Mahler Chamber Orchestra

Benjamin At The Barbican portrays George Benjamin - one of Britain’s most admired living composers.

Highlight of the weekend is a semi-staged performance of his opera Written on Skin featuring the Mahler Chamber Orchestra (for whom the work was written) and a definitive cast, all conducted by Benjamin himself.

Written in collaboration with playwright Martin Crimp, the opera was premiered at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in 2012 and has been scheduled by twenty international opera houses since then.

The cast includes: Canadian soprano Barbara Hannigan as Agnes; English bass-baritone Christopher Purves as the Protector; and English countertenor Tim Mead as the Boy.