Classical Concerts in London UK - A selection of forthcoming live music

Classical Concerts in London UK
A selection of forthcoming live music

Look ahead: January February March April May June

11 December 2013
7.45pm St Bartholomew the Great West Smithfield London EC1A 9DS United Kingdom Details: Web site E-mail £12 (concessions £10)	Christmas Concert Canticum, chamber choir Mark Forkgen, conductor Carols for Choir and audience and other Christmas and Advent Music including carols by Herbert Howells and The Shepherds' Farewell by Berlioz

12 December 2013
8.30pm Lauderdale House Waterlow Park, Highgate Hill London N6 5HG United Kingdom Details: Web site £9; Concessions £7.50	Zoe Schwarz/Rob Koral Quintet Zoe Schwarz, voice Rob Koral, guitar Robin Aspland, piano Steve Thompson, double bass Paul Robinson, drums Jazz in the House Zoe, with her new partner, guitarist Rob Koral, has established several groups, from a duo to blues bands and this, their jazz quintet with 3 major players. Zoe’s repertoire is wonderfully eclectic, from deep-down blues to Ray Charles soul, with more than a hint of Billie Holiday’s passion on conventional standards. Playing to a packed Methodist church in Swanage this year, they received a storming reception.

13 December 2013
7.30pm St Sepulchre-without-Newgate Holborn Viaduct London EC1A 2DQ United Kingdom Details: Web site £12 until 10th December / £15 \| £10 (concessions)	Magnificat! Londinium, chamber choir Andrew Griffiths, conductor Johannes Eccard: Übers Gebirg Maria geht Hieronymus Praetorius: Magnificat quinti toni Bob Chilcott: Advent Antiphons Sir John Tavener: Magnificat (Collegium Regale) Benjamin Britten: A Hymn to the Virgin Sergei Rachmaninov: Magnificat (from Vespers 'All-Night Vigil') Pärt: Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen Swayne: Magnificat I Londinium's irresistible Advent programme is inspired by the Magnificat, the Virgin Mary's great hymn of praise. Praetorius' festive eight-part setting of this joyous text is interwoven with traditional German carols, contrasting with Giles Swayne's classic Magnificat I, based on Senegalese chanting, and the mystical Orthodox visions of Tavener and Rachmaninov. As a counterpoint we will perform exquisitely-textured settings of the great "O Antiphons" - traditionally paired with the Magnificat in Advent - by modern masters Arvo Pärt and Bob Chilcott. Beautiful miniatures by Eccard and the young Benjamin Britten in his centenary year complete the picture: a fascinating and rewarding musical journey. Mulled wine and mince pies will be served during the interval.

19 December 2013
7.30pm Church of St Botolph without Bishopsgate Bishopsgate London EC2M 3TL United Kingdom Details: Web site	Christ's Nativity - London Concord Singers

20 December 2013
7.30pm St James' Church 197 Piccadilly London W1J 9LL United Kingdom Details: Warren Web site +44 (0)20 7766 1100 £18; £15 concessions	The Piccadilly Christmas Concert 2013 Warren Mailley-Smith, piano Susan Parkes, soprano Sattler Quartet Beethoven: Pathetique Sonata Chopin: Waltz in A flat Chopin: Study in A flat Chopin: Scherzo no 1 in B minor Puccini: Soprano Arias from La Boheme Pachelbel: Canon in D (quartet) Chopin: Piano Concerto no. 2 (chamber version) Yon: Gesu bambino (soprano, quartet and piano) Adam: O Holy Night (soprano, quartet and piano) When the going gets tough in the run-up to Christmas and you've had about as much seasonal music as you can take - think Trafalgar Square and carols round the Norwegian Tree, bands in Oxford Street , choirs in every available church and hall - get yourself over to St James's Church Piccadilly . Virtuoso pianist Warren Mailley-Smith will be entertaining his audience with a programme that is both restful and refreshingly stimulating. This is just the place to put down your last-minute Christmas shopping, gather your thoughts, and renew your emotional energy. An award-winning concert pianist and a favourite performer for the British Royal Family, Warren offers a programme of Beethoven and Chopin and he is rapidly establishing himself as one of the best pianists of his generation. An exceptional talent and a gentle, self-deprecating sense of humour, combined with his formidable technical skill and mature musicality, makes him a favourite with audiences and venue staff alike. This year he is joined in a performance of Chopin’s scintillating Piano Concerto no. 2 by the Sattler String Quartet, who will perform Pachelbel’s immortal Canon in D and the outstanding young soprano, Susan Parkes will perform arias by Puccini and some festive songs.

