Pianist Opens York Guildhall Orchestra Season

The York Guildhall Orchestra, York Barbican’s resident orchestra, will start a new journey through a cycle of symphonies in their 34th season.

The series of Saturday concerts in the 2013-2014 programme will begin on October 19, followed by February 8 and May 17 next year.

Last season concluded the orchestra’s progress through all of Gustav Mahler’s symphonies and now the focus will fall on the inspiring Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.

“These are very different works to those of Mahler, but no less technically challenging for the orchestra – and absolutely glorious music to listen to,” says director Simon Wright. “We shall play his first symphony along with the stirring Finlandia in our February concert.”

The first of this season’s soloists will be pianist Alessandro Taverno, who will join the orchestra for Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No 3 in October.

Violinist David Greed, will feature in February. He is the leader of Opera North and has guest-led such orchestras as the City of Birmingham, BBC Philharmonic, Hallé, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Northern Sinfonia, Royal Opera House, Manchester Camerata and English National Ballet. John Wallace will return to play with the Guildhall again in May, this time performing Hummel’s Trumpet Concerto.