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Classical music

Browse concerts from the Barbican Classical Music programme featuring leading orchestras and soloists from around the world.

Highlights

Opera Makers
Event
Classical music

Guildhall School: Opera Makers

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Join Guildhall School for three exciting new works written by composers and librettists on Guildhall’s MA in Opera Making & Writing in association with the Royal Opera House.

soprano Harriet Burns
Event
Classical music

Classical Pride: Voices of Tomorrow

Texts by queer poets and music by LGBTQ+ composers are brought together in this song recital that showcases some of today’s leading young classical music talent. 

Ricky Ian Gordon Joy (text by Langston Hughes)
Maud Valérie White The Throstle (text by Alfred Lord Tennyson)
Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky The Cuckoo, Op. 54, no. 8 (text by Christian Gellert)
Martin Bussey We two (text by Walt Whitman)
Leonard Bernstein To What You Said (text by Walt Whitman)
Edward Picton-Turbervill How can I keep from singing? (text trad.)
Judith Weir Lady Isobel and the Elf Knight (text trad.)
Jonathan Dove Between Your Sheets (text by Mary Wortley Montagu)
Reynaldo Hahn A Chloris (text by Théophile de Viau)
Stephen Hough All Shall be Well (text by Julian of Norwich)
Harriet Burns soprano
Jonathan Eyers baritone
Edward Picton-Turbervill piano
Classical Pride orchestra on stage
Event
Classical music

Classical Pride: Voices of Joy & Sorrow

A triumphant finale to 2025’s Classical Pride, as the London Symphony Orchestra and conductor Oliver Zeffman celebrate LGBTQ+ voices in classical music with a vibrant programme.

Camille Saint-Saëns Bacchanale from Samson et Dalila
Jennifer Higdon blue cathedral
Jake Heggie New Work (world premiere)
Camille Saint-Saëns Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix from Samson et Dalila
Harold Arlen Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz
George Benjamin Dream of the Song
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Swan Lake Suite
London Symphony Orchestra
Oliver Zeffman conductor
Jamie Barton mezzo-soprano
Cameron Shahbazi countertenor
Tenebrae
Jonny Woo host
Junior Guildhall brass musicians
Event
Classical music

Junior Guildhall Symphony Orchestra & Brass Band

The talented young musicians of Junior Guildhall round off their academic year with a programme including Sibelius’ Symphony No 2 conducted by Dominic Wheeler.

Music Education Islington performance - young singer and guitar player
Event
Contemporary music Classical music

Music Education Islington Concert: New Sounds Festival 2025

Led by a group of young event producers, this evening concert will round off Music Education Islington's annual New Sounds Festival.

Asmik Grigorian photographed facing the camera, with her head to one side.
Event
Classical music

London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Antonio Pappano

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A climactic close to the LSO's 2024/25 season: Sir Antonio Pappano leads concert performances of Strauss’ Salome. Acclaimed soprano Asmik Grigorian takes on the title role.

Richard Strauss Salome
London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Antonio Pappano conductor
Asmik Grigorian Salome
Michael Volle Jochanaan
Violeta Urmana Herodias
Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke Herod
Niamh O’Sullivan The Page of Herodias
John Findon Narraboth
Liam James Karai First Nazarene
Alex Otterburn Second Nazarene
James Kryshak First Jew
Michael J Scott Second Jew
Aled Hall Third Jew
Oliver Johnston Fourth Jew
Jeremy White Fifth Jew
Barnaby Rea First Soldier
William Thomas Second Soldier
Hannah McKay A Slave
Redmond Sanders  Cappadocian
James Taylor
Event
Contemporary music Classical music

James Taylor Quartet

Join James Taylor Quartet for a one-off concert featuring an Orchestra and special guests Nitin Sawhney, Graham Day (The Prisoners), Snowboy and Yvonne Yanney.

Rushil Ranjan and Abi Sampa sitting on stage performing
Event
Classical music

CBSO/Abi Sampa: The Orchestral Qawwali Project

This glorious blend of Sufi poetry, Indian Classical dance and symphony orchestra comes to the Barbican. 

