Patricia Kopatchinskaja: Dies Irae
The innovative violinist evokes humanity’s final day on earth, a ‘day of wrath’, in a staged reflection of our collective awakening to climate change.
Through music old and new, Kopatchinskaja, one of our Resident Artists for Spring/Summer 2024, leads a musician’s reaction to a deeply threatened world.
This formidable performance features a repertoire of music that is by turns furious, impassioned and unsettling, culminating in Galina Ustwolskaja’s merciless Dies Irae and the Gregorian chant that inspired it, a striking signal marking the end of humanity.
First presented at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, Dies Irae was described by The Times as a ‘powerful reaction to climate change’. As Kopatchinskaja puts it: ‘Dies Irae is a reflection on our time, the climate disaster, our last day. Humanity is not infinite – but maybe our sounds and thoughts remain somewhere in the memory of the universe.’
Under a veil of video projections, lighting and theatrical staging, Kopatchinskaja, joined by the ever-original Aurora Orchestra, asks you to leave your comfort zone and join her in the fight for our world’s future.
Need to know
Haze and flashing lights are used in this performance.
Find out more about the music with our free programme.
View the programme
For your visit
This event is held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall Southbank Centre
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is open from 90 minutes before events start until they finish. It’s closed at all other times.
Plan your visit
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is home to both our second-largest auditorium and the Purcell Room.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.