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Press release for immediate use The world’s finest orchestras play ’s legendary this Spring

(From top-left going clockwise: Elim Chan, Symphony Orchestra of India, Marat Bisengaliev, Yuri Temirkanov)

Photos available to download here

• The world’s finest international orchestras visit Scotland’s premier concert hall as part of the Sunday Classics season including the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra of India.

• Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra continue to represent Scotland at the highest international level and demonstrate Scotland’s rich heritage of classical music.

• Leading soloists will also join the orchestras, including the dazzling talents of , Marat Bisengaliev, , John Lill and Pinchas Zukerman.

• Tickets available at usherhall.co.uk

The home of classical music in Scotland, the Usher Hall welcomes standout orchestras from around the globe this Spring as well as the country’s own world-renowned classical ensembles.

The venue’s own much-loved Sunday Classics season starts the New Year with a visit from the St Petersburg Philharmonic, the oldest orchestra in Russia. It brings with it the explosive Freddy Kempf for Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2, led by legendary conductor Yuri Temirkanov. In February virtuoso violinist Marat Bisengaliev will perform Bruch’s Violin Concerto alongside The Symphony Orchestra of India conducted by Martyn Brabbins, while at the beginning of April ’s historic Royal Philharmonic Orchestra takes to the stage for a diverse programme of Vaughan William’s Fantasia, Elgar’s Enigma Variations and Beethoven’s Violin Concerto performed by the phenomenal Pinchas Zukerman. The Philharmonic performs Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3 with John Lill, unanimously regarded one of the finest in the world, on the keys as part of a varied afternoon of music on 14 April.

The Usher Hall welcomes several of Scotland’s own leading orchestras to the stage for a series of very special concerts this Spring. The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) has a busy Spring season at the Hall. Thomas Søndergård unfolds the glowing peaks and sweeping vistas of Bruckner’s Romantic Symphony No.4 – music of Alpine grandeur and breath-taking beauty on 1 February. They return a week later with standout Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti for the Scottish premier of ’s Concerto in D for violin and orchestra. Elim Chan conducts Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet on 15 February, while Sir Roger Norrington wraps up his RSNO Schumann series in heroic style, in a concert which features the bottled lightning of the Fourth Symphony on 22 February. In March, Gilbert Varga conducts Dvořák’s New World Symphony, Kensho Watanabe leads Orff’s famous cantata Carmina Burana, and Søndergård directs Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony – forged in the flames of war, and dedicated, he said, to ‘the greatness of the human spirit’.

Edinburgh’s own Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO) welcomes 2019 in sparkling style on 1 January at its New Year Gala Concert. It has all your favourite Viennese Waltzes and Polkas from the Strauss family, guaranteed to put a spring in your step to start the year feeling upbeat. The orchestra returns on 14 March to perform Sibelius Symphonies Nos 6 & 7, before Nicola Benedetti joins the orchestra for an evening of Mozart on 4 April.

If you could hear silence, how would it sound? Well the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (BBCSSO) attempts to answer with the massive stillness that opens Mahler’s First Symphony: the starting point for a young artist’s journey to the heart of absolute tragedy and glorious triumph. It’s one of those pieces that simply has to be experienced live, and as part of BBCSSO’s ongoing Composer Roots project, they’ll

uncover its origins in Jewish folk music with the klezmerband She’Koyokh on 10 February.

The Usher Hall is committed to supporting new talent, and in a partnership with Live Music Now gifts its stage to some of the most promising young classical musicians in their Emerging Artists series. There are three such concerts in January. The Scelerisque Duo on 14th are Hungarians Balázs Renczés and Viktória Sarkadi, who started playing together seven years ago in Hungary. They have been playing together ever since, and in this concert will perform some of their favourite works. On the 21st is Alla Voce Duo (American mezzo soprano Sarah Pistorius and Hungarian pianist Alina Mészoly-Horváth), who will perform some of their great song repertoire including Britten’s Charm of Lullabies and Debussy’s Chansons de Bilitis, as well as works by Schubert. Finally, on 28 January Orcadians Aidan Moodie and Graham Rorie will feature an eclectic mix of traditional and self-penned tunes and songs from across Scotland and beyond.

On 12 April there will be a very special concert celebrating the 40th Anniversary of National Youth Orchestras of Scotland (NYOS), and its work in nurturing and developing the country’s best and brightest young musicians. In the true spirit of partnership, NYOS Symphony Orchestra welcomes to the podium RSNO Principal Guest Conductor Elim Chan.

Four days later, Scottish Opera pays the hall a visit for Opera in Concert: Mascagni's Silvano. They give a long-overdue Scottish premiere to one of Mascagni’s lesser-known verismo operas. Music Director Stuart Stratford conducts The Orchestra of Scottish Opera and a glittering line-up of soloists, including acclaimed soprano Emma Bell as Matilde.

