Find classical music concert reviews

The first live performance of Philip Glass' Passages was a spellbinding fusion of modernity and tradition, an exquisite meeting of minds, music styles and instrumentation.

A refreshing Austro-German programme of works that neatly dovetailed into each other, presented with energy by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Robin Ticciati.

Powerfully committed and expert singing from the Latvian Radio Choir under Sigvards Kļava, paired with thoughtful and calm playing from Alexander Melnikov in two highly contrasting works by Shostakovich.

As a composer, what do you do when you are commissioned a full-length orchestral work to commemorate the anniversary of a renowned concert hall? Do you try to write something celebratory? Not in Mark-Anthony Turnage's case. 

Close to the start of this summer’s Lucerne Festival, Bernard Haitink conducted an outstanding performance of Mozart and Mahler works that span the centuries.

Rachmaninov was not an especially religious man, yet he composed religious music, most famously the haunting All-Night Vigil (or Vespers) which was the climax to this evening's two Proms. 

Stuart Skelton’s visceral Peter Grimes is matched by a strong cast with thrilling playing and singing from the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra under Edward Gardner.

Conducted by Edward Gardner, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra brought a fresh approach to Elgar's First Symphony.

Four years ago, the ACO mounted The Reef. Mountain is clearly its successor: another film project involving scenes of nature peopled by extreme-sports enthusiasts, screened while an eclectic soundtrack is played live by the orchestra.

Conductor Riccardo Chailly launched this year's Lucerne Festival with a riveting programme of three late 19th century works by the great orchestral explorer, Richard Strauss.

It is dramaturgically risky pitting one musically dark and unfinished work against another. Thomas Dausgaard and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra rose to the challenge in Schubert and Mahler.

Judith Weir's dramatic new choral work receives a convincing world première from David Hill and the BBC Singers at Southwark Cathedral. 

Nathaniel Hackmann, a stocky baritone with the tenderest of timbres, was like a reincarnation of Alfred Drake.

An evening full of verve and surprise, Iván Fischer conducts Nicola Benedetti and Budapest Festival Orchestra in a Legendary Partnership at the Edinburgh International Festival.

A vividly dramatic take on Verdi's Requiem by Opera Australia allows chorus and orchestra to shine under Renato Palumbo, and reminds us why the work has been called “opera in church clothing”.

Pitch-perfect Bartók by Ibragimova and a boldly expansive reading of Shostakovich's Fifth by Hrůša made for an insightful evening's reflection on musical early modernity.

Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen’s Proms debut was just one highlight in a rewarding programme of Nordic and German music.

As clearly visible on all photos, the Sydney Opera House has two “sails”, interconnected major sections. One of them houses concerts, the other operas. Opera performances, however, are not exclusively taking place in the Opera Theatre.

Affecting Britten, distinctive Elias and popular Elgar, with a curio of arranged Purcell thrown in, from Ryan Wigglesworth and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

An unapologetic treat at the Proms and a composition of immediate appeal.

In his early twenties, French cellist Edgar Moreau, a rising star in performing Baroque repertoire on the cello, made his Proms debut at Cadogan Hall.

Youth was a hindrance rather than a virtue in this testosterone-driven performance which sought more than anything to sock the audience between the eyes

Kirill Karabits and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra brought a wide ranging programme from the south coast for their annual Proms visit.

Semyon Bychkov turned in a magisterial account of Mussorgsky's rugged score, aided and abetted by some strong vocal performances.

A sensational Die Walküre from Sir Andrew Davis and the RSNO at the Edinburgh Festival that will be talked about for years.

Fanfares and percussion: the NYOS play an all American programme of Gershwin, Copland and welcome back NYOS alumnus Colin Currie to play Andrew Norman’s Switch.

The conductor guided us on a tour through a museum where Erkki-Sven Tüür, Mozart and Brahms reside in spheres of different shades and spaces – and yet each remain enclosed in a prefigured structure.

Staggering performances from Esa-Pekka Salonen and Philharmonia in John Adams’s sonic journey, Naïve and Sentimental Music, and Marianne Crebassa exquisite in Ravel’s Shéhérazade.

Nestled in the alps, Musikdorf Ernen’s chamber music festival concerts recently began its annual Kammermusik Plus weeks with works that showcased some extraordinary young talents.

A performance of Handel's oratorio Israel in Egypt performed by the Orchestra and Choir of the Age of the Enlightenment with William Christie conducting.

A talented ensemble proves pays testament to the heritage, vitality and continuing inventiveness of Finnish folk music. 

An underwhelming performance that fell prey to poor interpretive judgements. 

The passionate darkness of Brahms' First Piano Concerto is contrasted with David Sawer's The Greatest Happiness Principle and Haydn's elegant and sophisticated Symphony no. 99.

Pianist David Fray was equally impressive as soloist in a subtly played Mozart Concerto no. 24.

A Mostly Mozart concert conducted by Edward Gardner and featuring Jeremy Denk was an excellent example of what this festival is trying to achieve.

Under Benjamin Northey's baton and Kristian Chong's fingers, Bizet's Carmen Suite and Saint-Saëns' Second Piano Concerto dazzle, but it's Elgar's Sospiri and Enigma Variations that truly made the evening.

A curious combination of Mozart’s “Great” Mass and Shostakovich’s Twelfth Symphony fill Worcester Cathedral with exuberance.

The BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by James Gaffigan, with two stellar soprano soloists, deliver a maritime-themed programme of pieces by Korngold, Anders Hillborg and Rimsky-Korsakov.

Torrential downpours and the croaking of consumptive frogs fail to dampen spirits at Wolf Trap's National Symphony Orchestra concert featuring pianist Seong-Jin Cho, JoAnn Falletta and a massive community chorus.

Susanna Mälkki was guest conductor for The Cleveland Orchestra’s Summers@Severance concert, which also included Schumann’s “Rhenish” Symphony.

The Gran Teatre del Liceu's revival of a shortened Merry Widow lacking some of the essence of this highly popular operetta.

Juanjo Mena and the BBC Philharmonic juxtaposed Simpson's oratorio, The Immortal, inspired by mediums and seances, with Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony where life slips away into the void.

In a concert of two halves, Worcester Cathedral experiences unforgettable pain and pleasure in works by Strauss, Rasch and Janáček.

Enlightenment indeed at Lincoln Center as the Mostly Mozart Festival opens with a gloriouds hodge-podge. 

Ilan Volkov and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra deliver a flawless execution on a night of premières at the Royal Albert Hall.

A striking performance of The Planets had people humming their favourite bits on their way out of the hall, but the real winner was Vaughan Williams’ neglected valedictory symphony.

An exploration of expression within controlled structure from Van Wauwe and the Quatuor Van Kuijk, in passionate Webern, tense Durupt and spirited Mozart.

Sir Andrew Davis led the BBC SO in a recreation of Sir Malcolm Sargent's 500th Prom, a lengthy programme that failed to inspire.

Violinist Joshua Bell and cellist Steven Isserlis came together with three other players to showcase the composer’s chamber music. 

Outstanding performances from Nicole Car and Etienne Dupuis turn Opera Australia's unstaged production of Thaïs into a triumph at Sydney Town Hall.