News Story
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) has presented a number of family and community events throughout November, with music from the UK, Bangladesh, and Senegal. Including CBSO musicians participating in Bangla Week, captivating audiences with a concert of African Rhapsodies, and inspiring the next generation of Birmingham musicians through community and family events.
November also marked the first anniversary of the CBSO’s draft Vision Statement, announced in November 2023, to share exceptional music that enhances the CBSO's reputation; welcome all communities to everything they do; collaborate to drive social change and expand creative talent; celebrate the individuality of everyone involved; and demonstrate that a symphony orchestra is uniquely powerful in achieving these goals.
November highlights included:
Bangla Week Closing Night Concert
On Saturday 23 November, CBSO musicians joined Tara Lily for a night of British Bengali music at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. The event, in partnership with BADA (Bangladeshi Artist Development Agency), was hosted by comedian Smash Bengali and delighted audiences with a fusion of jazz, classical, and traditional Bangla music.
Family Concert: Music from the Movies
On Sunday 24 November the CBSO transported hundreds of families to a galaxy far away, a land of ice and snow, a chocolate factory, Hogwarts, Casita – and a corner of London with a talking bear. A truly magical afternoon of movie music for the whole family.
“Just amazing. So much thought had gone into how to engage the children. It was also perfectly pitched for adults. What a fantastic introduction to the orchestra for my five-year-old son who was captivated throughout and thoroughly enjoyed beating the grown-ups in the quiz.”
Music from the Movies, audience feedback
Seckou Keita: African Rhapsodies
On Wednesday 27 November, the CBSO presented "African Rhapsodies" at Town Hall featuring kora virtuoso Seckou Keita. The concert was a truly joyful evening for audiences, blending traditional West African music with orchestral arrangements and concluded with a standing ovation.
“A thoroughly enjoyable concert, loved the sound of the kora and percussion instruments with the backing orchestra. Seckou presented as such a warm and hopeful individual, and he engaged so intimately with a very appreciative audience.”
African Rhapsodies, audience feedback
Bringing the Light
On Saturday 30 November, the CBSO, in partnership with Canal & River Trust and Roundhouse Birmingham, welcomed families from across Birmingham to Bringing the Light. Participants enjoyed a lantern-making workshop, live musical performances, and traditional Bangladeshi cuisine. The evening culminated in a magical procession along the Birmingham Canal, led by a 1930s heritage boat and accompanied by CBSO musicians, with the path illuminated by community-made lanterns. The festivities concluded with a family concert at the CBSO Centre, featuring captivating performances by CBSO musicians and local community acts, curated in collaboration with the CBSO Community Board.
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It’s not too late to experience the magic of the CBSO before 2024 draws to a close, there are plenty of incredible live music experiences ready to light up your holidays and ring in 2025!
Choral Christmas with Jess Gillam
Thursday 19 & Friday 20 December, 7:30pm
Symphony Hall, Birmingham
What could be more festive than a stage packed with musicians and choirs at Christmas? How about adding some sparkling saxophone from the brilliant Jess Gillam? Sit back and enjoy glorious music with the CBSO Chorus, Youth Chorus, Children’s Chorus and CBSO SO Vocal, alongside conductor Simon Halsey and the full CBSO.
Viennese New Year
Sunday 5 January 2025, 3:00pm
Symphony Hall, Birmingham
The perfect pick-me-up for a Sunday afternoon in early January, offering the sparkle of Vienna right here in Birmingham. There’s something incredibly romantic and truly joyful about elegant waltzes, playful polkas and light-hearted operetta. So, let the CBSO whirl you into a new year feeling romanced, revitalised and ready for 2025!
Music at the Movies
Sunday 19 January 2025, 7.00pm
Symphony Hall, Birmingham
A night of drama, romance, tragedy – and sometimes all three. Epic tales need epic soundtracks - and in this concert, Radio 3's Petroc Trelawny shares his favourites. From world saving Avengers and the legends of Middle Earth to tragedy on a personal and global scale, composers James Horner, Howard Shore, John Williams, Hans Zimmer and many others get right to the centre of the emotional drama.
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Notes to Editors
About the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO)
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is an internationally celebrated symphony orchestra, at home in Birmingham. A family of 90 incredible musicians, led by Music Director Kazuki Yamada, proud to make exciting musical experiences that matter to the people of Birmingham, the West Midlands and beyond.
Resident at Symphony Hall, the orchestra’s musicians perform over 150 concerts each year in Birmingham, the UK and around the world, with music that ranges from classics to contemporary, soundtracks to symphonies, and everything in between. With a far-reaching community and education programme, alongside a family of choruses and youth ensembles, it is involved in every aspect of music-making in the Midlands – and has been for more than 100 years.
This longstanding tradition started with the orchestra’s very first symphonic concert in 1920 – conducted by Sir Edward Elgar. Ever since then, through war, recessions, social change and civic renewal, the CBSO has been proudly ‘Birmingham’s orchestra’. Under principal conductors including Adrian Boult, George Weldon, Andrzej Panufnik and Louis Frémaux, the CBSO won an artistic reputation that spread far beyond the Midlands. But it was when it discovered the young British conductor Simon Rattle in 1980 that the CBSO became internationally famous – and showed how the arts can help give a new sense of direction to a whole city.
Rattle’s successors, Sakari Oramo, Andris Nelsons and Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, helped cement that global reputation and continued to build on the CBSO’s tradition of flying the flag for Birmingham.
In April 2023, Emma Stenning was appointed Chief Executive and Kazuki Yamada took up the post of Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor, and in May 2024 he became Music Director. Under their dynamic leadership, the CBSO continues to do what it does best - playing great music for the people of Birmingham, the Midlands, and beyond.
The CBSO is supported by its principal funders Arts Council England, Birmingham City Council and SCC.
CBSO 2024-25 Season
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra presents exceptional musical experiences in a way that brings connection, inspiration and joy to the people of Birmingham, the West Midlands and beyond.
Across more than 100 performances in its 2024-25 season, the CBSO journeys from the greatest orchestral masterpieces at Symphony Hall to fun-filled interactive concerts for all the family, and from new music by today’s most important composers to concerts which explore the many ways in which orchestral music can be presented - showcasing the incredible range and talent of the orchestra through diversity of programming, in a Season that places CBSO musicians in the spotlight as well as welcoming a host of world-renowned guest artists and conductors. Further information about the CBSO’s 2024-25 season can be found here.
