Russian Spring: Elder and the Hallé reunite in glorious style

Kostas Smoriginas and the Hallé

Sir Mark Elder conducts the Hallé

By Leighton Jones, 08 May 2026

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“Kostas Smoriginas... a commanding stage presence to match his bass-baritone voice”

Reviewed at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester on 7 May 2026

Glinka, Ruslan and Lyudmila: Overture

Stravinsky, Le chant du rossignol (Song of the Nightingale)

Rachmaninov, Spring Cantata for Baritone, Chorus and Orchestra, Op.20

Tchaikovsky, Symphony no. 2 in C minor "Little Russian", Op.17

Sir Mark Elder, Conductor

Kostas Smoriginas, Bass-baritone

The Hallé

The Hallé Choir

Matthew Hamilton, Choirmaster / chorus director

Tarmo Peltokoski conducts the Hallé in Mahler and Vaughan Williams

Leighton Jones, 16th April

Mahler’s Rückert-Lieder provide an apt, if somewhat unexpected, partner to Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony in Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall.

****1

Concertos – for violin and for orchestra – from the Hallé

Peter Connors, 22nd March

Viktoria Mullova is a superb soloist in Brahms' Violin Concerto, while an orchestra full of soloists play Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra with Kahchun Wong presiding.

*****

Nico Muhly’s vision of the end of the world comes to Sheffield

Phil Parker, 15th March

Doom – both personal and cosmic – and its aftermath are the focus of Alpesh Chauhan’s Hallé concert at Sheffield’s City Hall.

****1

Avant-garde echoes meet minimalist soundscapes in Hallé concert

Pwyll ap Sion, 26th February

Jonny Greenwood’s genre-defying music is given a powerful performance by violinist Daniel Pioro and members of The Hallé Orchestra under Hugh Tieppo-Brunt.

****1

Celestial journeys with Kahchun Wong and the Hallé

Rohan Shotton, 19th February

Kahchun Wong returns to The Hallé for Holst and Unsuk Chin, with a postscript from Colin Matthews

***11

The Hallé brings Salonen, Grieg and Sibelius to Sheffield

Phil Parker, 23rd January

Dazzling young German pianist Julius Asal and stand-in conductor Duncan Ward breathe new life into the familiar in repertoire by Grieg and Sibelius.

****1

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Leighton Jones

Leighton has extensive teaching experience from early years to postgraduate level music. Currently he works as a primary music specialist, visiting instrumental teacher and examiner. As a pianist, he was inspired to play after hearing Moura Lympany at a young age and has a large collection of her recordings. Leighton’s postgraduate studies focussed on his interest in 20th-century English orchestral music, with particular study of Britten, Rawsthorne, Walton and Vaughan Williams. A keen choral singer he has developed a comprehensive knowledge of chiefly British choral music.

Russian Spring: Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé reunite in glorious style