Roderick Williams brings 'Life Affirming Music' to the Howard Assembly Rooms

A deep-dive into the world of 14th-century Persian poet, Hafez, and his influence on song across the centuries. 

Tirolian composer Thomas Larcher has always struck me as a musician in the mold of that great Austrian stylistic dabbler, Ernst Krenek. A great deal of the twentieth-century finds itself reflected in Krenek, who rode the wave of numerous landmark ‘-isms’, a master of all (and his twelve-tone opera Karl V, the first full-length instance of operatic serialism, is a masterpiece) and exemplar of none.

MacMillan's large scale choral work offers a rich variety of texts and musical ideas, the composer conducts the BBC Symphony with unerring precision.

British vocal talent adds some very British glamour to the closing Avrotros Friday concert featuring Elgar's most famous oratorio. 

Jack Furness directs a terrific new Queen of Spades at Garsington – haunting and harrowing.