The internationally-renowned English Symphony Orchestra return to their historic home in Malvern Theatres for the first time in nearly ten years on Thursday the 8th of October for an evening of music by Elgar and Brahms featuring up-and-coming violin superstar Alexander Sitkovetsky. He is perhaps the last protégé of former ESO Principal Guest Conductor Yehudi Menuhin, whose recording of the Elgar Violin Concerto is one of the monuments of recorded music.

The concert is part of the ESO’s highly-anticipated “Elgar Pilgrimage” series of concerts, which opens with the world premiere of a new choral version of Sea Pictures in Hereford Cathedral on 7 October, and continues in Elgar Concert Hall at the University of Birmingham on October 9 and 10 where the festival concludes with the world premiere of a new symphonic arrangement of Elgar’s Piano Quintet by Donald Fraser.

The programme opens with Elgar’s first orchestral masterpiece, his swaggering “Froissart” Overture, and continues with a work very close to Elgar’s heart, Brahms’ Third Symphony, which Elgar chose as the subject of one of his famous lectures at Birmingham University, where he was the first Professor of Music. The programme concludes with Elgar’s epic and virtuosic Violin Concerto, written for Fritz Kreisler. “Brahms’ Third and the Elgar Violin Concerto are both very personal, even confessional works,” comments the ESO’s Principal Conductor Kenneth Woods. “Both pieces are full of secret musical codes and oblique references to lost and forbidden loves.”

The English Symphony Orchestra has been attracting great national and international critical attention since Kenneth Woods was appointed to succeed Vernon Handley in 2013, but Woods believes the future of the orchestra is really in creating strong community connections. “Malvern has always been home to the orchestra. An orchestra can’t survive these days without a strong sense of community engagement and commitment. I’m excited about this concert not only because it will be a wonderful musical event, but because it marks an important new chapter in our relationship with our audience in Malvern.”

English Symphony Orchestra play Brahms and Elgar

Thursday 8th October 7.45pm

Tickets from £22.96-£33.04 (including booking fee).

Box Office: 01684 892277

http://www.malvern-theatres.co.uk/events/event/english-symphony-orchestra-2015/