The Hallé - Opening Night

Hear a deeply personal new symphony from our Featured Composer, James MacMillan, alongside Beethoven’s greatest piano concerto. 

Principal Conductor & Artistic Advisor Kahchun Wong and the Hallé’s opening night is an unmissable occasion. It begins with Liszt’s Les préludes which, after a tentative opening, erupts into a sumptuous melody.   

James MacMillan’s Sixth Symphony remembers four close family members in musical portraits, each featuring a different section of the orchestra, before a final, fifth movement brings the whole orchestra back together. Over the season, we’re celebrating the much-loved works of this British composer and this new symphony is a major highlight. 

For many Beethoven fans, his ‘Emperor’ Concerto is the best – its second movement is pure, dreamy perfection. Stephen Hough sets it aglow before carrying us into its joyful finale.