This Gresham College lecture explores whether music is a fleeting illusion—or the key to understanding the mind itself.
Join the LSO, Leif Ove Andsnes and Nathalie Stutzmann for an unforgettable orchestral journey, from intimate Beethoven to blazing Wagner and Strauss’ dazzling Vienna
The Concert
Richard Strauss breathes dizzying life into 18th-century Vienna, Wagner recreates medieval Rome and Beethoven marries tenderness and high spirits.
The Music
There’s pathos and grandeur in equal measure in Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto, its slow movement one of the composer’s most achingly divine. With his early opera Rienzi, Wagner placed his name firmly on the map. The overture is an orchestral tour de force, full of noble power and an unforgettable tune.
From its opening hunting horns to its poignant final bars, Strauss brilliantly distils his opera into an orchestral fantasy, taking his audience on a whirlwind journey to golden-age Vienna.
The Performers
Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes is one of today’s most brilliant Beethoven performers, while conductor Nathalie Stutzmann makes a welcome return to the LSO.
Time: Thursday 14 May 2026, 7pm
Tickets: from £18 to £72 (+ £4 booking fee per online/phone transaction)
