Mischa Maisky and the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra

When Dvorák first heard America’s spirituals and plantation songs, he wrote that they would form ‘the future music of this country’. Rather sooner, the spirit of those melodies made their way into Dvorák’s most popular work. In his ‘New World’ symphony, the composer wove the songs of native America into music of intense warmth, drama and spontaneity. Nature shines through this most gregarious music, but so does the sense of sadness and longing that also colours the composer’s wistful Cello Concerto – another moving product of the Czech composer’s years spent expatriated across the Atlantic. Musical icon Mischa Maisky joins Marios Papadopoulos and the orchestra for this concert of heartfelt letters from America. The second premiere selected from last year’s composers’ workshop opens the concert.