Anvil ICS 2026-27

International Concert Series

KEYSTONE DONOR

Lord & Lady Sainsbury of Preston Candover through the Linbury Trust

MAJOR DONORS

Mr Peter Bedford

Mr Jan Bowlus

The Bulldog Trust

Mrs P Cadbury

Hackwood Arts Trust

Jeremiah Colman Trust

Mr P Degermark

Edward Garside

Mr and Mrs J M Holden

Dr Michael Hollas

Sally Jones

John and Jill Leek

Anthony and Alison Milford

Sir John Milne

David & Diana Norman

The Countess of Portsmouth

Mr & Mrs John Raymond

Mr Stuart Roden

Mr & Mrs G J Rushbrook

Prof J M Smith

Mr & Mrs Michael Steen

Leslie Strickland

Tenon

Philip and Jill Walsh

Michael Webster

P S Wilmot-Sitwell

A complete list of donors can be found on the Anvil Arts website

Great Music of the World

Since The Anvil opened in 1994, the International Concert Series has brought many superb performers to Basingstoke.

The Anvil presents one of the largest orchestral series in the country. However, with fewer than half the number of seats to sell of other concert halls, we are unable to cover the cost of bringing these great orchestras to Basingstoke from ticket revenue alone. The Great Music of the World fund gives us the security to be able to make the upfront commitment required.

In the last twenty years, the fund has supported more than fifty memorable concerts.

Please support the fund so that we can continue to put Basingstoke on the map by bringing the world’s great orchestras for everyone to enjoy.

We would like to express our gratitude for their support to all donors to the Great Music of the World Fund.

Welcome

Welcome to The Anvil’s concert series for 2026-2027, our thirty-second year bringing great music, great orchestras and great musicians to Basingstoke. Our British orchestra partners present some of their most exciting concerts. With orchestras from Germany and France adding their magic, the welcome return of John Wilson and the Sinfonia of London, and fifteen pieces never heard before at The Anvil, it looks set to be yet another memorable season for you to enjoy.

Enjoy more music for less money with our subscription packages – please see the booking form for details. Make your concert evenings even more special by booking a table in the Virtuoso Lounge. And don’t forget that under 25s pay just £14 for any seat in the house.

1. Wednesday 30 September

Philharmonia Orchestra

2. Friday 16 October NDR Radio Philharmonic Hannover

3. Wednesday 4 November Sinfonia of London

4. Thursday 21 January Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

5. Tuesday 9 February Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra

6. Friday 26 February Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

7. Wednesday 3 March Philharmonia Orchestra

8. Wednesday 31 March Philharmonia Orchestra

9. Thursday 14 April Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

10. Tuesday 20 April Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

11. Tuesday 11 May Philharmonia Orchestra

Extra Concerts

Thursday 17 December 2026

Friday 4 June 2027

Philharmonia Brass

Friday Night is Music Night

CONCERTS START AT 7.30PM

£48.50, £44.50, £39.50, £29.50, £21 (except extra concerts)

Under 25s and f/t students £14

Group rate available

Schools rate available

Pre-concert talks bookable online

anvilarts.org.uk 01256 844244 box.office@anvilarts.org.uk

Group booking 01256 366935 group.booking@anvilarts.org.uk

Tchaikovsky

Fantasy

Overture:

Romeo and Juliet

Grieg

Piano Concerto

Beethoven

Symphony no. 5

Lukas Sternath piano

Delyana Lazarova

Wednesday 30 September

Philharmonia Orchestra

Tchaikovsky’s romantic fantasy is one of his best works and makes a full-blooded opening to this concert. Grieg’s piano concerto is the perfect balance of drama and lyricism, from its famous opening flourish through the passionate slow movement to the vigorous ‘peasant dance’ finale.

Beethoven’s fifth symphony, from the most recognisable opening in music, builds through its four movements from dramatic struggle to a blazing, triumphant conclusion.

The Philharmonia Orchestra is Anvil Arts’ Orchestra in Partnership

“A major talent that should go far, and soon”

Dallas News on Delyana Lazarova

Prokofiev

Symphony no. 1 (Classical)

Rachmaninov Piano Concerto no. 1

Brahms Symphony no. 2

Nikolai Lugansky piano

Stanislav Kochanovsky

Friday 16 October

NDR Radio Philharmonic Hannover

Prokofiev’s lively Classical Symphony takes Haydn’s symphonies as its affectionate model, brilliantly updated to the early twentieth century, and includes some of the composer’s most high-spirited music. Rachmaninov’s first concerto is an attractive, rhapsodic work, full of youthful vigour. The composer revised it in later life without sacrificing its essential freshness. Brahms’ radiant Second Symphony was written while on holiday in the summer of 1877 and is predominantly warm, lyrical and tender, building to an explosion of joy in the finale.

“Lugansky is not simply the most wonderful Russian pianist of modern times; he is one of the most outstanding artists of our epoch”

Le Monde

Bacewicz

Concerto for string orchestra

Rachmaninov

Piano Concerto no. 2

Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade

Benjamin Grosvenor piano

John Wilson

Wednesday 4 November

Sinfonia of London

The short opening piece, written in 1948, takes its inspiration from the Brandenburg Concertos, while showing a panache and energy all its own. Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto was a breakthrough piece after years of creative block. Its passionate and lyrical character has deservedly made it a favourite amongst his works. Rimsky-Korsakov’s suite takes tales from the Arabian Nights and dresses them in gorgeous, inventive orchestral colours to make a dramatic and richly satisfying work.

“Sinfonia of London sets the gold standard... unmissable”

Sunday Times

“Absolutely jaw-dropping”

Gramophone

XThursday 17 December

The Haymarket

Philharmonia Brass

Is it beginning to look a lot like Christmas? After this evening, there’ll be no doubt.

Like mulled wine and mince pies, there’s something irresistibly warming about the sound of brass music at Christmas. And for this performance you’re in safe hands – with the world-class brass players of the Philharmonia Orchestra.

With a programme curated and introduced from the stage by Philharmonia trombonist Philip White, our Philharmonia Brass concerts have become a firm tradition in Basingstoke’s calendar. Whether you’re a fan of Christmas carols, classic No. 1 hits, or seasonally inspired orchestral music, we’re sure you’ll leave The Haymarket feeling wonderfully festive.

£34

Mozart Hunt Quartet: Minuet

Overture: The Marriage of Figaro Dittersdorf Symphony in C (The 4 Ages of the World)

Vanhal Bassoon concerto

Mozart Serenata notturna

Haydn Symphony no. 101 (Clock)

Thursday 21 January

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

In Vienna in the 1780s, a supergroup of four composer friends gathered to play their own string quartets. Haydn and Mozart played first violin and viola, but what of the other two – Dittersdorf on second violin and Vanhal on cello? This concert gives the answer. Dittersdorf’s stylish symphony travels through time in its four movements, depicting the mythical Golden, Silver, Bronze and Iron ages. Vanhal’s lively bassoon concerto puts the instrument through its paces. Mozart’s Serenata notturna is a stylish party piece in which a quartet of strings lead the revellers, including a rogue timpanist determined to get in on the act! Haydn’s Clock symphony is one of his very best, showing all his considerable musical powers in four movements of wonderful invention, including the famous ‘ticking’ slow movement.

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment is Anvil Arts‘ Orchestra in Association

Strauss Don Juan Prokofiev

Violin Concerto no. 1

Rachmaninov Symphony no. 2

Maria Ioudenitch violin

Aziz Shokhakimov

Tuesday 9 February

Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra

The Strasbourg Philharmonic returns after a stunning concert on their last visit in 2024. The exhilarating Don Juan was the first big success of Strauss’ career, a bold and dashing work which proceeds at full throttle before evaporating in an enigmatic conclusion. Prokofiev’s violin concerto has the atmosphere of a fairy tale, with the two rhapsodic outer movements separated by a quirky scherzo. The composer’s delicate orchestration is to the fore as the finale evaporates in a shimmer of sound. Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony is a richly scored, full-blooded masterpiece. The first three movements are to varying degrees based on the same falling theme, while the finale is a joyous outburst of fanfares and celebration.

