FROM Brussels to Reykjavík, the Cardiff Classical Series 2022/23 features 18 world-class concerts and for this year’s season more than 500 seats available at just £20 and below, and hundreds at under £10.
The series starts with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (Thurs 6 Oct). Led by Ryan Bancroft, the evening opens with the first of many distinguished soloists throughout the season as Yeol Eum Son performs Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 3 before an epic finale of Stravinksy’s spellbinding The Rite of Spring. The following week sees award-winning cellist Laura van der Heijden join the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra (Sat 15 Oct) for a feast of Czech music including Martinů, Janáček and Dvořák, while the Welsh National Opera Orchestra (Fri 4 Nov) perform stormy seascapes to stunning sinfonietta under the baton of Tomáš Hanus.
Virtuoso pianist Paul Lewis joins forces with the Belgian National Orchestra (Weds 9 Nov) for a variously solemn, scintillating and stirring repertoire of Respighi, Mozart and Saint-Saëns, and masterful conductor Markus Stenz leads the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (Thurs 17 Nov) through a thrilling performance of Mahler’s Symphony No 9. Meanwhile, John Wilson puts the Sinfonia of London (Mon 28 Nov) through its paces in a sumptuous programme from Broadway to Boléro including former BBC Young Musician of the Year, Martin James Bartlett playing Gershwin’s jazz-inflected Rhapsody in Blue.
Then it’s time for the return of The Sixteen (Sun 4 Dec) with their captivating Christmas concert, while the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (Sun 15 Jan) celebrate 100 years of Disney. The Welsh National Opera Orchestra (Sun 29 Jan) luxuriate in Bedřich Smetana’s sparkling portrait of his beloved bohemia in Má Vlast, and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (Sun 12 Feb) play a mesmerising programme of Brahms, Messiaen and Fauré.
Powerful emotions of passion and patriotism surge through a Philharmonia Orchestra (Sat 25 Feb) repertoire of Berlioz, Bloch and Sibelius featuring Sheku Kanneh-Mason. Plus, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (Thurs 9 March) make a welcome return with Elgar and Schumann. Then there is a double-header from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (Sat 25 March & Thurs 20 April) with master works by Britten, Elgar and Szymanowski.
The Iceland Symphony Orchestra (Thurs 27 April) with its chief conductor Eva Ollikainen and acclaimed pianist Stephen Hough will be playing Beethoven, while Daniel Ciobanu will be reeling off the fabulous flourishes and thundering bravura of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 1 with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (Thurs 11 May).
For the penultimate concert of the series, Finnish conductor Dalia Stasevska directs The Hallé (Sat 20 May) in a programme of Sibelius and Beethoven with three of the world’s most distinguished artists in Nicola Benedetti, Sheku Kanneh-Mason (pictured above) and Benjamin Grosvenor.
The Cardiff Classical Series 2022/23 then comes to a conclusion with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (Thurs 1 June) playing a rousing repertoire of Grace Williams, Mozart and Richard Strauss featuring soloists Alice Neary and Becky Jones.
Tickets start at just £9.50 and you can save up to 30% by subscribing – for more details, please call Box Office on 029 2087 8444 or visit our website at www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk