Oliver Zeffman: founder and conductor of Classical Pride. Pic: Matthew Johnson

Barbican to host Europe’s first Classical Pride concert

This concert will be Europe’s first classical music Pride event with all proceeds going to charity

Europe’s first classical music concert to mark Pride is taking place at the Barbican on Friday 7 July with all proceeds going to LGBTQ+ charities.

Classical Pride has been organised by 30-year-old conductor Oliver Zeffman, from London. He told Polyphony: “It seems long overdue. Last year marked 50 years of Pride in the UK and still classical music hasn’t done a concert.” 

He said: “Classical music tends to be a relatively inward looking industry and…doesn’t always do a good job of reaching a wider audience. We want to show that it can be part of the wider cultural conversation.”

Zeffman said that organising the concert proved easier than expected: “We just asked the Barbican and they were keen. They wanted to be the first concert hall in Europe to hold a major Pride concert.” 

TV presenter and Radio DJ Nick Grimshaw is presenting the concert. Zeffman hopes Grimshaw’s involvement will “show classical music has a broader appeal.” 

Classical Pride at the Barbican. Pic: Classical Pride

Performers at Classical Pride include the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and soprano Ella Taylor. Being a Pride event, the programme only includes pieces by prominent  LGBTQ+ composers, including Tchaikovsky and a piece by Julian Anderson commissioned for Classical Pride. 

Zeffman said: “As with any concert, you want an engaging concert and we want to show off the best of classical music and across the spectrum that Pride celebrates.” 

Accompanying Classical Pride is the release of Is a Rose, a new album released by Platoon. The music is composed by Caroline Shaw, and performed by artists at Classical Pride and the Philharmonia Orchestra, under Zeffman. It will be performed in full at the concert.

Is a Rose includes a surprise bonus track: a cover of Renaissance, the main theme of the popular TV series White Lotus, performed by Ella Taylor and Philharmonia. 

Caroline Shaw’s Is a Rose will be released on 30 June. 
For tickets to Classical Pride click here.