Reviews of Prog Rock, Classical Music, Art Rock and Jazz
Saturday 19 September 2026 Bridgewater Hall, Manchester ★ ★★ ★ ★ The Orchestra opens its new season with a stunning homage to nature, and a new piece by Gabriella Smith with a strong ecological theme BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, John Storgårds, conductor © Chris Payne Saturday evening’s opening concert of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra's new season, …
Continue reading "BBC Philharmonic Orchestra: Sibelius Symphony No. 5 – Live Review"
Saturday 13 June 2026 The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester ★★★★★ From a funeral march to resurrection: superb Mahler in Manchester Gentlemen of City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Chorus © Chris Payne From a funeral march to resurrection: superb Mahler in Manchester Manchester does like Mahler. The Bridgewater Hall was almost full on Saturday evening for a …
Saturday 17 January 2026 Bridgewater Hall, Manchester **** A serene Beethoven piano and two unresolved American orchestral classics from Ives and Adams Alim Beisembayev (at the piano), John Storgårds and the BBC Philharmonic. Image credit Chris Payne. Saturday evening's concert by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, under their Chief Conductor, John Storgårds, featured two pieces by …
Continue reading "BBC Philharmonic – John Adams, Beethoven and Ives – Live Review"
Saturday 20 September 2025 Bridgewater Hall, Manchester **** A triumphant opening to the BBC Philharmonic's new season Violinist Augustin Hadelich with members of the BBC Philharmonic. Image © Chris Payne On Saturday evening, Manchester was plagued by heavy rain of almost biblical proportions, causing roads to flood; we saw a stranded car on the drive …
Continue reading "BBC Philharmonic Orchestra – Fountain of Youth – Live Review"
Saturday 14 June 2025 Bridgewater Hall, Manchester ***** John Storgårds conducts the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in a breathtaking performance of Mahler's Third Symphony John Storgårds, Jess Dandy and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Photo: Chris Payne Having just come back from the Shostakovich Festival in Leipzig, with performances by two of the world’s most renowned orchestras …
Saturday 22 March 2025 Bridgewater Hall, Manchester **** A stunning performance of Beethoven’s final piano concerto by Paul Lewis, bookended by two Nordic symphonies John Storgårds, Paul Lewis and members of the BBC Philharmonic. Image copyright Chris Payne Last Saturday’s concert by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra was going to feature music by three Nordic composers: …
Continue reading "BBC Philharmonic – Beethoven’s ‘Emperor’ Piano Concerto – Live Review"
Saturday 25 January 2025 Bridgewater Hall, Manchester ****Senja Rummukainen shines in Elgar's Cello Concerto; fiery Stravinsky - and Shostakovich in a Modernist Mood Senja Rummukainen and John Storgårds with the BBC Philharmonic. Image © Chris Payne In the first half of Saturday evening's concert, we were in 'England's green and pleasant land', a phrase coined …
Continue reading "BBC Philharmonic Orchestra – The Firebird – Live Review"
Saturday 5 October 2024 The Bridgewater Hall Manchester ***** A magical evening of virtuosity and merriment The BBC Philharmonic with Chief Conductor John Storgårds. Image © Chris Payne. Last Saturday's concert by the BBC Philharmonic took magic as its theme from Stravinsky's 1911 ballet Petrushka, in which a magician brings the puppets to life. But …
Continue reading "The BBC Philharmonic – Mischief and Magic – Live Review"