
The last word: an evening of music and words inspired by Finnish legend and landscape, before Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra perform Sibelius’s final great masterpiece Tapiola.
Sibelius’s Tapiola sings of the endless northern forests: primal, elemental, ‘brooding savage dreams’. And after its premiere in 1926, the composer fell silent - as if he had no more stories to tell. At the end of a day of total immersion in the world of Sibelius the storyteller, Sakari Oramo and soprano Anu Komsi take us on a final journey into the forests of the far north.
They begin, though, in a blaze of light: the life-affirming dawn that concludes Night Ride and Sunrise. Komsi is the soloist in three more musical legends, including the astonishing Luonnotar – a Finnish creation-myth, retold in music of primal grandeur. And then, at the end, comes Tapiola – one of music’s timeless mysteries, as urgent now as the day it was conceived.
This performance will finish at approximately 8.45pm
Produced by the BBC Symphony Orchestra
Programme
Performers
Ticket prices
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Admission for the talk is not bookable but is guaranteed for Day Pass holders.
Limited availability.
Save 15–20% on in-person tickets with the BBC Symphony Orchestra Sep 22–Jan 23 Multibuy.
£10
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Subject to availability
Wheelchair spaces and free companion seats may now be booked online.
Please select the relevant preferences on the access registration page during your booking so we can provide you with the correct information and discounts.
Booking a wheelchair space: Select a seat displaying the wheelchair user icon and then select wheelchair user ticket type. The ticket will be priced at the lowest price for that event. If you need an essential companion, please select the click the E icon next to the wheelchair space you have selected.
Booking essential companion tickets: Please select at least two tickets and one of them will be automatically discounted to zero in the basket.
Booking British Sign Language or Captioned Seats: Select seats in the area appropriate to your needs.
20% discount for groups of 10+. Contact [email protected] to make a group booking.
Subject to availability
Booking fees
£3 booking fee per online transaction, £4 by phone.
No fee when tickets are booked in person.
Booking fees are per transaction and not per ticket. If your booking contains several events the highest booking fee will apply. Booking fees do not currently apply to bookings for exhibitions in the Art Gallery. The booking fee may be reduced on certain events.
BBC SO Total Immersion Day: Sibelius the Storyteller

Browse the BBC Symphony Orchestra's 2022–23 season
Hall
Location
The Barbican Hall is located within the main Barbican building. Head to Level G and follow the signs to find your seating level.
Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS
Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.
We’ve plenty of places for you to relax and replenish, from coffee and cake to wood-fired pizzas and full pre-theatre menus






Mobility
Spaces for wheelchair users in row U at the rear of the stalls (up to sixteen, depth of row 180cm) and the back row of the circle (four), both with fold-down companion seats. Some seats in row S of the stalls for people with very limited mobility.
Assistance dogs
Assistance dogs may be taken into the concert hall where there are a limited number of suitable seats in row G of the stalls. If you prefer, you may leave your dog with a member of the cloakroom staff during the performance.
Hearing facility
There is an induction loop in the concert hall. You can use this by adjusting your hearing aid to the ‘T’ setting.
Free large-print programmes
These are available for most of our concerts. Please contact [email protected] at least a week beforehand, to prebook a large-print programmme.
For more access information, please visit our Accessibility section.