Barbican live concerts this autumn

In a giant leap forward for classical music in London, the Barbican becomes the first large-scale venue to programme a whole season of live concerts to live audiences from early October until Christmas.

And while the ever-changing government safety guidelines may affect numbers in the auditorium, everyone can listen in, as each concert is live-streamed. Music-lovers can choose between attending in person, or join the pay-to-view audience.

The season opens with a recital by Sir Bryn Terfel and Britten Sinfonia (4 Oct).The seven brothers and sisters of the Kanneh-Mason family, including cellist Sheku and pianist Isata, give their first public concert together in London (22 Oct).

Royal Opera House musical director Sir Antonio Pappano is joined by tenor Ian Bostridge, soprano Dame Sarah Connolly and the Carducci Quartet (1 Nov) and in an EFG London Jazz Festival event, saxophonist, clarinettist and bandleader Shabaka Hutchings joins Britten Sinfonia for Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto (18 Nov).

Isata Kanneh-Mason and cellist brother Sheku are joined by five brothers and sisters on 22 Oct. Photo: Robin Clewley

The BBC Symphony Orchestra, one of the Barbican’s resident ensemble, gives two concerts. On 6 Nov chief conductor Sakari Oramo and soprano Anu Koms give the world premiere of the chamber orchestra version of Magnus Lindberg’s Accused, and on 13 Dec the much-loved physicist Professor Brian Cox joins the orchestra and its principal guest conductor Dalia Stasevska to explore the questions raised by music and the Cosmos.

And in perhaps the most exciting prospect of all, the Barbican’s resident orchestra the London Symphony Orchestra returns to the Barbican Hall with no fewer than 11 concerts from 27 November. Sir Simon Rattle conducts every one, and each concert features one of the five Beethoven piano concertos, with guest soloist Krystian Zimerman.

Each LSO programme is performed twice in one day at 3:30PM and 6:30PM to a live audience, and is recorded for future broadcast.

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Tickets for seats and streaming go on sale at 9AM on Friday 11 September.Click here for more information. Safety and visitor information is available here. Information on how to access the livestream can be found here.