Rushil Ranjan Allah Hoo
Man Kunto Maula
The Forest
Candles
Soul Escape
Ganje Shakar
Dam Dam Karo Fareed
Shikwa Movement 6
Dam Mast Qalandar
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
CBSO Chorus
University of Birmingham Voices
Melvin Tay conductor
Janan Sathiendran tabla
Shahid Abbas Khan  vocalsist
Lydia Alonso cello
George Kakas harmonium
Jatinder Kwatra chorus
Raman Singh chorus
Vibhati Bhatia chorus
Quinteto Astor Piazzolla, four men in black and white image
Event
Contemporary music Classical music

Quinteto Astor Piazzolla

With five virtuoso soloists, Quinteto Astor Piazzolla explores the vast repertoire of the outstanding Argentinian composer who revolutionized tango.

Kanneh-Mason family
Event
Classical music

The Kanneh-Masons and Friends: Carnival of the Animals

In celebration of family and traditions, all seven Kanneh-Mason siblings come together for a very special evening in aid of music education charity Music Masters.

Michael Morpurgo Driftwood
Sir Peter Maxwell-Davies Farewell to Stromness
Dmitri Shostakovich Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67 IV. Allegretto – Adagio
George Frideric Handel Trio Sonata in G Minor, Op. 2, No. 8 III. Largo
Franz Schubert Piano Quintet in A major, D.667 - “The Trout” IV. Andantino – Allegretto
Franz Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
Isata Kanneh-Mason Hiraeth
Vittorio Monti Czardas
Camille Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals
Isata Kanneh-Mason Piano
Braimah Kanneh-Mason Violin
Sheku Kanneh-Mason Cello
Konya Kanneh-Mason Piano
Jeneba Kanneh-Mason Piano
Aminata Kanneh-Mason Violin
Mariatu Kanneh-Mason Cello
Connie Pharoah Viola
Toby Hughes Double Bass
Frederico Paixão Flute
Adrian Spillett Percussion
Alasdair Malloy Glass Harmonica
Julian Bliss Clarinettist
Michael Morpurgo Narrator
Sir Antonio Pappano conducting the LSO on the Barbican stage, holding a baton, with LSO string players in the foreground of the image and audience members in the background.
Event
Classical music

London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Antonio Pappano

Sir Antonio Pappano conducts two dramatic, emotionally intense American symphonies, both born of 20th-century tumult. 

Leonard Bernstein Symphony No 3, Kaddish (revised version)
Aaron Copland Symphony No 3
London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Antonio Pappano conductor
Dame Felicity Palmer narrator
Katharina Konradi soprano
Tiffin Boys' Choir
London Symphony Chorus
Image of an orchestra performing with multiple people stood in line playing the flute
Event
Classical music

London Schools Symphony Orchestra

The LSSO returns to the Barbican following its summer tour of Yorkshire and Birmingham, with a programme including Sibelius' Finlandia and Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony.

Sir Antonio Pappano standing on the podium facing the audience, talking to the audience, with the London Symphony Orchestra sat on-stage behind him
Event
Classical music

London Symphony Orchestra: Half Six Fix – Copland

Kick-start your evening with a 60-minute Half Six Fix concert. Introduced by the performers, with screens in the hall to bring you closer to the action.

Aaron Copland Symphony No 3
London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Antonio Pappano conductor
Seong-Jin Cho sat at a piano, facing towards the keys, with his arm resting on the lid of the instrument
Event
Classical music

London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Antonio Pappano

Beethoven’s defiant Symphony No 5 meets the sneering mockery of Shostakovich and Prokofiev in exhilarating mood.

Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No 9
Sergei Prokofiev Piano Concerto No 2
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No 5
London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Antonio Pappano conductor
Seong-Jin Cho piano
Janine Jansen on the Barbican stage, in front of the orchestra, playing the violin
Event
Classical music

London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Antonio Pappano

Violinist Janine Jansen showcases Britten’s soulful concerto before the LSO launches into Shostakovich’s scathing criticism of Stalin.

Benjamin Britten Violin Concerto
Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No 10
London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Antonio Pappano conductor
Janine Jansen violin