Santtu & Jess Gillam
Ebullient saxophonist Jess Gillam joins the Philharmonia Orchestra and their Principal Conductor for an irresistible Sunday matinee.
In her mid-20s, Jess Gillam has more achievements under her belt than most – an MBE for services to music, a Classical BRIT award, her own show on BBC Radio 3 (This Classical Life), and appearances at the BBC Proms both as their youngest-ever soloist and as a presenter.
Her infectious enthusiasm for music lights up every venue she performs in. Now she turns that full beam on Glazunov’s 1934 Saxophone Concerto, a gem of a piece that cemented the saxophone’s place in classical music almost a century after it was invented.
Shostakovich’s Moscow Cheryomushki is a satirical operetta. A blend of slapstick fun and wry social commentary, it’s named after a real 1950s housing development in the suburbs of Moscow. The four-movement suite is a delight well worth discovering. It opens with a lively mood, with A Spin Through Moscow, and captures the characters’ high spirits as they take on bureaucracy and corruption, and triumph.
The Philharmonia’s Principal Conductor Santtu has chosen his own highlights from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet to complete this afternoon’s programme.
All the best bits from the ballet are here, from the pent-up aggression of the ‘Dance of the Knights’ (also known as ‘The Montagues and the Capulets’ – or more recently as the theme tune of The Apprentice) to the heartbreak of ‘Juliet’s Funeral’.
Performers
Philharmonia Orchestra
Santtu-Matias Rouvali conductor
Jess Gillam saxophone
Repertoire
Shostakovich: Moscow, Cheryomushki - Suite arr. Andrew Cornall
Glazunov: Concerto in E flat for alto saxophone & string orchestra
Interval
Prokofiev: Selection from Romeo and Juliet, Op.64
Need to know
The Clore Ballroom, Level 2, Royal Festival Hall at 1.30pm: Insights Talk. Philharmonia Director of Learning and Engagement Teddy Prout and saxophonist Jess Gillam discuss the afternoon’s programme. Admission free.
Times & tickets
Dates, times and prices
Dates & times
01 Dec 2024, 3pm
Run time
1 hour and 50 minutes (approx)
All timings are approximate and subject to change
Standard entry
from £15.00*
* Excludes £3.50 booking fee.
Book as early as you can to ensure the best choice of tickets. Ticket prices may be adjusted without notice to reflect demand.
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For your visit
This event is held at the Royal Festival Hall Southbank Centre
The Royal Festival Hall is open daily.
Monday & Tuesday, 10am – 6pm*
Wednesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
*If we’re hosting a performance, the building will stay open until the event ends.
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The Royal Festival Hall is home to our largest auditorium as well as The Clore Ballroom, National Poetry Library, Members’ Lounge, Festival Bar & Kitchen, Ballroom Cafe and Skylon restaurant.
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Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
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All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
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Food & drink
On Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen which opens out onto our Riverside Terrace. You can grab a coffee and a slice of freshly made cake from our Ballroom Cafe. Or alternatively enjoy destination dining in the restaurant at Skylon.
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.