Kew Sinfonia are pleased to present our Autumn Concert on 24 October in which Beethoven’s famous classics, the Coriolan Overture and 7th Symphony, are paired with 20th Century British composer Ruth Gipps' Horn Concerto and Wind Sinfonietta.
Despite being a contemporary of avant-garde composers, Ruth Gipps remained an unyieldingly committed romanticist whose works are lyrical and pastoral, similar in style to those of her teacher Vaughan-Williams and composer Arthur Bliss.
Composed for her son, Gipps’ Horn Concerto is a celebrated masterpiece which demands a formidable technique and skill from the soloist. We are delighted to welcome horn player Joseph Longstaff to perform this work with us. A former Purcell School student, National Youth Orchestra player, BBC Young Musician of the Year brass finalist and Royal Academy of Music student, Joseph’s continued studies in Germany have led to early career success and invitations to play with prestigious orchestras including the Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Hamburg State Opera, the Bavarian State Opera and La Scala, Milan, as well as the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. We are very privileged to perform this concerto with Joseph, which promises to be a really exciting showcase for his considerable talents.
We round off this concert with a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No 7. Described by Beethoven as “one of my best works” and famed for its powerfully energetic, driving rhythms and haunting, hypnotic Allegretto, this work was both unique and unusual for its time and remains enduringly popular.