Benedetti's back with a bonus
NICOLA BENEDETTI is coming back. The sensational and glamorous 21-year-old violinist has confirmed she will play in the Worthing Symphony Orchestra's October 11 concert at the Assembly Hall. And it will not be one work, but two that she will perform.
As well as a Glazunov Concerto, she will play the famous Meditation from Massenet's opera, Thas, for violin and orchestra.
More than 800 fans saw and heard the former BBC Young Musician of the Year play Bruch's supremely popular Violin Concerto in March on her surprise debut with the orchestra.
Afterwards, the international prizewinning Scottish girl from Ayrshire with the Italian looks said how excited she had been by the audience reaction, the quality of the orchestra, and the experience of playing in the Assembly Hall's nationally-known ambience.
Having performed the favourite Bruch, and sent many new fans out of the building vowing to return, she declared: "This is the best orchestra I have played this work with. It's a lovely audience here and the acoustic is so great."
Of her intention to return, enterprising conductor John Gibbons announced: "This is fantastic news. Nicola will be back to play the romantic Concerto No 1 by Glazunov, the Russian who taught Tchaikowsky and all those other composers. The piece was a favourite of the famous violinist Heifetz."
Benedetti 's appearance on the Assemble Hall stage will be framed by Mussorgsky's Night On A Bare Mountain and Tchaikowsky's Symphony No 5.
The WSO audience, which includes a couple who drive down from the Oxfordshire-Buckinghamshire border, is widening, and a number who heard Benedetti play last month and were hearing the WSO for the first time, returned to the subsequent concert.
Gibbons told the fans as the final concert of the season ended: "We hope you've had a great time this season and are looking forward to next. As you know from me, there'll be no squeaky door music. We've no time for that here. We just want to enjoy ourselves."
The season will start on September 13 with a themed concert on music with a French connection. Haydn's La Reine Symphony, No 85 in Bb, one of his magnificent six written in Paris, raises the season's curtain, then Turkish pianist of towering reputation, Idil Biret will play the Concerto No 2 by Frenchman Camille Saint-Saens.
After the Pizzicato from Delibes' ballet score, Sylvia, comes another soloist bonus — Biret will also perform Ballade for Piano and Orchestra by one-time stalwart of the Paris Conservatoire, Gabriel Faur. Then the afternoon closes with Mozart's sparkling and dynamic Symphony No 31 in D, The Paris, which he composed while performing in the city on a visit with his mother.
The other soloists next season will also include pianists Anthony Hewitt, Ian Fountain and Rustem Hayroudinoff, clarinettist Philip Edwards and violinist Boris Brovtsyn. The Russian, Brovtsyn, was heard in August on BBC Radio 3 in a lunchtime concert.
The upcoming season's concert dates (all Sundays at 2.45pm unless stated): September 13, October 11, November 8 (Remembrance Day), December 6, January 3 (New Year), February 14 (Worthing Youth Prom, Valentine's Day Love Music), March 7, May 2 (Alassio Orchestra season-closer concert of stage, screen and classical; 7.30pm).
Seat booking details, including season tickets on 01903 206206. For concert details, go to www.worthingtheatres.co.uk/WorthingSymphonyOrchestra
For all WSO concert reviews, including the Benedetti concert in March, see www.worthingherald.co.uk under classical music.
The first Sussex International Piano Competition at Worthing, on April 9 (1pm, 6pm) and 11 (2.45, grand final). Under auspicies of Worthing Symphony Orchestra and Worthing Symphony Society and sponsored by Blthner Piano Centre. Report to come.
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Weather for Worthing
Tuesday 14 February 2012
Today
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Temperature: 4 C to 8 C
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