The Piccadilly Sinfonia presents five concerts that celebrate the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. The second concert in the series, Prince, features Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto and his Fourth Symphony, works premiered in 1807 in a private concert at the home of Prince Franz Joseph von Lobkowitz. The concert is rounded out with masterful works by Ralph Vaughan Williams and Samuel Barber, two composers who were influenced by the works of Beethoven. Explore the fate of a man who composed for princes and kings, who ushered in a new era in classical music becoming its hero, and is remembered today as an emperor among men, one of the greatest composers of all time.
The Piccadilly Sinfonia was formed in 2018 and during its debut season the ensemble performed concerts in London, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Manchester and further afield.
Launched under the artistic direction of British concert pianist Warren Mailley-Smith, the orchestra is formed from some the UK’s leading young professional talent, with notable guest soloists so far having included violinists Zoey Beyers, Fenella Humphreys, Martyn Jackson, and Harriet Mackenzie. Their repertoire draws largely from a wide range of baroque and classical works for chamber orchestra including a number of virtuoso concerti.
Warren Mailley-Smith recently became the first British pianist to perform Chopin’s complete works for solo piano from memory in a series of 11 recitals at St John’s Smith Square. Hailed by the critics as an “epic achievement”, Mailley-Smith will repeat the series at several venues in 2020. He has given acclaimed solo recitals at The Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall and has performed for the British Royal Family on numerous occasions. One of the busiest concert pianists of his generation, he regularly gives over 100 solo performances a year. His career has taken him all over the world, with solo performances in Australia, Europe and most recently solo tours in China and the USA. He has 30 piano concertos in his repertoire, having made his concerto debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Warren’s recordings have been featured by Classic FM as CD of the Week and his recordings are featured regularly on Classic FM and the BBC. He is currently recording the complete works of Chopin over a 3-year period for a 12-disc set for Sleeveless Records. He is also an active chamber musician and is the Artistic Director of the Piccadilly Chamber Music Series and The Piccadilly Sinfonia. He is a graduate in Law from the University of Warwick.