Butterworth

Rhapsody: A Shropshire Lad

Bridge

Oration – concerto elegaico

Tchaikovsky Symphony no. 5

Jesper Svedberg cello

Mark Wigglesworth

“One of the towering masterpieces of British music”

Gramophone Record

Guide on Bridge’s Oration

Friday 26 February

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

George Butterworth’s gentle and reflective piece is filled with the spirit of English folk song and the countryside. Bridge’s Oration is an outstanding and beautiful piece, written in the aftermath of the First World War in which Butterworth was killed. Its heartfelt music, passionate and lyrical, spans a wide range of emotions before coming to a tranquil conclusion.

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony was composed on his return to Russia in 1888 after a successful European concert tour. The waltz feel of much of the first movement foreshadows the waltz which takes the place of the usual scherzo. The slow movement is pure melody, while the finale is an exhilarating burst of power and orchestral colour.

Strauss

Also Sprach Zarathustra

Beethoven

Symphony no. 3 (Eroica)

Esa-Pekka Salonen

Wednesday 3 March

Philharmonia Orchestra

We’re delighted to welcome Esa-Pekka Salonen back to The Anvil. Also Sprach Zarathustra opens with one of the most striking fanfares in all music. The music then goes through all sorts of transformations relating to different sections of the book which inspired it, before dissolving into a hushed, enigmatic ending, poised uncertainly between two keys. The Eroica symphony expanded both symphonic form and musical language in one astounding blow, and established Beethoven as the leading composer of his day. The emotional heart of the piece is the famous funeral march, and it ends with a set of variations on a simple tune that overflows with musical imagination.

The Philharmonia Orchestra is Anvil Arts’ Orchestra in Partnership

⑧

Stravinsky Jeu de cartes

Prokofiev Piano concerto no. 3

Sibelius Lemminkäinen Suite

Beatrice Rana piano

Santtu-Matias Rouvali

Wednesday 31 March

Philharmonia Orchestra

Stravinsky’s inventive ballet score sees dancers dressed as playing cards in a game of poker. The mischievous Joker tries to take over the game, but order is eventually restored.

Prokofiev’s best-known piano concerto is a highly effective blend of dynamic pianism and swooning melodies. The busy first movement is followed by a set of fantastic variations on a march-like theme, while the spectacular finale builds up enormous energy.

Sibelius’ vivid illustrations of scenes from the Finnish folk epic Kalevala follow the wandering hero Lemminkäinen. After many adventures, he descends to Tuonela, and is ambushed there. Magically restored to life, he then enjoys a triumphant homecoming, depicted in music of electrifying energy.

Thursday 14 April

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment ⑨

Vivaldi

Concerto for 2 flutes, 2 oboes and violin (Il Proteo)

Concerto for 2 violins and cello

Concerto for two horns in F

Concerto for recorders, oboes and bassoon

Concerto for 4 violins

Op. 3 no. 10

Flute concerto in G

Op. 10 no. 6

Bassoon concerto in C

Concerto for two trumpets in C

In 18th century Europe, no one did more to ensure the popularity of the concerto than Vivaldi. For the elite instrumentalists of the Ospedale in Venice where he was in charge of music, he composed an extraordinary variety of music for both solo and combinations of instruments. Enjoy a feast of some of the most exciting, beautiful and sheerly enjoyable music of its time, served up for you by the virtuoso players of the OAE.

