Sakari Oramo conducts Bray and Liszt

Lelia Josefowicz and Sakari Oramo premiere a new violin concerto by Charlotte Bray; a wonderful upbeat to Liszt’s heaven-storming Faust Symphony.

“The indescribable is happening here; the Eternal Feminine lifts us on high!” Franz Liszt always thought big, and his stupendous Faust Symphony deals with nothing less than the temptation, damnation and redemption of the soul itself. Huge, tempestuous and thrillingly dramatic, it’s a landmark of 19th century music, and this rare full performance makes a truly epic finale to our concert season.

But BBC Symphony Orchestra Chief Conductor Sakari Oramo is an artist who looks to the future as much as the past, and he opens with something entirely new – the world premiere of a Violin Concerto by the brilliantly imaginative British composer Charlotte Bray. Written for and performed by a giant among living violinists, Leila Josefowicz, expect something special.

Programme

Charlotte Bray Violin Concerto (World Premiere) (BBC Co-commission)
Franz Liszt Faust Symphony

Performers

Sakari Oramo conductor
Leila Josefowicz violin
David Butt Philip tenor
BBC Symphony Orchestra
BBC Symphony Chorus lower voices