(Credit: Robert Workman)

The Academy of Ancient Music will open its first season under new Music Director Laurence Cummings on Sept. 28 with a performance co-produced by the Barbican.

The evening, which will celebrate new beginnings, will see Cummings direct Haydn’s “The Creation.” The work will be enhanced with a stunning visual narrative from leading projection designer Nina Dunn.

Cummings will conduct soloists Mary Bevan, Stuart Jackson, Brindley Sherratt, Rachel Redmond and Ashley Riches.

In a statement, Cummings said, “The Creation is the most life affirming work, a paean to joy that teems with energy. It manages to rejoice in nature with such spirituality without demanding belief in any set of systems. I’m interested in how we can live the drama of the piece and find something that’s very human. We want to enhance people’s understanding of the work and the arc of its journey from chaos to beautiful order. They won’t be just soothed, but experience something engaging, and ultimately transformative.”

The 2021-22 season will see the AAM perform at the Barbican, Milton Court, and West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge.