Spotlight on the Violin

Spotlight on the Violin will feature the 13 year old winner of the National Youth Concerto Competition, Ein Na, performing Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto no 1. More Romantic in tone than Prokofiev’s other works, upon hearing it at its premiere in 1923, violinist Joseph Szigeti described it as a “mixture of fairy-tale naivete and daring savagery” and promptly went on to tour it throughout Europe. Also on the program is the ever popular Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor, and Shostakovich’s Symphony no.1. Written as his graduation piece from the Leningrad Conservatory at the age of 18, this is the symphony which put Shostakovich on the world stage as a composer and remains one of his favourite works to this day. The concert will be conducted by Stefanie Smith.