Thomas Adès conducts
Thomas Adès conducts
Elgar Sospiri, Op. 70
Thomas Adès Dawn
Kurtág Movement for Viola and Orchestra
Elgar Symphony No. 1 in A flat major, Op. 55
Sascha Bota viola
Thomas Adès conductor
An evening of music framed by Elgar, the composer who has captured the essence of England in music more resonantly than any other. Elgar’s Sospiri is a love-sick Adagio while his Symphony No. 1 appears to carry the hopes of a troubled nation in music of deep longing and optimism. As the composer who has inherited Elgar’s mantle in England, Thomas Adès also conducts his own Dawn – an intense meditation on cycles of time, light and renewal and a masterpiece in miniature. In this concert, it forms the missing link before Kurtág’s Movement for Viola and Orchestra – a grippingly physical opening to a full concerto, the rest of which was scrapped.
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22 Oct 2026
Tickets: £15, £30, £40, £50
(Students from £5)
Duration: 120 min
Venue: Sheldonian Theatre, Broad Street
(Students from £5)
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Nov 05 2026 – 19:30
Marios Papadopoulos conducts his first concert of the season and brings with him one of the most riveting pieces in the history of the symphony.
Learn More
Mozart, Debussy and Roussel
Nov 14 2026 – 19:30
Soloists of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra come to the Holywell Music Room for flute-led chamber music that celebrates heritage while also reflecting on loss.
Learn More
Monteverdi Vespers of 1610
Nov 21 2026 – 19:30
In the galleries of the Sheldonian Theatre, Marios Papadopoulos marshals the most majestic and timeless of sacred works.
Learn More