The Mid-Somerset Orchestra’s third guest conductor this season is the highly accomplished Hitoshi Suzuki, who has studied all over the world including the University of the Arts Tokyo, Royal Northern College of Music, Royal College of Music and is currently at the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles. A prizewinner in many orchestral conducting competitions, Hitoshi will bring a unique international perspective to the evening.
Their soloist, Hilary Suckling, graduated from the Royal Academy of Music and the University of Cambridge. A previous favourite with Mid-Somerset Orchestra, (Schumann's Piano Concerto 2013), Hilary returns to perform Beethoven’s 4th Piano Concerto. She has worked as an Accompanist at Chetham’s School of Music; for BBC Young Musician and Yehudi Menuhin soloists, and has given recitals at the Wigmore Hall, St James’ Piccadilly and BBC Radio 3.
The programme opens with the overture to 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' by Nicolai, before the evening’s main highlight of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 4.
The Festive Overture by Shostakovich provides a good work out for the brass section and is contrasted by 'Le tombeau de Couperin', a piece written by Ravel as homage to the baroque French keyboard style.
The concert concludes with Tchaikovsky’s ever popular Fantasy Overture 'Romeo and Juliet'.