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The Barbican has joined forces with the Southbank Centre in an unprecedented collaboration to bring Sir Simon Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker to London.
The allure of one of the world's greatest orchestras under its charismatic British conductor is such that neither venue wanted to relinquish the chance to host them - but the ensemble was too busy for separate visits.
In a move hailed as a triumph for London audiences, the venues will split engagements between 20 and 23 February in 2011. Chamber works at the Queen Elizabeth Hall will include Schubert's Quartettsatz and Schönberg's String Quartet No 2. Two concerts of orchestral works including Stravinsky, Haydn and a new commission will be performed at the Barbican before the final concert at the Royal Festival Hall, featuring Mahler's Symphony No 3.
It will be Sir Simon's first visit to the Royal Festival Hall with the Berlin orchestra since it was refurbished.
Sir Simon, who has been chief conductor and artistic director of the Berliner Philharmoniker since 2002, said he was delighted to be returning for The London Concerts to "share with London audiences the heart of our work, from Austro-Germanic composers such as Schubert and Mahler to new work such as the Barbican commission of Toshio Hosokawa's Horn Concerto."
The concerts will form part of the Shell Classic International series at the Southbank and the Barbican's Great Performers season.
Robert van Leer, from the Barbican, said: "Everybody wants the Barbican and the Southbank Centre to hate each other but we're all interested in bringing the best possible music-making to London."
