BBC SSO Afternoon Performances 2026/27

“With desire and passion,” wrote Tchaikovsky on the score of his Fifth Symphony... and you’re about to hear why! Soprano Sophie Bevan also stars in this vibrant all-Russian programme launching the Afternoon Performance series.

Rimsky-Korsakov’s Spanish spectacular and the warm melodies of Mozart’s evergreen Clarinet Concerto bring sunshine to a likely chilly November in Glasgow, with Bartók adding a burst of colour!

Chief Conductor Ryan Wigglesworth waltzes us into the silken, seductive Vienna of Strauss’s 'Der Rosenkavalier', with added enchantment from the “pure and very expressive” voice of soprano Erika Baikoff.

Cellist Raphaela Gromes is one of the defining voices of her generation, an exclusive artist with Sony Classical since 2016. She performs Elgar's much-loved Cello Concerto with popular guest conductor Michael Sanderling.

“Even in a day when keyboard virtuosos are thick on the ground, Kozhukhin is special.” Denis Kozhukhin returns to the BBC SSO in a programme pairing a Romantic masterpiece with Beethoven’s playful Eighth Symphony.