Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

ROSSINI Barber of Seville: Overture
GRIEG Piano Concerto
DVORÁK Symphony No. 9, New World

Conductor: Damian Iorio
Piano: Alexandra Dariescu

Rossini’s stunning Barber of Seville Overture is the perfect opener to this spring-time concert, bringing together elements of comedy and excitement a quintessentially Rossini style. Having surpassed the opening night obstacles (including a singer falling through a trap-door, a cat walking on stage and the composer losing the only score of the overture!) the Barber of Seville is one of opera’s best loved overtures.

The centrepiece of tonight’s programme is without doubt one of the most popular works ever written for the piano – Grieg’s Piano Concerto. Its dramatic opening leads into rich lyrical melodies and passages of show-stopping virtuosity, performed by the outstanding pianist, Alexandra Dariescu.

Conducted by Damian Iorio, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will close the concert with Dvořák’s seminal work, Symphony No.9, ‘From the New World’. With echoes of the Native American and early African American folk traditions, the running tune throughout the piece so perfectly captures the flavour of the country that it is often described as an original American folk tune.