Beethoven 8 & Shostakovich 15

Programme

Brilliance, wit and startling contrasts define this rich afternoon of Beethoven and Shostakovich.

Leonidas Kavakos conducts, while Featured Artist Nobuyuki Tsujii brings his extraordinary artistry to Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 – a dazzling work bursting with virtuosity, mischief and irrepressible energy. The late pianist Menahem Pressler wrote of Nobu, “I had to hold back my tears when I left the hall”, and audiences around the world continue to be captivated by his deeply expressive, life-affirming performances. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 reveals a different kind of genius: compact, playful and endlessly inventive, it sparkles with rhythmic surprises and exhilarating shifts of mood.

Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 15 opens the door to a more mysterious landscape, weaving together irony, nostalgia and moments of haunting stillness. Filled with musical quotations and unanswered questions, it remains one of the composer’s most enigmatic creations. Together, these three remarkable works explore the many faces of musical imagination, balancing humour with mystery, elegance with unease, and ending the afternoon with one of the twentieth century’s most compelling symphonic statements.

Beethoven 200 is made possible by Cockayne Grants for the Arts, founding supporters of the Philharmonia Creative Futures Fund. Cockayne Grants for the Arts is a Donor Advised Donor Fund, held at The Prism Charitable Trust.