CBSO: ROMEO & JULIET

In a programme designed to celebrate the rich heritage of Ukrainian musicians, Reinhold Glière’s Concerto For Coloratura Soprano & Orchestra - here performed by Jennifer France - is sandwiched between two colourful treatments of Romeo And Juliet. The first of these is by Borys Lyatoshinsky, who studied with the aforementioned Glière, who taught the composer of the evening’s second Romeo And Juliet: Sergei Prokofiev. Kyiv-born Kirill Karabits (pictured) conducts.   

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Wednesday 15 January

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GERMAN NATIONAL ORCHESTRA

A concert showcasing youthful high spirits, vital energy and impeccable playing is very much a guarantee when the German National Orchestra - official partner of the Berlin Philharmonic - appear at Symphony Hall this month. 

The concert is conducted by the multi-talented Wayne Marshall (pictured), who will briefly put aside his baton in favour of the piano, to perform George Gershwin’s Jazz Age masterpiece Rhapsody In Blue. 
Benjamin Britten’s Young Person’s Guide To The Orchestra kickstarts the evening, with a performance of Gustav Holst’s The Planets bringing proceedings to an end. 

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Thursday 16 January

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MARIAM BATSAHSVILI PIANO RECITAL

International recognition for her profound talent came Mariam Batsashvili’s way in 2014, when she won first prize in the Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Utrecht. 

In the decade which has followed, the Tbilisi-born 31-year-old has established herself as a world-class pianist, spending two years as a BBC New Generation Artist and making important debuts at the Cheltenham Festival and the BBC Proms. 

Her St Chad’s concert this month, marking her first-ever appearance in Shropshire, sees her performing works by Haydn, Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert and Liszt. 

St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury, Sunday 19 January

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ARMONICO CONSORT: SUPERSIZE POLYPHONY 2

Founded by organist & conductor Christopher Monks in 2001 and using authentic period instruments, Warwick-based baroque consort Armonico scored a major hit with their Supersize Polyphony programme of large-scale choral music. Now they’re returning with a brand-new programme, ‘even more daring and adventurous staging’, and will once again be singing ‘360-degrees around the audience, totally immersing them in the sound’. The concert also features two world premieres by Hollywood composer David Buckley and Tallis’ Spem in Alium.

Malvern Theatres, Friday 24 January; Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick, Saturday 25 January

   

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COULL QUARTET

Last year celebrating their 50th anniversary, Coull were Warwick University’s quartet-in-residence for more than 40 years and made a name for themselves internationally by performing in places as far flung as the Americas, Australia, India and the Far East.

They’re playing the Pump Rooms this month as part of the Leamington Music season, presenting a two-hour concert that features music by Mozart, Prokofiev and Beethoven. Fans of Mozart should definitely grab themselves a ticket, as this is the only concert in the 2024/25 season’s programme that features his music.

Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa, Friday 24 January

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QUATUOR AGATE: OUTLAWS

Now here’s an interesting way to spend a Sunday morning (the concert starts at 11am)... 
Paris-based rising stars Quatuor Agate sink their teeth into the music of ‘outlaw’ musicians - artists who not only composed outside the musical norms of their time but also acted on the fringes of societal norms. 
Featured composers include 16th-century prince and assassin Carlo Gesualdo, outspoken lesbian and imprisoned suffragette Ethel Smyth, and Stalin-declared ‘enemy of the people’ Dmitri Shostakovich... The concert is introduced by Princess Eleonora d’Este, the second wife of Carlo Gesualdo (he murdered his first!), who narrates the dark legend of her husband. 

Jennifer Blackwell Performance Space, Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sunday 26 January

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ORCHESTRA OF THE SWAN: A BEAUTIFUL THREAD

Orchestra of the Swan here mark the 150th anniversary of the publication of Far From The Madding Crowd by presenting a celebration of the novel’s author, Thomas Hardy. 

Featuring Midlands-born actor Anton Lesser as narrator - along with Lucia Bonbright - A Beautiful Thread ‘weaves Hardy’s life with his beautiful poetry and great novels’. 
The readings will be accompanied by ‘a musical programme of shimmering beauty’, devised by the orchestra’s artistic director, David Le Page. 

Warwick Hall, Sunday 26 January

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THOMAS TROTTER: SPACED OUT!

One of Britain’s most acclaimed musicians, Thomas Trotter has performed with a host of revered conductors - Simon Rattle, Sir Charles Mackerras and Riccardo Chailly among them. He’s also appeared alongside many of the world’s leading orchestras. A former pupil at Malvern College, Thomas was appointed Birmingham City Organist in 1983, and has been providing sterling service ever since. Spaced Out! is one of his fortnightly lunchtime concerts at the Town Hall.

Birmingham Town Hall, Monday 27 January

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ALEXANDER GAVRYLYUK PIANO RECITAL

Ukrainian-born Australian pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk here makes his first-ever Piano Masters Series appearance, presenting a programme comprising works by Mozart, Chopin, Debussy and Rachmaninov. Performing concerts for more than 30 years, having made his debut at the tender age of nine, Alexander has developed an enviable international reputation for excellence, picking up numerous coveted awards in the process.   

Stoke-on-Trent Repertory Theatre, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Thursday 30 January