The Philharmonia Orchestra will present the UK premiere of Balls, a genre-defying opera by five-time Grammy winner and Academy Award-nominated composer Laura Karpman, at Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre on Thursday 20 November 2025.
Conducted by Marin Alsop, Balls reimagines the iconic 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. The match, watched by over 90 million viewers, became a pivotal moment in the fight for gender equality.
Karpman’s opera blends humour, theatricality and biting social commentary. With pastiche and electronic textures wrapped in a dazzling score, Balls transforms the spectacle of sport into a powerful allegory exploring celebrity, gender and power.
This performance marks the world premiere of Balls with a full orchestra, and forms part of the Philharmonia’s 80th anniversary season. Alsop, a long-time champion of Karpman’s work, will lead the orchestra in what promises to be a provocative and exhilarating evening.
The concert opens with Walton’s Façade, narrated by Nikola Printz, Nicky Spence and Lotte Betts Dean. A pre-concert discussion, Philharmonia Debates… Music & Gender, will also take place on the same day.
Nikola Printz and Nicky Spence will perform the lead roles of Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs respectively, with Emma Kennedy appearing as sports commentator Howard Cosell.
“There is a unique participation element in this performance,” the Philharmonia announced. “We’re inviting volunteers to be part of the ‘tennis crowd’, based in the choir stalls.”
Laura Karpman’s recent credits include American Fiction, Captain America: Brave New World, and Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed. Marin Alsop, one of the world’s leading conductors, will also conduct the Philharmonia at Carnegie Hall ahead of this performance.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
