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Reviews
Tenebrae: In Winter’s House. Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, 01 December 2025, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: William Ruff.
“Jewel-like miniatures sung with exquisite clarity and emotional depth.”
Photo Credit: Sim Canetty-Clarke
Quatuor Agate. Lakeside, Nottingham, 27 November 2025, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: William Ruff.
“Quatuor Agate reach deep inside the music with playing of probing intensity.”
Photo Credit: Lakeside.
An Evening with Rushil Ranjan, CBSO, Symphony Hall, Birmingham, 27 November, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: Dan Auluk.
“Certainly a reminder that music’s power is in the connection and humanity it offers.”
Aurora Orchestra. Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, 25 November 2025, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: William Ruff.
“Aurora’s playing from memory adds a new dimension to the music.”
Photo Credit: Kaupo Kikkas.
Centre Stage: Baroque Ensemble: 1725 Music in Naples, CBSO, CBSO Centre, Birmingham 24 November 2025, 4☆☆☆☆. Review: David Gray & Paul Gray.
“A fascinating concert focusing on a musically significant time and place.”
Susanna (Opera North). Theatre Royal, Nottingham, 21 November 2025, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: William Ruff.
“Opera North triumphantly liberates Handel’s Susanna from the cultural museum.”
Photo Credit: Richard H Smith.
La Bohème (Opera North). Theatre Royal, Nottingham, 19 November 2025, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: William Ruff.
“A revival of an evergreen hit, still pulsing with life.”
Photo Credit: Richard H Smith.
Shostakovich’s Last Symphony, CBSO, Symphony Hall, Birmingham Wednesday 19th November 2025, 4☆☆☆☆. David Gray & Paul Gray.
“Characterful and charismatic singing and a fine performance of a perplexing symphony.”
Ariel Lanyi (piano). Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, 16 November 2025, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: William Ruff.
“A recital of intimacy, wit, brilliance and mystery from Ariel Lanyi.”
Photo Credit: Royal Concert Hall.
Eugene Tzikindelean plays Mozart, Town Hall, Birmingham, 16 November 2025, 4☆☆☆☆. Review: David Gray & Paul Gray.
“Nothing but exquisitely joyful Mozart”
Andrey Gugnin (piano). Lakeside, Nottingham, 13 November 2025, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: William Ruff.
“Andrey Gugnin: not just a virtuoso, but also a poet and dramatist of the keyboard.”
Photo Credit: Lakeside.
Sir Simon Rattle conducts the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Hall, Birmingham. Tuesday 11 November 2025, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: David Gray & Paul Gray.
“A warm welcome back to Birmingham for a great conductor with a brilliant orchestra.”
Photo Credit: Astrid Ackermann.
BBC Concert Orchestra. Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, 10 November 2025, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: William Ruff.
“A concert that was about so much more than the music.”
Photo Credit: Johanna Berghorn.
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, 07 November 2025, 5☆☆☆☆☆, Review: William Ruff.
“A massive BBC Phil plays with thrilling attention to detail.”
Photo Credit: Kaupo Kikkas.
Monkeypaw presents The Pigs Underneath (plus Q+A), Dir. Charlie Dennis, mac Birmingham (UK Premier), Friday 31st October, 4☆☆☆☆. Review: Dan Auluk.
“A brutal and disturbing vision of the future of how communities survive.”
Photo Credit: Dan Auluk.
Star Wars Live in Concert, CBSO, presented by ‘esk. Film’, John Williams Soundtrack, Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Oct 24-26, 4☆☆☆☆. Review: Dan Auluk.
“A spectacular performance from the CBSO, however the audio dialogue and sound effects of the films, are drowned out at times.”
Photo Credit: Dan Auluk.
Music from Scandinavia. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, 24 October 2025, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: William Ruff.
“Soloist, conductor and orchestra breathe new life into familiar repertoire.”
Photo Credit: Benjamin Ealovega.
Cyrano de Bergerac: Edmond RostandSwan Theatre, RSC, Stratford Upon AvonRuns: 2h 45, one interval, till Saturday 15 November 2025, 4☆☆☆☆. Review: Roderick Dungate, AD Performance, 18 October 2025
“An opportunity not to be missed.”
Photo Credit: Marc Brenner.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Birmingham Hippodrome, 16 October 2025, until 16 November 2025, then touring, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: David Gray & Paul Gray.
“A thrilling, exhilarating and lavish new take on the jukebox musical.”
Photo Credit: Matt Crockett.
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, 15 October 2025, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: William Ruff.
“The CBSO surely wins new friends for classical music.”
Photo Credit: Paul Ward.