Farnborough Symphony Orchestra Centenary: Grieg and Bruckner

The third concert of the season celebrates Farnborough Symphony Orchestra's centenary with a performance of Grieg’s famous piano concerto. This was first played by the orchestra in April 1923 during the inaugural season, and it’s very exciting, ninety-nine years on, to be working with Hiroko Imai, the young Japanese pianist who so enthralled us with her enchanting performance of Shostakovich’s 2nd piano concerto in 2019. The dramatic opening flourish on the piano has ensured the concerto’s place in the public consciousness and it remains a firm favourite with audiences.

The other work in the concert is the 6th symphony of Austrian composer Anton Bruckner. Perhaps not quite as well known as some of his other symphonies, it is nonetheless beautiful, rich and memorable and well worth hearing live.

We are delighted to welcome guest conductor Orlando Jopling, renowned for his orchestral, operatic and ballet work, and privileged that he is taking time out from conducting the entire Ring Cycle to conduct Farnborough Symphony Orchestra during this centenary season. We have no doubt that, under his direction (and in particular in the Grieg concerto), we will be playing all the right notes and necessarily in the right order!

As a courtesy to other concert-goers, audience members are requested to wear masks at all times when in the building.