Council: Pekka Kuusisto & Gabriel Kahane
The multi-talented musical friends come together under the name Council to welcome us for an intimate evening of original songs, chamber and folk music.
After nearly a decade of musical friendship, it seems only fitting that the iconic Finnish musician Pekka Kuusisto and cult American singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane have formalised their collaboration under the moniker ‘Council.’
Now, they present an evening of intimate and sonically varied songs & chamber music, written during several writing retreats in Northern Karelia and Portland, Oregon.
The pair bring the music to life on a variety of instruments, including piano, electric guitar, electric and acoustic violins, harmonium, whistling and finely shaped vocals.
With this new body of work, Kuusisto and Kahane attempt to locate the universal in the personal, and vice versa: here are stories of individual and collective grief; of nostalgia, adolescence and memory-play; of the joy, wonder and perplexity of fatherhood in an era of global instability.
As they explore and deepen their own friendship on stage, these two relentlessly searching artists offer a musical tapestry depicting the complexities of life in the 21st century.
The programme includes works by Pekka Kuusisto and Gabriel Kahane, along with traditional Scandinavian folk music.
Pekka Kuusisto is a Southbank Centre Resident Artist for Classical Music: Autumn/Winter 2026/27.
Need to know
Times & tickets
Dates, times and prices
Dates & times
07 Nov 2026, 6pm
Standard entry
from £28 + £4 booking fee
Ticket prices may be adjusted without notice to reflect demand.
Concessions
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Multi-buy Autumn/Winter 26/27 discount
3 – 4 events: 10% discount
5 – 7 events: 15% discount
8 – 10 events: 20% discount
11 – 14 events: 25% discount
15+ events: 30% discount
Discounts apply to selected events, September 2026 – January 2027 inclusive. Offer can’t be combined with the Spring/Summer 2026 multi-buy.
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For your visit
This event is held at the Purcell Room Southbank Centre
The Purcell Room is located in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, which is open from 90 minutes before events start until they finish. It’s closed at all other times.
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The Purcell Room is an auditorium located within our Queen Elizabeth Hall.
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