Last evening at the SSO opened the new season with the up-and-coming Uzbekistan sensation Behzod Abduraimov in Tchaikovsky's warhorse, the evergreen Piano Concerto No 1.

On most minds and lips is still the indelible episode when another young prodigy established in his career, disappointingly gave a lacklustre and, to borrow the words of a critic ( Read more... )

To underestimate the timpani part in Beethoven's Choral Symphony would be to undermine the contribution it makes in punctuating the work with pomp and punch. This was especially filtered through by the explosive energy of Paul Philbert who gave a blistering and blazing workout on the kettle drums. His part was the highlight of the evening and may ( Read more... )