Free CBSO concerts launch across the city
Birmingham residents can enjoy the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) through a series of free performances on the city’s canal boats and trams - and at an array of venues including gardens, stations, restaurants, galleries and museums from today.
The CBSO will fill the city with music, popping up in unexpected spaces playing everything from Star Wars to Brahms – and some people attending the CBSO’s performances at a packed New Street station, will get the chance to conduct the orchestra.
After its hugely successful debut last summer, the return of ‘CBSO in the City’ sees the orchestra leave the concert hall, to engage with diverse new audiences on their terms - as they live their everyday lives.
Kazuki Yamada, music director at the CBSO, said: “Birmingham is not a second city, it’s a leader in its own right.
“As a vibrant community, Birmingham has a proud history of giving the world some of its most celebrated musical innovators.
“And so with ‘CBSO in the City’ we leave the concert hall for a week and take the joy of orchestral music to people in their world - inspiring their day, adding a magical surprise to their routines and sparking a curiosity to discover.
“There are no tickets, no barriers and no formalities. ‘CBSO in the City’ is about the shared joy of music - and the role it plays to define the city we are proud to call home.”
The initiative also builds on the CBSO’s ground-breaking study into the musical preferences of people who live in and around Birmingham.
The results showed that residents regarded music to be a vital aspect of community life.
Across the city, music was central to how 60 per cent of Birmingham residents enjoyed their free time - and that sense of music connection was so strong that 57 per cent felt no need to travel outside the city for a great night out.
With orchestral music, Birmingham residents cited the factors that would make the genre more appealing – and topping the list were musical experiences people could enjoy with family and friends (56 per cent), a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere (37 per cent) and performances delivered in relaxed and informal settings (25 per cent).
Demonstrating it has listened to the city’s residents, ‘CBSO in the City’ this week delivers on the research findings - with an added element of surprise, intimacy and innovation.
When and where – a guide to CBSO in the City:
Thursday 24 July
‘Race through Space’ at the Library of Birmingham - 11.30am: An activity-based event set to ignite the inspiration of young children through the exploration of music through movement.
Classics Reimagined at IKON Gallery - 2:00pm: Combining classical favourites with pop hits.
Live music on Birmingham’s tram network – from 2:00pm: A surprise rendition on a West Midlands Metro tram, as it travels to and from Wolverhampton (exact performance times are subject to timetable changes, keep an eye on the CBSO’s social media for the most up-to-date times).
String quartet at Birmingham Botanical Gardens - 2.30pm: A wellbeing tonic, delivering inspiring serenades for a beautiful location.
Flute and harp at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery – 2.30pm: featuring Marie-Christine Zupancic and Katherine Thomas.
A brass quintet at Black Country Living Museum -2.30pm: An event celebrating the classical connection to Birmingham’s post-industrial history.
Double bass and friends at the IKON Gallery - 4:00pm: An appreciation of the role the double bass plays in live performance.
String quartet at the Chapter Restaurant – 6.00pm: Music to dine to. Presenting a string quartet in the setting of a thriving independent restaurant.
String quintet at the RBSA Gallery - 6.00pm: Schubert’s string quintet in beautiful surroundings.
Friday 25 July
String quartet at the Library of Birmingham – 2.30pm: featuring Sitarist and composer, Tommy Khosla.
A woodwind quintet at Birmingham Botanical Gardens – 2.30pm: the combination of music and location inspiring positive wellbeing.
Saturday 26 July
The canal boat performance – 12.30pm. Follow a moving performance starting from the Roundhouse, as CBSO Principal Harpist, Katherine Thomas, delivers a performance aboard a 1930s Heritage Working canal boat.
Monday 28 July
CBSO return to New Street station - 1:00pm and 3:00pm: The conclusion of ‘CBSO in the City’ will see the orchestra’s return to New Street station. Passers-by will be invited to conduct the live orchestra.
