ViiV HEALTHCARE TO SUPPORT THE UK AND EUROPE’S FIRST EVER PROFESSIONAL CLASSICAL CONCERT FOR PRIDE

London, 27 April 2023 – ViiV Healthcare, the global specialist HIV company majority owned by GSK, with Pfizer and Shionogi as shareholders, today announced a partnership with GAY TIMES to bring a unique classical concert to celebrate Pride, taking place on 7 July 2023 in the Barbican Hall.

Conceived and curated by conductor Oliver Zeffman, Classical Pride will be the first time any major arts institution in the UK or Europe has hosted a classical orchestral concert for Pride.

Queer composers have contributed enormously to the vast body of classical music we hear in our concert halls and opera houses. This concert will celebrate the diversity of the LGBT+ musical community, featuring performances from trailblazing classical stars including Pavel Kolesnikov, Samson Tsoy, Davóne Tines, Nicky Spence and Ella Taylor. The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra will be joined by an LGBT+ community choir, specially assembled for the occasion. Oliver Zeffman will lead them in works by Tchaikovsky, Poulenc, Bernstein, Caroline Shaw and a new commission from British composer Julian Anderson.

Deborah Waterhouse, CEO, ViiV Healthcare and Chair of GSK’s LGBT+ Council said: “The arts have long played an important role in shining a light on the LGBT+ community and we’re proud to partner with Oliver Zeffman and GAY TIMES on this truly ground-breaking event. It’s so important that companies like ViiV and GSK continue to play their part in championing diversity, equity and inclusion and events like Classical Pride provide a fantastic platform to do so.”

Oliver Zeffman said: “I’m hugely excited to be conducting the very first professional orchestral classical Pride concert. There is still so much progress to be made with LGBT+ rights – at home and across the world – and a concert celebrating the community’s enormous contribution to classical music feels long overdue.”

Josh Fletcher, Executive Creative Director, GAY TIMES said: "At GAY TIMES, championing and elevating LGBT+ artists from all disciplines has been at the forefront of both our online and experiential strategies. Classical Pride allows us to expand the genre's presence across the community, ensuring we're creating space for the community to celebrate Pride in a variety of ways. Music will always have a unique ability to bring people together, and we look forward to seeing even more queer talent take to the stage for the UK’s first classical concert for Pride.”

Classical Pride, where ViiV Healthcare is the headline sponsor, is also supported by MasterCard and Little Greene with all proceeds from the concert going to LGBT+ charities – Terrence Higgins Trust, GiveOut (via Amplifund) and Rainbow Railroad.