Sibelius in the Summer

In June we look forward to a fabulous Firebird concert featuring a dazzling young Russian Virtuoso Violinist, an exciting World Premiere, a brilliant Operatic Overture and one of the most wonderful Symphonies in the repertoire…

Sibelius in Summer on 11 June at St George’s Hanover Square opens one of the most exciting musical masterpieces in the world of music with the Overture to Rossini’s Opera Il Barbiere di Siviglia, or The Barber of Seville.

Conducted by our very own Michael Thrift, this promises to be a top quality evening full of fantastic music and introducing some fresh new stars to share Firebird’s concert platform.

Russian violinist Yury Revich is the soloist for an incredible display of virtuosity in Paganini’s Violin Concerto No 2.

Composed in Italy in 1826, this is far more than a display of musical fireworks as it also displays great richness and melodic style.

It is always exciting to stage a World Premiere and this year we are delighted to present the first ever performance of Angela Slater’s Twilight Inversions – the winning entry in the Firebird Composer of the Year competition.

A rising star as a composer, Angela Slater has recently participated in the St Magnus Composition Course 2017, working with Alasdair Nicholson and Sally Beamish and the Britten-Pears Young Artists Composers’ Course 2017, where she has worked with Olivier Knussen and Colin Matthews.

And the major work in the second half is the Symphony No. 5 Op. 82 by Jean Sibelius. Composed in 1915 it was composed to celebrate the composer’s 50th birthday as a commission from the Finnish Government. This monumental work helped earn Sibelius the accolade of a National Hero.

Sibelius in Summer

Tuesday 11 June 2019 7.30pm
St George’s Hanover Square, London

Rossini / Paganini / Slater / Sibelius

Michael Thrift conductor
Yury Revich violin