RSNO Christmas Concert

Get into the festive spirit with popular seasonal classics in this annual Christmas Concert at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall. The performance features music and film footage from Howard Blake's The Snowman, as well as with sing-a-long carols and Christmas classics.

Piano Nights

As autumn sets in, the cream of classical piano talent descends on Provence for Piano Nights (Les Nuits Pianistiques). A five-month series of classical music concerts, it is held in towns across the region, including Marseille and Aix-en-Provence.

BBC Symphony Orchestra Sibelius Symphony Cycle

Throughout its 2011/2012 Barbican season the BBC Symphony Orchestra programmes all Sibelius's symphonies. Sakari Oramo conducts Symphony No 3, Jukka Pekka Sarase both Nos 6 & 7, Kirill Karabits No 4, Neeme Järvi No 2, John Storgårds No 5 and Alexander Vedernikov No 1.

Oramo (28 October) also conducts Bax's Tintagel and, with his wife, soprano Anu Komsi, Sibelius' Luonnotar and Saariaho's Leino Songs (UK première). On 16 December Saraste includes Bartók's Dance Suite and Kurtág's ...concertante... (UK première). Krabbits (24 February) is also joined by Khatia Buniatishvili for Prokofiev's First Piano Concerto and conducts Stravinsky's Petrushka.

Albany Winter Festival

Jugglers, musicians and pony rides await visitors to Albany Winter Festival, celebrated all over downtown Albany. The festival begins at the State Room on Eagle Street with the children's Jingle Jog, ending with fireworks on the lawn of the Capitol.

Academy Park hosts activities for all ages including horse and carriage and pony rides, the Northland Newfoundland Club Dog Sleds and several reindeer. In Lodge Street you can witness the creation of the Albany Winter Festival mural by artists from the Upstate Artists Guild. A visit to Ten Eyck Plaza is a must for those with little children, with mini golf tracks, fire jugglers and covered barns.