular of all solo piano works – Beethoven’s Moonlight sonata and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition – with perfectly chosen miniatures by Bach and Liszt.

Oliver Condy, Editor of BBC Music Magazine explains why he has recommended this afternoon’s concert: “Paul Lewis is something of a national treasure – a thoughtful, poetic pianist, but one who’s never afraid to take the kind of musical risks that put audiences on the edges of their seats.”

EDITOR’S CHOICE

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Kissin and London Symphony Orchestra play Tchaikovsky

Paul Lewis: Pictures at an Exhibition

Sunday 12 January 2014 3pm Town Hall


Academy of St Martin in the FieldsJoshua Bell violin /director

J S Bach Concerto for Two Violins in D minor 17’ Beethoven Symphony No 3, Eroica 47’ Brahms Violin Concerto 38’


Joshua Bell’s visits to Symphony Hall always create a buzz; and when the Academy of St Martin in the Fields was looking to appoint only its second ever Music Director, this ‘poet of the violin’ (Interview) was the natural choice. Today’s programme celebrates the whole range of their partnership, with Bell performing both as conductor in Beethoven’s Eroica symphony and as peerless soloist in very different concertos by Bach and Brahms.

Classic FM’s John Suchet says: “This concert brings you the three B’s of classical music: Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, three composers who are a bit like the crucial foundations of a building. Without such solid foundations, classical music might never have been built to endure, as it has done, for hundreds of years.”

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Thursday 6 February 2014 6.30pm Town Hall

Handel rated Theodora more highly than the Messiah, and some say that this heartfelt tragedy of ancient Rome was his favourite of all his oratorios. For Harry Bicket and The English Concert it’s a neglected masterpiece, and with a quality cast that includes Sarah Connolly and Rosemary Joshua plus a fine American chamber choir, this should be a compelling sequel to last season’s critically-acclaimed performance of Radamisto.

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Bell and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields

The English ConcertHarry Bicket conductorRosemary Joshua TheodoraSarah Connolly IreneTim Mead DidymusAndrew Kennedy SeptimusNeal Davies ValensChoir of Trinity Church Wall Street, New York

Handel Theodora 160’



Sung in English with English surtitles.

This concert has a running time of c 3¼ hours with two intervals of 20 and 15 minutes.

Wednesday 29 January 2014 7.30pm Town Hall

‘The most important thing is the message of the music’ says Andreas Scholl. ‘Without soul and spirit, the music just doesn’t sound.’ Town Hall audiences already know just how intensely Germany’s leading countertenor lives those words; this concert finds him both directing the Academy of Ancient Music in two dazzling instrumental concertos – and letting his voice and spirit soar in three of the eighteenth century’s most expressive sacred masterpieces.

Academy of Ancient MusicAndreas Scholl countertenor/directorKlara Ek soprano

Vivaldi Stabat Mater 20’ Wassenaer Concerto Armonico No 2 10’ Vivaldi Salve Regina 16’ Wassenaer Concerto Armonico No 3 9’ Pergolesi Stabat Mater 41’


Scholl and the Academy of Ancient Music

Handel’s Theodora


Saturday 18 January 2014 7.30pm Symphony Hall

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Brazilian Baroque: A Musical Eldorado

Saturday 1 March 2014 7.30pm Town Hall

Jeffrey Skidmore and Ex Cathedra have done more than anyone else to uncover the vanished world of the South American Baroque: a lost civilisation of great choral music, sophisticated, passionate and intensely spiritual. Tonight’s programme introduces ravishing, almost unknown eighteenth-century music from Rio de Janeiro and the beautiful Baroque mining town of Ouro Preto: a musical Eldorado, restored to life with unmatched artistry and absolute commitment.

Saturday 22 February 2014 7.30pm Town Hall

No composer captures the soul of the Romantic piano quite like Chopin; and few living pianists play Chopin with more eloquence and truth than Ingrid Fliter. At the heart of this birthday tribute is a complete cycle of Chopin’s twenty-four visionary Preludes. Performed by the artist whose cycle of Chopin’s Waltzes was described by Gramophone as ‘amongst the finest Chopin recordings of recent years’, this should be self-recommending.

Classic FM’s John Suchet says: “Once said that she is ‘clearly born for Chopin’, it’s difficult not to think that Argentinian pianist Ingrid Fliter has some sort of direct line to the composer. As well as 22 February probably being Chopin’s 204th birthday, I can’t think of a better pianist to showcase his gorgeous works on this special day.”

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Tuesday 11 March 2014 7.30pm Town Hall

‘Disarmingly precocious’ New York Times ‘A master of restraint’ Mittelbayerische Zeitung

The British pianist Ashley Fripp had collected a garland of awards and accolades even before his victory in Birmingham’s 2012 Brant International Piano Competition. His Town Hall recital programme reveals a young artist as intelligent as he is virtuosic.

Sunday 2 March 2014 7.30pm Symphony Hall

John Lill’s very personal relationship with the music of Beethoven is one of the marvels of the modern concert scene. So it’s wonderful that as he approaches his seventieth birthday he returns to Symphony Hall – where he famously played all five Beethoven concertos in 2004. It’s the centrepiece of a programme inspired by Beethoven’s own famous 1808 benefit concert – played by an orchestra with the Viennese tradition running in its very blood.

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Chopin Nocturne in D flat, Op 27, No 2 6’ Scherzo No 4 in E 11’ Mazurka in C sharp minor, Op 50, No 3 5’ Waltz in A minor (Op posth) 3’ Ballade in F minor, Op 52, No 4 11’ Twenty-four Preludes 40’



Ex Cathedra Choir and Baroque Orchestra Jeffrey Skidmore conductor


Choir Benches and Stalls front three rows not available. Ex Cathedra is a Town Hall Associate Artist.

Please note this concert also forms part of Ex Cathedra’s season, and can be booked under each organisation’s concert packages. Other discounts may vary; please check when booking.

