John Adams conducts John Adams, Barbican Centre

In taking the template offered by minimalism then allowing multifarious influences to seep in, John Adams (Harmonielehre, Nixon in China) has carved out a unique – and hugely popular place – in contemporary music. This October, he will join the London Symphony Orchestra to conduct the UK premiere of his own work, Scheherazade.2, along with two evergreen masterpieces by the French impressionist Maurice Ravel (Bolero). It looks likely to be both a highlight of the Barbican Centre 2015/16 season, and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see one of the world’s most famous living composers present his own work.
Ravel’s Pavane pour une infante défunte (1899) is one of the shimmering calling cards of impressionism. Originally conducted for piano, in 1910 the composer himself published an orchestra version. Mother Goose (1910) has similar origins, only a year later entering the large-scale form in which it is generally performed today. Its five short movements each evoke a different fairy tail, from Sleeping Beauty to Tom Thumb.
Schererazade.2 picks up his folk tale theme, creating a vision of the Arabian Nights protagonist in the contemporary world. When premiered in New York this March, Scheherazade.2 drew glowing reviews, many of them centered around the extraordinary talents of Leila Josefowicz. A violinist feted for her fearlessness, Josefowicz will reprise her leading role in London.