21 December 2013
3pm Cadogan Hall 5 Sloane Terrace London SW1X 9DQ United Kingdom Details: Web site +44 (0)20 7730 4500 £15, 25, 35, 45	Christmas Cracker 2013 matinée Mary Carewe, vocalist Michael Dore, vocalist Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Nick Davies, conductor To include: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Mary’s Boy Child Sleigh Ride The Little Road to Bethlehem Santa Baby Let it Snow Back by popular demand, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s Christmas Cracker is a delightful evening of festive musical gems. This enchanting and melodious concert is sure to fill you with good cheer as the Orchestra, Mary Carewe and Michael Dore sing their hearts out to get the Yuletide celebrations off to an entertaining start.

7.30pm Cadogan Hall 5 Sloane Terrace London SW1X 9DQ United Kingdom Details: Web site +44 (0)20 7730 4500 £15, 25, 35, 45	Christmas Cracker 2013 evening Mary Carewe, vocalist Michael Dore, vocalist Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Nick Davies, conductor To include: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Mary’s Boy Child Sleigh Ride The Little Road to Bethlehem Santa Baby Let it Snow Back by popular demand, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s Christmas Cracker is a delightful evening of festive musical gems. This enchanting and melodious concert is sure to fill you with good cheer as the Orchestra, Mary Carewe and Michael Dore sing their hearts out to get the Yuletide celebrations off to an entertaining start.

9 February 2014
6pm The Forge, Camden 3-7 Delancey Street London NW1 7NL United Kingdom Details: Web site	Eclectic Collections 2: Trapeze Metier Ensemble: Claire Overbury, flute Sophie Rivlin, cello Elspeth Wyllie, piano Janacek: Pohadka for cello and piano Amirov: Six Pieces for flute and piano Suk: Elegie Kapustin: Trio Music from the East. Final concert in a series of three, celebrating 20th-century chamber music for flute/cello/piano.

12 February 2014
7.30pm Royal Festival Hall Belvedere Road London SE1 8XX United Kingdom Details: Web site +44 (0)844 847 9910 £10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 38, 45, 58	Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé Nicole Cabell, soprano Philharmonia Chorus Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Charles Dutoit, conductor Poulenc: Gloria Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé The Orchestra’s Principal Conductor, Charles Dutoit, is renowned for his exceptional interpretations of twentieth-century music, including his definitive recording of Ravel’s ballet, Daphnis et Chloé. This is an unmissable opportunity to see, and hear, Dutoit guide the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra through the complete ballet. Ravel’s score is an evocative, sensual masterpiece, full of precisely articulated colours and seductive sonorities. Poulenc’s Gloria is one of his finest works, brimming with rich harmonies, sinuous melodies and rhythmic verve. Dutoit and the Orchestra are joined by the Philharmonia Chorus and soprano Nicole Cabell.

17 March 2014
7.30pm Royal Festival Hall Belvedere Road London SE1 8XX United Kingdom Details: Web site +44 (0)844 847 9910 £10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 38, 45, 58	John Lill 70th Birthday Concert John Lill, piano Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Thomas Dausgaard, conductor Brahms: Tragic Overture Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No 3 Dvorák: Symphony No 8 Join us for the 70th Birthday Celebration of acclaimed British pianist John Lill, performing Rachmaninov’s passionate Piano Concerto No 3. Writing about one of Lill’s performances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Independent declared that the pianist is ‘still a majestic presence ... one was immediately drawn in by the unforced, unselfconscious beauty of the sound.’ The Tragic Overture by Brahms was written when the composer was on holiday, expressing what he described as his ‘melancholy nature’. The result is a work full of tempestuous drama and wistful lyricism. Dvorák’s Eighth Symphony is one of his most exuberant works, drawing on Bohemian folk music for inspiration.