Vienna Tonkünstler Orchestra Andrés Orozco-Estrada conductorJohn Lill piano

Beethoven Symphony No 6, Pastoral 39’ Piano Concerto No 4 34’ Symphony No 5 31’


Haydn Piano Sonata No 60 in C, Hob 16/50 17’ Thomas Adès Concert Paraphrase on Powder Her Face 18’ Liszt Années de Pèlerinage, Second year, Italy 51’

All seats £15


Free to concert package bookers.

Tickets can be booked in addition to a concert package and do not count as part of a concert package. Discounts and other package benefits are not available. Two free tickets are available per package booker.

Ingrid Fliter: Chopin Birthday Concert

Ashley Fripp: Années de Pèlerinage

Vienna Tonkünstler Orchestra and John Lill play Beethoven


America is a land of new perspectives; and under its dynamic music director Michael Tilson Thomas the San Francisco Symphony has built a worldwide reputation for innovative programming. Tonight they present a fresh take on music by Charles Ives, a true American original, before teaming up with the St Lawrence String Quartet for John Adams’s vibrant new quadruple concerto. And to finish, Berlioz’s spectacular Symphonie Fantastique – music that never stops sounding new.

Oliver Condy, Editor of BBC Music Magazine explains why he has recommended tonight’s concert: “During his time at the helm of the San Francisco Symphony since 1995, Michael Tilson Thomas has transformed his orchestra into perhaps the finest in the US. His energy is thrilling, and his passion for the American music he’ll be conducting will doubtless be palpable. As for the radical Berlioz? He and MTT were made for each other.” EDITOR’S CHOICE

Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. © Bill Swerbenski.

Wednesday 19 March 2014 7.30pm Symphony Hall

Each generation of organists seems to produce at least one great showman – but as virtuoso, arranger and entertainer, Cameron Carpenter is in a special class. His programme includes Bach, as well as his own arrangement of Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending; what’s certain, however, is that the man who’s been called ‘the most controversial organist in the world’ (The Dallas Morning News) will give our superb Klais organ the ride of its life.

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San Francisco SymphonyMichael Tilson Thomas conductor St Lawrence String Quartet

Ives (arr Brant) The Alcotts from A Concord Symphony 6’ John Adams Absolute Jest for Orchestra and String Quartet 27’ Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique 49’


Stalls front four rows not available.

San Francisco Symphony and Michael Tilson Thomas

Programme includes: J S Bach Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, 14’ Prelude and Fugue in E flat major, St Anne 15’ Vaughan Williams (arr Carpenter) The Lark Ascending 15’

£9.50 –£25 SH Organ Plan

Choir and Grand Tier not available.

Pavel Haas Quartet plays Brahms, Haydn and Dvorák

Friday 14 March 2014 7.30pm Symphony Hall

Cameron Carpenter in concert


Sunday 23 March 2014 3pm Town Hall

As its name implies, the Pavel Haas Quartet first made its reputation in twentieth-century Czech music – but it’s never kept its artistry confined. Today, in the second concert of their Town Hall residency, this superb young ensemble demonstrates its credentials in the heartland of the string quartet repertoire with three true central-European classics. The quartets of Haydn, Dvorák and Brahms are rooted in friendship, folklore and warm-hearted humour, and the Pavel Haas Quartet makes them sound like new.

Haydn String Quartet in D, Op 76, No 5 20’Dvorák String Quartet No 10 in E flat, Slavonic 32’ Brahms String Quartet No 2 in A minor 31’



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Over a revolutionary career, Sir Roger Norrington has changed the very way we hear the music of the classical period. And as he enters his ninth decade, his performances are as revelatory as ever. Symphony Hall is proud to host his official eightieth birthday concert, as he directs his Zurich Chamber Orchestra in Mozart’s first and last symphonies – and partners Jonathan Biss in one of Mozart’s most eloquent concertos.

Classic FM’s John Suchet says: “This evening it’s the turn of a great British conductor who celebrates his eightieth birthday this month. Famed for his extraordinary performances using period instruments, Sir Roger Norrington has worked tirelessly to play music in the way that it was originally conceived.”

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Zurich Chamber OrchestraSir Roger Norrington conductorJonathan Biss piano

Mozart Symphony No 1 in E flat 13’ Piano Concerto No 21 29’ Symphony No 41, Jupiter 31’


Sir Roger Norrington conducts Mozart

Lang Lang

Friday 4 April 2014 7.30pm Symphony Hall

The name is enough: Lang Lang is a true keyboard lion in the tradition of Rachmaninov and Liszt, and his charisma and virtuosity fills halls and leaves audiences spellbound wherever he plays. But behind the legend is one of the most thoughtful and engaging pianists of the twenty-first century; an artist who defies preconceptions. Hear for yourself, as we welcome the world’s most famous pianist – bar none.

Classic FM’s John Suchet says: “A man who can sell out concert halls in a matter of hours, Lang Lang is truly a global superstar. Not only a unique pianist with a distinctive sound, his captivating live performances are nothing less than a visual phenomenon. This is an absolute must-see.”

£9.50–£55 SH Lang Lang Recital Plan

Tuesday 25 March 2014 7.30pm Symphony Hall



Saturday 12 – Friday 18 April 2014

Bach Discovery Day

Saturday 12 April 2014 10.30am The Studio at The REP

Another of our inventive explorations of Bach’s beautiful mind, with talks, discussions and live music in the company of a range of stimulating and entertaining guest speakers. Further details available from www.thsh.co.uk/bics-2013-14.

All seats £15, 60plus and students £10Please note that this day is scheduled to allow attendance at Bach at the Harpsichord.

Please note this event is not available as part of a concert season package but can be booked in addition to a package.

Bach at the Harpsichord

Saturday 12 April 2014 1pm Town Hall

Bach’s keyboard music is the bedrock of the entire modern repertoire; but for Richard Egarr these works are infinitely more than simply an historic experience. In this lunchtime recital he’ll introduce and perform some of Bach’s most attractive music.

