Reviews of Prog Rock, Classical Music, Art Rock and Jazz
14 May 2026 The exterior of DR Koncerthuset, Copenhagen We approached the DR Koncerthuset in Copenhagen on foot from the centre of the city, walking past the university towards a campus that houses DR (Danmarks Radio), which, like the BBC, is just over 100 years old. Like the BBC’s northern base at Media City UK, …
Continue reading "A Tour of Europe’s Finest Concert Halls – Part III: DR Koncerthuset in Copenhagen"
Thursday 7 May 2026 The Concertgebouw at night It’s said that in London, you are never more than six feet away from a rat. In Amsterdam, you are never more than six feet away from a bicycle. On Thursday evening, a smartly dressed woman, in full dress suit and colourful shawl, carefully parked her bicycle …
Continue reading "A Tour of Europe’s Finest Concert Halls – Part I: The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam"
Saturday 25 April 2026 The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester ★★★★★ The orchestra continues its superb run of form with Julia Wolfe's vision of the aftermath of 9/11, Bomsori's virtuosic violin-playing in Tchaikovsky, and Berlioz's opium-induced visions Violinist Bomsori with members of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra © Chris Payne Like Manchester's two Premier League football teams, its …
Continue reading "BBC Philharmonic Orchestra – Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto"
Thursday 16 April 2026 The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester ★★★★★ Intimate Mahler and spectacular Vaughan Williams with the Hallé Choir and Youth Choir on superb form The Hallé Orchestra, Hallé Choir, Hallé Youth Choir, Tarmo Peltokoski (conductor), Silja Aalto (soprano), Huw Montague Rendall (baritone). © Sharyn Bellemakers, The Hallé Last Thursday evening's concert, with The Hallé …
Sunday 22 March 2026 The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester ★★★★★ Viktoria Mullova shines as the soloist in Brahms' Violin Concerto, and the Hallé soloists excel in Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra Viktoria Mullova with the Hallé © Alex Burns/The Hallé Sunday's concert, repeated from last Thursday, was billed as 'Mullova Plays Brahms.' It's been over 40 years …
Continue reading "The Hallé – Mullova Plays Brahms – Live Review"
Thursday 19 March 2026 Victoria Baths, Manchester ★★★★★ This was not just a concert; it was an immersive experience, taking us from dawn to dusk Image © Adam Critchlow Many contemporary artworks and installations describe themselves as 'immersive'; the word is perhaps overused now. A concert in a former swimming pool (yes, actually in the …
Continue reading "Kantos Chamber Choir: Kantos x helios x victoria baths – Live Review"
Jan Vogler © Marco Grob Jan Vogler Jan Vogler travels the world as an internationally acclaimed cello soloist. He was in the UK in February to perform with various orchestras, including a superb performance of Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1 with the Hallé in Manchester under the baton of Kahchun Wong. He has been Artistic …
Continue reading "Interview – Jan Vogler, Cellist and Artistic Director of Dresden Music Festival"
Friday 13 March 2026 Lowry, Salford ***** A viscerally powerful production of Britten's masterpiece John Findon as Peter Grimes and Philippa Boyle as Ellen Orford. Credit James Glossop In his programme note for Opera North's performance of Peter Grimes at Lowry in Salford on Friday, Andrew Mellor compares the central character in the opera with …
Continue reading "Opera North – Benjamin Britten – Peter Grimes – Live Review"
Sunday 8 March 2026 Royal Festival Hall, London ***** A dramatic and deeply devotional performance, part concert, part religious ritual The Bach Choir, London Youth Choir, Florilegium and conductor David Hill © Michael Whitefoot The Bach Choir's 150th Anniversary season, which opened last October with a superb performance of Mahler's Eighth Symphony, was marked on Sunday with Bach's St Matthew …
Continue reading "The Bach Choir – Bach’s St Matthew Passion – Live Review"
Friday 27 February 2026 Bridgewater Hall, Manchester ***** Soprano Ailish Tynan steals the show in a superb semi-staging of Mozart's comic opera Lucy Crowe as Fiordiligi, Ailish Tynan as Despina and Taylor Raven as Dorabella © Matthew Johnson Photographer English National Opera is rapidly establishing a foothold in Manchester, with appearances at the Manchester Classical festival last …
Continue reading "English National Opera – Così fan tutte – Live Review"