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Classical music

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

Highlights

Sir Antonio Pappano conducting the London Symphony Orchestra, facing the Orchestra on the conductor's podium, with both hands raised in the air
Event
Classical music

London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Antonio Pappano

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Relive the golden age of Hollywood and beyond with music by some of cinema’s most brilliant and influential composers.

Miklós Rózsa Prelude, The Mother’s Love and Parade of the Charioteers from ‘Ben Hur’; Movements 2 & 3 from Violin Concerto
Bernard Herrmann Scène d’amour from ‘Vertigo’
David Raksin Laura; Love is for the Very Young from ‘The Bad and the Beautiful’ Suite
Max Steiner Opening Title Sequence from ‘Gone with the Wind’
William Walton Selections from ‘Henry V’ Suite
Nino Rota Waltz from ‘The Godfather’
Ennio Morricone Gabriel’s Oboe from ‘The Mission’; Music from ‘Cinema Paradiso’ and ‘Once Upon a Time in America’
London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Antonio Pappano conductor
An image of Roderick Williams surrounded by a green circle against a green background
Event
Classical music

MacMillan's Christmas Oratorio

Sir James MacMillan conducts a starry performance of his huge, life-affirming Christmas Oratorio – music that speaks to listeners of all faiths and none.

James MacMillan Christmas Oratorio
BBC Symphony Orchestra
James MacMillan conductor
Rhian Lois soprano
Roderick Williams baritone
BBC Symphony Chorus
lady in a silver dress singing into a microphone stood in front of a man playing the piano
Event
Classical music

Christmas Carol Singalong

A Festive Celebration for the whole family. Get ready to raise your voices and your holiday spirits - Christmas Carol Singalong returns for a seasonal celebration like no other!

The Twelve Days of Christmas
Winter Wonderland
Merry Christmas Everybody
Frosty the Snowman
O Come, All Ye Faithful
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Once In Royal David's City
Rudoph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Jonathan Cohen presenter
Louise Dearman guest singer
The London Concert Chorus
The London Concert Orchestra
choir singing
Event
Classical music

Christmas with King’s College Choir

Step into the splendour of the season at Christmas with King’s College Choir, a sublime evening of music that captures the true spirit of Christmas. 

TBC
Daniel Hyde conductor
King’s College Choir
City of London Choir
Philharmonia Orchestra
conductor conducting a choir and orchestra behind a row of candles
Event
Classical music

Candlelit Carols

A timeless Christmas tradition bathed in candlelight. Step into the gentle glow of candlelight and experience the true spirit of the season with Candlelit Carols, a heart warming evening of music.

Cullen Joy to the World
Handel Christmas Sequence from Messiah including Hallelujah Chorus
Handel Eternal Source of Light Divine
Willcocks Deck the Halls
Bach Air on the G String
Handel Zadok the Priest
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
O Come all ye Faithful
While shepherd's watched their flocks
Once in Royal David's City
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Steven Devine conductor
Harriet Eyley soprano
Coro Spezzato
Mozart Festival Orchestra
the earth in the foreground with the other planets in the solar system behind it
Event
Classical music

The Planets

A celestial journey through sound and symphony. Step into the cosmic splendour of Gustav Holst’s The Planets, in an evening that promises to stir the senses and ignite the imagination.

Verdi Force of Destiny Overture
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2
Holst The Planets
Lee Reynolds conductor
London Philharmonic Orchestra
conductor conducting an orchestra
Event
Classical music

The Best of John Williams

An Epic Night of Iconic Film Music. Experience the power and magic of the movies with The Best of John Williams. 

Jaws
Harry Potter
E.T.
Star Wars
The Fablemans
Jurassic Park
Witches of Eastwick
Indiana Jones
Robert Emery conductor
London Concert Orchestra
A portrait of Beethoven in a black suit jacket and a red shirt
Event
Classical music

Beethoven’s Ninth

A monumental night of music and majesty. Celebrate the power and passion of Beethoven’s greatest works in an unforgettable evening at our Hall. 

Ludwig Van Beethoven Piano Concerto No 5, Emperor
Ludwig Van Beethoven Symphony No 9, Choral
Christopher Warren-Green conductor
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Goldsmiths Choral Union
Highgate Choral Society
Mid-performance image of the Glenn Miller Orchestra all wearing red suits
Event
Classical music

The Glenn Miller Orchestra

A night of swing, nostalgia, and timeless classics. The Glenn Miller Orchestra brings the spirit of the 1940s to life, celebrating the unforgettable sound of Glenn Miller and the golden age of swing.

The Glenn Miller Orchestra
Image of a conductor with their back faced to the camera in the middle of space where two planets are colliding creating a flash of red electricity
Event
Classical music

The Music of Zimmer vs Williams

A cinematic battle of epic proportions. Prepare for an unforgettable evening as two of the greatest film composers of all time go head-to-head in The Music of Zimmer vs Williams in our Hall. 

Anthony Inglis conductor
The London Concert Orchestra
Mid-performance image of the London Concert Orchestra with confetti falling everywhere
Event
Classical music

New Year’s Day Proms

Start 2026 in unforgettable style with the New Year’s Day Proms in our Hall – a rousing celebration of classical favourites, uplifting anthems, and beloved operatic gems.

Nessun Dorma
Hornpipe
Pomp and Circumstance March No 1
Auld Lang Syne
Land of Hope and Glory
Anthony Inglis conductor
The London Concert Orchestra
National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain
Event
Classical music

The National Youth Orchestra

Join us as The National Youth Orchestra takes to the stage for a massive orchestral experience, alongside conductor Alexandre Bloch and cellist Inbal Segev.

Claude Debussy Ibéria
Karim Al-Zand City Scenes
Anna Clyne DANCE for cello and orchestra
Maurice Ravel Rapsodie Espagnole
The National Youth Orchestra
Alexandre Bloch conductor
Inbal Segev cello
Image of a rugged coast in rural Scotland
Event
Classical music Contemporary music

Lisa Robertson: Ceòl na Mara

Music of the sea – a transportation to wild, remote, visceral coasts, like those in the West Highlands; exploring cultural connections to the sea and the danger presented by the changing climate.

Sir Simon Rattle standing on the podium on the Barbican stage, facing the audience and smiling, with the London Symphony Orchestra standing behind him
Event
Classical music

London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Simon Rattle

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A 300-year-old woman confronts mortality, identity and lost love in this concert performance of Janáček’s intense operatic drama.

Leoš Janáček The Makropulos Affair (concert performance)
London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Simon Rattle conductor
Marlis Petersen Emilia Marty
Aleš Briscein Albert Gregor
Jan Martiník Dr Kolenatý
Peter Hoare Vitek
Svatopluk Sem Baron Jaroslav Prus
An image of Guy Johnston surrounded by a red circle against a red backdrop
Event
Classical music

Clemens Schuldt conducts Strauss and Phibbs

Clemens Schuldt and the BBC Symphony Orchestra perform Shakespearean classics, Strauss at his most sumptuous, and a new British concerto for cellist Guy Johnston.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Fantasy-Overture, 'Hamlet'
Joseph Phibbs Cello Concerto
Mel Bonis Ophélie
Richard Strauss Der Rosenkavalier Suite
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Clemens Schuldt conductor
Guy Johnston cello