| samedi 27 septembre 2025 | 19:00 |
| The Hallé | |
| Kahchun Wong | Direction |
| Rachel Helleur-Simcock | Violoncelle |
Acclaimed cellist Rachel Helleur-Simcock joins the Hallé’s Principal Conductor, Kahchun Wong, in this emotive opening to the 2025/26 Sheffield International Concert Season.
Rachel is the newly announced section leader Cello for the Hallé, previously having been a key member of The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra for the past 16 years, and makes her Sheffield debut in this concert to play Elgar’s deeply emotional Cello Concerto, a cornerstone of the instrument’s repertoire and, famously, the composer’s last completed work. Written in the aftermath of World War One, it is a poignant work – never more so than in the heart-rending Adagio third movement – yet, despite this, there are still moments of that recognisable Elgarian nobility as well as hope. It remains amongst the composer’s most celebrated and well-loved works.
In striking contrast, the concerto is framed by Shostakovich’s Festive Overture and Rachmaninov’s exuberant Symphony No.2. With its grandiose brass fanfare opening, full of cymbal crashes, the Festive Overture makes for a celebratory start to the season.
* Soloist Truls Mørk has unfortunately had to withdraw from this concert due to unforeseen circumstances.
