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Elizabeth Alker brings you an afternoon of exclusive music-making including a song recital from tenor Hiroshi Amako and pianist Michael Pandya live from Wigmore Hall; Tchaikovsky performed by the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Barber’s Violin Concerto performed by James Ehnes, Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Andrew Manze, in a week showcasing some of the best Romantic violin concertos.

Collaborative pianist Michael Pandya, currently a ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ New Generation Artist, is joined for this lunchtime recital by the tenor Hiroshi Amako, a postgraduate student at the Royal Academy of Music. The duo presents a programme built around Britten’s haunting Holy Sonnets of John Donne.

Today and throughout the week, Elizabeth Alker introduces compelling performances from the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Scottish Symphony Orchestra in their 90th anniversary year and shines a spotlight on violin concertos of the Romantic era. There’s also music from Sweden, including recitals by Piotr Anderszewski, the Swedish Radio Choir and the 2025 Change Music Festival.

Tchaikovsky kicks things off for the celebrations of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Scottish Symphony Orchestra – Gemma New conducts the orchestra in a performance of Symphony No 5 at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall in May this year. There’s also another chance to hear them play one of this year’s 25 for 25 works, by Aileen Sweeney - Views from the M9, as well as a symphonic poem from another contemporary female composer Lera Auerbach.

Elizabeth has a selection of Brahms piano music from a Stockholm recital by Piotr Anderszewski; and this week’s first Romantic violin concerto comes from Samuel Barber, with James Ehnes in the spotlight.

Live from London's Wigmore Hall, introduced by Hannah French

Benjamin Britten
The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, Op 35

Stephen Hough
Transformation (Songs from Isolation)
Hotel (Songs from Isolation)

Osamu Katsuki
Pram

Henry Purcell
In the black, dismal dungeon of despair, Z190 (realised by Benjamin Britten)

Toru Tamura
When the wind blows

Olivier Messiaen
Poemes pour Mi

Ralph Vaughan Williams
5 Mystical Songs – The Call

Franz Schubert
Auflösung, D807

Frank Bridge
Journey’s End

Paul Hindemith
Wie Sankt Franciscus schweb' ich in der Luft

John Weldon
Alleluia (realised by Benjamin Britten)

Hiroshi Amako (tenor)
Michael Pandya (piano)

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Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Symphony No 5 in E minor Op 64
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Gemma New (conductor)

Aileen Sweeney
Views from the M9
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Alpesh Chuahan (conductor)

Lera Auerbach
Icarus
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Gemma New (conductor)

Samuel Barber
Violin Concerto, Op 14
James Ehnes (violin)
Danish National Symphony Orchestra
Andrew Manze (conductor)

To listen to this programme (using most smart speakers) just say "Ask ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Sounds to play Classical Live".

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