Josep Pons to Conduct Evening of Verdi and Berio with The BBC Symphony Orchestra

Award-winning conductor Josep Pons will return to conduct the BBC Symphony Orchestra on Friday December 7th 2012 as part of the ongoing BBC SO 2012-13 season at the Barbican.

The evening includes two works by Giuseppe Verdi, beginning with the composer's Eight Romances, orchestrated by Luciano Berio, followed by Verdi's Four Sacred Pieces, which include the beguiling Ave Maria for unaccompanied voices. Synergy Vocals take on the amplified solo parts in Berio's 1969 Sinfonia which opens the concert, and the BBC SO and Josep Pons are also joined by soprano Sarah-Jane Brandon, young Brazilian tenor Atalla Ayan and the BBC Symphony Chorus.

The event will be preceded by a free, pre-concert talk in the venue's Fountain Room from 6pm, which is open to all ticket holders, but please note that capacity is limited so it is advisable to arrive early. The concert begins at 7:30pm and will be broadcast live as part of BBC Radio 3's Live in Concert series, as well as being available on its listen again service for seven days after broadcast at www.bbc.co.uk/radio3 and on the BBC iPlayer Radio app.

Tickets are available from £10 to £30 and can be purchased online at www.barbican.org.uk or by phone on 020 7638 8891. Please note that booking fees apply.

The BBC SO 2012-13 Barbican season runs until Saturday 25 May and includes Grieg's Peer Gynt, a Tippett series including all four symphonies, Stephen Hough performing concertos by Brahms, Shostakovich Symphonies Nos 8 and 11, Ravel's opera L'enfant et les sortilèges and the very best of new music from today's leading composers.

BBC Symphony Orchestra: www.bbc.co.uk/orchestras/symphonyorchestra