Expansive. Optimistic. Profound.
Season Opening: Bernstein and Copland
Sir Antonio Pappano
Sunday 14 September 2025 • 7pm
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Leonard Bernstein
Symphony No 3, ‘Kaddish’ (revised version) (40 mins)
Interval
Aaron Copland
Symphony No 3 (40 mins)
Sir Antonio Pappano conductor
Dame Felicity Palmer narrator
Katharina Konradi soprano
London Symphony Chorus
Tiffin Boys’ Choir
London Symphony Orchestra
The concert will finish at approximately 8.50pm, 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
Dramatic, emotionally intense American symphonies, both born of 20th-century tumult.
The Music
Dedicated to the memory of JFK, the spectacular ‘Kaddish’ Symphony explores Bernstein’s crisis of faith. Musical theatre, oratorio and choral symphony rolled into one, its libretto rails against and praises God, mirrored by music of rhythmic urgency, unbounded joy and profound beauty.
Copland’s own Third Symphony, completed in 1946, is a vast and beautiful work of sprawling landscapes, offering early audiences a glint of optimism as the war came to an end. The final movement features the composer’s inspirational Fanfare for the Common Man.
The Performers
This is a concert of huge forces, operatic soprano Katharina Konradi, known for her vivid and heartfelt portrayals, and Dame Felicity Palmer, whose deep connection to both music and words brings the narrator’s role to life, alongside the London Symphony Chorus. Chief Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano conducts, opening the 2025/26 season.
I think you’ll be surprised by its power.
Leonard Bernstein writes about ‘Kaddish’ in a letter to his sister Shirley Bernstein
Filmed for LSO Live.
More to Explore
What was Leonard Bernstein's relationship with the LSO?
From his first concert in 1966, to becoming LSO President in 1987, Leonard Bernstein had a close relationship with the LSO that spanned 24 years.
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
Britten, Bernstein and Tchaikovsky
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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.
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
