Kimichi Symphony Orchestra

Kimichi Symphony Orchestra “Life-changing” musical moments performed by an ambitious and daring Symphony Orchestra...

23/03/2026

We didn’t think last year could be beaten….we were wrong!

Such fantastic playing from every section; it’s impossible to single anyone out (well, except Aberg for her simply stunning Heldenleben…)

The dancers added another dimension that we just weren’t expecting: Till was playful and vibrant; Tod was darker and heartbreaking. Thankfully, this won’t be the last we see of the Sunata Banerjee Dance Company.

Thank you to every single one of you for all that time you gave to learn notes, drive to rehearsals, laugh at Keith’s jokes (😉)…..you played your hearts out.

Huge thanks to Keith Slade, Conductor for getting us through all those notes, Andy Devereux for building an audience, and Phil Harrison for his untiring work on capturing the journey and working with Andy.

Also the ever-fabulous Kimichifam, without whom nothing would ever happen; I’m so privileged to call you all friends.

Here’s to the next one!

❤️

Swap the ordinary for something extraordinary today...For around £15, you could grab a coffee and cake in a garden centr...
22/03/2026

Swap the ordinary for something extraordinary today...

For around £15, you could grab a coffee and cake in a garden centre. Or you could experience something truly unforgettable.

Join us today at Symphony Hall, one of the greatest concert halls in the world, and hear the incredible Kimichi Symphony Orchestra live in full force.

This Richard Strauss spectacular includes:

Till Eulenspiegel
Death and Transfiguration
Ein Heldenleben

Epic storytelling, breathtaking sound, and the kind of live music that stays with you long after the final note.

Tickets just £15. Don’t miss it.

Today
4pm
Symphony Hall

https://bmusic.co.uk/events/richard-strauss-spectacular

Your £15 ticket makes this music possible.This Sunday, Kimichi Symphony Orchestra returns to Symphony Hall with a progra...
20/03/2026

Your £15 ticket makes this music possible.

This Sunday, Kimichi Symphony Orchestra returns to Symphony Hall with a programme we’re incredibly proud of, a Richard Strauss spectacular that promises to thrill, surprise, and inspire.

As an organisation run entirely by volunteers, everything we do is driven by a shared belief: that great music should reach new audiences, and that an amateur orchestra can push far beyond expectations. Last year’s Stravinsky ballet project, with live dancers, showed just how powerful that vision can be.

This concert continues that journey. Alongside Strauss’s extraordinary music, we’re breaking boundaries once again by collaborating with dancers from the Sujata Banerjee Dance Company, bringing together different traditions in one vibrant performance.

If you’ve been thinking about coming, this is the moment. Buying a ticket doesn’t just secure you an unforgettable afternoon, it actively supports the musicians, the dancers, and the volunteers working to make ambitious, inclusive performances like this possible.

Come and be part of it. We promise you’ll leave exhilarated.

Tickets available now, we’d love to see you there.

This Sunday
Symphony Hall
4pm

Tickets JUST £15.00

https://bmusic.co.uk/events/richard-strauss-spectacular

Julia Åberg Leads Strauss’s Heroic TaleThis Sunday at 4pm, the Kimichi Symphony Orchestra takes on one of the most thril...
19/03/2026

Julia Åberg Leads Strauss’s Heroic Tale

This Sunday at 4pm, the Kimichi Symphony Orchestra takes on one of the most thrilling tone poems ever written: Ein Heldenleben by Richard Strauss at Symphony Hall.

“Ein Heldenleben”, A Hero’s Life, is exactly what it sounds like: a sweeping musical journey through the life of a hero. From bold, soaring themes that introduce our protagonist, to biting portrayals of critics, a deeply personal love scene, and finally a triumphant reflection on a life lived fully, Strauss gives us a story that is as grand as it is human. It’s a piece full of drama, humour, tenderness, and dazzling orchestral colour, a true showcase for every section of the orchestra.

At the heart of this performance is our leader, Julia Åberg of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. In “Ein Heldenleben,” the leader takes on a starring role, representing the hero’s companion in one of the most intricate and expressive violin solos in the repertoire.

