LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Sir ANTONIO PAPPANO (conductor), VILDE FRANG (violin)

Edward Elgar was a richly inventive composer with a unique character, one of the finest European Romantic artists and the very finest exponent of British music in his day. His violin concerto is classically structured but tonally ambiguous and is considered one of the most demanding in the repertoire. Gustav Mahler, who was working in the same period, likewise left an extraordinary mark on musical history. Today his oeuvre occupies an important place in the repertoire of every major conductor and orchestra. His first symphony takes us from the awakening of nature, past a wounded heart, to a final triumphant apotheosis. The two works will be directed by the charismatic conductor Sir Antonio Pappano, who will take up the role of chief conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra in the 2024/25 season, having previously been music director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden for 22 years. Over the course of the past century, the LSO has established itself as one of the world’s great musical institutions. It reaches international audiences with tours, artistic residences, digital partnerships and an extensive programme of live broadcasts. The soloist in the first part of the concert will be the internationally acclaimed violinist Vilde Frang, praised by critics for her recordings of composers including Sergei Prokofiev, Jean Sibelius, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Benjamin Britten, Carl Nielsen, among others.

Programme:
Edward Elgar: Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61
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Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D major “Titan”