Jamie Barton and Clay Hilley ride the waves for Mahler's epic farewell

Clay Hiller & Anja Bihlmaier
© BBC/Chris Christodoulou

Jamie Barton (mezzo-soprano)

Clay Hilley (tenor)

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

Anja Bihlmaier (conductor)

7pm, Friday 21 August 2026
BBC Proms
Royal Albert Hall, London

★★★★

El-Turk, Bushra (b.1982): Mosaic

Haydn, Joseph (1732-1809): Symphony Not 45 in F sharp minor, 'Farewell'

Mahler, Gustav (1860-1911): Das Lied von der Erde

Jamie Barton & Anja Bihlmaier
© BBC/Chris Christodoulou

El-Turk:

'A striking piece that definitely benefits from repeat listening'.

Haydn:

'The players’ gradual departure was stylishly staged and, following Bihlmaier‘s departure and a cheeky yawn and wave from the viola, the two violinists were left alone to finish'.

Mahler:

'Hilley’s operatic delivery of the Drinking Song of Earth’s Misery was gripping, full of drunken swagger. Despite initial balance issues, his repeated 'Dark is life, dark is death!' rang through with knife-edge precision'.

'Bihlmaier brought the orchestra right down, allowing Barton to colour her delivery with sensuous slides, shimmering with golden sunlight'. 

'Barton exuded warmth for 'Die liebe Erde' with mandolins again and celesta, before the final tragic 'Ewig' (Forever) repetitions brought the evening to a sombre yet peaceful conclusion'.  

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Ibragimova's Mendelssohn a tad too delicate for Schwarz and the BBCNOW

Elena Schwarz
© BBC/Chris Christodoulou

Alina Ibragimova (violin)
BBC National Orchestra of Wales

Lesley Hatfield (leader)
Elena Schwarz (conductor)

7pm, Tuesday 4 August 2026
BBC Proms
Royal Albert Hall, London

★★★

Zimmermann, Bernd Alois (1918-1970): Märchen-Suite
Mendelssohn, Felix (1809-1847): Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
Dvořák, Anton (1842-1904): Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70

Alina Ibragimova
& the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
© BBC/Chris Christodoulou

Zimmermann:

'Schwarz’s larger-than-life gestures encouraged the orchestra to put their full weight behind it. Elsewhere, the strings went from pianissimo shimmering to screaming forte, against shining brass and mysterious, atmospheric woodwinds, in an overall engaging performance of this curiousity'.

Mendelssohn:

'Ibragimova’s risk-taking dynamics were definitely worth it, drawing the whole hall in for her intimate cadenza, and for her passionately singing slow movement'.

'Some of the time, Schwarz managed to get the orchestra to match Ibragimova’s dynamic range, but elsewhere, it was like the orchestra hadn’t got the memo'.

Dvořák:

'Schwarz felt freer to give big gestures and allow the horns to lead the fuller sound in the opening movement'. 

Elena Schwarz
© BBC/Chris Christodoulou

'The finale fizzed with rattling horns and beefy trombones, building to a triumphant finish, although the slide into the final chords felt a tad rushed – blink and it was all over'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Glyndebourne’s Billy Budd makes a welcome return, fresh and devastating as ever

The Glyndebourne Chorus in Billy Budd
© Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. Photo: Tristram Kenton

Nicholas Carter (Conductor)

Michael Grandage (Director)

Ian Rutherford (Revival Director)

Christopher Oram (Designer)

Paule Constable (Lighting Designer)

Mark Ruddick (Flight Director)

London Philharmonic Orchestra

Pieter Schoeman (Leader)

The Glyndebourne Chorus

Aidan Oliver (Chorus Director)

Thomas Mole (Billy Budd)
© Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. Photo: Tristram Kenton

Allan Clayton (Captain Vere)

Michael Wallace (First Mate)

John Mackenzie-Lavansch (Second Mate)

William Thomas (Mr Flint)

Michael Ronan (Bosun)

Samuel Dale Johnson (Donald)

Ru Charlesworth (Maintop)

Laurence Kilsby (Novice)

Daniel Norman (Squeak)

Dingle Yandell (Mr Redburn)

Daniel Okulitch (Lieutenant Ratcliffe)

Sam Carl (Claggart)

Alasdair Elliott (Red Whiskers)

Adam Marsden (Arthur Jones)

