Press release below as received. More information on the Dutchman shortly
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra 2012-13 season
- The CBSO with Andris Nelsons to perform the complete Beethoven symphonies in Birmingham
- Inspirational guest appearances by Mitsuko Uchida, Ian Bostridge, Lars Vogt and Simon Trpčeski, as well as debuts by Diego Matheuz and Nicholas Collon
- Celebrating 100 years since the birth of Benjamin Britten with the War Requiem and A Spring Symphony
- Andris Nelsons continues his passionate exploration into Wagner’s music with the romantic opera The Flying Dutchman
· CBSO 20:20. The countdown goes on to the Orchestra’s centenary, experience music from 1912 and 1913
The 2012-13 season of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra will once again give audiences the chance to experience a host of world-class musicians, performers and new talent celebrating and developing great music in Birmingham. From Beethoven to Lutoslawski, Burt Bacharach to a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, there are performances to suit all tastes and, rest assured, whatever the programme, music sounds better in Birmingham.
A fresh look at Beethoven
One of the highlights of the 2012-13 season is undoubtedly music director Andris Nelsons’ complete cycle of Beethoven Symphonies – the first time in 15 years that the CBSO has performed a full cycle. With each concert focused solely on Beethoven’s music, and Andris’ reputation for fresh performances that provide new experiences for the listener, the Birmingham Beethoven Cycle is set to be a remarkable musical journey into the works of this great composer. Following on from the success of the Mahler Cycle in 2010/11, audiences will not only be able to enjoy all of Beethoven’s symphonies but also all of his concertos, performed throughout the season by world-class musicians including visiting artists in the Birmingham International Concert Series.
The CBSO family
At the heart of the CBSO is a family of outstanding musicians, conductors and choral leaders. Their passionate performances draw audiences from far and wide and, this year, Andris sets the tone for another spectacular season with the opening concert, Mahler’s epic Resurrection Symphony. He’ll also return to the music of Wagner, for which he’s drawn much acclaim, with the romantic opera The Flying Dutchman, a fitting tribute in the year of the composer’s bicentenary.
Principal guest conductor Edward Gardner’s second season includes music by composers that he loves: Bartók, Dvořák, Brahms, Elgar, Lutoslawski and Sibelius. Associate Conductor Michael Seal’s performance of Elgar’s Enigma Variations (as part of the Tuned In Concerts) is also not one to be missed. Other family members including orchestra leader Laurence Jackson, principal oboe, Rainer Gibbons and principal trumpet, Alan Thomas will be in the spotlight as soloists this season. Watch out too for the CBSO’s highly successful Centre Stage concerts, an intimate lunchtime chamber music experience created and performed by the players themselves, which will extend from the CBSO Centre to other venues this year.
The CBSO’s exceptional choruses will be busy performing throughout the season, both in Birmingham and internationally, under the leadership of renowned chorus director Simon Halsey. Meanwhile, some of the CBSO’s most talented young musicians, the Youth Orchestra and Children’s Chorus are combining for a special performance of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, with former music director of the Bolshoi, Alexander Vedernikov, conducting.
World-class musicians in Birmingham
The CBSO continues to attract the very best musicians to Birmingham, both those with global reputations and others that are fast catching them up. Pianist Francesco Piemontesi will appear in October and Kazushi Ono is joined by Young Musician of the Year winner (2004) Nicola Benedetti in November. Pianist sensation Simon Trpčeski will join the Orchestra in January and, in February, the Labèque sisters will perform. The outstanding tenor Ian Bostridge will join the Orchestra in March and, in May, incomparable pianist Mitsuko Uchida makes her long-awaited return to the CBSO. Andrés Orozco-Estrada was a real hit with musicians and audiences alike when he made his UK orchestral debut with the CBSO in 2012 and he will be back in February in a programme of Mozart and Mahler. Another firm CBSO and audience favourite is the talented John Wilson who returns in February and April for three concerts.
Birmingham debuts this season include Nicholas Collon, the inspiration behind the award-winning Aurora Orchestra, and pianist Daniil Trifonov, winner of last year’s Tchaikovsky competition. Diego Matheuz, one of El Sistema’s most brilliant graduates, is set to enthral audiences and so too are the Australian conductor Simone Young and violinist Yossif Ivanov. Also making their debuts are Valery Sokolov, violin, as well as the stunning voices of Allan Clayton, Anna Leese, Klara Ek and Jennifer Wilson.
Celebrating Britten – A Boy Was Born
The whole CBSO family will be helping to celebrate a centenary since the birth of Benjamin Britten in A Boy Was Born, a Birmingham wide celebration of his music in conjunction with Town Hall Symphony Hall and Ex Cathedra. The programme of music will, in January, include a rare performance of A Spring Symphony, conducted by Edward Gardner and featuring an all-star cast and massed CBSO chorus. In March, Michael Seal will conduct Britten’s sensuous, glittering song-cycle, Les Illuminations, featuring Ian Bostridge and, in May, Andris Nelsons is joined by a stellar cast of singers plus choruses for a performance of War Requiem. IIan Volkov will also join the CBSO in February with Steven Osborne for Britten’s Piano Concerto.
A universe of sound
The CBSO offers an unrivalled diversity of programme. The world premiere of John Oswald’s B9 part 1 is a remix of the first five of Beethoven’s symphonies and the European premiere of an astonishing new showpiece by the Mexican composer Enrico Chapela features electric cello. The CBSO’s 20:20 centenary countdown includes ground-breaking works by Schoenberg, Debussy, Sibelius, Prokofiev, Elgar and Webern, all artists who had a major influence on the music of their time but still sound as exciting and revolutionary today.
The Orchestra will also perform works by two major European figures of the 20th Century who celebrate anniversaries this season; Poulenc (50 years since his death) and Lutoslawski (100 years since his birth).
And finally the season also features artists who have shaped popular music including Andrew Lloyd Webber and Burt Bacharach, along with one of the masters of silent cinema - Harold Lloyd. For younger audiences, the CBSO’s concerts of families and pre-school children bring to life the stories and characters we know and love, like the Mad Hatter and The Incredibles, inspiring a whole new generation of music lovers. Alan Titchmarsh will once again be part of the traditional Christmas Concerts and, throughout the season, the CBSO will entertain with glorious tunes and ever-popular works such as Dvorak’s New World Symphony, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 and Grieg’s Piano Concerto.
Booking Information
To experience the CBSO’s season in full go to www.cbso.co.uk. Member’s priority booking begins on 16 April. Public booking begins 8 May. Tickets are available from Symphony Hall or Town Hall box offices in person, by phone: 0121 780 3333, or online: www.cbso.co.uk/concerts. (Please note a £2.50 transaction fee is charged by THSH Box Office on all bookings except those made in person)