22 April 2014
7.30pm Royal Festival Hall Belvedere Road London SE1 8XX United Kingdom Details: Web site +44 (0)844 847 9910 £10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 38, 45, 58	Steven Isserlis performs Elgar Steven Isserlis, cello Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Kirill Karabits, conductor Prokofiev: Symphony No.1, 'Classical' Elgar: Cello Concerto Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade The great cellist Steven Isserlis performs Elgar’s Cello Concerto, with Kirill Karabits at the helm. Elgar wrote the piece – his last major work – in the wake of the First World War. The Concerto is suffused with desolate beauty, and the human quality of the cello makes it the perfect mouthpiece for such profoundly moving music. Framing the Concerto are works by Prokofiev and Rimsky-Korsakov. Prokofiev’s ‘Classical’ Symphony is a witty tribute to the music of Haydn and his contemporaries, while Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade is a glittering and irresistible score.

14 May 2014
7.30pm Royal Festival Hall Belvedere Road London SE1 8XX United Kingdom Details: Web site +44 (0)844 847 9910 £10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 38, 45, 58	Charles Dutoit conducts French Masterpieces Susan Graham, mezzo-soprano Stephen Disley, organ Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Charles Dutoit, conductor Ravel: Valses nobles et sentimentales Berlioz: Les nuits d’été Saint-Saëns: Symphony No 3, 'Organ' Praised by The New York Times for her ‘creamy singing’, mezzo-soprano Susan Graham performs Les nuits d’été by Berlioz: exquisite orchestral songs which make perfect listening for a summer evening. The programme opens with Ravel’s witty Valses nobles et sentimentales, which began life as a piano suite before being transformed by Ravel's unique palette of orchestral colours. Saint-Saëns' ‘Organ’ Symphony is perhaps his most majestic achievement, with an expansive structure, virtuosic display and the grand sound of the organ adding richness to the timbre.

20 May 2014
7.30pm Royal Festival Hall Belvedere Road London SE1 8XX United Kingdom Details: Web site +44 (0)844 847 9910 £10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 38, 45, 58	Stephen Hough performs Saint-Saëns Stephen Hough, piano Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Charles Dutoit, conductor Chabrier: España Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No 5, 'Egyptian' Debussy: Images for orchestra Ravel: La valse Stephen Hough is one of the most dynamic and versatile pianists of his generation, and brings his astute insight and finesse to Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No.5. The ‘Egyptian’ Concerto is so called because it was written while Saint-Saëns was staying in Egypt, which he conjures up with exotic, captivating music. We are also transported to warmer climes in Chabrier’s España and Debussy’s Ibéria, the central piece in his magical orchestral Images, which is followed by Ravel’s La valse, an opulent, intoxicating dance. There is no better interpreter of this repertoire than Charles Dutoit, whose deft conducting is sure to make these performances unforgettable.

11 June 2014
7.30pm Royal Festival Hall Belvedere Road London SE1 8XX United Kingdom Details: Web site +44 (0)844 847 9910 £10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 38, 45 and 58	John Williams performs Concierto de Aranjuez Alexander Shelley, conductor John Williams, guitar Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Elgar: In the South Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez Goss: Guitar Concerto Gershwin: An American in Paris The most celebrated classical guitarist in the world, John Williams, performs what is surely the most popular guitar concerto in the world: Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez. Inspired by the composer’s honeymoon, the Concerto conjures up the palatial gardens at Aranjuez, and, as Rodrigo recalled: ‘the fragrance of magnolias, the singing of birds, and the gushing of fountains’. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra gave the first performance of the new Guitar Concerto by Stephen Goss, a work championed by John Williams. As well as our trip to Spain with Rodrigo, we visit Italy, in Elgar’s sunny In the South, and Paris, in Gershwin’s delightful and humorous work, An American in Paris.

Other UK concerts Cadenza home Add your concert