The Hallé - Sir Mark Elder conducts Debussy, Wagner & Strauss

The Hallé are back at the Royal Concert Hall on Thursday 22 April 2027, with Sir Mark Elder conducting. It's a bit of a homecoming: Elder is the orchestra's Conductor Emeritus, and this is his first Nottingham date since his farewell concert here in 2024. He's returning in the 80th anniversary year of his birth, and the programme is built around the partnership he's had with the orchestra over the years.

There are three pieces on the bill. It opens with Debussy's Nocturnes — specifically Nuages and Fêtes — a recording of which critics have rated above the rest. Then comes Wagner's Meistersinger Suite, which takes a witty opera that usually runs four and a half hours and condenses it into about twenty minutes. The night closes with Strauss's Ein Heldenleben, described as an electrifying self-portrait that ends with exceptionally beautiful music for horn and violin.

The concert is part of the venue's 'Nottingham Classics' series, and there's a free pre-concert talk at 6:20pm for anyone who wants to get a bit of background before the music starts. If you're coming from further afield, there are concert coaches running from Loughborough and Southwell.

Doors open at 6:00pm, and the concert itself starts at 7:30pm. The first half runs until 8:10pm, followed by a 20-minute interval, with the second half going from 8:30pm to 9:15pm. Tickets are £13.00 to £44.50, with under-26s and full-time students paying £5 each and bargain seats available for £10 on the day. Age guidance is 7+, and under-14s need to be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.