City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Focuses on Education

36 of the orchestra's concerts for the season will target children and young people

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) has announced that its 2025/26 season will feature a strong focus on young people and music education, with a particular aim of providing musical opportunities for young people who would not otherwise be afforded them.

The season includes several school concerts, Notelets performances for toddlers and infants, and relaxed performances for children attending special-needs schools. Finally, the orchestra will host a Free in the City week, which will offer free performances in public venues such as canal boats and botanical gardens.

A total of 36 of the orchestra's concerts for the year are targeted at children and young people.

The season also aims to invite new audiences to classical music, through performances such as a marathon Star Wars Original Trilogy full weekend in October 2025, as well as a Queen tribute and a screening of Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush with live accompaniment.

"Our schools and family programming is a long-term investment in cultivating tomorrow's audiences while providing today's young people with transformative musical experiences," said CBSO Creative Director Tom Spurgin. "Building on our commitment to music education at our school – the Shireland CBSO Academy – we’ve worked hard to ensure that our concert season continues to provide young people with opportunities to be inspired by incredible music."

"Through our listening campaign research in and around Birmingham, we have a strong sense of the musical experiences that speak for the city today – yet in terms of repertoire, guest artists and composers, the season is richly international in flavor," said Director of Artistic Planning Catherine Arlidge. "It is a season about celebrating home – but on the world stage."

PC: River Rea, CBSO