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To mark Piano Day, which takes place on the 88th day of the year – the same number of keys on a piano, a varied line-up of musicians will present a programme of well-known film and TV scores to coincide with The Death of Stalin – Live in Concert taking place in the Barbican Hall the same evening.  

Pieces included in this year’s mixed programme will come from films and television programmes including True Detective: Night Country (HBO), The Buccaneers (Apple TV+), Living (starring Bill Nighy), Only You (starring Laia Costa and Josh O’Connor), Keeping Faith (BBC), I May Destroy You (BBC) and the John Lewis Christmas ad ‘She’s Always A Woman’. 

This year’s performers will be: Poppy Ackroyd, AVAWAVES, Fyfe Dangerfield, Oli Julian & Nick Foster, Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch, Laurence Love Greed, Vince Pope & Hughie Gavin’s choir - Institute Collective, Kate Simko, Tawiah and Athena Varosio. 

Founded in 2015, Piano Day is an annual worldwide event brought to life by composer, producer and celebrated performer Nils Frahm (who will perform at the Barbican in July this year) and a group of likeminded people. The event aims to raise the profile of the piano globally, inspiring more piano players of all ages and abilities as well as promoting piano playing in public spaces. 

Nils Frahm says: “Why does the world need a Piano Day? For many reasons. But mostly, because it doesn’t hurt to celebrate the piano and everything around it: performers, composers, piano builders, tuners, movers and most important, the listener.” 

Produced by the Barbican with Manners McDade & Faber Music

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This summer, Whiplash – In Concert comes to the Barbican with a live soundtrack performed by Benoît Sourisse and André Charlier’s Multiquarium Big Band, conducted by Rémi Biet. 

With Justin Hurwitz’s simmering score performed live and in perfect synchronisation by the Multiquarium Big Band, audiences will be able to immerse themselves afresh in the sometimes ruthless world of a prestigious New York jazz school as they rediscover Damien Chazelle’s 2014 masterpiece Whiplash. 

Whiplash is the story of Andrew (Miles Teller), a young and promising drummer in pursuit of perfection while facing the incessant and uncompromising critiques of his teacher, Mr. Fletcher (J. K. Simmons). Much like Andrew, drummer André Charlier will have the challenging task of following every baton movement with total precision, showcasing the art of films in concert at its peak.  

Composer and screenwriter Justin Hurwitz & director, screenwriter and producer Damien Chazelle are long time collaborators and have worked together on Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench (2009), Whiplash (2014) La La Land (2016), First Man (2018) and Babylon (2022) which have earned them global recognition and numerous awards.   

Founded by longtime collaborators pianist Benoît Sourisse and drummer André Charlier in 2015, the Multiquarium Big Band have released multiple albums, exploring original compositions and works of the likes of Jaco Pastorius. Whiplash – In Concert is their latest project. Rémi Biet is a conductor as well as self-taught musician, mostly performing on saxophone, clarinet and shakuhachi, music writer and arranger.  

Produced by the Barbican 

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