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment is Anvil Arts‘ Orchestra in Association

Boulanger

D’un soir triste

Barber Violin Concerto

Dvo ˘rák Symphony no. 9

(From the New World)

Nikita Boriso-Glebsky violin

Chloe van Soeterstede

Tuesday 20 April

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

Lili Boulanger’s short orchestral piece, the last she wrote, uses shifting, ambiguous harmonies and subtle orchestration to create an intriguing impression. Barber’s Violin concerto showcases the lyrical and open-hearted quality of his writing, rounded off with a dazzling, perpetual motion finale. Dvo˘rák’s most famous symphony, written in America while filled with longing for his Czech homeland, has an apparently inexhaustible flow of melodies, with a justly famous celebrated slow movement at its heart.

Tuesday 11 May

Philharmonia Orchestra

Brahms

Hungarian Dances nos. 21 and 19

Dvo ˘rák

Slavonic Dance no. 1

Bartók

Piano Concerto no. 2

Mahler Symphony no. 1

Alexandre Kantorow piano

Marin Alsop

Music from the heart of Europe unites this programme. The lively dances by Brahms and Dvo˘rák showcase some of the region’s exciting rhythms and folk-inspired melodies, which also inspired Bartók. His thrilling and spectacular Piano Concerto no. 2 is an all-stops-out masterpiece. The slow movement at its heart is interrupted by a whirlwind scherzo and framed by dynamic outer movements of great energy. Mahler’s first symphony proceeds from a magical, hushed opening, via a folk-dance second movement and strange funeral march, to a jubilant finale, and shows the twenty-four year old composer excitedly exploring just what a modern orchestra could do.

The Philharmonia Orchestra is Anvil Arts’ Orchestra in Partnership

“A virtuoso whose playing is full of sensitivity and imagination... a rare blend of command and poetic spirit”

MusicWeb International on Alexandre Kantorow

Friday 4 June

BBC RADIO 3’s

Friday Night is Music Night

WITH THE BBC CONCERT ORCHESTRA

There’s music for everyone in BBC Radio 3’s Friday Night is Music Night, and it’s coming to The Anvil!

Join the BBC Concert Orchestra and guests for an evening of unforgettable music for the BBC’s much-loved, long-running radio show. Enjoy a mix of nostalgic melodies, popular favourites and orchestral classics... and perhaps discover a few new tunes along the way. It’s sure to be a night to remember!

£43.50, £37.50, £33.50, £26.50

Under 25s and f/t students £14

Anvil Arts

The Anvil Trust is grateful for the support of the following:

Sponsors and Corporate Members:

Supported by:

Picture Credits

Marin Alsop © Theresa Wey

Nikita Boriso-Glebsky © Marco Borggreve

Benjamin Grosvenor © Marco Borggreve

Maria Ioudenitch © Andrej Grilc

Delyana Lazarova © Marco Borggreve

Nikolai Lugansky © Marco Borggreve

Alexandre Kantorow © SashaGusov

OAE © Emma-Jane photography

Santtu-Matias Rouvali © Marco Borggreve

Esa-Pekka Salonen © Patrick Swirc

Philharmonia at Christmas © Marc Gascoigne

Aziz Shokhakimov © Mischa Blank

Lukas Sternath © Julia Wesely

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Access Facilities

Anvil Arts operates a free Access List in order to improve our service to patrons with access needs. Registration forms are available from the box office or Anvil Arts website.

For full details of all facilities, please visit anvilarts.org.uk/access or contact the box office.

Virtuoso Lounge

Make your visit to The Anvil even more special with our new Lounge Experience packages – the perfect way to get the most from your night out.

This brochure is also available in other formats

Ticket prices

Area 1 (Red) £48.50

Area 2 (Blue) £44.50

Area 3 (Green) £39.50

Area 4 (Yellow) £29.50

Area 5 (Purple) £21

Subscription discounts available – please contact the box office for details.

Please note – there is level access to Stalls row H and, via a lift, Circle row C and most of rows CB, CC, DB and DC (Side Circle).

Not all seats may be available at all performances