1 Helen Grime Day
A day of concerts to mark the beginning of Helen Grime’s term as the Wigmore’s composer in residence. A lunchtime programme includes the UK premiere of her Five North Eastern Scenes, while Birmingham Contemporary Music Group’s frame her music with works by Knussen, Carter and Janáček.
2 Billy Budd
Britten’s greatest work returns to Opera North after more than 20 years. The new production is directed by Orpha Phelan, with Roderick Williams in the title role and Alastair Miles as Claggart.
Grand Theatre & Opera House, Leeds, 18 to 29 October; touring to 3 December
3 The Nose
Shostakovich’s early, surreal satire, based on Gogol, gets its first ever staging by the Royal Opera. Barrie Kosky directs, Ingo Metzmacher is on conducting duty and Martin Winkler is the hapless Kovalov, whose severed nose goes on the rampage in Moscow.
Royal Opera House, WC2, 20 October to 9 November
4 Seven Deadly Sins
Ilan Volkov is reunited with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra for a typically enterprising programme. Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s bitingly allegorical ballet chanté is prefaced with two pieces by Weill’s teacher Busoni.
City Halls, Glasgow, 20 October
5 Tomáš Hanus
Welsh National Opera’s music director conducts the company’s orchestra in one of the grandest symphonies in the repertoire, Mahler’s Second, the Resurrection. Rebecca Evans and Karen Cargill are the soloists, with the WNO Community Chorus joining for the finale.
