Reviews of Prog Rock, Classical Music, Art Rock and Jazz
Thursday 23 September 2026 Bridgewater Hall, Manchester ★★★★★ Celebrating 30 years of The Bridgewater Hall with the world premiere of a stunning new symphony by Sir James MacMillan Sir James MacMillan, Kahchun Wong and members of The Hallé. Credit: Alex Burns, The Hallé On Wednesday 11 September 1996, the Bridgewater Hall opened its doors for …
Continue reading "Hallé Orchestra Opening Night: Built for the Hallé – Live Review"
Saturday 24 January 2026 Bridgewater Hall, Manchester ***** An unforgettable exploration of Bartók's psychodrama Jennifer Johnston as Judith, Christopher Purves as Duke Bluebeard and conductor Anja Bihlmaier. Image © Chris Payne It's unusual for one concert in an orchestra's season to follow on from the next, unless they are part of a programmed series, such …
Continue reading "BBC Philharmonic Orchestra – Bluebeard’s Castle – Live Review"
Saturday 1 November 2025 Bridgewater Hall, Manchester ***** Exploring Powerful Women in the Music of John Adams, with Astonishing Playing from Violinist Leila Josefowicz Leila Josefowicz and The Hallé © Sharyn Bellemakers Saturday evening’s concert at the Bridgewater Hall was the closing event of a three-day festival celebrating the work of the contemporary American composer …
Continue reading "The Hallé – John Adams Conducts the Chairman Dances – Live Review"
Friday 25 October 2025 Bridgewater Hall, Manchester A magical musical journey from sorrow to joy ***** A recording of the English composer Edward Elgar’s ‘Nimrod’ from his Enigma Variations (1899) introduced Friday night's concert. This felt appropriate in Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, which has often hosted orchestral concerts that have included Elgar’s masterpiece. There’s a quintessentially …