The Barbican celebrates Nonesuch Records in the label's 50th anniversary year with a marathon weekend, May 17 and 18. Entitled Explorations: The Sound of Nonesuch Records, this curated weekend of events includes five London concerts taking place in LSO St Luke's, Guildhall School's new Milton Court Concert Hall, and the Barbican Hall. The marathon weekend is part of a wider Nonesuch celebration at the Barbican that will include further one-off concerts and collaborations throughout May 2014, featuring a breadth of artists associated with the label and in the spirit of it.

For a taste of what's to come, the Barbican has devoted the latest edition (April 2014) of its monthly Contemporary Music Podcast to the events in May, featuring interviews with Nonesuch Records President Bob Hurwitz and with two of the featured performers, Carolina Chocolate Drops' Rhiannon Giddens and composer/pianist Timo Andres. "Musical visionaries and true pioneers have been recorded by the label in the last 50 years," says the Barbican, "and here we celebrate their legacy, their free spirit and what's still to come." Listen to the podcast here:

Featured among the Explorations: The Sound of Nonesuch Records marathon weekend's events are performances by artists including Jonny Greenwood, Kronos Quartet, Brad Mehldau, Timo Andres, Sam Amidon, Natalie Merchant, Rhiannon Giddens, Olivia Chaney, and others performing works by Greenwood, Mehldau, Andres, Steve Reich, John Adams, Philip Glass, Frederic Rzewski, Henryk Górecki, Donnacha Dennehy, and more.

Satellite events include: a double-bill by Devendra Banhart and Rokia Traoré, who are sharing an "unplugged" evening featuring recent and past material (2 May, Barbican Hall); a rare appearance by Natalie Merchant with material from her new self-titled album (10 & 11 May, Milton Court); Kronos at 40 featuring newly commissioned works by favorite composers and collaborators from throughout Kronos' history, including a UK premiere by Philip Glass and world premieres by Bryce Dessner and Jarvis Cocker (13 May, Barbican Hall); former Battles front man Tyondai Braxton presenting the UK premiere of his new project Hive (20 May, Oval Space); pianist Jeremy Denk in a program of Bach’s Goldberg Variations and Ligeti's Études (24 May, LSO St Luke’s); Emmylou Harris performing her Grammy Award winning album Wrecking Ball with Daniel Lanois, Steven Nistor and Jim Wilson (25 & 26 May, Barbican Hall); Caetano Veloso presenting material from his new album Abraçaço (27 May, Barbican Hall); and father-and-son collaboration Toumani & Sidiki Diabaté (30 May, Barbican Hall).

As part of Explorations: The Sound of Nonesuch Records, the complimentary Barbican Guildhall Creative Learning program will introduce 100 Waltham Forest primary school children aged 8–10 to the music released on Nonesuch. Students will receive performances of Steve Reich’s Different Trains and will also be encouraged to explore the music further through song, rhythm making, listening and discussion. These Barbican Guildhall Creative Learning initiated performances take place throughout the year, enabling pupils and their teachers to deliver the national curriculum at Key Stage 2, whilst also gaining a taste of the music that is performed at the Barbican.

For more information on all of these events, visit barbican.org.uk/explorations.