Presented and played by Richard Egarr

J S Bach Preludes and Fugues in C major and minor, C sharp major and minor (Well Tempered Clavier, Book 1) 20’ Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor 11’ Preludes and Fugues in E major and F major (Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2) 12’ Two-part Inventions in G major and A major, BWV 781 and BWV 783 3’ Preludes and Fugues in B flat major and minor, B major and minor (Well Tempered Clavier, Book 1) 24’

All seats £15

Book Bach at the Harpsichord and get a Bach Discovery Day ticket for £5.


András Schiff plays the Goldberg Variations

Saturday 12 April 2014 8pm Town Hall

The Goldberg Variations are surrounded by legends – tales of golden chalices, insomniac noblemen and mysterious codes. But for sheer wonder, no story begins to compare with the music itself. Tonight, András Schiff returns to Birmingham to rediscover this mightiest of all sets of variations.

Oliver Condy, Editor of BBC Music Magazine explains why he has recommended tonight’s concert: “One of the greatest Bach players, András Schiff, has been astonishing audiences for decades with his performances of the Goldbergs. This concert will be very special indeed.”

J S Bach Goldberg Variations 70’



There is no interval in this concert.

Bach: A Beautiful Mind is the third of our biennial Bach focuses. In 2014 the main spotlight is on Bach at the keyboard – plus with the help of the Academy of Ancient Music and Ex Cathedra – we include concertos, orchestral suites and the Good Friday St John Passion.

Bach: a Beautiful Mind

Bach at the King of Instruments

Sunday 13 April 2014 2pm Symphony Hall

This afternoon David Goode brings his clarity, command and vision to some of Bach’s towering organ works, and two centuries’ worth of awed tributes in sonorous romantic style. At the console of Symphony Hall’s Klais organ, one ‘beautiful mind’ will meet another.

J S Bach (arr Dupré) Sinfonia from Cantata No 29 3’ J S Bach Two Schübler Chorale Preludes, Wachet Auf and Kommst du nun, Jesu 7’ Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565 8’ Vivaldi (arr J S Bach) Concerto in D minor 12’ J S Bach Chaconne in D minor 10’ J S Bach (arr Virgil Fox) Komm, süsser Tod and Nun Danket alle Gott 7’ J S Bach (arr Reger) Prelude and Fugue in C sharp minor, BWV 849 7’ Liszt Prelude and Fugue on B.A.C.H. 11’

All seats £15

Choir and Grand Tier not available.

Bach Concertos and Suites from the Academy of Ancient Music

Sunday 13 April 2014 7pm Town Hall

Under Richard Egarr’s inspirational direction, the Academy of Ancient Music is one of our liveliest and most imaginative period instrument orchestras. Egarr follows Bach’s own example, directing from the keyboard in the two majestic Overtures Nos 3 and 4, and becomes first amongst equals in two harpsichord concertos.

Academy of Ancient MusicRichard Egarr harpsichord/director

J S Bach Overture No 4 in D, BWV 1069 21’ Harpsichord Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052 24’ Harpsichord Concerto in A, BWV 1055 15’ Overture No 3 in D, BWV 1068 22’


5.45pm Pre-concert conversation with Richard Egarr

EDITOR’S CHOICE

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Pavel Haas Quartet plays Brahms and Beethoven

Sunday 4 May 2014 3pm Town Hall

Chamber music has been called ‘the music of friends’ and this afternoon the Pavel Haas Quartet introduces Birmingham to pianist Denis Kozhukhin whose recent UK performances have caused a minor critical sensation. Brahms’s F minor Quintet might just be the greatest of all piano quintets, but in their final Birmingham concert this season, the Pavel Haas Quartet won’t hold back – they open with a Beethoven quartet that’s as big as a symphony.

Oliver Condy, Editor of BBC Music Magazine explains why he has recommended this afternoon’s concert: “As multiple winners at the BBC Music Magazine awards over the years, the Pavel Haas Quartet have made it in our eyes! But don’t take our word for it – hear for yourself why we once called their playing ‘beyond reproach’.” EDITOR’S CHOICE

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It’s hard to define, but when a Russian orchestra plays Russian music, something very special happens. The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra is drenched in that tradition, and under veteran Music Director Yuri Simonov, we can expect intensely committed readings of two of Tchaikovsky’s most personal works. Natalie Clein, meanwhile, is always popular at Symphony Hall: tonight she has near-perfect partners for Shostakovich’s taut political thriller of a cello concerto.

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Good Friday Bach St John Passion

Friday 18 April 2014 2pm Symphony Hall

The annual Bach Passion has become a Birmingham tradition at Eastertide, and whatever your personal beliefs, Bach’s deeply personal re-telling of Christ’s betrayal and death remains one of music’s profoundest experiences. Birmingham’s world-beating chamber choir carries the tradition forward this year; and under Jeffrey Skidmore their questing, open-minded approach to music-making promises to bring new insights, as well as piercing beauty, to this climax of Bach: A Beautiful Mind.

Ex Cathedra Choir and Baroque OrchestraJeffrey Skidmore conductorSamuel Boden EvangelistPeter Harvey JesusGreg Skidmore Pilate

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J S Bach St John Passion 90’


Sung in German with English surtitles. Please note surtitles may not be visible from every seat. Please check when booking.

This concert has a running time of c 2 hours including one 20 minute interval.

Ex Cathedra is a Town Hall Associate Artist.

Pavel Haas QuartetDenis Kozhukhin piano

Beethoven String Quartet Op 59, No 2, Razumovsky 33’ Brahms Piano Quintet 41’



Tchaikovsky from the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra

Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra Yuri Simonov conductorNatalie Clein cello

Tchaikovsky Symphonic Poem, Francesca da Rimini 22’ Shostakovich Cello Concerto No 1 28’ Tchaikovsky Symphony No 4 44’


Tuesday 6 May 2014 7.30pm Symphony Hall


Bach: a Beautiful Mind

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Spirited, exuberant and gloriously entertaining, Apollo’s Fire makes its first UK appearance since 2010 – and reclaims its title as ‘the USA’s hottest baroque band’ (Classical Music Magazine). Love is the theme, and Revenge, too, as the incomparable French soprano Sandrine Piau sings bravura operatic arias by Handel and Vivaldi, and the band responds in dramatic style, with its show-stopping interpretation of Vivaldi’s La Folia (Madness) - performed, incredibly enough, from memory.

Apollo’s FireJeannette Sorrell artistic directorSandrine Piau soprano

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Vivaldi (arr Sorrell) Allegro from Concerto Grosso in D, RV 511 4’ Handel Combattuta da due venti from Faramondo 6’ Ah mio cor! Schernito sei from Alcina 12’ Piangerò from Giulio Cesare 8’ Vivaldi Concerto for Two Cellos in G minor, RV 531 10’ Rameau Viens Hymen from Les Indes Galantes 4’ Vivaldi Alma opressa da sorte crudele from La Fida Ninfa 5’ Concerto for Two Violins in A minor, RV 522 10’ Vivaldi (arr Sorrell) La Folia (Madness) 8’


Sandrine Piau and Apollo’s Fire

Pappano conducts the Verdi Requiem

Wednesday 7 May 2014 7.30pm Town Hall


Friday 16 May 2014 7.30pm Symphony Hall

Verdi’s Requiem has been described as an opera in all but name, and tonight Sir Antonio Pappano has assembled a cast worthy of one of the world’s great opera houses, including Joseph Calleja: the astonishing Maltese tenor who’s been attracting comparisons with the young Pavarotti. Pappano’s magnificent Italian orchestra and chorus of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia complete an unmissable line-up: expect Italian passions to run high.

Classic FM’s John Suchet says: “A blockbuster of a work. Lavish, dramatic and downright scary, this piece will pin you back in your seat. Prepare for a whirlwind of a performance.”

Orchestra and Chorus of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa CeciliaSir Antonio Pappano conductorHibla Gerzmaya sopranoEkaterina Semenchuk mezzo sopranoJoseph Calleja tenorCarlo Colombara bass

Verdi Requiem 90’


Choir and Stalls front four rows not available.

There is no interval in this concert.

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Opera North’s visually-stunning concert production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle has been acclaimed as one of the supreme achievements in recent British opera. ‘If the cycle continues at this level’ said The Spectator’s Michael Tanner of Das Rheingold ‘it will rank as one of the greatest ever’. Today, in Götterdämmerung the final tragedy unfolds, as Siegfried falls amongst enemies, Brünnhilde’s love is betrayed and the gods themselves confront the end of a world.

Oliver Condy, Editor of BBC Music Magazine explains why he has recommended today’s concert: “The final opera in Wagner’s magnificent Ring Cycle doesn’t go out with a whimper. As the Ring gets returned to the Rhine, Wagner conjures up, with awesome power, Valhalla’s and the gods’ fiery destruction. But not before one of Wagner’s most dramatic and overwhelming scenes – Siegfried’s death and funeral march.”

Alwyn Mellor Brünnhilde Daniel Brenna Siegfried Mats Almgren Hagen Orla Boylan Gutrune Eric Greene Gunther Joachim Seipp AlberichSusan Bickley Waltraute

Katherine Broderick Woglinde Madeleine Shaw Wellgunde Sarah Castle Flosshilde Orchestra and Chorus of Opera NorthHuddersfield Choral SocietyRichard Farnes conductor Peter Mumford staging and design, lighting and projection design Dame Anne Evans vocal consultant

Wagner Götterdämmerung 270’

£9.50 – £55 SH Screen Plan

2.15pm Pre-concert talk

Choir, Chorus Boxes and Stalls front four rows not available. Reduced availability in the Terraces, Upper Circle Ledges, Grand Tier Ledges and Platform Boxes.

Concert performance sung in German with English surtitles. Please note surtitles may not be visible from every seat. Please check when booking.

This performance has a running time of c 6 hours including two intervals of 30 and 60 minutes.

A collaboration with Opera North, Symphony Hall, Birmingham and The Sage Gateshead.

Financially supported by the Opera North Future Fund and The Ring Fellowship.

EDITOR’S CHOICE

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Birmingham’s prestigious Brant International Piano Competition has built its reputation over thirty-three years. A maximum of three outstanding young pianists (aged 18 – 28) will make it to the final, having proved their mettle in testing earlier rounds with demanding works by Beethoven and other composers. The standard is always very high and the choice of music is rewarding, so join us for some talent-spotting and hear tomorrow’s young lions of the keyboard vie with one another for this coveted prize.

Discovery Day: The German Operatic Tradition

Saturday 24 May 2014 10.30am CBSO Centre

A day-long series of talks by guest speakers, linking four of the greatest Germanic operas all being performed in Birmingham this season. Each opera reimagines the past, whether real or mythic, in music of great power and originality.

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Wagner’s Ring: Götterdämmerung

Strauss Der Rosenkavalier CBSO at Symphony Hall, 24 May 2014

Schoenberg Moses und Aron Welsh National Opera at Birmingham Hippodrome, 18 June 2014

Wagner Götterdämmerung Opera North at Symphony Hall, 21 June 2014

Strauss Ariadne auf Naxos Royal Opera House at Symphony Hall, 6 July 2014

Further details available from www.thsh.co.uk/bics-2013-14

All seats £15, 60plus and students £10

Please note this event is not available as part of a concert package but can be booked in addition to a package.

£9.50– £20 TH Classical Plan Free to concert package bookers


Tickets can be booked in addition to a concert package and do not count as part of a concert package. Discounts and other package benefits are not available. Two free tickets are available per package booker.

Saturday 21 June 2014 3.30pm Symphony Hall

2014 Brant International Piano Competition, Birmingham: The Final

Saturday 5 July 2014 7pm Town Hall


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The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain is far more than just a super-sized orchestra bristling with talent and teenage enthusiasm: it’s one of Britain’s great virtuoso ensembles, whose energy, passion and absolute commitment gives many professional bands a run for their money. Edward Gardner, familiar to Symphony Hall audiences as Principal Guest Conductor of the CBSO, takes the helm in a performance of Stravinsky’s Petrushka that should leave your ears tingling.

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The Royal Opera: Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos

The Royal Opera’s visits to Symphony Hall are always highlights of the season, and with Sir Antonio Pappano conducting a cast that includes Karita Mattila and Sir Thomas Allen, this performance of Strauss’s brilliant chamber opera, in the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth, should be something genuinely special. In baroque Vienna, a grand opera company and a panto troupe are forced onto the same stage: what happens next is uproarious, unpredictable – and ultimately sublime.

Oliver Condy, Editor of BBC Music Magazine explains why he has recommended this afternoon’s concert: “Richard Strauss’s opera is a clever piece of commentary on the role of ‘high’ and ‘low’ art – as well as a hilarious and sometimes slapstick dig at Viennese upper-class society. The music, as you’d expect from Strauss, is ravishing.”

Orchestra of the Royal Opera HouseSir Antonio Pappano conductorKarita Mattila Ariadne/Prima Donna Roberto Saccà BacchusJane Archibald ZerbinettaRuxandra Donose The ComposerMarkus Werba HarlequinSir Thomas Allen The Music Master

Strauss Ariadne auf Naxos 130’


Choir and Stalls first four rows not available. Concert performance sung in German with English surtitles. Please note surtitles may not be visible from every seat. Please check when booking.

This concert has a running time of c 2 hours 35 minutes including one 25 minute interval.

National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain

National Youth Orchestra of Great BritainEdward Gardner conductor

Programme includes: Stravinsky Petrushka 34’

£9.50 – £25 SH Standard Orchestral Plan Under 25s £5

Stalls front four rows not available.

Sunday 6 July 2014 3.30pm Symphony Hall

Saturday 9 August 2014 7.30pm Symphony Hall

EDITOR’S CHOICE


How to Book

How to Pay

Concert Packages Phone and postal booking of concert packages is open now. Phone the Box office on 0121 345 0601 or download an order form from www.thsh.co.uk/bics-2013-14

General Booking If you prefer not to book a concert package, priority booking for Friends of Town Hall and Symphony Hall and group bookers opens on Tuesday 7 May at 10am, by phone, post and in person. General booking opens on Tuesday 14 May, at 10am, online, by phone, post and in person.

Online www.thsh.co.uk For full price and some discounted tickets. If you require any other reduced price tickets please contact the Box office on 0121 345 0601.

By PhoneCall our Box office on 0121 345 0601.

In PersonSymphony Hall Box office, in the ICC, is open 10am – 6pm (Monday to Saturday) and 12pm – 4pm (Sunday and Bank Holidays). Town Hall Box office is open two hours before the start time of a performance. Opening hours may be extended on concert days.

By PostSend payment to Town Hall and Symphony Hall Box office, Symphony Hall, Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2EA. Please do not send cash through the post.

A £2.50 fee per transaction will be charged on all bookings except purchases made in person at the Town Hall or Symphony Hall Box office. Transaction fee valid until 31 July 2013. See www.thsh.co.uk for current terms and conditions.

By Credit/Debit Card If paying by post please include the expiry date (and Issue Number for Maestro cards), and the address of the registered cardholder (tickets will be sent to this address).

By ChequeCheques should be made payable to Performances Birmingham Limited with the amount left open, but stating an upper limit in the bottom left hand corner.

Rising Stars ECHO Rising Stars Series 18th Season

A series of recitals showcasing the talents of outstanding young artists, hand-picked by the directors of Europe’s leading concert halls, including Town Hall and Symphony Hall. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear the stars of the future. For full programe details visit www.thsh.co.uk


Sunday 2 March 2014 11am Town HallJános Balázs Jr pianoNominated by Palace of Arts Budapest

Sunday 13 October 2013 11am Town HallQuatuor VoceNominated by Cité de la Musique Paris

Friday 25 October 2013 5pm Symphony Hall Cafe BarJazzlines Free GigsPablo Held Trio Nominated by Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Konzerthaus Dortmund, Elbphilharmonie and Laeiszhalle Hamburg and Kölner Philharmonie

Sunday 6 April 2014 11am Town HallVan Baerle Trio Nominated by Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam and BOZAR Brussels

Sunday 19 January 2014 11am Town HallLeticia Muñoz Moreno violinAna-Maria Vera pianoNominated by L’Auditori Barcelona and Palau de la Música Catalana

Sunday 2 February 2014 11am Town HallJuliette Bausor fluteAlisdair Beatson pianoNominated by The Sage Gateshead

Sunday 18 May 2014 11am Town HallDionysis Grammenos clarinetKarina Sposobina pianoNominated by Megaron – The Athens Concert Hall

Rising Stars is presented in association with the European Concert Hall Organisation.

With the support of the Culture Programme of the European Union.

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For Town Hall concertsAll seats £7.50

Stalls only. Unreserved seating. Discounts available, please check when booking. Ticket includes a cup of coffee or tea, or a glass of sherry, orange juice or water.

For the Symphony Hall Cafe Bar concertFree entry.

Please note these concerts are not available as part of a concert season package but can be booked in addition to a package. Package discounts and other benefits are not available.

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Discounts

Concert packagesFor discounts see page 40.

60plusThese discounts are shown in brackets on the ticket price plans.

Wheelchair Users and Disabled PatronsA range of tickets and services are available under our new Access Scheme for all concerts from 1 September 2013. To find out more, or to join the Access Scheme, please visit www.thsh.co.uk/access-scheme, email us at [email protected] or call us on 0121 780 4949.

