This image: Carolin Widmann
Cambridge Live Trust’s Andrew Burton takes a look at this year’s concert season
On Friday 28 October, the 30th anniversary season of the Cambridge Classical Concert Series opens at Cambridge Corn Exchange with a concert by the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Opening with Rossini’s jaunty William Tell Overture, the programme also features soloist Carolin Widmann giving a mesmerising performance of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto and concludes with Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2, ranging from moments of great tenderness to an exhilarating finale that will simply leave you breathless. The conductor is Alexander Shelley, who was named last year as principal associate conductor of the Royal Philharmonic.
On Tuesday 15 November, the Czech National Symphony Orchestra presents an outstanding concert conducted by its chief conductor Libor Pešek. After Schubert’s delicate Unfinished Symphony, Natalie Clein takes centre stage with a brilliant performance of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1, ranging in tone from tender, folk-inspired melodies to outpourings of raw emotion. Also high in emotions is in Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 with which the concert ends.
Zürich Chamber Orchestra marks its Corn Exchange debut on Saturday 3 December with a programme which includes two pieces by Mozart; Symphony No. 33 and the delightful Piano Concerto No. 14. In her first performance as the Corn Exchange, artist-in-residence Alison Balsom performs Hummel’s Trumpet Concerto and ends the evening in style with a spirited joint performance of Shostakovich’s joyous Concerto for Piano, Strings and Trumpet, alongside the effervescent Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero.
Another highlight of the 2016/17 Cambridge Classical Series is on Saturday 21 January 2017 when the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Robert Ziegler, presents a celebration of the musical genius of film composer John Williams. For this Cambridge Classical Series 30th anniversary concert, the orchestra will perform a medley of instantly recognisable film score melodies including music from Superman, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Harry Potter, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Schindler’s List and many more.
Later in the series, Alison Balsom (left) presents a beautifully nuanced recital; the world-renowned Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre’s chief conductor Tugan Sokhiev returns; there are also return appearances by Moscow Philharmonic and the ever-popular European Union Chamber Orchestra; and a finale concert in June 2017 by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with soloist Alison Balsom.
You can save up to £100 by subscribing to six, seven or all eight concerts or you can save up to 20{b486c5a37ab2d325d17e17d701cb2567b1ecd1814e8ceb33effa2a4f1f171d46} by taking advantage of the multibuy offer when booking three, four or five concerts at the same time. Individual concerts are also now on sale.
Bookings via Cambridge Live Tickets.
