Brave New World – Sibelius’ Second Symphony
Sweeping. Restless. Bracing.
Barbican
The Concert
Lotta Wennäkoski Om fotspår och ljus (Of Footprints and Light – Helsinki Variations) (UK premiere)
Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No 5, ‘Emperor’
Interval – 20 minutes
Jean Sibelius Symphony No 2
Thomas Søndergård conductor
Leif Ove Andsnes piano
London Symphony Orchestra
The concert will finish at approximately 9.10pm (timings subject to change)
Tickets
£70 £55 £39 £25 £18
+ £4 booking fee per online/phone transaction
Wildcard Tickets
£12/£16 + booking fee as above
Guaranteed entry – your seat will be allocated on the day.
Limited releases throughout the season. Full details
Save on Your Booking
Multibuy Discounts – save up to 40%
Under-18s – £6 tickets
14–25s – discounts for Young Barbican Members
Groups of 10+ – save at least 20%
Barbican Access Members – free companion tickets
Full details below
Bold and unconventional choices are there to be relished in music by Beethoven and Sibelius.
The Programme
Sibelius compared writing his daring Second Symphony to putting together a broken mosaic. For a listener, it’s only possible to marvel as stunning musical patterns shape themselves out of fragments.
In Beethoven’s ‘Emperor’ Concerto, the piano makes an unexpected hero’s entrance with barely an introduction from the orchestra. But soon there’s a magnificent back and forth between soloist and ensemble, ending in a galloping finale.
Lotta Wennäkoski’s exquisite tone poem Of Footprints and Light quotes from an unfinished opera by the Finnish composer Ida Moberg, who studied with Sibelius.
The Performers
The landscapes of Sibelius are familiar territory for Thomas Søndergård, and the LSO summons fresh air and sunshine. Leif Ove Andsnes brings immaculate style to Beethoven’s best-loved Piano Concerto.
‘There is something about this music … that leads us to ecstasy; almost like a shaman with his magic drum.’ – Composer Sulho Ranta on Sibelius’ Second Symphony
Header Image © Andy Buchanan
Booking and Discounts
Booking Your Tickets
Online at lso.co.uk or barbican.org.uk
By phone on +44 20 7870 2500 (Monday to Friday 12–5.30pm)
In person at the Barbican Centre
£4 booking fee per transaction when booking online or by phone
Refunds and Exchanges
If you can no longer user your tickets, you can exchange them for another LSO concert or Barbican credit voucher (valid for six months). Please inform the Box Office at least 24 hours before the performance (two weeks for group bookings). A per-ticket administration fee applies for all exchange services.
Questions About Your Booking?
Contact the Barbican Box Office at tickets@barbican.org.uk.
Visit the Barbican website for conditions of sale.
The LSO reserves the right to change artists or programmes if necessary. If the event is cancelled, all bookers will receive a refund. All discounts are subject to availability and may not be combined. Box office calls may be monitored or recorded for quality assurance or training purposes.
Multibuy Discounts
Book 2 to 3 concerts and save 10%
Book 4 to 7 concerts and save 20%
Book 8 to 11 concerts and save 30%
Book 12 or more concerts and save 40%
Plus retain your discount for any later bookings within the season.
Multibuy Discounts: Full Details
Wildcards
£12 or £16 (£10 or £15 for Half Six Fix concerts), plus booking fee. You are guaranteed entry to the concert but you won’t know your exact seat until the evening of the performance. Will you be lucky and bag a top-price seat in the stalls? Find out more about Wildcards.
Young People
£6 tickets for under-18s. Discounted tickets are available for selected LSO concerts for 14–25s through Young Barbican, and for full-time students through Student Pulse London.
Groups of 10+
Save 20%, or 30% when booking two or more concerts in the same season, plus additional benefits. Find out more about group booking.
Access Members
Members of the Barbican’s Access Scheme can book wheelchair places priced at the lowest price for that event and book a free companion seat. Join the Barbican Access Scheme.
Your Visit and Access
Getting to the Barbican
We are based at the Barbican Centre in the City of London. The main entrance to the Barbican is on Silk Street.
What to Expect
From the concert experience to venue facilities, find out what to expect from an LSO concert at the Barbican.
Accessibility
Find maps and guides, and join the Barbican Access Membership Scheme to let us know of your requirements and book access tickets.