The Usher Hall, opened in 1914, is Scotland’s only 5 Star concert hall and is well loved by performers and audiences from all over the world because of its magnificent acoustics and atmophere. It’s the city's key venue for visiting national and international orchestras and has been the main venue for the Edinburgh International Festival since 1947, hosting legendary artists such as composers and Dmitri Shostakovich, singer Kathleen Ferrier and cellist Jacqueline Du Pre to name but a few.

Listings

SCO: New Year Gala Concert 3:00pm, Tuesday 01 January 2019 Tickets: £11.50 - £35.00

Duncan Ward – Conductor Stephanie Gonley – Violin Smetana - The Bartered Bride Overture and Three Dances Dvořák - Slavonic Dance in A major, Op 46 No 5 Dvořák - Slavonic Dance in E minor, Op 72 No 7 Strauss - The Blue Danube Waltz Strauss - Radetsky March Strauss - Tritsch-Tratsch Polka

Edinburgh Royal Choral Union 132nd Annual New Year 12:00pm, Wednesday 02 January 2019 Tickets: £13.00 - £27.00

Emerging Artists - Scelerisque Duo 11:00am, Monday 14 January 2019 Tickets: £3.00

Emerging Artsits - Alla Voce Duo 11:00am, Monday 21 January 2019 Tickets: £3.00

Sunday Classics: St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra with Yuri Temirkanov 3:00pm, Sunday 27 January 2019 Tickets: £13.50 - £35.00

St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra Yuri Temirkanov - Conductor Freddy Kempf - Piano Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No. 2 Mahler - Symphony No. 4

RSNO Søndergård Conducts Bruckner Four 7:30pm, Friday 01 February 2019 Tickets: £13.00 - £42.00

Thomas Søndergård - Conductor Royal Scottish National Orchestra Mahler - Adagio from Symphony No10 Bruckner - Symphony No.4 Romantic

RSNO Søndergård and Benedetti 7:30pm, Friday 08 February 2019 Tickets: £13.00 - £42.00

Thomas Søndergård - Conductor Nicola Benedetti - Violin Royal Scottish National Orchestra Thomas Adès - Dances from Powder Her Face Gershwin (arr Bennett) - A Symphonic Picture of Porgy and Bess Wynton Marsalis - Concerto in D (for Violin and Orchestra) Scottish premiere

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra - Composer Roots: Mahler 1 3:00pm, Sunday 10 February 2019 Tickets: £15.00 - £30.00

Bernstein - Overture: Candide Bloch - Schelomo: Rhapsodie Hébraïque Mahler - Symphony No.1 BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra She’Koyokh Jian Wang - Cello Thomas Dausgaard – Conductor

RSNO Chan Conducts Romeo and Juliet 7:30pm, Friday 15 February 2019 Tickets: £13.00 - £42.00

Elim Chan – Conductor Lukáš Vondráček - Piano Royal Scottish National Orchestra Tchaikovsky - Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No2 Prokofiev - Selected movements from Romeo and Juliet Suites 1 & 2

RSNO Norrington Conducts Schumann 7:30pm, Friday 22 February 2019 Tickets: £13.00 - £42.00

Sir Roger Norrington - Conductor Francesca Dego - Violin Royal Scottish National Orchestra Schumann: Symphony No.4 Mozart: Violin Concerto No.4 K218 Schumann: Symphony No.3 Rhenish

Sunday Classics: Symphony Orchestra of India 3:00pm, Sunday 24 February 2019 Tickets: £13.50 - £35.00

Symphony Orchestra of India Martyn Brabbins - Conductor Marat Bisengaliev - Violin Weber - Oberon Overture Bruch - Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Rimsky - Korsakov Scheherazade

RSNO Dvořák’s New World Symphony 7:30pm, Friday 01 March 2019 Tickets: £13.00 - £42.00

Gilbert Varga - Conductor Kristóf Baráti - Violin

Royal Scottish National Orchestra Mathias - Requiescat Brahms - Violin Concerto Dvořák - Symphony No9 From the New World

RSNO Carmina Burana 7:30pm, Friday 08 March 2019 Tickets: £13.00 - £42.00

Kensho Watanabe - Conductor Can Çakmur - Piano Fflur Wyn - Soprano Adrian Dwyer - Tenor -Baritone RSNO Chorus RSNO Junior Chorus Gregory Batsleer – Chorus Director, RSNO Chorus Royal Scottish National Orchestra Beethoven - Piano Concerto No3 Orff - Carmina Burana

SCO: Sibelius Symphonies Nos 6 & 7 7:30pm, Thursday 14 March 2019 Tickets: £11.50 - £35.00

Joseph Swensen - Conductor Paul Lewis - Piano Beethoven - Overture, Coriolan Beethoven - Piano Concerto No 2 Sibelius - Symphony No 6 Sibelius - Symphony No 7

