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Classical Music

Best Concerts and Opera in January

By Claudia Pritchard on 4/1/2024

A London debut, plus opera by Puccini and Strauss – and at the cinema

Colin Currie Quartet dazzle at Kings Place with their complex rhythms and sound world

Scotland Unwrapped, Kings Place

From a violin made in Edinburgh in 1731 to cutting edge percussionist Evelyn Glennie, from artists such as tenor Nicky Spence, born in Scotland, to composers such as Mendelssohn in love with the Highlands and Islands, a year-long celebration of music made in or inspired by Scotland. Artists include Colin Currie (pictured), creating a whole sound world with percussion only.

WHEN

01 Jan 2024 – 31 Dec 2024, Events throughout the year. Start and running times vary

WHERE

Kings Place
90 York Way, London, N1 9AG

Oxford Bach Soloists are conducted by Tom Hammond-Davies. Photo: Nick Rutter

Oxford Bach Soloists, London debut concert

Bring the festive season at St James’s Piccadilly to a glittering finale and be in on the next big thing when Oxford Bach Soloists make their London debut. The aim of this elite Baroque ensemble is to perform over 12 years all the vocal works of prolific composer JS Bach, sung by top name and rising artists, and conducted by Tom Hammond-Davies. and with soloist, CW favourite male singer of 2023, tenor Nick Pritchard. Expect really beautiful singing in inspiring surroundings.

WHEN

Sat 6 Jan 2024, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM

WHERE

St James's Church
197 Piccadilly, London W1J 9LL

Elektra, Royal Opera House

A very big moment at Covent Garden: the last new production conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano (pictured) before he leaves the Royal Opera House as music director and takes up the reins of the London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican. Richard Strauss's strong, short opera based on the Greek myth stars two mighty singers: Nina Stemme and Karina Mattila. Witness a little bit of London musical history in the making.

WHEN

Fri 12 Jan to Tues 30 Jan 2024, 7:30PM; six performances. Running time 1hr 50min without interval

WHERE

Royal Opera House, Bow Street, Covent Garden WC2E 9DD

Family Ties: The Schumanns and the Mendelssohns

Ukrainian conductor Natalia Ponomarchuk (pictured) leads the London Philharmonic Orchestra in music connected by birth, friendship and marriage, featuring siblings Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn and husband-and-wife Robert and Clara Schumann. Alexander Melnikov is the piano soloist in an attractive programme that closes with Felix Mendelssohn's Symphony No 3, the Scottish.

WHEN

Fri 19 Jan 2024, 7:30PM

WHERE

Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX

Sean Shibe, LSO St Luke's, lunchtime recital

If you haven't yet heard live the astonishing guitarist Sean Shibe, here is a mesmerising programme of music across the ages, played on both the guitar and the lute. Composers include Poulenc, de Falla, and Thomas Adès, whose Forgotten Dances is given its UK premiere. Thrill to this young virtuoso's incredible technique and melt into the instruments' dreamy sounds. Young guitarists in your household will be impressed too.

WHEN

Thurs 18 Jan 2024, 1PM (lunchtime recital)

WHERE

LSO St Luke's, 161 Old Street, London EC1V 9NG

La Bohème, Royal Opera House

Richard Jones's production of Puccini's romantic and tragic opera has a plausible garret for its struggling artists (singers report banging their heads regularly on the beams), and an eye-popping Quality Street Parisian cafe scene in Act Two. At the heart, the love affair between Mimì and Rodolfo, which falters until Mimì's illness brings them together again, but too late.... Angela Gheorghiu is among sopranos singing Mimì at some of the 13 performances, and look out for Lauren Fagan as saucy Musetta.

WHEN

24 Jan to 16 Feb 2024, start times vary. Running time

WHERE

Royal Opera House, Bow Street, Covent Garden WC2E 9DD

Rusalka screening, Royal Opera in London cinemas

If you missed the live production at Covent Garden of Dvorak's 'little mermaid' opera, here's a chance to catch a one-off screening at a cinema near you. Latvian soprano Amik Grigorian (pictured) is the water creature with the beautiful voice that she trades for love and life on land. David Butt Philip is the disloyal prince who quickly tires of her. In the two intervals, a look behind the scenes of the Royal Opera House.

WHEN

Wed 24 Jan 2024, 6:45PM; encore screening: Sun 28 Jan 2024, 2PM. Running time 3hr 50min with two intervals

WHERE

Cinemas London-wide

The Handmaid's Tale, English National Opera

The opera of Margaret Atwood's chilling tale returns to ENO to open 2024 in its 'greatest hits' season. An all-star cast singing Paul Ruders' score includes Eleanor Dennis, Susan Bickley, Zwakele Tshabalala and Nadine Benjamin (pictured).

WHEN

Thurs 1 Feb to Thurs 15 Feb 2024. Five performances, start times vary. Running time 2hr 45min, with one interval

WHERE

English National Opera, Coliseum, St Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4ES

Best Concerts and Opera in January

A London debut, plus opera by Puccini and Strauss – and at the cinema

Scotland Unwrapped, Kings Place

Oxford Bach Soloists, London debut concert

Elektra, Royal Opera House

Family Ties: The Schumanns and the Mendelssohns

Sean Shibe, LSO St Luke's, lunchtime recital

La Bohème, Royal Opera House

Rusalka screening, Royal Opera in London cinemas

The Handmaid's Tale, English National Opera

Royal Opera House

London Philharmonic Orchestra

Nadine Benjamin

Oxford Bach Soloists

Sean Shibe

Puccini

Richard Strauss

Dvorak

Looking ahead: best London concerts and opera in 2024

Aigul Akhmetshina interview: 'It's Fifty Shades of Carmen!'

The best London classical and opera of 2023

Lauren Fagan interview: 'I always wanted to be on the stage'

Best new Royal Opera spring productions: the top artists and directors

Nadine Benjamin interview: 'You never just sing...'