Thomas Mole (Billy Budd)

Alex Otterburn (Novice's Friend)

Clive Bayley (Dansker)

Gabriel Elliott Rous (Cabin Boy)

Sam Carl (Claggart) & Daniel Norman (Squeak)
© Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. Photo: Tristram Kenton

5pm, Thursday 2 July 2026

Glyndebourne, East Sussex

★★★★

Britten, Benjamin (1913-1976): Billy Budd, Op. 50

(libretto by Forster, E.M. (1879-1970) & Crozier, Eric (1914-1994))

'Thomas Mole's Billy, full of wide-eyed innocence, held onto his blind belief in Captain Vere right to the very end, despite evidence to the contrary, and was convincingly moving throughout'.

'Allan Clayton's steely tenor was impressive as ever as Vere, and the transition from the troubled and flawed captain to the haunted old man of the Prologue and Epilogue, reflecting on his failure to protect and save Billy, was powerfully moving'. 

William Thomas (Mr Flint), Allan Clayton (Captain Vere)
& Dingle Yandell (Mr Redburn)
© Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. Photo: Tristram Kenton

'Sam Carl (Claggart) had the vocal range and ... his baritone was penetratingly evil'.

'The chorus excelled at full-voice, as well as in their quiet chanting resignation, and their choreographed resistance and rapid movement around the levels of the set were solid and convincing'.

'Nicholas Carter conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra with precision and energy, bringing brilliance to Britten’s searing score, especially from the gleaming brass'. 

Clive Bayley (Dansker), Alasdair Elliott (Red Whiskers),
Samuel Dale Johnson (Donald) & Alex Otterburn (Novice's Friend)
© Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. Photo: Tristram Kenton 

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Improvisatory Gershwin from Ryan Wang in a boldly energetic Chromatica programme

Ewan Millar and Chromatica Orchestra
© Monika Jakubowska

Ryan Wang (piano)

Nick Walker (trumpet)

Ewan Millar (cor anglais)

Ingunn Korsgård Hagen (conductor)

Jonathan Gibson (conductor)

Students from Bobby Moore Academy

Chromatica Orchestra

Maren Bosma (leader)

7.30pm, Wednesday 17 June 2026

Grand Hall, Battersea Arts Centre, London

★★★★

Ryan Wang and Chromatica Orchestra
© Monika Jakubowska

Copland, Aaron (1900-1990): Quiet City

Gerwshin, George (1898-1937): Rhapsody in Blue

Encore:

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791): Piano Sonata no. 11 in A major, K331: Rondo alla Turca (arr. Volodos, Arcadi (b.1972)/Say, Fazil (b.1970)/Wang, Ryan?)

Bernstein, Leonard (1918-1990):  Symphonic Dances from 'West Side Story': 'Mambo'

Ives, Charles (1874-1954): Central Park in the Dark

Bernstein, Leondard: Suite from 'Fancy Free'

'Rhythms were tight, intonation solid and ensemble strong, and they were at the programme’s centre, rather than tucked away in pre-concert event'.

'The trumpet carries the questioning solo line, with the cor anglais a kind of echoing reminder, and this came across well in Walker’s assured yet nervy entries, and Millar’s mournful, mellow tones'. 

Ingunn Korsgård Hagen conducts Chromatica Orchestra
© Monika Jakubowska

'The spirit of the performance and the clear enjoyment of the Chromatica players held it all together, with sprightly tempi set by Wang and Korsgård Hagen...Wang returned for a bravura jazzed-up encore of Mozart’s Rondo alla turca.'.

'With drunken waltzes, jazzy piano moments and cheeky swagger (with sailor hats) from the drummer and pianist, they had great fun, whilst negotiating those complex rhythms with ease'.

