Afternoon Performance: Alban Gerhardt Plays Britten's Cello Symphony
14:00
Thu 12 Mar 2026
City Halls
Don鈥檛 miss our new Early Bird Rate!
拢16 if bought in advance. 拢19.00 if bought less than two weeks before concert (拢6 for Students & Under 26s)
Programme
- Aurora(10 mins)
- Cello Symphony(34 mins)
- interval
- Falstaff(30 mins)
- The Young Person鈥檚 Guide to the Orchestra(17 mins)
Performers
- Alban Gerhardtcello
- Ryan WigglesworthConductor
About this Concert
Commissioned in 1945 by the Ministry of Education for a children鈥檚 film titled 鈥淚nstruments of the Orchestra鈥�, Britten鈥檚 cheery tour de force is the perfect excuse to show off the considerable talents of the 麻豆社 SSO鈥檚 individual players. You鈥檒l also be stunned by the 鈥渃onsummate artistry鈥� (The Guardian) of Alban Gerhardt as he performs Britten鈥檚 deeply expressive Cello Symphony, originally written for the great Russian virtuoso Mstislav Rostropovich.
This orchestra has a long history with the music of Thea Musgrave鈥攑erforming a remarkable 36 works by the Scottish composer since 1955. Like Elgar鈥檚 work which depicts the larger-than-life fictional character of Sir John Falstaff, Musgrave鈥檚 Aurora is inspired by the enchanting imagination of William Shakespeare.