CBSO and award-winning Birmingham artist to perform homecoming show

Songwriter, composer and recording artist Laura Mvula (pictured) will return to her home city this October to perform with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) as part of the Classically Black festival. 

The one-of-a-kind concert, which takes place at Symphony Hall on Friday 10 October 2025, marks Laura’s first solo collaboration with the CBSO.

Conducted by Matthew Lynch, the performance will bring her signature blend of rich harmonies and soul stirring vocals home, performing several of her songs - including Green Garden, Father Father and Sing to the Moon – alongside the full-force of the orchestra. 

The concert is part of Black Lives in Music’s celebrated classical music festival, Classically Black.

Now in its second year, the festival celebrates the depth and brilliance of Black composers and musicians - past, present, and future - reimagining classical music through the powerful lens of culture, experience and creativity. 

Although this is Laura’s first solo concert with the CBSO, she has a long history with the organisation.

First as a member of the CBSO Youth Orchestra, before later working as a receptionist after graduating from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

It was during this time she began to write her own songs. 

Laura released her debut album, Sing to the Moon, in 2013, earning her two MOBO awards and a Mercury Prize nomination.

Since then, Laura has released two more albums The Dreaming Room and Pink Noise, both Mercury Prize nominated, won two Ivor Novello Awards for Best Album, composed music for the Royal Shakespeare Company and a Netflix Series, and recently released a single as part of the 2024 John Lewis Christmas campaign. 

Laura Mvula said: “Coming back to Birmingham to perform with the CBSO feels like a full-circle moment. The orchestra has been part of my life since I was a child, so to now share my music at Symphony Hall, alongside these musicians is deeply personal and incredibly special.

“To be able to do it as part of Classically Black, celebrating the contribution of Black musicians and composers, adds even more meaning. I am so excited to perform to a home crowd, it’s going to be an unforgettable night.” 

In the last year, Laura has been a special guest on tour with Lenny Kravitz and performed at Glastonbury with Coldplay.

‘Classically Black with Laura Mvula & the CBSO’ is Laura’s first hometown performance since the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in 2022. 

The event will also reflect a wider family connection – as a teenager Laura performed with the vocal acapella group Black Voices, founded by her aunt Carol Pemberton.

The group has performed alongside the CBSO several times – including a performance of Dvorak’s 9th Symphony and African American Spirituals earlier this year. 

Emma Stenning, CEO of CBSO, said: “We’re thrilled to be working alongside Black Lives in Music to bring Classically Black to Birmingham. Our home city is fantastically musical, and full of diversity and creative adventure.

“To be able to celebrate and share Laura’s incredible music-making with audiences is a powerful moment - not just for the CBSO, but for the whole city. Her story is rooted in Birmingham, and this collaboration is a chance to honour that journey with something truly unforgettable.” 

Tickets for Classically Black with Laura Mvula & the CBSO are on sale now. To book your tickets visit the website.