'They all had a ball, and that communicated to the audience, bringing their programme full of energetic rhythm and bombast but also atmospheric nuance to a joyful close'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Ingunn Korsgård Hagen conducts Chromatica Orchestra
© Nick Boston

Ryan Wang and Chromatica Orchestra
© Nick Boston

Tavener's Krishna fails to convince in world premiere at Grange Park Opera

Brett Polegato (Krishna)
© Marc Brenner

Mark Shanahan (Conductor)

David Pountney (Director)

Rachana Jadhav (Designer)

Shobana Jeyasingh (Choreographer)

Catarina Carvalho (Dancer Rehearsal Director)

Tim Mitchell (Lighting Designer)

Ross Ramgobin (Celestial Narrator)

Rosa Sparks (Krishna - child)

Eliran Kadussi (Krishna - adolescent)

Elgan Llŷr Thomas (Krishna - young man)

Brett Polegato (Krishna - man)

Sara Fulgoni (Yashoda, Bhumi)

Nazan Fikret (Rukmini)

Julia Sitkovetsky (Radha - woman)

Eliran Kadussi (Krishna as adolescent)
© Marc Brenner

Jennifer Statham (Radha - child)

Nao Masuda (Drummer)

Tabitha O'Sullivan, Mirabel Huang-Smith, Chia-Yu Hsu, Kynda Ng, Ella Pileggi, Yanki Yau (Dancers)

The Gascoigne Orchestra

Robert Salter (Leader)

5pm, Thursday 4 June 2026

World premiere

Grange Park Opera, Surrey

★★★

Tavener, John (1944-2013): Krishna: A Mystical Pantomime

(libretto by Tavener, John, with inspiration and some text by Prime, Ranchor (b.c.1950))

Krishna at Grange Park Opera
© Marc Brenner

'Tavener’s music is ... relatively successful in places, with a kind of meditative build in tension, although we are kept waiting for a fair while before any sense of climax'.

'Rachana Jadhav’s design of the temple staging, combines with effective lighting from Tim Mitchell do create a colourful and pleasing backdrop to the ‘action’, as do the vibrant costumes'.

'Sopranos Julia Sitkovetsky (Radha) and Nazan Fikret (Rukmini) stood out as the most impressive voices of the evening, their ‘uniting’ duet almost eclipsing the love duet between Radha and Krishna'.

'Mark Shanahan conducted the Gascoigne Orchestra with controlled precision, and moments of glistening brass and bells brought the score to life, as did the ‘aerial’ flutes up in the high balcony'.

Krishna at Grange Park Opera
© Marc Brenner

'An unpublished work of a deceased composer must always be a great temptation, but on this occasion, sadly, it might have been best left alone'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Nazan Fikret (Rukmini) & Julia Sikovetsky (Radha as woman)
© Marc Brenner

Václav Luks and the OAE deliver creative colour and operatic scale in Haydn's Creation

Nick Pritchard, Václav Luks
& the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
© Mark Allan

Robin Johannsen (soprano, Gabriel & Eve)

Nick Pritchard (tenor, Uriel)

Krešimir Stražanac (bass-baritone, Raphael & Adam)

Choir of the Age of Enlightenment

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Huw Daniel (leader)

Václav Luks (conductor)

7pm, Wednesday 27 May 2026

Royal Festival Hall, London

★★★★

Haydn, Joseph (1732-1809): Die Schöpfung (The Creation), Hob. XXI:2

The Choir & Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
© Mark Allan

'From the opening rumbling strings, joined by agile bassoon triplets, Luks created perfect mystery in the strange unresolved cadences ...The choir responded with a controlled pianissimo, giving the ‘shock’ of the forte arrival of 'Licht!' an appropriately impressive impact'.

'Tenor Nick Pritchard (Uriel) was the most directly communicative of the soloists, with commanding recitative, and a beautifully refined 'Mit Würd’ und Hoheit angetan', with delicate flute filigree'.

'Soprano Robin Johannsen (Gabriel and Eve) was a late change to the line-up, but her bright coloratura and fluttering tone were a delight, and her duets with Stražanac (now Adam) were sensitively characterised, as was his slightly mischievous Figaro-esque delivery'.

'What was most impressive was (the choir's) ability to work at speed, especially some of Luks’ most enthusiastic tempi'. 

Robin Johannsen
& the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
© Mark Allan

'Luks, the OAE, choir and soloists certainly brought the full range of Haydn’s ambitious masterpiece to life, while also demonstrating their ability to bring colour and nuance to the fore'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Brighton Philharmonic play their socks off at the Brighton Festival

Joanna MacGregor conducting the
Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra
© Fernando Manoso

William Kentridge (director)

Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra

Joanna MacGregor (conductor)

'Oh To Believe in Another World'

Brighton Festival

8pm, Sunday 17 May 2026

Brighton Dome

★★★★

Shostakovich, Dmitri (1906-1975): Symphony No. 10 in E minor, Op. 93

Oh To Believe in Another World
- film by William Kentridge

'Could (the BPO) rise to the challenge of Shostakovich’s mighty Tenth Symphony? Happily, yes they could, with some of the best playing I have ever heard from them'.

