Written in just three days, Shostakovich’s Festive Overture is a dazzling tour de force, demanding breathtaking agility from the whole orchestra.
Also written in haste, the Karelia Suite by Sibelius is one of his most popular works, its shimmering textures and bold melodies celebrating the composer’s native Finland.
Prokofiev’s dynamic and colourful First Piano Concerto was written when he was a student; Prokofiev premiered the Concerto himself, considering it to be his first mature work.
This programme culminates in the grandeur of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition orchestrated by Ravel, each movement vividly conjuring up a different scene.
An all-British programme, including Walton's Cello Concerto performed by Laura van der Heijden, BBC Young Musician 2012, and Elgar's 'Enigma' Variations.
Enrique Bátiz conducts Sibelius' Violin Concerto, with soloist Jack Liebeck, and Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony, preceded by Wagner's Overture to The Flying Dutchman.
Smetana's Bartered Bride Overture and Dvořák's Symphony No.7 frame Chopin's First Piano Concerto with soloist Leon McCawley, under the baton of Czech conductor Libor Pešek.
A concert of music by one of Britain's most dynamic composers, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, including his Sixth Symphony, Violin Concerto No.1, and the irrepressible Orkney Wedding.
A heady mix of new music and established classics, including the London premiere of Tarik O'Regan's Heart of Darkness Suite and Sibelius' Symphony No.2.
A sumptuous array of film and theatre music by Leonard Bernstein, including songs from West Side Story, Candide, On The Town, Wonderful Town and Trouble in Tahiti, alongside orchestral gems.
