Sakari Oramo conducts Debussy and Shostakovich

Sakari Oramo opens the BBC Symphony Orchestra's new season at the Barbican Hall on Friday 23 October, with a programme that runs through the water. Oramo is the orchestra's Chief Conductor, and this is the first night of their 2026-27 Barbican season, so it's a bit of a flag-planting moment for the year ahead.

The evening starts with Benjamin Britten's Four Sea Interludes, taken from his opera Peter Grimes. From there, the water theme carries into Claude Debussy's La mer, a piece inspired by the Japanese master Hokusai and written, at least in part, on the Sussex coast. Debussy later said, 'I have slandered the sea' after finishing it, which is a nice bit of modesty to keep in mind when you're listening to it.

In the middle, the focus shifts to the cello. Senja Rummukainen takes the soloist's chair for Dmitri Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1, a work described as having been written by his great friend Britten. Rummukainen has been praised for her 'unbelievable power and intensity', and this is the piece that will put her right at the front of the hall. The night also includes a UK premiere: Elysian by Francisco Coll, so there's something new in the mix alongside the better-known names.

It's a full programme, and since it's the season opener, it's a good one to catch if you want to see where the BBC Symphony Orchestra is heading this year. The concert starts at 19:30. Standard tickets are from £22, which includes a £4 transaction fee; Young Barbicans aged 16-29 get in for £12, and under-18s get 50% off the standard price, starting from £13. Access tickets are from £22, with a free essential companion ticket if you need one, and there's a 20% discount for groups of ten or more.