Adam Wakeman, Ozzy Osbourne's longtime keyboard player and son of YES legend Rick Wakeman, has revealed extensive details about the creative vision behind the BLACK SABBATH "Classical" orchestra tour in a new interview following the project's announcement at the MIDEM 2026 conference in Cannes. Wakeman explained that the central challenge was converting Tony Iommi's iconic heavy guitar riffs -- the very foundation stones upon which all heavy metal was built -- into classical arrangements that preserve their crushing power and dark menace while unlocking new emotional dimensions.
The connection between BLACK SABBATH and classical music runs deeper than many realize. Iommi's riff construction has always drawn from a compositional discipline that shares DNA with classical traditions -- the use of tritone intervals, minor key progressions, and thematic development across songs mirrors techniques employed by composers from Bach to Holst. Wakeman's arrangements aim to illuminate these connections rather than simply transpose metal songs into an orchestral context.
Each show will feature both the original and classical versions performed by local philharmonic orchestras at major venues worldwide, with approximately four guitar players brought in to handle the electric elements. The production promises state-of-the-art graphics and immersive sound systems designed to create a multisensory experience that goes far beyond a typical concert. Sharon Osbourne and promoter Andy Copping, who presented the concept at MIDEM, described the project as "very, very exciting."
A U.K. premiere at the Royal Albert Hall is being targeted as the launch event -- a fitting venue given its association with orchestral grandeur and its storied history of hosting boundary-pushing musical events. The project also carries a poignant personal dimension: Rick Wakeman himself performed with BLACK SABBATH in the 1970s, appearing on the "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" album, making Adam's involvement a generational continuation of the Wakeman-Sabbath musical connection.