Contemporary

Joel Thompson on To Awaken the Sleeper: 'Baldwin asks us to build a new world'

Joel Thompson is an Atlanta-based composer, artist and educator best-known in the US for his 2015 choral work Seven Last Words of the Unarmed, that sets the final words of seven Black men who were killed by police or authority figures. On 6 November at the Barbican, London, we perform another of his pieces in the UK for the first time, To Awaken the Sleeper, written for orchestra and narrator. Joel introduced this new piece, and the inspiration behind it, to us.

André J Thomas on marking Black History Month with the LSO

Announced as LSO Associate Artist in May 2022, André J Thomas is a world-leading expert on choral and American gospel music. He has already brought his passion for gospel to two concerts with the LSO (March 2020 and May 2022), and this Autumn he does it all again, paired with a second concert of orchestral works from contemporary US composers Joel Thompson, Carlos Simon and Wynton Marsalis.

Read on to find out more about each concert.

Panufnik Legacies III: Cevanne Horrocks-Hopayian

Following the release of the third album in the Panufnik Legacies series, which features brand new music from alumni of the LSO Panufnik Composers Scheme, we asked the composers themselves to tell us a little more about their experience writing for and recording with the Orchestra. In this interview, get to know Cevanne Horrocks-Hopayian.

Panufnik Legacies III: Bethan Morgan-Williams

Following the release of the third album in the Panufnik Legacies series, which features brand new music from alumni of the LSO Panufnik Composers Scheme, we asked the composers themselves to tell us a little more about their experience writing for and recording with the Orchestra. In this interview, get to know Bethan Morgan-Williams.

Panufnik Legacies III: Ewan Campbell

Following the release of the third album in the Panufnik Legacies series, which features brand new music from alumni of the LSO Panufnik Composers Scheme, we asked the composers themselves to tell us a little more about their experience writing for and recording with the Orchestra. In this interview, get to know Ewan Campbell.

Panufnik Legacies III: Michael Taplin

Following the release of the third album in the Panufnik Legacies series, which features brand new music from alumni of the LSO Panufnik Composers Scheme, we asked the composers themselves to tell us a little more about their experience writing for and recording with the Orchestra. In this interview, get to know Michael Taplin.

Panufnik Legacies III: Matthew Sergeant

Following the release of the third album in the Panufnik Legacies series, which features brand new music from alumni of the LSO Panufnik Composers Scheme, we asked the composers themselves to tell us a little more about their experience writing for and recording with the Orchestra. In this interview, get to know Matthew Sergeant.

Panufnik Legacies III: Joanna Lee

Following the release of the third album in the Panufnik Legacies series, which features brand new music from alumni of the LSO Panufnik Composers Scheme, we asked the composers themselves to tell us a little more about their experience writing for and recording with the Orchestra. In this interview, get to know Joanna Lee.

Panufnik Legacies III: Ayanna Witter-Johnson

Following the recent release of the third album in the Panufnik Legacies series, which features brand new music from alumni of the LSO Panufnik Composers Scheme, we asked the composers themselves to tell us a little more about their experience writing for and recording with the Orchestra.

Panufnik Legacies III: Patrick Giguère

Following the release of the third album in the Panufnik Legacies series, which features brand new music from alumni of the LSO Panufnik Composers Scheme, we asked the composers themselves to tell us a little more about their experience writing for and recording with the Orchestra. In this interview, get to know Patrick Giguère.

Interview with Elim Chan

In December 2014, Elim Chan became the first female winner of the Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition, subsequently becoming Assistant Conductor of the Orchestra for one year. Since then, she’s returned to guest conduct the Orchestra every season.

Gianandrea Noseda on Shostakovich

LSO Principal Guest Conductor Gianandrea Noseda’s explains his motivation to showcase the complete cycle of Shostakovich symphonies cycle with the Orchestra, which began during its 2017/18 season.