'Their skittering race fitting well with Kentridge’s ironic imagery on film of bustling transport and crowds, later skewering the idea of relentless progress with shots of the realities of harsh manual labour'

'Principal Horn Alexei Watkins delivered Elmira’s motif with secure warmth, while the flutes and piccolos screamed the D-S-C-H motto'.

'From the orchestra, we had a wonderfully acerbic solo from bassoonist Jonathan Price, and the brass hammering out that D-S-C-H motto at the conclusion certainly cried out defiance'.

'Neither the film nor the music gave us a clear answer, but the combined effect was nevertheless emphatically powerful'. 

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Cummings, a team of crack soloists and the AAM win ‘Leipzig's Got Talent’

Helen Charlston, Rowan Pierce,
Nick Pritchard & Ben Kazez with the AAM
© Mark Allan

Rowan Pierce (soprano)

Helen Charlston (alto)

Nick Pritchard (tenor)

Ben Kazez (bass)

Academy of Ancient Music

Laurence Cummings (director & harpsichord)

7.30pm, Thursday 16 April, 2006

Milton Court Concert Hall, London

★★★★★

'The Chosen One'

Graupner, Christoph (1683-1760): Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden, GWV 1113/23b

Rolle, Christian Friedrich (1681-1751): St. Luke Passion, 'Es wurden aber auch' & 'Verdammliche Bosheit'

Kaufmann, Georg Friedrich (1679-1735): O ich elender Mensch wer wird mich erlösen

Telemann, Georg Philipp (1681-1767): Ich muß auf den Bergen weinen und heulen

Fasch, Johann Friedrich (1688-1758): Concerto for flute & oboe

Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685-1750): Du Wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn, BWV 23

Encore: 

Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685-1750): Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe, BWV 22, 'Ertöt uns durch dein Güte'

Rachel Brown & Leo Duarte
with the Academy of Ancient Music
© Mark Allan

Bach:

'Soprano Rowan Pierce and alto Helen Charlston wound their lines together beautifully with the lilting oboes, with Charlston in particular growing from nothing on long notes to emerge out of the texture'.

'Nick Pritchard’s recitative was tender yet with the communicative immediacy now familiar from his Evangelist performances in the Passions. And when joined with Pritchard, bass Ben Kazez delivered their busy duetting with perfect clarity'.

Telemann:

'Clear-focussed recitative from Pritchard, righteous shaking from Kazez, and gentle trotting from Pierce, against stunningly virtuosic filigree from flautist Rachel Brown'.

Fasch:

'Brown and (Leo) Duarte were a delight, mixing perfectly judged expression with deft virtuosity'.

'Cummings directed from the harpsichord with clarity and energy, and the players performed with sensitivity, dexterity and affection for the music throughout'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Johnston's Tavener the highlight for the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra with MacGregor

Guy Johnston
© Frances Marshall

Ruth Rogers (violin)

Guy Johnston (cello)

Joanna MacGregor (conductor)

Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra

2.45pm, Sunday 29 March 2026

Brighton Dome

★★★★

Vaughan Williams, Ralph (1872-1958): Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

Vivaldi, Antonio (1678-1741): Le quattro stagioni, Concerto No. 1 in E major, Op. 8, RV269 'La primavera' (excerpts)

                                                                               Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV297 'L'inverno' (excerpts)

Richter, Max (b.1966): Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi - The Four Seasons (excerpts)

Ruth Rogers, Joanna MacGregor
& the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra
© Nick Boston

Vaughan Williams:

'.... was a great place to start, allowing the BPO strings to demonstrate warm tone and strong ensemble'.

Vivaldi/Richter:

this was a highly enjoyable rendition, with Rogers leading with spirit, dancing to the offbeat rhythms in Richter’s obsessive take on Spring.

Vivaldi had the last word, and the BPO strings positively fizzed

Guy Johnston, Joanna MacGregor
& the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra
© Nick Boston

Tavener:

'The star of the show proved to be cellist Guy Johnston, with an intensely focussed performance'.

'Johnston’s variety of tone ... was astonishing'. 

'A wonderful performance from Johnston, but also raising MacGregor and the BPO strings’ game to a new level'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.