The piano virtuoso Bo Lyu will perform the Concerto no.2 by Dmitri Shostakovich with the Isle of Wight Symphony Orchestra at their concert on 2nd November 2024.
Bo was born in Shenyang, China and, after beginning his initial studies there, moved to the Royal Academy of Music in London to study with Joanna McGregor CBE. After winning the Norah Sande Award Piano Competition, Bo appeared on BBC Radio 3 and at prestigious venues such as the Wigmore Hall and St. Martin-in-the-Fields. He has also taught on various occasions at the Royal Academy of Music, Trinity Laban and King’s College, London.
Composed in 1957
The Piano Concerto no.2 by Shostakovich was composed in 1957 as a present for his son Maxim’s nineteenth birthday. Either side of a soulful Andante are two vivacious movements that test the technical prowess of both soloist and orchestra.
The music is always tuneful, accessible and colourfully scored which has helped the work place highly year after year on the Classic FM charts.
‘Hungarian March’ and Holst’s ‘Suite in Eb’
Also on the programme is Berlioz’s exuberant ‘Hungarian March’ and Gordon Jacob’s arrangement of Gustav Holst’s ‘Suite in Eb’. Originally written for military band in 1909, the work shows Holst’s talent for composing appealing folk-inflected melodies and Jacob’s skilled arrangement keeps the whole orchestra busy throughout.
Bruckner’s Symphony no.4 (‘Romantic’)
The concert will conclude with Symphony no.4 (‘Romantic’) by Anton Bruckner. The composer was a great organist and his orchestral works have been referred to as ‘cathedrals in sound’.
Symphony no.4 certainly maximises the power and weight of the orchestra at times yet is also tender and heartfelt. The name ‘Romantic’ was Bruckner’s own, maybe because extensive use is made of the French horn, which in German is known as the Waldhorn. Wald means ‘forest’ and the Waldhorn became symbolic of the Romantic ideal in German-speaking countries.
Where and when
The concert takes place at Medina Theatre on Saturday 2nd November 2024 and begins at 7.15pm.
Book your seats through the Medina Theatre website.
Support
The orchestra is delighted to be supporting The Southampton and Isle of Wight Music Trust, Middleton Bursary Scheme at all of its concerts this season. The scheme provides invaluable financial support to young musicians facing challenging circumstances.
Sponsorship from Wightlink is invaluable in helping the orchestra maintain the high quality of their concerts from year to year.
See the Symphony Orchestra’s website for more information.
See Bo Lyu’s website for more information about the pianist.
News shared by Gareth on behalf of Isle of Wight Symphony Orchestra. Ed
