Southbank Centre News

In June and September 2019, the Philharmonia Orchestra and Esa-Pekka Salonen present Weimar Berlin: Bittersweet Metropolis at Southbank Centre, where it is Resident Orchestra. This new series is an ambitious journey through the music, science and culture of a period of intense political turbulence and explosive creativity in Germany and beyond.

The fifth edition of the Shubbak Festival starts on the 28th June bringing exciting, bold, poignant and urgent work by Arab artists questioning the norm to London's stages, concert halls, cinemas, outdoor locations, galleries and museums.

Award-winning choreographer and performer SEETA PATEL has re-imagined the iconic ballet, The Rite of Spring in the powerful classical Indian dance style, Bharatanatyam. With a cast of six outstanding performers, the show comes to the Place in London for two nights - May 17th and 18th - as part of a UK tour.

Renowned pianist Mitsuko Uchida returns to Carnegie Hall for three concerts this spring in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage. On Friday, March 29 at 8:00 p.m. she joins the Mahler Chamber Orchestra (with whom she has been an Artistic Partner since 2016) for Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 19 in F Major, K. 459 and Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K. 466, leading both works from the keyboard. The orchestra also performs Alban Berg's Three Pieces from the Lyric Suite (arr. for string orchestra) led by concertmaster Matthew Truscott.

On March 1st, at an event at the British Museum, Border Crossings announced the programme for their upcoming ORIGINS Festival, which features work by indigenous artists across a wide range of London venues, including the Southbank Centre, Shakespeare's Globe, Rich Mix and many more.

Bird & Carrot presents, The Mother, a visionary, avant-garde piece of dance theatre by choreographer, director Arthur Pita.

Twenty of the world's most outstanding classical singers are today [4 March 2019] announced for BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2019. The biennial competition returns to Cardiff between 15-22 June 2019 and audiences in the UK and beyond can follow all the live drama of the competition on BBC TV, radio and online.

Following two sold-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Dave's Joke Of The Fringe winner Ken Cheng is hitting the road in 2019 on his debut UK tour. As one of the most exciting up-and-coming talents on the UK circuit, Ken will be travelling the UK with his critically acclaimed show Best Dad Ever - one of The Guardian's Best Shows of the Edinburgh Festival 2018.

This summer sees Southbank Centre welcome acclaimed international dance companies to its three venues including Deborah Colker Dance Company, Cullbergbaletten (Cullberg Ballet) and Deborah Hay, Groupe Acrobatique de Tanger and Grupo Intergro alongside solo artists including a principal of the Royal Ballet Natalia Osipova and Mohamed Toukabri. Associate Company ZooNation Youth Company also return with their latest Southbank Centre commission.

Dante or Die's hugely successful show User Not Found will embark on a UK tour of cafes around the country from April and will open to press at The CoffeeWorks Project, Battersea where it will play a limited run.

Today, Carole Shorenstein Hays and Sonia Friedman Productions with Tom Kirdahy announced the additional casting for the West Coast Premiere of the Good Chance Theatre, National Theatre and Young Vic production of THE JUNGLE by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson at San Francisco's Curran. Set in Europe's largest unofficial refugee camp in Calais, France, the Jungle became a temporary home for more than 10,000 people in 2015. Under the direction of Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin, the limited engagement begins Tuesday March 26, 2019 and will run through Sunday, May 19, 2019. Opening night is Thursday, April 4, 2019. Tickets for THE JUNGLE are $25-$165 and are available now at SFCURRAN.com/jungle. $25 day-of rush tickets to THE JUNGLE will be made available through a partnership with TODAY TIX.

Voyage Theater Company/PARTS UNKNOWN Play Reading Series will present a staged reading of Sphinx by British playwright Neil Fleming, directed by Wayne Maugans, at the 53rd Street New York Public Library (18 W 53 Street, across the street from MOMA), Thur February 21 at 7pm. Admission is FREE and open to the public, but reservations are highly encouraged. Please RSVP here. The performance will run approximately 95 minutes with no intermission.

The London Philharmonic Orchestra today announced its 2019/20 season at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, confirming its reputation for bold, creative and distinctive programming that continues to inspire audiences on a journey of exploration and adventure. The London Philharmonic Orchestra has been performing at the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall since it opened in 1951, becoming Resident Orchestra there in 1992.

The Philharmonia Orchestra opens its 75th birthday celebrations in January 2020 with the opening weekend of Philharmonia at 75, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. The weekend features a programme centred on the year 1945 (16 Jan 2020), when the Philharmonia was founded, and the world premiere of a horn concerto by Mark-Anthony Turnage, commissioned by the Philharmonia, in a programme inspired by famous French Horn players linked to the Orchestra, including Dennis Brain, Richard Watkins (soloist on this occasion) and Esa-Pekka Salonen himself.

Today, German electronic producer and visual artist Christian Löffler shares the sublime animated video for 'Like Water (feat Mohna)' via Complex, the first single off the LP “Graal (Prologue)” out 4/5 on Ki-Records.

Voyage Theater Company/PARTS UNKNOWN Play Reading Series will present a staged reading of Sphinx by British playwright Neil Fleming, directed by Wayne Maugans, at the 53rd Street New York Public Library (18 W 53 Street, across the street from MOMA), Thur February 21 at 7pm. Admission is FREE and open to the public, but reservations are highly encouraged. Please RSVP here. The performance will run approximately 95 minutes with no intermission.

This Spring, a jam-packed two-day festival comes to Cambridge in a celebration of the wealth of talent on offer from disabled artists across theatre, comedy, dance and visual art. Aiming to highlight the need to widen access both onstage and off, from performers to audience members to careers in the arts industry, I'm Here, Where Are You will welcome some of the top class talent from both emerging and established disabled artists to East England.

WOW - Women of the World - has announced two major events across International Women's Day 2019 to address the state of gender equality today.

Poet Simon Mole and musician Gecko have joined forces to write and perform a new show for children, aged 5+, and families. Mole & Gecko: THE SHOW tells the story rather aptly of a mole and a gecko, with the help of the audience. There are live songs, rap stories, instant poems and a weasel with a serious biscuit problem. Join our heroes as they discover that what they thought they were searching for might be less important than what they find along the way.

Carlos Miguel Prieto, Musical America's 2019 Conductor of the Year, returns to the United Kingdom in February and April 2019 for performances with The Hallé Orchestra, The Hallé Youth Orchestra, and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. From February 14–21, 2019, Prieto will conduct seven performances with the The Hallé Orchestra, including one joint concert with the The Hallé Youth Orchestra. He will return to lead the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain (NYOGB) on a three-city tour through London, Birmingham, and Liverpool, April 12, 14, and 15, 2019.