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What’s On
Thomas Dunford, playing a lute, seated in a chair, facing away from the camera

Jerwood Hall

Thomas Dunford and Friends

BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert

Thursday 16 April 2026 • 1pm

This event has passed.

John Dowland
A selection of works for solo lute

Keyvan Chemirani
To Bandégui; Improvisation Zarb; Shérazade; Dawar
Thomas Dunford
She is a mystery; Now I see you; Trust the wind; A better love
Marin Marais
L’amériquaine
J S Bach
Prelude, Sarabande and Minuets from Cello Suite No 1 BWV 1007
Joan Ambrosio Dalza
Calata

Thomas Dunford lute
Keyvan Chemirani percussion

The concert will finish at approximately 2.05pm.

Tickets

£16 (£14 concessions, £6 under-18s) 
+ £1.50 booking fee per transaction

Save on Your Booking

Multibuy Discounts: Book 3 or more concerts, save 20%
Discounts for 18s-and-under and full-time students
Groups of 10+ save at least 20%
Free companion tickets for Barbican Access Members
Full details

The Concert

The lute takes centre stage in this BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert curated by Thomas Dunford – one of today’s most celebrated lutenists. Joined by percussionist Keyvan Chemirani, he explores music old and new, from the poetry of Dowland to contemporary works and unexpected influences.

The Music

Dowland’s works reveal the lute at its most intimate and expressive. Dunford sets these alongside his own music and pieces by Keyvan Chemirani. The programme ranges further still, with Marais’ characterful L’amériquaine and movements from Bach’s First Cello Suite.

The Performers

Thomas Dunford has earned international acclaim for his playing, bringing the lute to audiences around the world as a soloist, chamber musician and director. Here he is joined by Keyvan Chemirani, a zarb virtuoso whose imaginative approach to rhythm draws on deep-rooted musical traditions while embracing collaboration across genres.

Read the Concert Programme

Download the Large Print Programme


Recorded for future broadcast on BBC Radio 3

BBC Radio 3 Logo

Booking and Discounts

Booking Your Tickets

Online at lso.co.uk
By phone on +44 20 7870 2500 (Monday to Friday 12–5.30pm)
In person at the Barbican Centre (no booking fee)

Refunds and Exchanges

Contact the Box Office at least 24 hours before the performance (two weeks for group bookings) to exchange your tickets for another LSO concert or Barbican credit voucher, valid for twelve months. A per-ticket administration fee applies.

The LSO reserves the right to change artists or programmes if necessary. In the unlikely event of a cancellation, all bookers will receive a refund.

Questions About Your Booking?

Contact the Box Office at tickets@barbican.org.uk.

Visit the Barbican website for conditions of sale.

All discounts are subject to availability and may not be combined.

Multibuy Discount

Save 20% when you book three or more BBC Radio 3 concerts in the 2025/26 season within one transaction.

Retain your discount for any later bookings within the season.

Concessions

£14 tickets for over-60s, full-time students and unwaged/unemployed people.

18 and Under

£6 tickets. Book online, by phone or in person.
BBC Radio 3 Concerts are recommended for ages 12+. For younger children, we have a range of other events at LSO St Luke’s, including Free Friday Lunchtime Concerts which are suitable for everyone over the age of 5.

Groups of 10+

Save 20%, or 30% when booking two or more concerts in the same season. Find out more about group booking.

Access Members

Members of the Barbican’s Access Scheme can book wheelchair places priced at the lowest price for that event and book a free companion seat. Join the Barbican Access Scheme.

Your Visit and Access

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Header image © Julien Benhamou