Alena Baeva plays Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto
Barbican

Alena Baeva plays Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto

calendar_todayFRI · Dec 11, 2026 · 19:30

About the Event

Alena Baeva plays Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, and Nil Venditti brings a very personal perspective to Falla’s fiesta of a ballet.

In a fairy-tale Andalusia, a young miller and his wife outwit a clumsy old suitor, in music that glows with Spanish sunlight. Gabriela Ortiz imagines another love story – the marriage of Clara and Robert Schumann – and retells a romance that was forged through music. And Tchaikovsky casts off his gloom to sing and dance, in a violin concerto that simply brims with his glorious brand of melody.

It’s a perfect showcase for the artistry of the “utterly captivating” (The Strad) violinist Alena Baeva; just as the incomparable voice of mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb will bring a special dimension to Falla’s folk-inspired ballet. Guest conductor Nil Venditti brings all her energy and insight to a concert in which wonderful tunes hide still more marvellous depths.

Programme

Manuel De Falla Three-Cornered Hat
Gabriela Ortiz Clara
Pyotr Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto

Performers

Nil Venditti conductor
Rihab Chaieb mezzo-soprano
Alena Baeva violin
BBC Symphony Orchestra