Enthralling. Dreamlike. Unearthly
Szymanowski and Symphonie fantastique
LSO Artist Portrait: Lisa Batiashvili
Barbican
Hector Berlioz
Overture: Le corsaire (8 mins)
Karol Szymanowski
Violin Concerto No 1 (26 mins)
Interval
Hector Berlioz
Symphonie fantastique (52 mins)
Sir Antonio Pappano conductor
Lisa Batiashvili violin
London Symphony Orchestra
The concert will finish at approximately 8.55pm, including a 20-minute interval (timings subject to change).
Tickets
£70 £55 £39 £26 £18
+ £4 booking fee per online/phone transaction
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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
Dreams and fantasies from enigmatic Szymanowski to Berlioz’s most rock’n’roll work, the Symphonie fantastique.
The Music
Berlioz was always in thrall to one craze or other. His Le corsaire Overture was inspired by a love of Byron, an attraction to piracy, and a failed affair. The result is a suitably colourful experience.
Composed in 1916, Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto is haunting, enigmatic and inspired by an ecstatic poem about a ‘rapturous conflagration’. And Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique is a wild ride through a drug-fuelled hallucination, triggered by thwarted love and full of astonishing orchestral effects.
The Performers
Lisa Batiashvili, known for her exquisite sound, is perfect for Szymanowski’s Concerto, the second instalment of her Artist Portrait series with the LSO. To open and close the concert, the LSO and Pappano enjoy a riotous adventure through Berlioz’s imagination.
The key to Szymanowski’s concerto lies in its balance, the control of which was in the masterly hands of the violinist Lisa Batiashvili. She played the solo line like a seamless, lyrical song.
The Times
More with Lisa Batiashvili
Schnittke, Shostakovich and Brahms
LSO Artist Portrait: Lisa Batiashvili
Sunday 13 April 2025 • 7pm
Orchestral fireworks with Shostakovich's Second Symphony and early Schnittke, joined by the London Symphony Chorus for some stirring Brahms.
Mozart and Strauss Ein Heldenleben
LSO Artist Portrait: Lisa Batiashvili
Sunday 25 May 2025 • 7pm
Two portraits from a magician of orchestral colour, Richard Strauss – plus a young Mozart dances on the violin, in his Fifth Violin Concerto.
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 © Sammy Hart / Deutsche Grammophon
