Anguished. Tender. Searing.
Britten, Bernstein and Tchaikovsky
Sir Antonio Pappano and Beatrice Rana
Barbican
Benjamin Britten
Sinfonia da requiem (20 mins)
Leonard Bernstein
The Age of Anxiety (Symphony No 2) for piano and orchestra (30 mins)
Interval
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Symphony No 6, ‘Pathétique’ (47 mins)
Sir Antonio Pappano conductor
Beatrice Rana piano
London Symphony Orchestra
The concert will finish at approximately 9.10pm, including a 20-minute interval (timings subject to change).
Tickets
£72 £56 £39 £26 £18
+ £4 booking fee per online/phone transaction
Wildcard Tickets
£12/£16 + booking fee as above
Check availability and book
Limited releases throughout the season. Guaranteed entry, but your seat is only allocated on the day. Full details
Other Discounts
Save when booking multiple concerts. Discounts also available for young people, students, groups, and Barbican Access Members. Full details
The Concert
Tchaikovsky juggles beauty and suffering, Britten reflects powerfully on grief and conflict, and Bernstein grapples with the modern world.
The Music
Composed in the midst of global conflict, Britten’s 1940 Sinfonia da Requiem is a grief-stricken cry, its turbulent music finally giving way to Mahlerian tenderness – and hope.
Bernstein’s post-war symphony The Age of Anxiety, based on W H Auden’s poem, is a piano concerto in all but name, full of Shostakovich-inspired spirit and snatches of Broadway.
The concert ends with Tchaikovsky’s journey to the depths of the soul. Despite ending on a note of utter despair, the ‘Pathétique’ is among the composer’s most beautiful works.
The Performers
The LSO is sure to draw high emotion from Britten and Tchaikovsky, while Italian pianist Beatrice Rana reunites with Chief Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano for Bernstein’s fizzing concerto.
The ‘Pathétique’ Symphony features some of Tchaikovsky’s most heartrending music.
Sir Antonio Pappano
More to Explore
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Sir Antonio Pappano begins his second season as Chief Conductor of the LSO, with works from British and American composers amongst the highlights.
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 twelve 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 (£12 or £15 for Half Six Fix concerts), plus booking fee. Check availability using the Wildcard link in the Tickets section 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 £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.
Related Events
Half Six Fix: Enigma Variations
Sir Antonio Pappano
Wednesday 10 June 2026 • 6.30pm
Sir Antonio Pappano guides the audience through Elgar's 'Enigma' Variations, exploring its tender portraits of family members and the unsolved mystery at its core.
Elgar and Mahler
Sir Antonio Pappano
Thursday 11 June 2026 • 7pm
Sir Antonio Pappano and the LSO journey from darkness to light in Mahler's rapturous Fifth Symphony, alongside Elgar's Enigma Variations.
Wagner: Tristan and Isolde
Sir Antonio Pappano
Wednesday 1 July 2026 • 5pm
Sir Antonio Pappano leads world-class soloists and the LSO in one of the greatest and most intense of operatic love stories – Wagner's Tristan and Isolde.
Watch on Marquee TV
Concert recorded for future broadcast on Marquee TV. Watch past LSO concerts on Marquee TV now.
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 © Mark Allan
