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Saturday 24 October 2026 Irène Duval - Violin
Borodin – Overture, Prince Igor
Glinka – Kamarinskaya
Bruch – Violin Concerto No.1
Dvořák – Symphony No.9
“From the New World”
We’ve plenty of favourites to start our season. Borodin’s Prince Igor Overture makes a powerful introduction to the operatic story of his struggles against invading forces. Glinka’s particularly interesting Kamarinskaya became famous as the first orchestral work based solely on Russian folk song. We then welcome Irène Duval to play Bruch’s brilliant 1st Violin Concerto. And finally there’s Dvořák’s ever-popular New World Symphony.
Sunday 29 November 2026 at 3pm * Samrat Majumder - Guitar
A Family Concert!
Bizet – Carmen Suite No.1
Rodrigo – Concierto de Aranjuez
(Guitar Concerto)
Grieg – Peer Gynt Suite No.1
Tchaikovsky – Nutcracker Suite No.1
There’s plenty here for all ages to enjoy. Bizet’s Carmen Suite ends with the famous “March of the Toreadors”. Rodrigo’s Guitar Concerto is increasingly popular, with its haunting slow movement and ebullient Spanish rhythms. We welcome a young prize-winning guitarist, Samrat Majumder, to play it. Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite begins with the tender sounds of “Morning”, but ends with a flourish “In the hall of the mountain king”. Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite has all the best-known bits of the ballet, including “Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy” and “Waltz of the Flowers”.
*Please note this is a Sunday afternoon concert
starting at 3pm
Saturday 30 January 2027 Armand Dijkoloum - Oboe
Wagner – Prelude, Act 3, Lohengrin
Richard Strauss – Oboe Concerto
Rachmaninov – Symphony No.2
We’ve a whizz-bang start to this concert courtesy of Wagner and his effervescent Prelude to Act 3 of Lohengrin. There’s then a big change of mood for Richard Strauss’ beautiful Oboe Concerto, with its chamber music and pastoral feel. Written in 1945, it was one of the last works he composed, aged 81, during what is often described by biographers as his “Indian summer.” Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony has everything, with its lush, romantic tunes and big-scale orchestration. The manuscript was lost, but it finally re-emerged and was auctioned in 2014 for over £1.2 million.
Saturday 20 March 2027
Kasparas Mikužis - Piano
Mozart - Overture, The Magic Flute
Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No.1
Beethoven - Symphony No.3 “Eroica”
Mozart is the key here. He was Tchaikovsky’s favourite composer and a great influence on Beethoven. The Magic Flute overture is one of Mozart’s finest, and we then welcome an outstanding young Lithuanian pianist to play Tchaikovsky’s much-loved First Piano Concerto.
Beethoven died on 26 March 1827, so our concert is within days of the 200th anniversary. His Eroica Symphony is one of his greatest with its magnificent slow movement Funeral March and exciting scherzo and finale.
View the concert flyer
Saturday 15 May 2027
Callum Smart - Violin
Smetana - Overture, The Bartered Bride
Elgar - Violin Concerto
Mahler - Symphony No.1 “Titan”
We’ve two masterworks to end our season, but we start with one of the most vivacious of romantic overtures, Smetana’s The Bartered Bride. It’s a joy to welcome Callum Smart back to MSO. It’s almost a musical family, as his first ever violin teacher is now our renowned Leader, Andy Laing. Elgar wrote of his Violin Concerto: "It's good! Too emotional, but I love it." Mahler conducted more performances of his First Symphony than any of his later works, and he used a very large orchestra, capable of great panache and fire.