Top classical music and dance shows in 2017
A thrilling programme of classical music and dance is in store for arts fans during an action-packed 2017.
Local theatres will feature performances from travelling companies while most of the elite action will be centred on Birmingham's Symphony Hall.
The venue will welcome Andris Nelsons on Thursday when he conducts Brucker's Fourth Symphony and the Trumpet Concerto by Maxwell Davies.
Bruckner's Fourth is considered to have one of the loveliest openings of any piece of music.
Venue spokeswoman Rebecca Homer said: "The air seems to shimmer, and a horn calls softly in the mist.
"Andris Nelsons will unfold the glowing peaks and sweeping vistas of Bruckner's romantic symphony and set it against the jubilant fanfares of the symphony that Mozart wrote in four days flat."
The concert is Nelsons' first in Birmingham since June 2015 and is certain to be a highlight of the season.
Dvorak's New World Symphony will feature from January 18 to 21, featuring conductor Vassily Sinaisky, violinist Benjamin Beilman and the CBSO. The full programme will also include Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No 1 and Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Overture.
Ms Homer said: "Some pieces are classics for a reason, and you don't have to remember the Hovis advert to enjoy the nostalgic melodies and sweeping emotion of Dvorák's symphony From the New World. It's the stirring finish to a concert that begins with one of the greatest love themes of all time."
Conductor Mirga Gražinyté-Tyla will bring a thrilling start to the new year to a conclusion at the end of January with Beethoven's Fifth, from January 29 to February 2.
Ms Homer added: "Everyone knows the first four notes of Beethoven's Fifth – but if that's all you know, you're in for an incredible surprise, as for the first time together, Mirga Gražinyté-Tyla and the CBSO set out on one of music's greatest adventures. Haydn's exuberant Hornsignal symphony sets things buzzing, and there's no more poetic partner than Francesco Piemontesi for the final piano concerto by Mirga's beloved Mozart."
Meanwhile, Birmingham Royal Ballet will bring Cinderella to the city's Hippodrome Theatre from February 15. David Bintley's enchanting fairytale is a glorious celebration of ballet, with breathtaking designs by John Macfarlane, designer of Birmingham Royal Ballet's famous Nutcracker.
An Evening of Music and Dance will feature at Symphony Hall on April 29. Ms Homer said: "Birmingham Royal Ballet's acclaimed orchestra, the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, and conductor Dominic Grier will be joined by dancers for an evening of music and dancel." It will be compered by David Bintley.
A production of Coppelia will follow in June. A timeless classic from the golden age of classical ballet, Coppelia, with its tuneful, romantic music, stands alongside such classics as Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty as one of the great works of the 19th century.
BRB will also perform three short ballets in June, Arcadia, Pineapple Poll and Baiser de la fee. And The Nutcracker will return in November, bringing down the curtain on a starry 2017 at Symphony Hall.
By Andy Richardson