RSNO Søndergård Conducts Prokofiev 7:30pm, Friday 22 March 2019 Tickets: £13.00 - £42.00

Thomas Søndergård - Conductor Olga Kern - Piano Clyde Kusatsu – Narrator Royal Scottish National Orchestra Paul Chihara - A Matter of Honor (RSNO Commission) World premiere Rachmaninov - Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Prokofiev - Symphony No 5

SCO: Benedetti plays Mozart

7:30pm, Thursday 04 April 2019 Tickets: £11.50 - £35.00 Nicola Benedetti - Violin/Director Benjamin Marquise Gilmore - Violin/Director Mozart - Violin Concerto No 3 in G, K216 Mozart - Symphony No 35 in D, K385 ‘Haffner’ Anna Clyne - Within her Arms Mozart - Violin Concerto No 5 in A, K219 ‘Turkish’

Sunday Classics: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra 3:00pm, Sunday 07 April 2019 Tickets: £13.50 - £35.00

Royal Philharmonic - Orchestra Pinchas Zukerman - Conductor & Violin Vaughan Williams - Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis Elgar Enigma - Variations Beethoven - Violin Concerto

NYOS 40th Anniversary Concert 7:30pm, Friday 12 April 2019 Tickets: £20.00 - £23.50

Elim Chan - Conductor Steven Osborne – Piano NYOS Symphony Orchestra Sergei Rachamaninoff: Piano Concerto No.3 Andrea Tarrodi: Liguria Modest Mussorgsky (arr. Ravel): Pictures at an Exhibition

Sunday Classics: Japan Philharmonic Orchestra 3:00pm, Sunday 14 April 2019 Tickets: £13.50 - £35.00

Japan Philharmonic Orchestra Pietari Inkinen - Conductor John Lill - Piano Rautavaara - In the Beginning Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 3 Takemitsu - Requiem for Strings Sibelius - Symphony No. 2

Scottish Opera - Opera in Concert: Mascagni's Silvano 7:30pm, Tuesday 16 April 2019 Tickets: £11.00 - £35.00

Stuart Stratford - Conductor Sung in Italian with English supertitles Mascagni - Silvano

/ENDS

Tickets available at: www.usherhall.co.uk 0131 228 1155 Please note a £1.50 transaction fee applies on the overall booking when purchasing online or over the phone (non-refundable) Concessions and offers may vary between concerts. For more information please contact the box office or check the Usher Hall website. Box office: Usher Hall, Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH1 2EA

Media Enquiries: Susie Gray / [email protected] / 0131 202 6220 / 07834073795 Will Moss / [email protected]/ 0131 202 6220

USHER HALL

The Usher Hall is Scotland's only five-star concert hall hosting a range of concerts from rock, pop, classical, jazz, world and folk music. The venue has hosted concerts and events since it opened way back in 1914! A beautiful Edwardian building with a modern twist, which is well loved by performers and audiences all over the world due to its magnificent acoustics.

It is said that Andrew Usher sparked the idea of a ‘concert hall for Edinburgh’ whilst chatting away over the counter of his jewellers in Rose Street. His ‘desire and intention’ was that this Hall ‘should become and remain a centre and attraction to musical artistes and performers and to the citizens of Edinburgh and others who may desire to hear good music...’

On 23 June 1896 it was formally announced that Andrew Usher had gifted £100,000 to The City of Edinburgh. The purpose of the money was to provide a City Hall, to be used for concerts, recitals, or other entertainments or performances of a musical nature, and for civic functions, or such other performances as the Lord Provost, Magistrates, and Council saw fit. Above all it was to be about the music. Edinburgh was very much lacking a hall for such musical and civic purposes, as stated in the Scotsman the following day; ‘The necessity for a great hall in Edinburgh under city management has been pressed upon the attention of the public for many years.’ Sadly Andrew Usher died before his dream was realised.

Today

Today, the much-praised acoustics make it one of the best concert halls in Europe with many of the world's finest musicians performing here. The Usher Hall is the city's key venue for visiting national and international orchestras and has been the main venue for the Edinburgh International Festival since 1947, hosting legendary artists

such as composers Benjamin Britten and Dmitri Shostakovich, contralto singer Kathleen Ferrier and cellist Jacqueline Du Pre to name but a few.

The venue is a centre of excellence embracing the widest range of music and events, including rock, pop, jazz, world and blues. It is Edinburgh’s go-to venue for today’s mid-large scale rock and pop acts, with the likes of Queens of the Stone Age, The National, Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, George Ezra and Echo & the Bunnymen having performed on its stage. Usher Hall also hosts a broad spectrum of comedy, talks, school concerts, conferences, sponsorship events, ceremonies, lectures and recording sessions.