Students and Under 25s50% discount on full priced tickets.

Kids Go FreeOne free ticket per child (aged 16 and under) for every adult ticket purchased. Maximum group size of 6. Free concert programme included.

£9.50 TicketsA maximum of four £9.50 tickets per concert per booker are available from 17 April 2013 for customers booking at least 6 concerts, however these do not count towards a Concert Package. Customers booking 5 or fewer concerts can purchase £9.50 tickets from Tuesday 14 May.

Data Protection Once you have booked tickets all your contact details will be held and processed on our Box office marketing database and from time to time we may send you information about Town Hall and Symphony Hall and the programme of events and activities using any one of the contact methods you have provided. Other arts organisations and companies carefully selected by Performances Birmingham Limited may also be interested in sending you information on events and products they think will be of interest. If you do not want your details to be passed to another organisation please tell us at the time of booking. (Data Protection Act (1998). Registration No X3281 12 8.)

Disclaimer Information and prices in this guide were correct at the time of going to press and published in good faith. Unforeseen circumstances, however, may result in changes to the published programme or named artists; please check prior to booking. The timings given for each piece are for guidance and may vary in performance. Student ticket discounts and transaction fee are valid until 31 July 2013. See www.thsh.co.uk for current terms and conditions.

Performances Birmingham Limited – a Company controlled by Birmingham City Council – is a Registered Charity No 1053937. Registered in England No 3169600. Performances Birmingham Limited. Registered Office: Symphony Hall, Broad Street, Birmingham, UK, B1 2EA.

Concert descriptions by Richard Bratby. Design by www.yellow-design.co.uk. Additional photo credits (cover) Natalie Clein, photo by Sussie Ahlburg; Joshua Bell, photo by Chris Lee; Gustavo Dudamel, photo by Richard Reinsdorf (inside cover) Jeannette Sorrell, photo by Roger Mastroianni (order form cover) Academy of St Martin in the Fields, photo by Chris Christodoulou; Joseph Calleja, photo by Decca / Mathias Bothor.

Concert Packages Your Benefits

Save money as you enjoy more music by taking advantage of our great concert packages.

Ticket Savings • Book 6–8 concerts and save 10% • Book 9–10 concerts and save 15% • Book 11–16 concerts and save 20% • Book 17 or more concerts and save 30%Savings apply to full, student and under 25s, 60plus, wheelchair users and disabled price tickets, but exclude £9.50 seats.

You must book the same number of tickets per concert for each party member to qualify for the package discounts. You may also book up to four additional full price tickets per concert, at the same time as your concert package.

Six Months Interest Free CreditOn orders over £100 if you book a concert package by Direct Debit by 5pm on Friday 28 June 2013.

Ticket Exchange SchemeYou can exchange package tickets for the same priced seats for any other concert in the Birmingham International Concert Series 2013/14, subject to availability. Each original ticket may be exchanged once; subsequent exchanges will be charged at £3 per concert. To help avoid long queues, tickets cannot be exchanged during the hour immediately prior to a performance, though you may leave your details for the exchange to be processed later.

Free Concert ProgrammeFor concerts in your package.

Car Parking for just £4.50 at Qpark BrindleyplacePlease let us know the number of places required when ordering your concert package. We will issue you a reusable THSH Qpark ticket which allows you to obtain the special £4.50 rate. Spaces are subject to availability at the time of arrival.

12½% Discount at Symphony Hall Music ShopDiscount applies to full price CDs and DVDs at our classical music shop in Symphony Hall.

10% Discount on Town Hall and Symphony Hall Merchandise Discount applies to your next purchase from our merchandise range, available for in-person purchases only.

Exclusive booking period for additional concerts Exclusive booking period up to Monday 6 May applies to the Britten Discovery Day, Ashley Fripp, Bach Discovery Day, Discovery Day: The German Operatic Tradition and Brant Piano Competition.

Book six or more concerts and save

up to 30%!

No additional discounts or other Concert Package benefits are available for tickets at £9.50.

Groups of 11 or MoreBring a group of 11 or more people and receive a 20% discount, plus one free ticket per 10 tickets purchased (for each performance attended). Phone the Group Booking Department on 0800 358 7070, open 10am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Please note all tickets must be paid for in one transaction.

Standby DiscountsAvailable from 1pm on the day of evening performances (10am on matinees): • Passport to Leisure holders £12 • Benefit* Recipients £5 • Students and under 25s £5

*Qualifying benefits are Income Support, Pension Tax Credit and Disability Tax Credit.

Please call the Box office for further information. All tickets are offered subject to availability. Only one discount can apply unless stated otherwise. Proof of eligibility may be required when purchasing/collecting reduced price tickets. Please note only one Standby Discount is available per ID used. For terms and conditions of sale please visit www.thsh.co.uk.

Lost TicketsA charge may be made for printing duplicate tickets.


Accessibility

Access SchemeA range of tickets and services are available under our new Access Scheme for all concerts from 1 September 2013. To find out more, or to join the Access Scheme, please visit www.thsh.co.uk/access-scheme, email us at [email protected] or call us on 0121 780 4949.

Customers with Mobility DifficultiesTown Hall Please note that there are steps up to the Stalls and Circle but a lift or ramp is available. The Stalls has flat access to all seats and generous space between rows, but in the Circle there are steps inside the auditorium to all rows except Row A. Patrons who need to remain in their wheelchairs during the performance can book spaces in the Stalls and the Side Circle. There are accessible toilets on all levels.

Symphony Hall All levels are accessible by lift, but there are steps within the auditorium on all levels, including the Stalls – please ask when booking if you need flat access to your seats. Areas for patrons who need to remain in their wheelchairs during the performance are located in the Stalls and Upper Circle. There are accessible toilets on Level 3 (Stalls), Level 5 (Upper Circle) and Level 5a (Grand Tier).

