The Metropolitan Orchestra: From Russia With Love
The Metropolitan Orchestra’s second Met Concert for 2017 From Russia With Love has a distinctly Russian flavour with the bonus of two Australian soloists and a World Premiere performance.
Conducted by Artistic Director and Chief Conductor Sarah-Grace Williams, the orchestra opens the programme with the rollicking Overture for Ruslan and Ludmilla by Mikhail Glinka followed by one of the greatest piano concertos of all time, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto Number 2. The epic concerto sees the welcome return of Australian pianist Benjamin Kopp. Benjamin has performed as soloist with the Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Western Australian Symphony Orchestras and join’s TMO for the second time for this masterful performance.
The second half of the performance will begin with the world premiere performance of The Bright Seraphim from Australian composer Jim Coyle and featuring Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s Principal Trumpet Anthony Heinrichs as soloist on Piccolo Trumpet. “Being able to offer a platform for new Australian Music to be heard is fundamental to TMO’s philosophy of supporting our sensational home-grown musical talent,” says Sarah-Grace Williams.
Closing the evening’s programme will be Shostakovich’s Symphony No 9, often referred to as his ‘Classical’ symphony. The work is considerably shorter in length than many of his other symphonies with a much lighter and joyous mood. An ideal upbeat way to finish this unique evening of performance.
