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Attempts at crowd-pleasing go awry in music by Vaughan Williams and Gary Carpenter, while John Foulds escapes unscathed.

Nine symphonies, five orchestras, two days: an immersive weekend as part of the Barbican's Beethoven 250 coverage featuring some of the UK's finest orchestras. 

Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla approached the Eighth with a clear vision of the music’s structure and a plan to free the life that teems beneath its mighty vaults.

Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla brings Mieczysław Weinberg to the Proms, in a daring programme including Dorothy Howell and Oliver Knussen. 

Edward Gardner conducts a richly entertaining account of Berlioz's masterpiece in Birmingham

Mahler 2 must be mother’s milk for the CBSO Chorus, though they sang with affecting passion from their soft, seated entry to towering last peroration of the Resurrection hymn.

An evening of first-class music making from one of the UK's top orchestras in a varied programme that showed off the strengths of all concerned.  

John Wilson oversees a glossy, superficial take on early 20th-century works from England and the USA.

Following the recipe of the New Year Concert from Vienna, the CBSO demonstrated their ability, but not much originality in this predictable programme. 

Nearly a century after his birth, Weinberg's final completed symphony is given its UK premiere by the CBSO and Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla.

This afternoon Vassily Sinaisky was in charge of the CBSO for a matinee performance which began with Wagner’s overture, ended with a Sibelius symphony and had siphoned between them an ever-popular piano concerto by Mozart.

Principal Guest Conductor Kazuki Yamada teases brilliant French sounds from the CBSO.

Conductor Alpesh Chauhan and pianist Pavel Kolesnikov returned to Birmingham with an Italian themed programme. Could they build on the success of their previous performances with the CBSO?   

It was Omer Meir Wellber’s turn to conduct the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in its first concert of the new season, a programme of music by Dvořák and Bartók which promised to be the perfect antidote to the Daily Grind.

Beautiful textures and radiant clarity as the CBSO comes to the Edinburgh Festival.

Colour and light from Ludovic Morlot and the CBSO in Debussy and Ravel, but it was the power and depth of Lili Boulanger’s Psalm 130 that shone the brightest.

Alisa Weilerstein delivered an amazingly raw performance of Shostakovich’s Second Cello Concerto, whereas Ilan Volkov and the CBSO’s renditions of Simon Holt and Brahms (reimagined by Schoenberg) proved alienating and overblown.

A showcase of Jörg Widmann’s talents as composer, conductor and clarinettist in works by Mozart, Weber and himself

Dvořák is diminished in the wake of Bartók’s experimental zeal and Strauss’ fearless convolutions.

A triumphant night for the CBSO, Harish Shankar and Boris Giltburg, with the mighty Saint-Saëns’ “Organ Symphony” and an inspired performance of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto no. 3.

Jonathan Bloxham steps in for a presumably unwell Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla with the CBSO in Cardiff. 

Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla and the CBSO escort the Symphony Hall audience through environments of safety and danger.

With concerts and recitals imaginatively programmed, this second weekend in the CBSO's Debussy Festival was a model of how to make classical music accessible to the widest possible audience.

After star pianist Gabriela Montero unfortunately withdrew due to injury, the young Russian Pavel Kolesnikov stepped forward with inspired conductor Joana Wallmitz to save the day.

In her first appearance with the CBSO at Sage Gateshead, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla switches between energy and tranquility with Sibelius, Brahms and Bartók.

The CBSO chose a programme that was ostensibly simple, but proved to be deceptively difficult.  

The Lithuanian conductor made Beethoven really sing while violinist, Vilde Frang's spirited interpretation of Elgar's Violin Concerto did not seem quite the finished article.

Vassily Sinaisky returns to Birmingham, partnered by a Macedonian pianist.

Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra brought a fresh approach to Mahler's Fourth Symphony and the harp took centre stage for a change with a concerto première.  

Mirga's approach to Beethoven's Fifth showed a flair for innovation, the highlight of a strong programme that also featured a virtuosic performance from Leila Josefowciz of Stravinsky's Violin Concerto.

With a Francophile programme of Berlioz, Chopin and Franck, conductor Fabien Gabel had the constant challenge of exploring the orchestra for fresh insights into each of these Romantic works.

A concert of remarkable clarity, turning the structural challenges of Haydn and Mahler into dramatic virtues.

A pleasant afternoon's entertainment with grand sweeps and some beautiful singing by Roderick Williams.

Steven Osborne consults the audience on the choice of encore following a fine performance of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto no. 2, part of an all Russian programme which the CBSO played with zealous committment.

Clearly Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla has found her feet with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and isn't afraid to be a bit experimental.

The CBSO's former music director returns to his old stomping ground for a programme that mixed a Romantic staple with an austere 20th-century work.  

Behzod Abduraimov's playing marks the highlight of the CBSO's latest matinee programme. 

With Richard Strauss’s epic symphonic poem and Benedetti performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, the CBSO had major expectations to fulfil. 

New Music Director, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla reminded Birmingham audiences just how much they have to be proud of with an exciting combination of Lithuanian music and symphonic masterpieces.

The Slav pianist brings his informal vision of Bartók to Symphony Hall.

Shostakovich's Eighth dominated another memorable City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra programme. 

The CBSO pairs Berlioz' opium-fuelled extravaganza with a 20th-century favourite starring Vilde Frang.

The CBSO's former Assistant Conductor tackles a challenging programme of an early Bruckner symphony and Strauss' hardy perennial Four Last Songs.  

Richard Farnes and the CBSO give disappointing readings of Wagner and Sibelius, with only the Beethoven Fourth rising above routine.

The CBSO's inaugural “Spirit Of England” concert featured familiar works by Beethoven, paired with rarities by Butterworth and Walton.  

A pair of auspicious debuts marked the CBSO's Prom: MirgaGražinyte-Tyla was making her London debut, plus it was the first time that Hans Abrahamsen's song cycle let me tell you was to be heard in the capital. 

Laughter is indeed the best medicine. As we try and make sense of the continuing political fallout post EU referendum, the CBSO offered the perfect prescription in the ample form of Verdi's Falstaff.

Kazuki Yamada combines Japanese deference with full control of his players to lead he CBSO to fine performances of Beethoven and Sibelius, with a relatively laid back performance of the Elgar Cello concerto.

Mendelsohn's Italian Symphony is a perenial and popular favourite, but perhaps one with which we are over-familiar. Could young Alpesh Chauhan do something fresh with it?