Deaf and Hard of Hearing CustomersTown Hall The auditorium is equipped with a hearing loop system. Please switch your hearing aid to the T position.

Facilities for disabled patrons 0121 780 4949 Minicom line 0121 644 6140

Symphony Hall The auditorium is equipped with an infrared hearing enhancement system. You need to collect a receiver to use this system. Receivers are available from the cloakroom.

Blind and Partially Sighted CustomersTown Hall and Symphony Hall Guide dogs are welcome and can remain in the auditorium or be cared for by a steward in the foyer. Please ask if you need any assistance.

Symphony Hall Drop-Off FacilityDisabled patrons can be dropped off outside the front entrance of Symphony Hall. This facility must be pre-booked at the Box office at least 24 hours in advance of the concert. Tickets will be issued for people wishing to be dropped off, and this ticket and their Blue Badge should be presented.

Parking at Town Hall and Symphony HallThere are a limited number of parking spaces for disabled people driving themselves at both Town Hall and Symphony Hall. There is usually more demand for these spaces than we can supply, so parking spaces will be allocated by ballot. Please request a ballot form from the Box office. The deadline for ballot applications is 5pm, Friday 17 May. Tickets will be issued for parking spaces at both venues.

Any available parking spaces remaining after the ballot has taken place may be booked from Monday 17 June by calling the Box office.

This guide is available free of charge on CD or Braille (on request) from Sarah Barnett, Sound Services, VISTA, Margaret Road (off Gwendolen Road), Leicester, LE5 5FU. Tel: 0116 249 8841 Email: [email protected]

Seating Plans and Prices

F

G

GR GL

E

D

CB

A

DR

BR

AR

DL

BL

AL

FFR FFL

Q

P

N

M2L2K2

M2L2K2

M1L1K1

JR

HR HL

JL

J

H


Town HallTH Classical PlanSeating Area £9.50–£20 £9.50–£25 £9.50–£30 £9.50–£35 £9.50–£40

D H £9.50 £9.50 £9.50 £9.50 £9.50

A C £13 (£12.50) £13.50 (£13) £15 (£14.50) £17.50 (£17) £17.50 (£17)

B F £16.50 (£16) £18.50 (£17.50) £22.50 (£21.50) £25 (£24) £27.50 (£26.50)

E G GL £20 (£19) £25 (£24) £30 (£28.50) £35 (£33.50) £40 (£38)

60plus prices shown (in brackets). Wheelchair seat/position £9.50.

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Seating Plans and Prices

Symphony Hall

F

G

GR GL

E

D

CB

A

DR

BR

AR

DL

BL

AL

FFR FFL

Q

P

N

M2L2K2

M2L2K2

M1L1K1

JR

HR HL

JL

J

H


SH Standard Orchestral PlanSeating Area £9.50–£25 £9.50–£40 £9.50–£45 £9.50–£50 £9.50–£60 £9.50–£70

Q £9.50 £9.50 £9.50 £9.50 £9.50 £9.50

P FF FFL FFR £12.50 (£12)

£15 (£14.50)

£15 (£14.50)

£17.50 (£17)

£17.50 (£17)

£18.50 (£17.50)

A AL AR N AA AAL BB BBL CC CCL DD DDL EE EEL

£15 (£14.50)

£20 (£19)

£22.50 (£21.50)

£25 (£24)

£25 (£24)

£27 (£26)

B BL BR DR DL K2 L2 M2 £17.50 (£17)

£25 (£24)

£27.50 (£26.50)

£30 (£28.50)

£35 (£33.50)

£36.50 (£34.50)

C F JL JR K1 L1 M1 R RL U UL X XL Y YL Z ZL

£20 (£19)

£30 (£28.50)

£33.50 (£32)

£35 (£33.50)

£43 (£41)

£45 (£43)

D E G GL GR HL HR J S SL T TL

£22.50 (£21.50)

£35 (£33.50)

£38.50 (£36.50)

£40 (£38)

£51.50 (£49)

£56.50 (£54)

H V VL W WL £25 (£24) £40 (£38) £45 (£43) £50 (£47.50) £60 (£57.50) £70 (£66.50)


SH Lang Lang Recital Plan Seating Area £9.50–£55

Q £9.50

AA DD EE FFR £25 (£24)

P BB CC FF £30 (£28.50)

AR N R X Y AAL BBL CCL £35 (£33.50)

A AL BR DR G GR K2 L2 M2 U W XL YL Z ZL EEL FFL £40 (£38)

BL DL F GL HR J JR K1 L1 M1 RL S T UL V DDL £45 (£43)

B C D E H HL JL SL TL VL WL £55 (£52.50)


SH Screen PlanSeating Area £9.50–£55

Q £9.50

P £17.50 (£17)

N CC CCL £25 (£24)

B BL BR DL DR K2 L2 M2 £32 (£30.50)

C F JL JR K1 L1 M1 U UL Y YL Z ZL £39.50 (£37.50)

D E G GL GR HL HR J S SL £47 (£45)

H V VL W WL £55 (£52.50)

60plus prices shown (in brackets). Wheelchair seat/position £9.50. Choir, Chorus Boxes and Stalls front four rows not available. Reduced availability in the Terraces, Upper Circle Ledges, Grand Tier Ledges and Platform Boxes.

SH Organ Plan Seating Area £9.50–£25

M1 M2 £9.50

AL AR R RL DD DDL £12.50 (£12)

A B BL BR £15 (£14.50)

DL DR X XL £17.50 (£17)

C D G GL GR T TL U UL Y YL Z ZL £20 (£19)

E F J JL JR L1 L2 S SL V VL W WL £22.50 (£21.50)

H HL HR K1 K2 £25 (£24)

60plus prices shown (in brackets). Wheelchair seat/position £9.50. Choir and Grand Tier not available.

