Orchestre National de Lille with Eric Lu (piano)

Throughout the ages French music has been marked by its refinement, great craftsmanship and subtle colours. Who better to show this than the Orchestre National de Lille under the baton of its Musical Director, the charismatic Alexandre Bloch. Two contrasting pieces by Ravel begin and end the concert: each movement of the alluring Ma mére l’oye (Mother Goose) Suite takes its title from a fairy tale; while La valse pays joyful homage to the ballrooms of the past.

In Ibéria Debussy added French dressing to a foreign subject. As well as this exquisite Gallic fare we hear Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto, a work both lyrical and humorous. The soloist is the astonishing Eric Lu, who in 2018 won the final of the prestigious Leeds International Piano Competition with an astounding performance of this very piece.

Pre-concert talk with BBC Broadcaster Trisha Cooper starts at 6pm.