Born in Nuremberg, she began playing recorder at just four years old before insisting, against her parents’ original plans, on learning the violin instead. That determination set her on a path from studies in Essen to London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she trained with Krzysztof Smietana. Though she once planned to return to Germany, her career took root in the UK, where she quickly joined the CBSO after freelancing with major London orchestras.

Her playing has been shaped by unforgettable performances, from collaborations with Andris Nelsons to monumental works like Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 under Simon Rattle. This Sunday, she brings that experience and artistry to one of Strauss’s most demanding and expressive roles.

Join us for an afternoon of storytelling on an epic scale, where music becomes heroism, conflict, love, and ultimately, reflection.

This Sunday at 4pm
Symphony Hall
Tickets Just £15.00

BOOK NOW

https://bmusic.co.uk/events/richard-strauss-spectacular

Tickets just £15.00!The second part of this Sunday's programme is Death and Transfiguration, one of Strauss’s most profo...
18/03/2026

Tickets just £15.00!

The second part of this Sunday's programme is Death and Transfiguration, one of Strauss’s most profound and emotionally powerful works. Composed in 1889, it captures the final moments of a man’s life as he reflects on his joys, struggles, and ultimate destiny. The music begins with tense, searching motifs that convey the body’s struggle against death, before shifting into gentle, contemplative melodies that evoke memories of love, friendship, and personal triumph.

As the journey progresses, Strauss gradually transforms darkness into light. Strings and woodwinds carry tender recollections, while bold brass passages hint at courage and heroism. In the final moments, the music soars to a radiant climax, suggesting a triumphant “transfiguration” of the soul, an idea of spiritual peace and eternal transcendence. Listeners are swept along in a story told entirely through the orchestra, where every note, every harmonic shift mirrors the human experience of life and its inevitable end.

Paired with the mischievous energy of Till Eulenspiegel and the sweeping, autobiographical grandeur of Ein Heldenleben, this concert explores the full spectrum of human experience—mischief, mortality, and magnificence.

Next Sunday
4pm
Symphony Hall

Tickets Just £15.00

https://bmusic.co.uk/events/richard-strauss-spectacular

Meet the Trickster: Till Eulenspiegel Comes to Life at Symphony HallNext Sunday, we’re diving into the vivid and imagina...
17/03/2026

Meet the Trickster: Till Eulenspiegel Comes to Life at Symphony Hall

Next Sunday, we’re diving into the vivid and imaginative world of Richard Strauss with a powerful triptych of tone poems: Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, Death and Transfiguration, and Ein Heldenleben.

Opening this programme is Till Eulenspiegel, one of Strauss’s most playful, cinematic, and brilliantly orchestrated works. The piece is inspired by a legendary German folk trickster, Till Eulenspiegel, a rebellious outsider who delights in mocking authority, exposing hypocrisy, and causing chaos wherever he goes. His stories date back to the 14th century, and Strauss transforms them into a whirlwind musical narrative full of humour, satire, and razor-sharp characterisation.

From the very opening, the orchestra plunges us into Till’s world. A bold horn call introduces our hero, confident, irreverent, and impossible to ignore, while the clarinet soon slips in with a sly, laughing motif that captures his mischievous personality. Throughout the piece, Strauss uses the orchestra almost like a cast of actors: you’ll hear Till flirt outrageously, disguise himself as a priest to mock religion, and taunt scholars and authority figures with gleeful disrespect.

Beneath the humour lies a darker thread. Till’s defiance ultimately leads to his capture and ex*****on, a moment Strauss depicts with shocking drama. Yet even here, there’s ambiguity: in the final bars, a fleeting return of Till’s theme suggests that his spirit, his laughter, his refusal to conform, can never truly be silenced.

Paired with the profound journey of Death and Transfiguration and the sweeping, autobiographical grandeur of Ein Heldenleben, this concert showcases Strauss at his most expressive, witty, philosophical, and heroic.

This Sunday
Symphony Hall
4pm

Tickets just £15.00

https://bmusic.co.uk/events/richard-strauss-spectacular

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