October at the Barbican

October at the Barbican centre starts with a bang, with the opening of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama's Milton Court Concert Hall with Guildhall Symphony Orchestra and Chorus under James Gaffigan performing Beethoven's Choral Symphony plus the premiere of Julian Phillips Come for to play. Elsewhere there is a residency from the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig with Riccardo Chailly performing Brahms, Sir Willard White as Mendelssohn's Elijah, plus the Academy of Ancient Music, the BBC Singers, the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Two legendary performers, Bernard Haitink and Emmanuel Ax, join forces with the London Symphony Orchestra for a pair of concerts each pairing a Mozart concerto with a Shostakovich symphony (10/10, 15/10).

Riccardo Chailly and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra arrive in the Barbican for a residency performing a Brahms cycle which includes the complete symphonies and concertos, plus master-classes and chamber music from the Gewandhaus Quartet (22-31/10).

Crouch End Festival Chorus are joined by Sir Willard White for a performance of Mendelssohn's Elijah, with soloists including Erica Eloff, Diana Moore and Ben Johnson. David Temple conducts (13/10)

The Academy of Ancient Music are joined by violinist Alina Ibragimova for a programme of Haydn and Mozart (24/10). Mark Minkowski, who made his name conducting baroque music and Offenbach, joins the BBC Symphony Orchestra in a programme of Poulenc, Roussel and Ravel (26/10).

The programme in Milton Court continues throughout the month, with some intriguing programming. The Britten Sinfonia are directed from the piano by Paul Lewis in a programme which mixes Haydn and Mozart with contemporary pieces by Nicholas Maw and Anna Clyne. (11/10). The BBC Singers are performing Copland's setting of the opening of the Book of Genesis In the Beginning, with music by Eric Whitacre and Steve Reich's Desert Music in is chamber version. David Hill conducts and the singers are joined by the instrumental group Endymion. (15/10)

Elsewhere on this blog:

• Reader Offer - discount tickets for English Chamber Orchestra
• Temple Song - Annette Dasch and Julius Drake
• Voices from the Past - Anneke Scott - CD review
• Vim and Vigour - Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival
• Electric Dreaming - Uniko: Kronos Quartet at the Barbican
• An encounter with left-handed pianist Nicholas McCarthy
• London International Players
• A second helping - Kings Place Festival
• Aurora Orchestra at the Kings Place Festival
• Vivid Comedy - Cimarosa's The Secret Marriage with British Youth Opera
• Fine ensemble - Britten's Paul Bunyan with British Youth Opera
• Lise Lindstrom as Turandot at Covent Garden
• Light over Earth - Daniel Bjarnason - CD review
• Home