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Generation Ladywood: Enriching lives through music

Generation Ladywood aims to inspire and transform the lives of children and their families in Ladywood, one of the most deprived areas within the UK. With your help children will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a world of music, learn to sing, play an instrument and come to events at Town Hall and Symphony Hall, improving their learning, self-confidence and well-being.

You can give the gift of music for just £35 With your donation we can continue working with children and their families in Ladywood, supporting their aspirations and ambitions through music.

Support us: Donate securely online: www.justgiving.com/Genladywood

Post a cheque: payable to Performances Birmingham Limited to THSH Development Department, FREEPOST BM812, Birmingham, B1 2BR

We would like to thank all of our generous patrons who have supported this project over the past year.

Let’s inspire a generation through music.

BOx OFFICE 0121 345 0601 www.thsh.co.uk/membership

• For just £15, members receive discounts at THSH bars and have free use of THSH cloakrooms

• No transaction fees

• Unlimited afternoon and evening city centre car parking for just £4.50 – all year round

• A membership card to access discounts at a selection of the city’s restaurants and retailers

• Be first in the queue for tickets, with priority emails about new concerts and an exclusive priority booking line

Members enjoy exclusive benefits!

love events, love tHsH

Join todayVisit www.thsh.com/membership, call 0121 345 0601 or pop in to the THSH Box office

Thank You to Our Supporters

Performances Birmingham is one of the largest regional arts charities in the country. We invite people to discover great performances at the heart of Birmingham and to participate in community arts projects at our two world-famous venues.

Ticket sales alone cannot sustain our programme; we rely on voluntary contributions to enable us to continue and expand our work. We aim to reach even more people within our communities and further develop our wide-ranging programme.

We would like to thank all our supporters for their generous contributions to our charitable work over the last year.

Alan Woodfield Charitable Trust, Ann Copsey, The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust, Baron Davenport’s Charity, Blackwell Charitable Trust, The Blakemore Foundation, The Bryant Trust, The Coutts Charitable Trust, The Dickens Charitable Trust, DMC McDonald Foundation – facilitated by the IAO, The Douglas Turner Trust, Dumbreck Charity, The E H Smith Charitable Trust, The Eric W. Vincent Trust Fund, Ernest Cook Trust, The Eveson Charitable Trust, The Garfield Weston Foundation, The George Cadbury Trust, The George Fentham Birmingham Charity, GJW Turner Trust, The GNC Trust, Grantham Yorke Trust, Grimmitt Trust, The Heathcock Charitable Trust, Hilton Garden Inn – Brindleyplace, hydraPower Dynamics Ltd, The John Feeney Charitable Trust, The Keith & Joan Mindelsohn Charitable Trust, LandAid Charitable Trust, Limoges Trust, The Lord Austin Trust, The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust, Michael Loftus – News from the Future, The Oakley Charitable Trust, The Owen Family Trust, The Patrick Trust, Peter & Jane How Trust, Peter J Smith, Philip Bates Trust, The Roughley Trust, The Rowlands Trust, Service Birmingham Staff Benefit Scheme, The Thistle Trust, The W.E.D. Charitable Trust, Wolfson Foundation, our supporters, volunteers and Friends.

Corporate Sponsors

SupportIf you are interested in supporting Town Hall and Symphony Hall there are many ways in which you can help, for example, by giving a donation, becoming a Friend, or leaving a legacy. If you would like further information, please take a look at our website www.thsh.co.uk/support-us or contact our Development Team on 0121 644 5072 or 0121 644 5075.

Business Partners

Donors


Performances Birmingham Limited, Registered Charity Number 1053937.

Jazzlines Music Fellowship

Generation Ladywood

Generation Ladywood

Jazzlines Fellowship Scheme

Jazzlines Summer School and Jazzlines Ensemble

Jazzlines Programme

Project Supporters

4746

How to Reach Us

By Car Car parking for Symphony Hall is available at Q-Park Brindleyplace, the National Indoor Arena (NIA), Paradise Circus multi-storey car park (formerly Brindley Drive) and Cambridge Street car parks. Car parking for Town Hall is available at Paradise Circus multi-storey car park (formerly Brindley Drive), and Town Hall multi-storey car park (formerly Brunel Street) car parks.

For traffic and travel information contact The Highways Agency on 08457 504030 or visit their website www.highways.gov.uk/roads, or visit Midlands Traffic Information’s website www.help2travel.co.uk.

By Rail Contact National Rail Enquiries on 08457 484950 or visit their website www.nationalrail.co.uk for rail information. There are fast and frequent rail services with free parking at many Centro stations.

The Centro Hotline on 0121 200 2700 (open 7.30am-10.30pm every day except Christmas Day) can help you plan your journey.

By Coach The following coach schemes are organised by regular concert goers. • Telford & Newport: The Newport Music Coach, Anita Davies 01952 813340 • Shropshire & Mid Wales: The Concerts Coach, Frank North 01743 790400 • South Shropshire: Ludlow & District Theatre & Arts Group, Bronwen Coldwell 01584 831323 • Leominster & Hereford: Mary Seldon 01885 482543. Email: [email protected] • Worcester: Montfort Theatre Goers, Evesham, Mrs D Lambert 01386 761445

Join Our Mailing ListTo keep up-to-date with the latest information from Town Hall and Symphony Hall email your name, address, telephone number and email address to [email protected], or sign up via the website www.thsh.co.uk


Search ‘Town Hall Symphony Hall’ @THSHBirminghamSearch ‘Spotify:user:townhallsymphonyhall’

A41 Q

UEENSWAY R

OAD

A456 BROAD S

TREET

A456 BROAD STREET

PARADISE CIRCUS

SANDPITS PARADE A457

A41

SANDPITS PARADE

Symphony Hall is part of the International Convention Centre on Broad Street. On entering the Convention Centre through the main entrance on Centenary Square, Symphony Hall foyers are on the left. Town Hall is located in Victoria Square.

Documents

BICS 2013-14 Guide