CBSO 2026/27 Kazuki conducts The Nutcrackers

About this event

Artists Kazuki Yamada Conductor Oliver Janes Clarinet City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Programme Tchaikovsky Selection from The Nutcracker, 57mins Bernstein Prelude, Fugue and Riffs, 9mins Ellington The Nutcracker Suite, 30mins Overview A thoroughly swinging time is guaranteed: jazz, ballet – and a funky fusion of both. ‘You really know it’s Christmas when The Nutcracker makes its appearance’. So wrote American dance critic Marcia B. Siegel: and she’s not wrong. With its magical toys and journey to the Land of Sweets, Tchaikovsky’s ballet could hardly be more Christmassy. This sparkling concert features a festive selection from The Nutcracker alongside Duke Ellington’s very individual take on the piece. From ‘Toot-toot-tootie-toot’ to ‘Sugar Rum Cherry’, Ellington jazzes up Tchaikovsky in style. In between, Bernstein’s Prelude, Fugue and Riffs will have you grooving with its sassy swagger. The CBSO’s own Oliver Janes takes the solo clarinet part, which was originally written for jazz supremo Benny Goodman.