| Tuesday 12 May 2026 | 19:30 |
| Blacher, Boris (1903-1975) | Orchestral Variations on a theme by Paganini | |
| Barber, Samuel (1910-1981) | Violin Concerto, Op.14 | |
| Nielsen, Carl (1865-1931) | Symphony no. 5, Op.50 |
| Kensington Symphony Orchestra | |
| Russell Keable | Conductor |
| Alan Tuckwood | Violin |
Kensington Symphony Orchestra performs Nielsen’s Symphony No.5 (1921-22), which was described by the composer as “the division of dark and light” and features a famous battle between the orchestra and a rogue snare drummer.
The concert opens with Boris Blacher’s Orchestral Variations on a Theme by N Paganini (1947). Treating Paganini’s famous melody with brilliance, variety and invention in 16 virtuosic variations, it brought the composer international renown.
KSO also performs Barber’s Violin Concerto (1939), which was written in the mountains of Switzerland and Pennsylvania. Its lyrical first and second movements are followed by a fiendish perpetual motion that ends in a burst of brilliance.
Described as “one of the very best amateur groups in the country” by Classical Music magazine, KSO has been hailed by Classical Source for “putting on bold, adventurous programmes that few of the ‘big five’ in London would either think of or get away with”.
