27 BBC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and ALEXEI VOLODIN

Inspired by this year’s Shakespeare anniversary and his most famous pair of characters, the BBC Symphony Orchestra presents an evening of orchestral virtuosity on the biggest of themes: love.

Alexander Vedernikov Conductor
Alexei Volodin Piano

Glinka Russlan and Ludmilla
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 Op. 18
Tippett Ritual Dances from The Midsummer Marriage
Prokofiev Excerpts from Romeo and Juliet

Glinka’s energetic curtain-raiser is filled with breezy excitement and heroic exuberance and sits in contrast to the highly passionate and richly sonorous second concerto by fellow-Russian Sergei Rachmaninov. The second half of the concert brings extracts from
Prokofiev’s ballet Romeo and Juliet and Tippett’s opera The Midsummer Marriage where the themes of love, marriage, death and enlightenment are explored in glitteringly virtuosic orchestrations.

Alexander Vedernikov returns to Orkney having visited previously with the BBC SO and for this concert he is joined by the extraordinary Russian pianist Alexei Volodin playing the Festival’s new Steinway Piano for the first time in a concerto performance.

Click here to hear Suzie Klein talk about Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2

Tickets £25, £20, £12 Concessions £19, £15, £9