American composer Augusta Read Thomas is celebrated for her clarity, vitality and inventiveness, and on December 14 there is the opportunity to hear the world premiere of Helios Choros II co-commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra and Boston Symphony Orchestra. This large orchestral work will be premiered at the Barbican by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Harding. This 20 minute work is part of a triptych of Helios works written by the composer. Augusta Read Thomas imagined a ballet about the Greek sun god Helios, who drives his chariot across the sky every day. The outer sections of the ballet received their first performances in 2007, in Dallas and Paris respectively and although the composer intends the music for a fully staged production in the future, all three sections can be performed on their own or in any combination of two.
