pic by Hannah Blake-Fathers

The CBSO is thrilled to announce that global law firm DLA Piper’s Birmingham office has renewed its partnership with the orchestra for a fourth consecutive year. Spanning concerts at the heart of the CBSO’s 2026-27 Season and performances designed to reach broad and diverse audiences, DLA Piper’s concert sponsorship will range from Kazuki Yamada conducting Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony on 4 February 2027 - part of the Beethoven at 200 celebration which forms a central part to this season - and Alisa Weilerstein performing Elgar’s Cello Concerto on 2 December 2026, through to Symphonic ABBA on 22 April 2027 and 50 Years of Star Wars on 23 January 2027.

DLA Piper’s backing helps the CBSO continue delivering an eclectic and ambitious season programme, reflecting the orchestra’s commitment to sharing exceptional music with the widest possible audiences.

Emma Phillips, Birmingham Office Managing Partner at DLA Piper, said:

"We are delighted to renew our partnership with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra for a fourth consecutive year. The CBSO is a cornerstone of Birmingham's cultural community, bringing world-class music to audiences across the region and beyond.

At DLA Piper, we are committed to supporting the communities in which we operate, and we are proud to support an organisation that not only delivers exceptional performances but also creates meaningful opportunities for people of all backgrounds to engage with music. We look forward to continuing our partnership and supporting another exciting season for the CBSO and its audiences."

Emma Stenning, CEO of the The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra said:

"On behalf of the entire CBSO family, I would like to express our sincere thanks to DLA Piper for renewing their support of the orchestra’s activities for the coming season. In particular, I wish to thank Emma Phillips and Siona Spillett for their leadership and steadfast championing of our partnership. We look forward to another year of outstanding music-making at our Birmingham home with the support of DLA Piper, and to continuing to deepen our partnership around a shared ambition to broaden the reach of orchestral music.”

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is an internationally celebrated symphony orchestra, at home in Birmingham. A family of 90 incredible musicians, led by Music Director Kazuki Yamada, proud to make exciting musical experiences that matter to the people of Birmingham, the West Midlands and beyond.

Resident at Symphony Hall, the orchestra’s musicians perform over 150 concerts each year in Birmingham, the UK and around the world, with music that ranges from classics to contemporary, soundtracks to symphonies, and everything in between. With a far-reaching community and education programme, a ground-breaking partnership with Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust, and a family of choruses and youth ensembles, it is involved in every aspect of music-making in the Midlands – and has been for more than 100 years.

This longstanding tradition started with the orchestra’s very first symphonic concert in 1920 – conducted by Sir Edward Elgar. Ever since then, through war, recessions, social change and civic renewal, the CBSO has been proudly ‘Birmingham’s orchestra’. Under principal conductors including Adrian Boult, George Weldon, Andrzej Panufnik and Louis Frémaux, the CBSO won an artistic reputation that spread far beyond the Midlands. But it was when it discovered the young British conductor Simon Rattle in 1980 that the CBSO became internationally famous – and showed how the arts can help give a new sense of direction to a whole city.

Rattle’s successors, Sakari Oramo, Andris Nelsons and Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, helped cement that global reputation and continued to build on the CBSO’s tradition of flying the flag for Birmingham.

In April 2023, Emma Stenning was appointed Chief Executive and Kazuki Yamada took up the post of Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor, and in May 2024 became Music Director. Under their dynamic leadership, the orchestra continues to celebrate the joy of music and of Birmingham through creating unmissable and unforgettable musical experiences for all.