Pekka Kuusisto, Sam Amidon and musicians of the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
Willows Album Launch
Platoon Presents at Kings Place
Violinist Pekka Kuusisto and musicians of the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra bring their new album ‘Willows’ to the stage – a quietly radical programme featuring Vaughan Williams’ ‘The Lark Ascending’, Ellen Reid’s ‘Desiderium’, Caroline Shaw’s ‘Plan & Elevation’, and songs by Sam Amidon arranged by Nico Muhly. A concert of remembrance, renewal, and musical storytelling.
Experience Pekka Kuusisto’s new album Willows in concert – a deeply personal and transformative programme from the Finnish violinist and musicians of the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. At the album’s heart lies a re-imagining of Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending, stripping away a century of sentiment to reveal the quiet radicalism within this iconic work.
The evening unfolds as a meditation on memory and resilience. Ellen Reid’s Desiderium for solo violin, inspired by family and dedicated to Kuusisto’s late brother, Jaakko, offers an intimate reflection on love and loss. This is complimented by Caroline Shaw’s crystalline Plan & Elevation. American folk singer Sam Amidon joins the ensemble with songs arranged by Nico Muhly.
Named for a tree whose light is never still, Willows is about remembrance, and the power of music to hold space for the past while pointing us toward the present.
‘Pekka Kuusisto…surely has the most personal sound of any classical violinist now alive’ Ivan Hewett, The Telegraph
Click here to preview Willows on Apple Music.
This event will last approximately 80 minutes.
Concessions & Under 30s tickets
Kings Place Concessions Tickets
We want to ensure that people who may be struggling financially to purchase a ticket can still enjoy visiting Kings Place. A limited number of tickets are allocated for certain events (if the ticket type does not show in the booking pathway, it means they are not available for this event or have all been sold). Concessions tickets are accessible for people on the following criteria (for more information visit our FAQs)
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Disability Benefit
- Income Support or Job Seekers allowance
- Students
£10 ‘Under 30s’ tickets
A limited number of £10 tickets for attendees aged under 30 are available for certain shows. To purchase an ‘Under 30s’ ticket, please choose the ‘Under 30s’ price type when selecting your ticket(s). If the option does not appear, this means all ‘Under 30s’ tickets have sold out or are not available for this performance. Please note that proof of age may be requested at the venue. The £10 offer does not apply to premium price categories.
Plan your visit
Getting here
Kings Place is situated just a few minutes’ walk from King’s Cross and St Pancras stations, one of the most connected locations in London and now the biggest transport hub in Europe.
Our address is:
90 York Way, London, N1 9AG.
The Venue
Our performance spaces are situated on the lower ground floor. Hall One, Hall Two and St Pancras are located in level -2, reached by stairs, escalator and lift from the ground floor entrance level.
Event Times
Door times indicate auditorium entrance times only. Visitors are welcome to enjoy the Kings Place seating areas, gallery-level art, canal-side terrace, café, restaurant and bar throughout the day and evening.
- Our events begin promptly at the advertised start time. Typically, there is no support unless otherwise stated.
- We recommend arriving in good time before the performance. The Hall doors will open 30 minutes before the performance to allow time to take your seats, or to choose a space for standing shows.
- Latecomers will be admitted at a suitable break in the performance where possible
Access
We aim to make your visit to Kings Place as comfortable as possible. For more information about the accessibility of Kings Place, including details about our Access Scheme, please visit this page.
If you would like to discuss your access requirements with a member of our team, please get in touch with the Box Office team at info@kingsplace.co.uk.
Food & Drink
Rotunda Bar & Restaurant
Rotunda, situated on the ground floor of Kings Place, offers a unique dining and drinking experience alongside Regent’s Canal. The concert bar in the venue foyer will also be open for select events.
Green & Fortune Café
Recently re-furbished and now open with a new look, the Green & Fortune Café is open for selected concerts. Serving hot and cold food and drinks, including sandwiches, salads, soup, stew and a pie of the day, alongside a choice of cakes made by the on-site bakery team. See here for selected concert dates and standard opening hours.
Pekka Kuusisto
Violinist, conductor, and composer Pekka Kuusisto is internationally recognised for his visionary artistry and creative freedom, establishing him as one of today’s most compelling artists. He is Artistic Director of Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor & Artistic Co-Director of Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony, and Chief Conductor designate of Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra from April 2028. He joins the TMSO as Artist in Residence for a two-year term from April 2026, appearing both as conductor and violinist.
Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
Since its formation in 1977, the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra has established itself as one of the foremost chamber orchestras on the international classical music scene. Renowned for its refined sound and innovative approach to concert presentation, the NCO is made up of Norway’s finest instrumentalists, including its 26 core members who work together as a collective, thereby developing its distinctive performing style and dynamic culture.
Sam Amidon
Sam Amidon is a singer and multi-instrumentalist (banjo, guitar, fiddle) originally from Vermont, now based in London. He has released seven acclaimed solo albums of songs on Bedroom Community and Nonesuch Records. Amidon’s material for these albums often consists of adventurous reworkings of traditional ballads, hymns and work songs, with the New York Times writing that Amidon ‘transforms all of the songs, changing their colours and loading them with trapdoors.’ The albums have been deeply collaborative in nature, inviting contributions from musicians such as pianist/producer Thomas Bartlett, composer Nico Muhly, multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily, and guitarist Bill Frisell.
