A concert of bold voices and fearless invention. We open with the stormy, impassioned overture to The Wreckers, Ethel Smyth’s opera set on the rugged Cornish coast. With sweeping melodies and dark intensity, this powerful curtain-raiser announces Smyth as one of the great unsung heroines of British music.
Next, superstar pianist Benjamin Grosvenor takes the spotlight in Richard Strauss’s Burleske – a dazzling, high-octane work that brims with sardonic wit and virtuosic brilliance. Part concerto, part musical prank, Burleske dances on a knife-edge between mischief and majesty.
Shostakovich’s gripping Symphony No 5 – veiled protest or triumphant apologia – delivers emotional power and biting irony in one of the 20th century’s most compelling orchestral works.
more about Cambridge Philharmonic
Cambridge Philharmonic, founded in 1887, is one of Britain’s oldest and most distinguished music societies. It comprises of both a full symphony orchestra and large chorus. The society’s auditioned members are drawn from in and around Cambridge, representing a wide range of ages and backgrounds. Under the direction of Music Director, Harry Sever, Cambridge Philharmonic performs a wide range of repertoire as part of its annual concert series, including an opera, family concert, classical and contemporary works. Many of these members generously volunteer their time to ensure the Cambridge Philharmonic remains successful, in this way the society is a very sociable and welcoming community organisation. Find out more here