10 classical music concerts to attend at the Southbank Centre in Autumn 2023
The Southbank Centre returns with its 2023/24 classical music season, blending historical masterpieces with contemporary narratives. Resident Artists like Manchester Collective and Víkingur Ólafsson explore Bach, while the Philharmonia Orchestra and London Philharmonic Orchestra promise unforgettable performances. Notably, The Multi-Story Orchestra presents a modern requiem. Discover our pick of 10 concerts that are simply unmissable this season.
Nicola Benedetti Plays Brahms
Image: Nicola Benedetti. © Luca Migliore.
#FLODown: Nicola Benedetti, the Philharmonia Orchestra's Featured Artist for the season, will perform Brahms' Violin Concerto, showcasing her spontaneous and expressive talent. The concerto features three movements, each with distinct themes and moods. Additionally, Rachmaninov's Third Symphony, filled with longing for his homeland, will be performed. The concert will open with Nico Muhly's One Line, Two Shapes, composed in 2021, conveying the isolation experienced during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Romanian conductor Cristian Macelaru will lead the performance, supported by Sir Sydney Lipworth KC and Lady Lipworth CBE.
Date: 1 October 2023. Time: 7.30pm Location: Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Price: £20 – £75. Book now.
Brian Eno & Baltic Sea Philharmonic
Image: Brian Eno. © Cecily Eno.
#FLODown: Ships is an extraordinary live concert featuring composer Brian Eno, the Baltic Sea Philharmonic under the direction of Kristjan Järvi, and several guest artists. Commissioned by La Biennale di Venezia, this event highlights an orchestral rendition of Eno's 2016 album The Ship. Eno, who rarely performs live, will be joined by actor Peter Serafinowicz, guitarist Leo Abrahams, and programmer Peter Chilvers. This occasion coincides with Eno's prestigious recognition at the 2023 Venice Biennale Musica, where he will receive the Golden Lion award. Originally intended for its premiere at the Biennale Musica, Ships will present Eno's compositions alongside classical pieces and new works, all enhanced by the dynamic interpretations of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic.
Date: 30 October 2023. Time: 6.30pm and 9pm Location: Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Price: £65 – £165. Book now.
Marin Alsop Conducts Rhapsody in Blue
Image: Marcus Roberts. © Marcus Roberts.
#FLODown:The Philharmonia Orchestra presents Let Freedom Ring, a dynamic all-American program featuring the Marcus Roberts Trio. This musical journey through a century of American music kicks off with James P. Johnson's vibrant Drums, a nod to the early days of jazz. Marin Alsop conducts, and there's a spotlight on the orchestra's percussion and brass sections with Joan Tower's fanfare dedicated to her. Leonard Bernstein's On the Town pays homage to New York City, including the iconic New York, New York. The program blurs the lines between classical and popular music, exemplified by Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. The evening promises an electrifying musical experience.
Date: 19 October 2023. Time: 7.30pm Location: Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Price: £10 – £75. Book now.
Santtu Conducts Verdi’s Requiem
Image: Santtu conducts Verdi's Requiem Santtu conducting Philharmonia. Photo by Mark Allan.
#FLODown: The Philharmonia Orchestra, led by Principal Conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali, presents Verdi's emotionally charged Requiem, a masterpiece of 19th-century music. This powerful performance features a stellar lineup of soloists, including the acclaimed soprano Natalya Romaniw and mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill. Verdi's Requiem spans a range of emotions, from the intense violence of the Dies Irae to the grandeur of the Tuba Mirum, with eight trumpets heralding its arrival. The Sanctus brings forth joyful praise, while the Agnus Dei features a spine-tingling unaccompanied duet by the soprano and mezzo soloists. This concert is dedicated to the memory of Jo and Barbara Modiano, promising a moving and memorable musical experience.
Date: 21 September 2023. Time: 7.30pm Location: Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Price: £20 – £75. Book now.
