Gershwin, Jacques Brel, Weill

Never ones for following the book, we’re gently bending the rules of a familiar Lamb & Hayward Masterworks concert to surprise and tantalise with something gloriously unexpected.

During the original 1935 run of landmark American opera Porgy and Bess, Gershwin wanted to preserve the life of the work he held so close to his heart. His solution was Catfish Row, a five-movement suite that wove the opera’s most memorable musical themes together. Artfully blending inspirations from opera, jazz, Broadway and Black musical traditions – it's music that feels rich, alive and full of storytelling, transcending far beyond the opera house.

Ōtautahi vocal icon, mezzo soprano Naomi Ferguson, joins CSO to bring Amsterdam: The Jacques Brel Song Cycle to life. Known for his raw emotion and poetic storytelling, Brel transformed French music, and in 2025, we give his songs a fresh twist – delivered with power and poise by Naomi and our orchestra in this brand new cycle, orchestrated by Ōtautahi's Alex van den Broek.

Kurt Weill is best known for his contributions to cabaret and theatre, but his Symphony No. 2 reveals a darker, more defiant side of his voice. Composed in exile after fleeing Nazi Germany for Paris, it brims with emotional tension, razor-sharp wit and theatrical flair. Bold, urgent, and unmistakably Weill, it’s a powerful reminder that Weill’s symphonic voice was every bit as compelling as his theatrical one.

With thanks to PKF Goldsmith Fox, CSO Soloist Partner.

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First release tickets on sale: 1 – 30 November (10% off full-price tickets, excludes Lamb & Hayward Curator's Series)

General sale: From 1 December