Knussen & Hosokawa: Looking to Japan in Two Directions

Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, Great Britain

All photos (1)

Select date and time

3 PM

Request for Tickets

Important Info

Type: Classical Concert

City: London, Great Britain

Starts at: 15:00

Duration:

Ticket delivery: E-Tickets

E-tickets: Print at home or at the box office of the event if so specified. You will find more information in your booking confirmation email.

Can I choose my seats?

You can only select the category, and not the exact seats.
If you order 2 or 3 tickets: your seats will be next to each other.
If you order 4 or more tickets: your seats will be next to each other, or, if this is not possible, we will provide a combination of groups of seats (at least in pairs, for example 2+2 or 2+3).

Programme

Overview

Mark Oliver Knussen’s 75th anniversary with the London Sinfonietta’s afternoon of world premieres—including Knussen’s final double concerto and the UK concert premiere of Toshio Hosokawa’s opera—complemented by fresh chamber works and youth collaborations. Engage with insightful talks on Japanese culture before a dynamic evening concert. One ticket grants access to all three events.Join the London Sinfonietta to honour Oliver Knussen’s 75th birthday with an afternoon that celebrates his passion for Japanese culture. At 3pm, experience O Hototogisu! – Fragment of a Japonisme, Knussen’s final double concerto for soprano and flute that animates seven haikus about the Japanese cuckoo in a nod to Kabuki theatre, followed by the UK concert premiere of Toshio Hosokawa’s The Maiden from the Sea, tracing the spectral encounter of an ancient ghost and a modern refugee. The programme opens with world premieres by Edward Driver and Dai Fujikura, and a community collaboration by Florence Anna Maunders bringing North London Music Hub students together with professional players. From 4pm, contextual talks on Knussen, Hosokawa and Japanese traditions lead into a 5pm evening concert that completes this immersive three-part event of innovation and dialogue.

Venue Info

Queen Elizabeth Hall - London
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road

Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) is a music venue on the South Bank in London, England, that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. It was opened in 1967, with a concert conducted by Benjamin Britten.

The QEH was built along with the smaller Purcell Room as part of the Southbank Centre arts complex. It stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival of Britain of 1951, and the Hayward Gallery which opened in 1968.

The QEH stands on the site of a former shot tower, built as part of a lead works in 1826 and retained for the Festival of Britain. The QEH and the Purcell Room were built together by Higgs and Hill and opened in March 1967.

The venue was closed for two years of renovations in September 2015 and reopened in April 2018.

The QEH has over 900 seats and the Purcell Room in the same building has 360 seats. The two auditoriums were designed by a team led by Hubert Bennett, head of the architect's department of the Greater London Council, with Jack Whittle, F.G. West and Geoffrey Horsefall. They form part of the Southbank Centre arts complex along with the larger Royal Festival Hall (RFH) and an art gallery, the Hayward Gallery (opened in October 1968).

Important Info

Type: Classical Concert

City: London, Great Britain

Starts at: 15:00

Duration:

Twilight In Concert: The Film with Live Band

London Coliseum - London

13 Sep 2025, Sat, 7:30 PM

Semele

Royal Opera House (Covent Garden) - London

7 Jul 2025, Mon, 7 PM

The Dead City