Throughout the pandemic, young musicians have seen so many of their out-of-school musical opportunities – which are vital to support their social contact, mental health and musical progression – disrupted or cancelled. LSO Discovery knew it was important to find new ways of working with young musicians of the LSO East London Academy, and to provide an exciting, rewarding and fun project for these young people against the backdrop of 2020 and its challenges …

Classical guitar virtuoso Sean Shibe brings the energy to Baroque at the Edge 2021 with real dance tunes from the 1600s, played on the guitar’s ancestor, the lute, alongside 20th-century music by Ravel and Poulenc. 

When the coronavirus pandemic started at the end of March 2020, LSO Discovery’s long-standing work in three Barts Health NHS Trust hospitals in East London, like so much of our other activity, ground to a halt.

For 2021, Baroque at the Edge has created its very own podcast station, offering soundscapes, news, and glimpses behind the scenes, presented by BBC Radio 3’s Fiona Talkington.