Festive. Jazzy. Playful.
Christmas Swing: Gershwin, Bernstein and Tchaikovsky
Sir Antonio Pappano and Frank Dupree
Wednesday 18 December 2024 • 7pm
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George Gershwin
Overture: Girl Crazy (7 mins)
Nikolai Kapustin
Piano Concerto No 4 (23 mins)
Leonard Bernstein
Prelude, Fugue and Riffs (9 mins)
Interval
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky,
Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn arr Jeff Tyzik
The Nutcracker – Suite (17 mins)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Selections from ‘The Nutcracker’ (15 mins)
Leroy Anderson
Sleigh Ride (3 mins)
Sir Antonio Pappano conductor
Frank Dupree piano
Sérgio Pires clarinet
Obi Jenne drum kit
London Symphony Orchestra
The concert will finish at approximately 8.45pm, including a 20-minute interval (timings subject to change).
Concert repeated on 19 December.
Tickets
£70 £55 £39 £26 £18
+ £4 booking fee per online/phone transaction
Save on Your Booking
Wildcards
£12/£16 + booking fee as above
Guaranteed entry. Your seat will only be allocated on the day.
Limited releases throughout the season. Full details
Other Discounts
Multibuy Discounts: save up to 40%
Discounts for 18s-and-under, 14–25s and full-time students
Groups of 10+ save at least 20%
Free companion tickets for Barbican Access Members
Full details on all discounts below
The Concert
Classical meets jazz with some Christmas favourites – plus a riotous ride with Kapustin, Gershwin’s most swinging tunes, and Bernstein at his exuberant best.
The Music
Gershwin’s got rhythm in his overture to Girl Crazy, while Bernstein riffs on classical form with great style in Prelude, Fugue and Riffs.
Kapustin’s Fourth Piano Concerto conjures up a great night at a jazz club, with a wild piano solo and a drum-kit. Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s arrangements bring the same vibe to Tchaikovsky, soft-shoe shuffling through The Nutcracker. And Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride is a perfect, old-school Christmas finale to take us into the festive season.
The Performers
The LSO and Chief Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano let their hair down in this jazz-inspired programme. Frank Dupree brings powerhouse energy to Kapustin’s Fourth Piano Concerto, and the LSO’s own Principal Clarinet Sérgio Pires takes the solo role in Prelude, Fugue and Riffs.
Ellington’s first brush with the classics is a tribute to Tchaikovsky … As Duke commented, ’That cat was it’.
Rusty Aceves
Dive Deeper
Booking and Discounts
Booking Your Tickets
Online at lso.co.uk or barbican.org.uk
By phone on +44 20 7870 2500 (Monday to Friday 12–5.30pm)
In person at the Barbican Centre (no booking fee)
Refunds and Exchanges
Contact the Box Office at least 24 hours before the performance (two weeks for group bookings) to exchange your tickets for another LSO concert or Barbican credit voucher, valid for six months. A per-ticket administration fee applies.
The LSO reserves the right to change artists or programmes if necessary. In the unlikely event of a cancellation, all bookers will receive a refund.
Questions About Your Booking?
Contact the Barbican Box Office at tickets@barbican.org.uk.
Visit the Barbican website for conditions of sale.
All discounts are subject to availability and may not be combined.
Multibuy Discounts
Book 2 or 3 concerts, save 10%
Book 4 to 7 concerts, save 20%
Book 8 to 11 concerts, save 30%
Book 12 or more concerts, save 40%
Retain your discount for any later bookings within the season. Find out more about Multibuy Discounts.
Wildcards
£12 or £16 (£10 or £15 for Half Six Fix concerts), plus booking fee. Check availability using the Wildcards button above. On the concert night, show your Wildcard order email at the Stalls box office to receive a valid ticket worth at least £18 (£15 for Half Six Fix). Find out more about Wildcards.
Young People and Students
18 and under: £6 tickets. Book online, by phone or in person.
14–25s: Join Young Barbican for discounted tickets to selected concerts.
Full-time students: Join Student Pulse for £6 or £10 tickets to selected LSO concerts.
Groups of 10+
Save 20% to 30% and enjoy additional benefits. Find out more about group booking.
Access Members
Members of the Barbican’s Access Scheme can book wheelchair places priced at the lowest price for that event and book a free companion seat. Join the Barbican Access Scheme.
Your Visit and Access
Getting to the Barbican
We are based at the Barbican Centre in the City of London. The main entrance to the Barbican is on Silk Street.
What to Expect
From the concert experience to venue facilities, find out what to expect from an LSO concert at the Barbican.
Accessibility
Find maps and guides, and join the Barbican Access Membership Scheme to let us know of your requirements and book access tickets.
Header Image © Marco Borggreve