Chineke! Orchestra: Haydn, Bologne, Beethoven
Image: Chineke! Orchestra cellos and basses © Eduardus Lee.
#FLODown: Chineke!, an all-black and minority ethnic orchestra in Britain, takes you on a musical journey through pre- and post-revolutionary Paris with works by Haydn, Bologne, and Beethoven. The program includes Haydn's "La Reine" Symphony, Bologne's virtuosic violin concerto, and Beethoven's transformative Eroica Symphony. This orchestra promotes diversity in classical music, showcasing both well-known and underrepresented composers.
Date: 15 October 2023. Time: 7.30pm Location: Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Price: £15 – £40. Book now.
Manchester Collective: Different Trains & After Dark (Double Bill)
Image: Manchester Collective: Different Trains & After Dark (Double Bill). Photo by Tom Arber.
#FLODown:The Manchester Collective presents a double bill: a new work by composer Jasmin Kent Rodgman complementing Steve Reich's Different Trains. The evening transitions into a minimalist club event in the Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer. Rodgman fuses contemporary classical and electronics, while the ensemble combines contemporary and classical music. This immersive musical journey includes a string quartet and works by various composers, promising a unique and experimental experience. Don't miss it!
Date: 22 September 2023 Time: 9pm. Location: Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX Price: £10. Book now.
Randall Goosby in Recital
Image: Randall Goosby. Photo by Kaupo Kikkas.
#FLODown: Experience an excellent program of music by Black composers and their contemporaries, performed by violinist Randall Goosby and pianist Zhu Wang. The concert features works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Dvořák, William Grant Still, Florence Price, and concludes with Richard Strauss's romantic Violin Sonata. Goosby's mission to highlight underrepresented composers makes this a must-see event.
Date: 13 October 2023. Time: 7.30pm Location: Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Price: £15 – £52.50. Book now.
Canellakis Conducts Shostakovich
Image: Conductor Karina Canellakis © Mathias Bothor.
#FLODown:The London Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Principal Guest Conductor Karina Canellakis, presents Shostakovich's monumental Eighth Symphony, a brutally honest reflection of wartime suffering. The concert also features Beethoven's youthful Overture, The Creatures of Prometheus and his joyful Piano Concerto No. 2, performed by pianist Jonathan Biss, who shares a profound connection with Beethoven's music. Experience a powerful musical journey from despair to youthful brilliance.
Date: 28 October 2023. Time: 7.30pm Location: Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Price: £14 – £70. Book now.
The Multi-Story Orchestra: The Endz
Image: The Multi-Story Orchestra. © Ambra Vernuccio.
#FLODown: The Endz is an innovative musical creation by a group of talented youths from Peckham, in collaboration with the Multi-Story Orchestra, known for performing in unconventional spaces, such as car parks. Through rap, spoken word, and songs, the piece sheds light on the impact of social inequality on the young generation's lives. It addresses modern-day themes of friendship, heartbreak, and loss, while confronting issues like escalating knife crime and reduced youth service funding. With a choir of over 100 singers and a full symphony orchestra, the performance combines exceptional musicianship with poignant social commentary.
Date: 23 September 2023. Time: 5.30pm and 8.30pm. Location: Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Price: from £10. Book now.
Víkingur Ólafsson: Bach’s Goldberg Variations
Image: Víkingur Olafsson. © Ari Magg.
#FLODown: Renowned pianist Víkingur Ólafsson is set to breathe new life into Bach's timeless masterpiece, the Goldberg Variations. This iconic composition, named in homage to a young harpsichordist who occasionally studied under Bach, offers an enchanting odyssey through a kaleidoscope of emotions, spanning from profound tragedy to exuberant jubilation. Originally conceived for a two-manual harpsichord, Ólafsson's exceptional skill and mastery of the modern piano will not doubt shine as he takes on this landmark work.
Date: 22 September 2023. Time: 7pm. Location: Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Price: £15 – £80. Book now.
