Patricia Kopatchinskaja is set to captivate audiences at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and at the Wiener Konzerthaus on 21 and 26 February with one of her signature projects, Dies Irae. This project offers a staged reflection on humanity’s awakening to climate change, portraying a ​‘day of wrath’ through music old and new.

As one of the Southbank Centre Resident Artists 2024, Kopatchinskaja leads a musician’s response to our deeply threatened world, featuring works by George Crumb, Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, John Dowland and more, culminating in Galina Ustwolskaja’s merciless Dies Irae and the Gregorian chant that inspired it. Notably, a powerful performance of Kopatchinskaja’s Dies Irae project was featured at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021 and lauded by The Times as a ​“powerful reaction to climate change”.

Under a veil of video projections, lighting, and theatrical staging, Kopatchinskaja, accompanied by Aurora Orchestra, invites audiences to step out of their comfort zones and join the fight for our world’s future. Other performers include Michael Wendeberg on piano, organ, and harpsichord, as well as the Aurora Voices. Looking ahead, Kopatchinskaja will continue her exploration of Dies Irae offering another evening of profound musical reflection and a call to action for our planet’s future at the Wiener Konzerthaus as the featured Portrait Artist for this season.