Nil Venditti conducts Clyne, Puccini, Respighi and Say
19:30
Fri 17 Oct 2025
Barbican, London
The Grand Bazaar of Istanbul: a trading place of civilisations, in which the tales told are as countless as the treasures for sale. The eternal city of Rome, where la dolce vita thrives amid the memory of far older 鈥� and more savage 鈥� celebrations. An Irish legend of banshees and night terrors, retold by two of 21st century Britain鈥檚 liveliest musical voices and highlighting the wonderfully communicative gifts of saxophone virtuoso Jess Gillam.
Well, they say a musical picture is worth a thousand words, and for Turkish composer Fazil Say, his vibrant home city represents a place 鈥渨ithout any borders, not even in the mind.鈥� Closing the concert is Respighi鈥檚 Festa romance: a blockbuster Roman tone-poem that certainly doesn鈥檛 hold back.