Birmingham Symphony Hall to host new beginner-friendly orchestra concerts
“With tickets priced at just £5, this isn't a promotional offer – it's a genuine commitment to making the CBSO accessible to everyone”
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is launching a new concert series aimed at introducing more people to the world of orchestral music.
‘First Listen’ will feature three one-hour concerts at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall, with tickets priced at £5.
Designed as an introduction to experiencing a symphony orchestra live, each performance will begin at 6pm, have no interval and feature a guest presenter explaining the background and key elements of the music.
The first concert, First Listen: Elgar, will take place on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, with acclaimed saxophonist Jess Gillam hosting the evening.
The concert will focus on Worcester-born composer Sir Edward Elgar’s famous Enigma Variations, conducted by Stephanie Childress.
The second concert in the series, on Tuesday, February 16, 2027, will feature Beethoven’s powerful ‘Eroica’ Symphony, while the final concert on Wednesday, April 28, 2027, will include Schubert’s unfinished Eighth Symphony alongside Strauss’ suite from Der Rosenkavalier.
CBSO chief executive Emma Stenning said the series had been created to help remove some of the barriers people can feel when attending their first classical concert.
She said: “For many people, walking through the doors of a concert hall for the first time can feel daunting. First Listen has been created to change that.
“With tickets priced at just £5, this isn't a promotional offer – it's a genuine commitment to making the CBSO accessible to everyone.”
She added that the concerts would explore the stories behind some of the world’s greatest composers and encourage more people to experience live orchestral music.
The launch comes as the CBSO prepares for a busy season, including performances of Mahler’s works, Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem at Coventry Cathedral and a celebration of Beethoven.
The orchestra will also bring music to unusual locations across Birmingham during its CBSO In the City festival from August 27 to 31, with performances planned in places including the Bullring Shopping Centre, New Street Station, libraries, gardens, museums, cafés and trams.
Tickets for the First Listen concerts will go on sale from 10am on Friday, July 31, via the CBSO website.