Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5

Tchaikovsky never held back. He asked for his Fifth Symphony to be performed con desiderio e passione –‘with desire and passion’ – and when guest conductor Cornelius Meister joins the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Cadogan Hall, we can promise exactly that. With its heartfelt melodies and blazing colours, we love playing Tchaikovsky’s Fifth as much as you love hearing it, and there’s no more stirring way to finish a season packed with music at its most uninhibited. But that’s not all: the evening opens with a delightful new miniature from Composer-in-Association Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away). And Clara-Jumi Kang brings all her world-class insight to Britten’s powerful Violin Concerto, written on the eve of World War II. Strong emotions, stunningly played.

‘The Britten... had a dazzling performer in Clara-Jumi Kang: dedicated, highly expressive and varied.’ – Bachtrack, January 2023